nep-mfd 2016-12-11 papers

on Microfinance

Issue of 2016‒12‒11
two papers chosen by
Aastha Pudasainee and Olivier Dagnelie

Strumenti per il sostegno finanziario di famiglie e microimprese: il caso italiano (Policies to help financially vulnerable Italian households and micro-businesses) By Simonetta Cotterli
Health Shocks and Short-Term Consumption GrowthAuthor-Name: Sowmya Dhanaraj By sowmya

Strumenti per il sostegno finanziario di famiglie e microimprese: il caso italiano (Policies to help financially vulnerable Italian households and micro-businesses)

By:	Simonetta Cotterli
Abstract:	This study aims to review and evaluate several policies enacted in the financial field to alleviate the negative consequences of the economic crisis on families and micro-businesses. Two different, yet complementary aspects of the effects of the crisis have been examined: the increased difficulty in gaining access to credit and the increased problems in meeting debt repayment obligations. Firstly the recent regulations governing micro-credit - enacted to facilitate access to credit for families and micro-businesses (the latter in light of the increasing need for self-sufficient entrepreneurial projects, as a response to increased unemployment in the job market) - are evaluated. This is followed by an examination of the efficacy of the law relating to over-indebtedness of families and micro-businesses, with particular focus on the concept of creditor-blame. This study ends with a question: could an interpretation of the new rules governing responsible credit to consumers constitute a legal right to such credit?
Keywords:	microcredit, overindebtness, creditor blame, responsible credit
JEL:	G21 G28 I38 K35 K36
Date:	2016–12
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mod:wcefin:16112&r=mfd

Health Shocks and Short-Term Consumption GrowthAuthor-Name: Sowmya Dhanaraj

By:	sowmya (Madras School of Economics)
Abstract:	Health shocks can affect the household economy through a substantial rise in out-of-pocket medical expenditure and/or loss of income. In such a situation, households use a range of coping mechanisms to protect nonmedical consumption. This study empirically investigates whether households are able to insure consumption in the short-term when one or more members face serious illness/death. We also analyse if health shocks have asymmetrical effects on household welfare depending on the members facing the shocks and if access to micro-credit and social capital improves the smoothing ability of the households.Length: 29 pages
Keywords:	health shocks, coping strategies, non-medical consumption, micro-credit, social capitalClassification-JEL: I15, I31
Date:	2015–08
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mad:wpaper:2015-112&r=mfd

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