Savings in transnational households: a field experiment among migrants from El Salvador

We implemented a randomized field experiment that testedways to stimulate migrants’ savings in their origin country. We find thatmigrants value opportunities to exert greater control over financial activitiesin their home countries. We offered U.S.-based migrants bankaccounts in El Salvador, randomly varying migrant control over El Salvador–based savings by offering different accounts across treatments.Migrants offered the greatest degree of control accumulated the most savings.Impacts likely represent increases in total savings; there is no evidencethat savings increases were simply reallocated from other savingsmechanisms. Enhanced control over home country savings does not affectremittances sent home

Savings in transnational households: a field experiment among migrants from El Salvador Academic Article