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Emphasizing upper-middle-income Balkan Economies, this study focuses on the determinants of financial inclusion on a sample of individuals engaged in agriculture. Using logit estimations, we investigate socio-economic characteristics influencing financial inclusion, including owning a bank account and holding savings. Results reveal that individual characteristics, such as education, income, gender, and online payment usage are influential drivers. Financial inclusion is also impacted by economy-level variables including the share of agriculture in GDP and financial infrastructure density. The study underscores the importance of tailored policies to promote financial inclusion, particularly for vulnerable groups in agriculture-dependent economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of women's empowerment has been a topic of ongoing discussion in developing countries, considering the complex socio-demographic and cultural factors at play. Women tend to face disadvantages compared to men across various human development indicators. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly examine the different factors that influence women's economic empowerment within the specific context of Ethiopia. This study examines the factors that contribute to the economic empowerment of women in rural areas of Bahir Dar Zuria Woreda in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The research employed multi-stage probability sampling techniques to achieve its objectives, resulting in a sample of 382 rural women randomly selected from seven selected kebeles. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the collected data. The study found that more than half of the women achieved a medium level of economic empowerment. The results revealed that age, educational status, income contribution, and ownership of property positively influenced rural women's economic empowerment. In addition, opening a savings account, information access, mobile phone accessibility, and membership of women's associations positively and significantly affect women's economic empowerment in the study area. Conversely, marital status, hours spent on unpaid work, and early age at marriage negatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial savings at the household level are vital for poverty alleviation, yet they face social, psychological and institutional obstacles. Over recent years, mobile phones have proven effective in enhancing financial inclusion. However, when individuals decide how to save, their preferences remain unclear. This study investigates the preferences of 421 Malian smallholder farmers for a hypothetical mobile savings application using a discrete choice experiment. Apart from standard savings account features such as transaction charges, interest amount and minimum deposit requirements, it assesses preferences for two innovative features designed to address deviations from rational decision‐making. The first feature allows multiple users to pool their savings, utilising social dynamics and peer pressure to encourage responsible savings behaviour and enhance commitment. The second feature offers users the ability to manage their finances more effectively by dividing them into purpose‐specific sub‐accounts. The findings reveal a strong overall preference for saving via the application rather than keeping cash on hand. As anticipated, farmers favour lower costs and deposits and higher interest amounts. Generally, individual saving is preferred over group saving, and the option to compartmentalise is valued, albeit not statistically significantly so. However, the analysis of underlying heterogeneity reveals substantial differences in respondents' preferences for these commitment‐enhancing features. These findings underscore the need for customised approaches that align with farmers' unique preferences and constraints. Such approaches can inform the development of bespoke mobile savings solutions for farming households, thereby boosting their resilience and financial well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using a unique dataset of more than 20,000 individuals with savings accounts from August 2019 to October 2020 in South Africa, this paper examines how the COVID crisis has affected savings behavior, and by affecting savings, impacted wealth inequality. We find that while COVID increased savings on average, the increase in average savings is due to a small group of higher income savers which substantially increased their savings, while a large group stopped saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses machine learning to identify critical factors influencing the cost-effectiveness of over-the-counter (OTC) medications. By developing a novel cost-effectiveness rating (CER) based on user ratings and prices, we analyzed data from Amazon. The findings indicate that Flexible Spending Account (FSA)/Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility, symptom treatment range, safety warnings, special effects, active ingredients, and packaging size significantly impact cost-effectiveness across cold, allergy, digestion, and pain relief medications. Medications eligible for FSA or HSA funds, treating a broader range of symptoms, and having smaller packaging are perceived as more cost-effective. Cold medicines with safety warnings were cost-effective due to their lower average price and effective ingredients like phenylephrine and acetaminophen. Allergy medications with kid-friendly features showed higher cost-effectiveness, and ingredients like calcium, famotidine, and magnesium boosted the cost-effectiveness of digestion medicines. These insights help consumers make informed purchasing decisions and assist manufacturers and retailers in enhancing product competitiveness. Overall, this research supports better decision-making in the pharmaceutical industry by highlighting factors that drive cost-effective medication purchases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of migration background in the saving behavior of youth, with a focus on immigrant generation, national origin, and the influence of cultural and socioeconomic factors. Drawing on a nationally representative dataset of over 28,000 secondary school students in the Netherlands, we employ binary logit models to analyze two dimensions of saving behavior: the likelihood of saving money and the propensity to use bank accounts for savings. Our findings reveal significant disparities in saving behavior among immigrant and non-immigrant youth. Migrant youth are less likely to save overall, and when they do, they exhibit a reduced inclination to use bank accounts for their savings. Furthermore, the study uncovers nuanced patterns within the immigrant youth population. First-generation immigrant youth display lower levels of saving and bank account usage compared to their second-generation counterparts, particularly to those with one foreign-born parent. Distinct national origin effects are observed, as Turkish and Moroccan youth exhibit reduced likelihoods of saving, particularly through bank accounts, compared to Surinamese and Dutch Antillean youth. The results also indicate that the disparities in saving behavior across migration background, immigrant generation, and national origin are partly explained by socioeconomic and cultural forces. Socio-economic status and parental education emerge as key determinants, with higher parental socio-economic resources and education levels positively associated with youth saving behavior and bank account usage. Additionally, religious affiliation, particularly among Muslim youth, contributes to variations in saving behavior due to the prohibition of interest-bearing transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how Black Americans used Black economic nationalism to create community through the formation and support of The People's Savings Bank in early twentieth-century Philadelphia. Through its lending practices, The People's Savings Bank offered Black Philadelphians credit opportunities that allowed them to circumvent the Jim Crow practices of the period. Furthermore, the article argues that the success of the bank was the result of inter-gender mutualism by a community determined to achieve self-determination through economic empowerment. Banking in Black Philadelphia went beyond creating a successful moneyed class, it was about crafting an oasis for a people besieged by White supremacist structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reported that 7.1 million households in the United States (5.4%) were unbanked and lacked a checking or savings account). Using three leading household surveys, this paper documents how the interaction between bank access and poverty has evolved over time. We present a historical time series of unbanked rates, showing high‐unbanked rates for those in poverty even with increases in financial access over time. In the 1980s, 49.6% of households in poverty were unbanked while 22.8% were unbanked in 2019. Unbanked rates were even higher for Black and Hispanic households that were in poverty. In the 1980s, these groups had unbanked rates of 73.6% and 66.5% which declined to 38.4% and 31.8% in 2019, respectively. To explain differences in banking rates by race, we use binary Kitagawa‐Oaxaca‐Blinder decompositions. Socio‐demographic characteristics explain less than half the difference in unbanked rates for Blacks and around half for Hispanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outsourcing is a complex process as many external and internal factors that look convincing in the first place might, however, lead to a failure in the long run. Motivated by this, we wanted to get a holistic understanding of such outsourcing decisions. Thus, we created a comprehensive System Dynamics simulation model including all relevant variables to examine the dynamic nature of outsourcing in a holistic manner and over time that consists of more than 200 interrelated variables. Our results show, amongst others, that higher process specialisation that requires substantial investments by the supplier appears to be favourable for an outsourcing company and shifting a larger quantity to such a supplier achieves better cost savings and thus accounts for a better overall outsourcing result. On an operational level, we identified an innovation trap, a bargaining power shift, a plagiarism trap, and a knowledge trap. Based on that, we give specific managerial recommendations to tackles these aspects. We conclude that, amongst others, it is important for innovative companies with rather complex processes and parts to carefully plan which and how many employees to release so as not to lose the knowledge on those outsourced processes and parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some countries, a sizable fraction of savings is derived from corporate savings. Although larger, traded corporations are often co-owned by foreign portfolio investors, current international accounting standards allocate all corporate savings to the host country. This paper suggests a framework to correct for this misleading attribution and applies this concept to Germany. For the years 2012–2020, our corrections retrospectively reduce German savings and consequently the German current account surplus by, on average, €11.5 bn annually. This amounts to lowering Germany's average official current account surplus (€226.6 bn) across these years by approximately five percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Audits are essential because of the separation of ownership and control in modern economies. Shareholders or owners delegate resources to management in order to enhance their wealth under this arrangement. Therefore, they want the agents to provide authentic, precise, and impeccable reports. Therefore, research evaluated the effect of auditor independence on the performance and the moderating effect of firm size on the relationship between auditor independence and the performance of deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya. The study was based on Agency theory. The study used a descriptive survey research technique. The study used primary data collected using structured questionnaire. A sample size of 223 was selected by a simple random sampling method from a target of 504. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine the data using the SPSS 26 software. The R2 of 0.512 suggests that 51.2% of the variability in the financial performance can be accounted for by the auditor's independence. Firm Size increased the R2 to 0.714 an indication that it is a significant moderator on the relation between internal audit independence and performance. For each one-unit rise in Sacco size, the impact of Auditor's Independence on financial performance increases by 0.222 units substantially (P=0.000). The study concluded that Sacco size has a significant moderator in this study. The study recommended that Saccos should tailor their strategies and internal audit processes based on their size. Larger Saccos may benefit from more robust auditor independence measures and closer scrutiny of financial performance indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Bankrecht und Bankwirtschaft is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper uses a randomized controlled trial to compare different banking delivery channels. Individuals living close to banking agents and branches of the same financial institution were encouraged to open a savings account and transact at either an agent or a branch. Compared with individuals sent to a branch, individuals sent to an agent increased their number of transactions at the agent and incurred lower transaction costs there. One year later, 42% of active users still used both channels but made transactions at the agent only half as large as those made at the branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE YEAR WAS 2014, and Doug Tuthill remembers taking a call from a top state lawmaker just after the Florida legislature had authorized its first education savings accounts--the type of [...]

This study compares the healthcare management systems for cholera epidemics in Italy before and after the Crispi-Pagliani Health Reform of 1888. Specifically, we compare the monitoring, accounting, and reporting systems of deaths and infections during the 1884 and 1893 epidemics. Based on an econometric analysis of data from the Italian National Statistical Institute, we demonstrate that the post-reform system was more effective in reducing deaths by optimising medical personnel allocation in areas with higher epidemic intensity. From a Foucauldian perspective, we provide insights into the role of accounting in supporting noso-politics, bio-politics, and bio-power. Further, this study advances our understanding of reporting systems and the dynamics that governments trigger as part of strategies for preventing or containing contagion during epidemics. Finally, this study supports the use of econometrics in accounting history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central banks around the world are examining the possibility of introducing Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The public's preferences concerning the usage of CBDC for paying and saving are important determinants of the success of CBDC. However, little is known yet about consumers' attitudes towards CBDC. Using data from a representative panel of Dutch consumers we find that roughly half of the public says it would open a CBDC current account. The same holds for a CBDC savings account. Thus, we find clear potential for CBDC in the Netherlands. This suggests that consumers perceive CBDC as distinct from current and savings accounts offered by traditional banks. Intended CBDC usage is positively related to respondents' knowledge of CBDC and trust in the central bank. Price incentives matter as well. The amount respondents say they would want to deposit in the CBDC savings account depends on the interest rate offered. Furthermore, intended usage of the CBDC current account is highest among people who find privacy and security important and among consumers with low trust in banks in general. These results suggest that central banks can steer consumers' adoption of CBDC via the interest rate, by a design of CBDC that takes into account the public's need for security and privacy, and by clear communication about what CBDC entails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)