The real impact of improved access to finance: : evidence from Mexico

• Autores: Miriam Bruhn, Inessa Love
• Localización: The Journal of finance, ISSN 0022-1082, Vol. 69, Nº 3, 2014, págs. 1347-1376
• Idioma: inglés
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• Dialnet Métricas: 11 Citas
• Resumen

  • This paper provides new evidence on the impact of access to finance on poverty. It highlights an important channel through which access affects poverty�the labor market. The paper exploits the opening of Banco Azteca in Mexico, a unique �natural experiment� in which over 800 bank branches opened almost simultaneously in preexisting Elektra stores. Importantly, the bank has focused on previously underserved low-income clients. Our key finding is a sizeable effect of access to finance on labor market activity and income levels, especially among low-income individuals and those located in areas with lower preexisting bank penetration.