Search

We construct a novel panel data set to provide new evidence on how the largest nonfinancial firms manage their financial assets. Our granular data show that, over the past decade, bond portfolios have grown to be at least as large as cash-like instruments, driven by the meteoric rise of corporate bond holdings. To shed light on the drivers of this growth, we conduct a pair of event studies around the 2017 tax reform and the 2020 liquidity crisis. We find that large holdings of marketable securities are primarily driven by cross-border tax incentives, while cash-like instruments are driven by liquidity motives. (JEL G32, G35, G11, E440) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many consumers say they want to save for the future yet struggle to do so. This research examines this saving behavior problem from a persuasive messaging standpoint. With the goal of helping people take better care of their future selves, we build on a stream of research that has found that the way people view their identities over time affects the saving decisions they make. Although past research on similarity judgments across time almost exclusively starts with the present self and moves forward to the future self, such judgments could theoretically start at any point in time. Here, we explore the possibility of backward mental time travel, by asking people to start in the future and return to the present. A series of studies shows that mentally traveling from the future to the present—rather than the present to the future—increases perceived similarity between selves across time by reducing the uncertainty of the destination self. Lab studies and two large-scale experiments indicate that, as an important outcome of this novel intervention, mentally traveling from the future to the present has a small but positive impact, systematically increasing savings intentions and savings behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the first half of 2020, the difference in savings from mortgage refinancing between high- and low-income borrowers was 10 times higher than before. This was the result of two factors: high-income borrowers increased their refinancing activity more than otherwise comparable low-income borrowers and, conditional on refinancing, they captured slightly larger improvements in interest rates. Refinancing inequality increases with the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and is characterized by an underrepresentation of low-income borrowers in the pool of applications. We estimate a difference of $5 billion in savings between the top income quintile and the rest of the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, retirees in the US relied on the 'three-legged stool' of Social Security, defined benefit (DB) pension plans, and personal savings to provide retirement income. (1) Beginning in the late [...]

Consumers often set budgets with the goal to minimize their spending. Contrary to this traditional interpretation, our research suggests that budgets can take on a different psychological meaning depending on whether the budget is for a personal or gift purchase. Across 11 studies, we find that consumers aim to spend below their budgets for personal purchases (budget minimizing) but aim to spend the entirety of their budgets for gift purchases (budget maximizing). We differentiate budget maximizing from spending maximizing, showing that gift purchasers are more likely to prefer "at-budget" than "above-budget" purchases. We also show that gift purchasers have weaker savings goals than personal purchasers—a difference that mediates the effect on their budget-minimizing and -maximizing tendencies. We explore multiple reasons that could explain why savings goals are less prevalent among gift purchasers and find an upstream role for price consciousness, guilt, and perceived specialness. Finally, we find that consumers' preference for spending the entirety of their budgets on gifts was moderated by two separate factors: consumers' budget slack and salience. Our research adds to the literatures on mental budgeting, gift giving, and self-other decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study examines the comparative impact of governance quality on the dynamic relationship between monetary policy rate, saving, and economic growth in emerging economies in sub‐Saharan African countries from 2005Q1 to 2022Q4. Using the Toda‐Yamamoto (TY) model, we found that governance quality influence on monetary policy rate is negative with adverse effect on investment‐growth while exerting positive influence on savings‐growth nexus in Nigeria but the contribution is quite appreciative and can be leverage on. Governance quality exert negative influence on monetary policy rate but with positive direction from investment and savings to growth in Egypt. The magnitude of the monetary policy rate, savings, investment is quite negligible in Egypt. For South Africa, governance quality exerts positive influence on monetary policy rate but failed to translate to positive effect on investment, savings to growth in South Africa. Although, the contribution of monetary policy rate, savings, investment to growth is significant in South Africa. Thus, enhancing institutional development to foster a more effective financial incentive system and seamless policy transmission is crucial to address the impact of governance quality on monetary policy outcomes and enable better macroeconomic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on longitudinal data from four waves (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we examined savings and savings changes among older couples in China using hierarchical linear models, explored any cohort differences, and analyzed the effects of the accessibility of the employee pension and the number of children on parents' savings. The results indicate that the savings of older couples continued to increase in old age, but the growth slowed down with age. For the cohort born before 1940, savings declined in later years. The cohorts born after 1940 had higher savings, but their savings grew less in later years. Older adults with access to the employee pension saved more and faster. Older adults with more than two children had lower savings, while those from younger cohorts were less impacted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal 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 study examines the determinants of new firm creation in Africa, focusing on external and internal funding sources and their interactions. It also explores the influence of colonial history by separately analyzing former British and French colonies. The primary goal is to help fill crucial gaps in African literature on the determinants of entrepreneurship. Given Africa's widespread poverty and underdevelopment, understanding what drives entrepreneurship is essential for job creation and economic growth. The study reveals three key findings. First, at the full sample level, remittances are the only external financing source positively associated with new firm creation, while foreign aid and foreign direct investment obstacle it. Internal sources, like savings and credit, do not show significant effects. Second, the subsample analysis reveals heterogeneous results: former British colonies' funding sources align with the overall findings, while in former French colonies, only savings support entrepreneurship. Third, considering control variables, the subsample analysis indicates two distinct entrepreneurship models: opportunity-based in former British colonies and necessity-based in former French colonies. These findings are noteworthy and provide significant policy implications at both national and international levels. Crucially, the positive role of remittances in financing new business initiatives, confirms that migration serves as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both sending African countries and the host countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mobilisation of assets from one national field to another is a topic that has attracted significant sociological attention. In this paper, we investigate migrant physicians who obtained their medical degrees outside the EU/EEA and trace the process of validating their degrees in Sweden. The study is inscribed in Bourdieu's sociological tradition and is based on a questionnaire and interviews with physicians. Analysing the mobilisation of cultural capital across national borders, we emphasise the importance of distinguishing its different states in the context of migration. Based on our case, we argue that the time physicians spend in the 'waiting room' challenges their ability to maintain and perform their medical craft. We show that the time it takes to institutionalise assets and accumulate capital in another national context can lead to the risk of losing its embodied state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how middle-class families from China are using 'golden visa' investment schemes to settle in Portugal and Hungary to pursue postmaterial motivations: instead of seeking capital accumulation, they set out in search of a more meaningful life and improve their quality of life by securing less stressful education for their children. By reviewing lifestyle migration literature, we introduce the concept of 'lifestyle exiles' which shifts the perspective from narratives of leisure to narratives of escape. We base our argumentation on qualitative research conducted with Chinese golden visa migrants in Lisbon and Budapest, as we analyse their aspirations to move. Our findings suggest the need to understand lifestyle migration from an 'exile' perspective which enables us to theorise these privileged middle-class families as 'educational exiles'. In the conclusion, we revisit the notion of lifestyle exiles, discussing its potential contribution for migration theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of COVID‐19‐related job loss on early retirement withdrawals, highlighting the roles of financial hardships, subjective well‐being, financial knowledge, and emergency savings. Drawing from 2929 respondents, the research identified that job loss increases early withdrawals, both directly and through financial hardships and well‐being perceptions. Notably, individuals with greater financial knowledge and at least 3 months of emergency savings experience less negative impact from job loss. Our findings emphasize the vital role of employers in offering workplace financial education and promoting emergency savings. This aligns with the SECURE 2.0 Act's strategies and underlines the significance of financial readiness in buffering against the economic fallout of unexpected events like the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The target of the manuscript is to quantify and examine the effects of public saving on agricultural and fishing investments for the government and private sectors and economic growth in Iraq for the period 2005-2021. Econometric tools were used to clarify the impact (autoregressive model with distributed lag periods). The findings show that there is cointegration relationship between public saving (S) independent variable, government investments in agriculture, and fishing (GI) dependent variable, private sector investments in agriculture, fishing (PI) dependent variable, and economic growth (GDP) dependent variable, Moreover the value of the error correction parameter significant Generally speaking at the degree of negative (1%) and (5%) for all variables. The results indicated that there was a significant and positive short-term relationship between (S) and (GI) at a significance level (5%), in addition to the absence of a lengthy effect between the two elements that during the study period. There is also no substantial impact of public saving on private investment in agriculture, forestry, and hunting during the research period, neither in the short term nor in the long term. The results also showed that there is a significant and positive short-term relationship between (S) and (GDP), and the presence of a long-term favorable impact at a substantial degree (5%), which means that increasing public saving by one unit results in a rise in GDP of (0.001577). Conversely, a decrease in public saving by one unit leads to a decrease in GDP by the same amount, assuming other factors remain constant. This report suggests that the Iraqi government be given more authority through its economic policies in driving savings and employing it towards investment in the agriculture industry to boost and diversify agricultural output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of past feminist theorization of social reproduction has concentrated on the domestic sphere. However, in multiple domains such as education, childcare, elder care, health care, the delivery of goods, and migrant settlement, first the state and non-profit organizations and increasingly corporate profit-making service industries emerged as significant providers. In this transformed world of social reproduction, the initial query of feminist theorists about the relationship between social reproduction and capital accumulation must again be addressed. This return to a theorization of social reproduction in what is often considered the humanitarian sector of capitalist economies must encompass the labor of precarious workers and unpaid volunteers. Building on but going beyond the feminist debate about social reproduction, this paper explores the relationship between the public–private domain of service delivery and capital accumulation in migrants' services. In so many instances, humanitarian activities in sectors such as migrant services have become the local face of a multiscalar migration industry. Through an exploration of the delivery of migrant services in a disempowered city in eastern Germany, the paper explicates the dynamics through which social reproduction activities are commoditized and are increasingly linked to locations and mechanisms of capital accumulation through the extraction of surplus value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does social reproduction fully participate in capital accumulation? Which specific form does social reproduction take under capitalism? I use ethnographic material from field research in China to make a contribution to the debate on the relationship between social reproduction and societal reproduction, by providing a historicized account that allows locating the changes that occur when capitalism becomes the dominant form of organization of people's lives and by looking at community and kinship ties that stretch beyond the household and examining the way they produce collective social goods. This article argues that even now China has become capitalist, the circuit of social reproduction may be put to the service of capital accumulation, and even participate in it, but it nonetheless remains a separate circuit, which is not fully subsumed to the circuit of capital. What capitalism entails, rather, is the organization of reproductive labor as well as the distribution of differentiated rights to social reproduction along class lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers new evidence on commercial financing in the early modern Ottoman Empire. It examines the little-known role of cash waqfs (nukud-ı mevkufe), Islamic trusts, in supporting Ottoman trade with Europe in the sixteenth century. Most of scholarship on cash waqfs considers this institution exclusively as a provider of micro-credit to consumers because the Islamic legal framework allegedly hindered capital accumulation from this institution. By focusing on the cash waqfs of Sarajevo in Ottoman-Venetian trade in the Adriatic Sea in the 1580s, I demonstrate that this institution could also operate as a source of commercial capital supporting large-scale business ventures. I argue that this was the case in Sarajevo because of the absence of other major capital providers in that city and of the specific role played by local artisanal associations (esnaf) in the foundation and administration of these endowments as well as in the conduct of international trade. These findings for Sarajevo are another demonstration of the operational diversity and flexibility of Islamic credit institutions in the pre-modern period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identify the population shares of poor hand-to-mouth households, wealthy hand-to-mouth households and non hand-to-mouth households in Belgium. We apply the methodology proposed by Kaplan & Violante (2014) and Kaplan et al., (2014) to the Belgian component of the Household Finance and Consumption Survey. We find that the fraction of hand-to-mouth households in Belgium is substantial and predominantly consists of wealthy hand-to-mouth households. We also compare the observable characteristics and marginal propensities to consume (MPCs) of the three household types. Belgian wealthy hand-to-mouth households have characteristics that resemble those of the non hand-to-mouth households, while their MPCs are often more similar to those of the poor hand-to-mouth households. This pleads for giving a unique place to each type of household when evaluating the effects of fiscal policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Islamic Economics & Finance Studies is the property of Politik Ekonomik ve Sosyal Serdivan 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.)

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of capital efficiency on the economic growth of Bangladesh using the Harrod-Domar (H-D) model. Design/methodology/approach – We use annual data from 1980 to 2019 for this paper. Three steps are taken in the data analysis. First, to check the existence of a unit root, we use the augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and to determine co-integration among the variables, we use the Johansen-Juselius co-integration test. Next, for long-run estimation, we use the dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) estimator. The sensitivity of the long-run estimations is further checked by the fully modified OLS (FMOLS) and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) estimators. Lastly, we use the Granger causality test to determine the long-run causality among the variables. Findings – The long-run co-integration test validates the co-integrating relationship among the variables. DOLS estimations reveal that the economic growth of Bangladesh is negatively associated with the incremental capital output ratio (ICOR), validating the notion that capital efficiency matters for achieving higher economic growth. On average, an increase in ICOR by a unit tends to reduce economic growth in the long term by 0.75 percent. Our results also reveal no significant relationship between savings and economic growth when the model is extended. Finally, causality results indicate unidirectional causality between ICOR and economic growth. Practical implications – Based on the results obtained, we argue that the enhancement of capital productivity could bring efficiency because ICOR is an inverse of capital productivity. Since Bangladesh’s capital productivity is considerably low compared with other neighbouring countries, it is suggested that firms should gradually move towards technological advancement and enhance economies of scale, etc. in the long run. Moreover, policies in favour of continuous skill development programmes could be highly effective in increasing capital productivity given that capital follows a vintage structure. Originality/value – This is the first paper to analyse the economic growth pattern of Bangladesh using the traditional H-D model by incorporating variables such as savings and ICOR and also by relaxing the assumption of time-invariant (i.e. fixed) data of the variables. Moreover, this paper extends the traditional H-D empirical model by introducing key indicators and time breaks for Bangladesh’s economy through a stepwise regression process.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of financial literacy education among the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) household grantees in Baguio City in the Philippines. The focus was on enhancing financial knowledge and skills, particularly in financial planning, budgeting, and savings. Using a descriptive quantitative methodology, a questionnaire was administered to 297 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. The study assessed the financial literacy improvement relative to demographic factors such as gender and educational attainment. Results indicated that financial literacy sessions had a significant positive impact, with respondents demonstrating a "great extent" of improvement in financial planning, budgeting, and savings. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences based on gender, while educational attainment showed significant differences, with higher education levels correlating with better financial literacy. The findings suggest that while financial literacy programs are broadly effective, tailoring these sessions to accommodate varying educational backgrounds could enhance outcomes further. Future recommendations include developing targeted financial education strategies to address the needs of those with lower educational attainment and expanding the program to reach a larger demographic. This approach could foster greater financial stability and empowerment among low-income families, ultimately contributing to poverty reduction efforts.

For a firm that cannot raise external funds, cash on hand serves as precautionary saving. We derive a closed-form expression for the target level of cash on hand in the presence of persistent cash flows. Contrary to conventional wisdom, a mean-preserving increase in the volatility of cash flow can decrease this target. Over the set of admissible parameter values, the average impact of volatility on the target is zero. Endogenous selection, reflecting termination of firms that run out of cash, leads to a positive average impact of volatility on the target level of cash, consistent with empirical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effect of deposit insurance on depositor behavior. Our theoretical framework integrates insights from public and financial economics and predicts that (1) deposit insurance induces bunching at the threshold in the deposit distribution and (2) an increase in the insurance threshold promotes deposit growth, particularly higher for individuals bunching at the initial limit. We exploit a large and unexpected increase in the Colombian insurance together with monthly depositor-level records from a major bank to test these predictions. We validate the existence of bunching in deposits and quantify the heterogeneous effect of deposit insurance on individual deposit growth. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of capital efficiency on the economic growth of Bangladesh using the Harrod-Domar (H-D) model. Design/methodology/approach: We use annual data from 1980 to 2019 for this paper. Three steps are taken in the data analysis. First, to check the existence of a unit root, we use the augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and to determine co-integration among the variables, we use the Johansen-Juselius co-integration test. Next, for long-run estimation, we use the dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) estimator. The sensitivity of the long-run estimations is further checked by the fully modified OLS (FMOLS) and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) estimators. Lastly, we use the Granger causality test to determine the long-run causality among the variables. Findings: The long-run co-integration test validates the co-integrating relationship among the variables. DOLS estimations reveal that the economic growth of Bangladesh is negatively associated with the incremental capital output ratio (ICOR), validating the notion that capital efficiency matters for achieving higher economic growth. On average, an increase in ICOR by a unit tends to reduce economic growth in the long term by 0.75 percent. Our results also reveal no significant relationship between savings and economic growth when the model is extended. Finally, causality results indicate unidirectional causality between ICOR and economic growth. Practical implications - Based on the results obtained, we argue that the enhancement of capital productivity could bring efficiency because ICOR is an inverse of capital productivity. Since Bangladesh's capital productivity is considerably low compared with other neighbouring countries, it is suggested that firms should gradually move towards technological advancement and enhance economies of scale, etc. in the long run. Moreover, policies in favour of continuous skill development programmes could be highly effective in increasing capital productivity given that capital follows a vintage structure. Originality/value: This is the first paper to analyse the economic growth pattern of Bangladesh using the traditional H-D model by incorporating variables such as savings and ICOR and also by relaxing the assumption of time-invariant (i.e. fixed) data of the variables. Moreover, this paper extends the traditional H-D empirical model by introducing key indicators and time breaks for Bangladesh's economy through a stepwise regression process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severance savings accounts (SSA) is an important government program aimed at protecting laid-off workers and stimulating savings. We analyze the distributive and aggregate effects of SSA in a rich life-cycle model with heterogeneous agents and incomplete markets. The model is estimated to be consistent with micro and macro data from Brazil. Our analysis reveals that, despite a decrease in voluntary savings, the policy expands aggregate savings, output, and wages, leading to long-run welfare gains. We show that although better risk sharing is important for our findings, the bulk of the gains come from improved efficiency as labor productivity increases and labor supply is reallocated towards highly educated workers and the early stages of the life cycle where agents are generally poorer and leisure is less valued. Interestingly, most of the gains we find accrue to less educated agents as the distribution of this group is skewed towards the informal sector, and they do not directly incur the additional burden from the increase in contributions. We also explore an alternative policy design in which households are allowed to access their severance savings accounts only after retirement, as in a defined contribution pension system. We find that despite greater uncertainty in medical costs later in life, households prefer a more flexible system that provides access to the SSA fund during working-age and after retirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the effect of Current Accounts, Savings, and Time Deposits on Banking Credit of Regional Development Banks (BPD) in Indonesia. The data in this study are in the form of quarterly reports from Regional Development Banks (BPD) in Indonesia. Current Accounts, Savings, and Time Deposits on Banking Credit of Regional Development Banks (BPD) in Indonesia is expected to be evident in 2019–2022. The research method used is the panel regression method. The outcomes show that current accounts, savings and time deposits influences the credit of bank BPD. R Settled 0.994461 current accounts, savings and time deposits factors influence bank credit. The Adjusted R Squared value of 0.994461 indicates that the independent variables can explain the dependent variable 99.44% of the time, while other factors not included in the model have an impact on the remaining 0.5539%. This means that 99.44% of the variable Savings and Time Deposits can predict bank credit, while the remaining 0.5539 percent is impacted by other factors not investigated in this study. This result serves as a warning to BPD banks in each province to be careful in extending credit to customers, because when credit increases, current accounts, savings and time deposits also increase. And if credit decreases, it's the other way around. This means that the higher the credit given to customers, the banking income will also increase with the help of increased current accounts, savings and time deposits. The significance and implications of the results of this research can provide an illustration that although regional banks (BPD) still have an impact on the Indonesian economy even though they only provide samples in the form of savings products.

This article offers an overview of commemorative and bullion coins dedicated to the North, grouping thematic coins from the past 30 years. It analyzes various aspects, including historical, economic, and investment perspectives. The authors review noteworthy commemorative coins made of precious metals by the Bank of Russia. These coins honor the cultural heritage, landmarks, notable figures of Northern exploration, and the region’s flora and fauna. Specifically, coins such as “Exploration of the Russian Arctic,” “International Polar Year,” and “Let’s Save Our World” are examined. The article evaluates the role of monetary policy in the Russian economy, particularly its anti-inflationary objective. A brief historical overview is provided regarding the first Soviet banknotes featuring Northern views and their circulation. In addition to Russian practices, the article showcases international experiences in issuing commemorative coins dedicated to exploring the North. The relevance of this study lies in the Bank of Russia’s emission activities regarding commemorative coins made of precious and base metals, as well as investment coins made of precious metals, both domestically and internationally. The study’s findings set the stage for further exploration of new thematic coins, including an assessment of numismatic and investment demand prospects.

Savings related to sociodemographic variables and financial inclusion can be studied from various perspectives. Motivation, without a doubt, is a determinant that triggers certain decisions, such as saving. Individuals create a motivation to save that includes trends in their daily life in order to be able to save something for a future that could be uncertain at the time of making their decision. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between workers' savings motives and sociodemographic variables and financial inclusion. The study adopted a nonexperimental, descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional design. The scale designed by Contreras-Rodríguez et al. (2017) was used to collect data from 355 workers. The main findings showed that saving is related to income; thus, the higher, the better. Also, participants who were actively employed, as a determining variable, improved their likelihood of saving for emergencies. Likewise, it was found that men were more likely to save up to invest compared to women. For men, saving up to invest was more important than saving for personal reasons. Our study has implications for practice, policy, research, and education on financial inclusion, credit products, and human development in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a framework for energy, exergy utilization, and economic analysis of industrial steam boiler system in Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Enugu, Nigeria. The study was carried out by an investigative approach in which all other parameters were kept constant, and a particular one was varied, and the desired quantity measured. The results of the effects of burner rotary cup speed and fuel nozzle sizes on emissions show that for boiler having liquid fuel nozzle sizes 3mm, 4mm and 6mm and with constant fuel inlet temperature of 82°C were analysed. Nozzle size of 4mm diameter with burner rotary cup operating at speed of 2920rev/min to 3200rev/min generated minimum emission while burning fuel oil of 82°C with excess air of 12.36%. Similarly, nozzle size of 6mm with rotary cup burner operating between 3950rev/min to 4400rev/min at 12.36 % excess air generated no emission of CO and NOx. It was concluded that the combustor yielded the highest energy efficiency of 99.8% while the heat exchanger gave the lowest energy efficiency of 94% when run on both fuel oil and natural gas. This improved efficiency translates to a savings of approximately 89 million naira annually for a boiler operating at 46% availability yearly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social Sciences Studies is the property of Social Sciences Studies 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.)

Researchers have found that the accumulation of assets through savings may serve a vital function in enhancing mental health and well-being. However, the question of how the status of savings affects the level of depressive symptoms in homeless persons remains largely unexplored. This study examines the relationship between savings and depressive symptoms in homeless individuals by utilizing the 2016 National Survey on Homeless People. We employed propensity score matching to reduce selection bias and multivariate logistic regression to probe the effects of savings on depressive symptoms. We found that after taking into account the covariates, a lower level of savings was associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms. Our findings imply that an asset-based policy orientated toward those facing homelessness could have a significant effect on reducing depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly a quarter of U.S. households experienced job or income losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Liquid assets mitigate financial distress amidst financial shocks such as job loss, yet this relationship concerning the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. Using a nationally representative sample of U.S. respondents (N = 4,765) who completed a survey in the early days of the pandemic, we examined pre-pandemic liquid assets as a moderator of the relationship between COVID-19-related job and income loss and financial distress such as difficulty meeting financial obligations and the use of high-cost financial resources. Estimates from propensity score-weighted linear probability models indicated that greater liquid assets lessened the probability of experiencing all eight measures of financial distress and moderated the effect of COVID-19-related job/income loss on five out of eight measures. These results hold when examining financial distress specifically attributed to COVID-19 and controlling for public program participation and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar in the natural state contains fibers, vitamins, and minerals, but these are absent in commonly used white sugar. Icing sugar is prepared by mixing corn starch and sugar and is used for confections. White and icing sugars, however, have been implicated in causing the rapid rise of several chronic diseases, e.g., diabetics, hence face slow market strangulation. It is possible that by potentiating the inherent sweetness of sugars, intake can be reduced, and thereby, the pronicity and risk of chronic diseases will also be reduced. In fact this is a present challenge to multi‐faculty science. It subjects the white and icing sugars to 2–6 µm mid‐infrared (mid‐IR) ray generated through recently invented mid‐IR generating atomizer (MIRGA). This technique enhances the sweetness, and thereby, 15%–30% reduce the sugar quantity requirement in prepared recipes. This method is found to be safe and economical, saves resources and chance for better health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is focused on the development of industrial working-class households' economic life cycle, including income, capital savings, and credits in the nineteenth century. The annual household income was low up to the age of 35 of the head of the household. It then rose and culminated when the head of the household was 55–60 years old. The earnings of other members of the family, foremost the adult sons, being entered on the accounts of their fathers, made the annual income increase higher than the daily wages imply. Credits and savings were used to balance long-term consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Economic Policy Researches / İktisat Politikası Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Journal of Economic Policy Researches / Iktisat Politikasi Arastirmalari Dergisi 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.)

Copyright of University of Sharjah Journal for Humanities & Social Sciences is the property of University of Sharjah - Scientific Publishing Unit 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 investigates the wealth, consumption, and savings behavior of elderly individuals through the lens of the life-cycle hypothesis. Using data from Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement, we employ Student's t-test to test differences between pre-retirement and retirement age groups. The findings shed light on the extent to which elderly individuals adhere to the life-cycle hypothesis and provide insights into the economic behavior of this demographic group. Our findings align with previous studies indicating that the life-cycle theory inadequately captures the dynamics of wealth, consumption, and savings during retirement age. According to our results, there is a consistent decrease in all examined variables with advancing age, with the lowest yet non-zero values observed among the oldest individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the intricate relationship between macroeconomic indicators and imperfect competition in Sierra Leone, employing a prototype of an imperfect competition structural model within the New Keynesian framework. The model incorporates nominal and real rigidities, as well as market failures. Results indicate that Sierra Leone's imperfectly competitive market introduces inefficiencies, leading to a muted initial impact of productivity shocks on macroeconomic variables. Wages and real interest rates exhibit moderated adjustments due to deviations from perfect competition ideals, dampening the effects on investment, consumption, and output. Policy and transition functions reveal a lasting influence of past capital accumulation and external shocks on aggregate output. The analysis exposes inertia in investment decisions and strategic actions of dominant firms. Steady-state results affirm a stable equilibrium in Sierra Leone, and eigenvalues exceeding unity underscore the model's ability to capture anticipatory behavior in imperfect market competition. The correlation matrix highlights profound connections between economic activity, wages, and capital's role in growth. Theoretical moments demonstrate economic indicator variability, emphasizing dominant firms' influence on capital allocation and policy measures' role in stabilizing interest rates and labor markets. The covariance matrix of exogenous shocks underscores external influences' persistence and correlated impacts on Sierra Leone's economy. These findings stress the importance of tailored policy responses to address market imperfections, advocating for measures to promote competition, labor market flexibility, dynamic investment, and stabilization of interest rates and labor markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polityka Spoleczna is the property of Institute of Labour & Social / Instytut Pracy i Spraw Socjalnych 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 article illuminates the potential contribution of Post-Keynesian Institutionalism (PKI), especially in its Kaleckian complexion, to the debate concerning Ukraine's post-war economic recovery. It explores how Ukraine can restore its productive capacity after having lost sixty percent of its industrial potential due to the Russo-Ukraine war, juxtaposes existing approaches to financing capital formation in the country, and questions the role of foreign capital, especially foreign direct investment, in this process. The article's first section exposes the dangers associated with adopting predatory and increasingly globalized structures of money manager capitalism for financing capital accumulation in vulnerable economies such as Ukraine. The second expands the Post-Keynesian Institutionalist approach to capital formation to include emerging and developing economies. Specifically, it brings under consideration the important contribution of Michal Kalecki (1899–1970) to the analysis of capital formation in less-advanced industrialized market economies, a category to which Ukraine belongs at present. To date, this part of Kalecki's legacy has not been considered in the Post-Keynesian Institutionalist argument. Drawing on the works of Kalecki and PKI scholars, the article sketches an alternative reconstruction strategy for Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One‐shot revenue shocks influence government budget decisions and service provision. However, how governments respond to transitory income remains a theoretical and empirical puzzle. The permanent income hypothesis posits that governments save windfalls to smooth expenditures, while other models predict spending increases. Empirical findings are inconclusive as the focus has been on revenues that are not truly transitory. The case of special and extraordinary gains allows us to investigate the effects of transitory resources. Taking advantage of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board's requirement that governments report such gains in their financial statements, this study examines the effects of gains on expenses for a sample of cities across 10 years. Using a staggered adoption event study design, we find that gains stimulate spending and that the size of gains matters before one observes the stimulatory effects. These results have substantial implications for budgetary transparency and fiscal sustainability in municipal governments. Key Takeaways: Municipal governments experience one‐time gains by selling assets that they own, such as parks and buildings, or receiving assets from discontinued programs and agencies. Such windfalls can be used by governments to expand existing services, potentially creating budget difficulties in the future without the infusion of additional funds. Alternatively, the gains can be saved for use during "rainy days."We examine how special and extraordinary gains affect municipal spending and saving behavior. We find that gains initially reduce expenses but increase them in subsequent years. Gains have no systematic effect on savings.The infrequent nature of gains and high fluctuation mean that voters are likely to have minimal knowledge about their availability, magnitude, and allocation. Our findings highlight the importance of increasing transparency regarding the sources, nature, and use of special and extraordinary gains as well as their impact on municipal fiscal sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In consumer finance, certain experiences are recognized in international markets in the use of complementary and social currencies, due to their effects on social inclusion and the reduction of capital accumulation in a globalized economy. In this context, the article aims to review ten years of scientific production of social currency in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. In order to achieve the proposed objective, a systematic literature review was carried out, covering three stages: (1) planning the review, (2) conducting the review and (3) presentation of the final report. As a result of the content analysis of the textual corpus (n = 67), we now have an up-to-date overview of the literature, through (1) descriptive analysis, (2) bibliographic coupling analysis and (3) word analysis. In addition, as a main contribution, the following were identified: (1) a typology, formed by three classes, which capture contexts of the use of social currency; (2) a methodological framework; and (3) suggestions for the development of future research. In general, the results show that social currency can serve as a complementary currency to the solidarity economy, since the potential of this currency is not disconnected from objectives and normative standards. It is also known that social currency lends itself to emergency use, as it helps to minimize the anxieties of the excluded. However, for many markets, social currency remains a topic far removed from the reality of the underprivileged population. The findings also show the advances made in research focused on social currency, especially considering the contexts in which it is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Economics & Administrative Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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.)

We study the effectiveness of saving goals in increasing individuals' savings using data from a Fintech app. Using a difference‐in‐differences identification strategy that randomly assigns users into a group of beta testers who can set goals and a group of users who cannot, we find that setting goals increases individuals' savings rate. The increased savings within the app do not reduce savings outside the app. Moreover, goal setting helps those individuals previously identified as having the lowest propensity to save. Matching App user survey responses to their behavior highlights the relative merits of monitoring and concreteness channels in explaining our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the implications of dynastic altruism in an overlapping generations (OLG) model with consumption externalities and where parents influence their children's concern for relative standing in consumption through their saving behavior. The degree of altruism for which individuals leave bequests can be both larger or smaller than in an economy without intergenerational transmission of preferences. The optimal allocation exhibits a stationary capital stock larger than the one corresponding to the economy without transmission of preferences. Even when the bequest motive is operative, the intertemporal allocation is suboptimal. We characterize the optimal policy under the two regimes of the bequest motive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to remark on the nine crucial economic factors that affect GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita as assess the importance, effect, or value of economic development for a sample of 31 years of economic data from Bangladesh for the period of 1992 to 2022. The research question is "What are the effects of these variables on GDP per capita?" To inquire into that business in detail we use multiple regression analysis in this paper as GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita is the regressand or dependent variable and the rest of the factors or variables are the regressors or independent variables. In this regard, we use nine independent variables in the regression analysis: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in current billions of USD, GDP growth rate (latest) per annum, Inflation (on consumer price index), Gross Savings (%GDP), Literacy rate, Unemployment rate, Investment rate, Population growth rate, Poverty Rate. After the data analysis we found that among the nine independent variables, five have a significant impact on GDP per capita. For instance, Inflation (% of GDP), GDP (current USD), GDP growth rate, Gross Savings rate, and Poverty rate play a vital role in determining GDP per capita. Since we use time series data, to identify an accurate estimation as being present we test the stationarity of data, to conduct the time series has no unit root problem we use first difference and log difference such that the data and the estimation will become acceptable. An assortment of statistical tests, such as Normality Test, Multicollinearity, Heteroskedasticity, Autocorrelation, Goodness-of-Fit (GoF) Test, ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) Test, and Multiple Regression Analysis, were performed using GRETL (Gnu Regression, Econometrics and Time-series Library). We use CUSUM (cumulative sum) test and CUSUM (cumulative sum) square test to find out the stability of the coefficient or parameters. The research question is "What are the effects of these variables on GDP per capita?" [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits the regime-switching threshold cointegration approach to elicit the dynamics in the saving-investment relationship and capital mobility in India. Empirical results offer key insights into the threshold cointegration between the saving and investment rates. We find that the adjustment in investment rate in the upper regime is faster than in the lower regime, indicating the higher mobility of capital in the upper regime. Further, results reveal the absence of firm evidence of long-run vs. short-run asymmetries between saving and investment rates. However, results suggest that cumulative positive and negative sums of saving rates affect investment rates. We have made adjustments to cyclical and trend patterns in our data using Hamilton's (2018) filter and have produced robust results with regard to asymmetric cointegration. The posterior estimation results suggest that a downward trend in the saving rates substantially impacts the investment rates, and widening the gap between saving and investment rates facilitates huge mobility of international capital in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the development of high‐speed railways in China has been rapid. High‐speed railway bridges play an essential role whenever the railway intersects with existing facilities in three dimensions. With the increasing speed of high‐speed railways and increasingly complex geographical locations, the span of bridges is constantly increasing. Based on their advantages, steel structures in large‐span bridges are beginning to replace traditional concrete structures. Taking the steel cover beam technology applied in the Fuqiangbao Tremendous Bridge as a starting point, this paper uses Rhino parameterized modeling and Abaqus software to conduct finite element analysis on the stress of steel cover beams. It compares and analyzes stress under different conditions. The results show that the steel cover beam's most unfavorable and unstable position in this paper is at the support on the stress side. This provides a reference for monitoring the steel cover beam after its application in the Fuqiangbao Tremendous Bridge and technical accumulation for the application of steel cover beam technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]