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Research ArticleArticle

The Cost of Convenience?

Transaction Costs, Bargaining Power, and Savings Account Use in Kenya

Simone Schaner
Journal of Human Resources, October 2017, 52 (4) 919-945; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.52.4.0815-7350R1
Simone Schaner
Simone Schaner is Assistant Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, JPAL, NBER, and BREAD. The author thanks Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Tavneet Suri for invaluable advice and feedback and Eric Edmonds, Dan Keniston, Ben Olken, Sandip Sukhtankar, and Rob Townsend for many useful comments. This project would not have been possible without the tireless assistance, hard work, and commitment of many employees of Family Bank, especially Victor Keriri Mwangi, Steve Mararo, and Michael Aswani Were.
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Abstract

Individuals across the world use high-transaction-cost savings devices even when lower-cost technologies are available. High costs may help savers protect resources from the demands of others. I investigate this hypothesis by randomly assigning ATM cards to 1,100 newly opened bank accounts in rural Kenya. These cards reduced withdrawal fees by 50 percent. While the cards increased overall account use, the positive treatment effect is entirely driven by joint and male-owned accounts. I find evidence that these differences are driven by intrahousehold issues: Household bargaining power is a key mediator of the ATM treatment effect.

  • Received August 2015.
  • Accepted May 2016.

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Journal of Human Resources: 52 (4)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 52, Issue 4
2 Oct 2017
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The Cost of Convenience?
Simone Schaner
Journal of Human Resources Oct 2017, 52 (4) 919-945; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.52.4.0815-7350R1

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The Cost of Convenience?
Simone Schaner
Journal of Human Resources Oct 2017, 52 (4) 919-945; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.52.4.0815-7350R1
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