1. Microfinance: New evidence from Morocco is the latest addition to the debate on whether microcredit can raise income and reduce poverty. The Economist
2. Credit: Arguing about fees in the small-dollar credit market distracts from more productive debates for providers and consumers. American Banker
3. Research Methodology: Creative approaches to qualitative research - balancing survey questions with "deep hanging out." Chris Blattman
4. Household Finance: "More effective approaches to helping [the poor] manage their finances would take into account the complex alchemy through which they turn countless relationships and resources into cash." NextBillion
5. Impact Evaluation: How to justify your World Cup obsession as studying of the impact of poorly done stratified randomization. The World Bank: Development Impact Blog
Source: The Mastercard Foundation
Editors’ Note: Hi, Laura and Jonathan here. A few of the pieces this week come from people who spent years up close with how poor households actually handle money, and keep coming back with something more tangled than the story usually told, and more persistent. Tim will be back for the next edition. - Laura Freschi and Jonathan Morduch