1. Informal Finance: Savings clubs, money guards, and loans from family members are just a few ways many Americans are creating their own DIY financial services. Planet Money
2. Impact Evaluations: David Evans' reflections on zero effect results in educational interventions are a nice reminder of the lessons we can learn from the microcredit impact evaluations. The World Bank - Development Impact
3. Retirement Savings: Is the case against expanding social security simply the result of a math error? The Los Angeles Times
4. Cash Transfers: A research study on EITC participation reports social programs may have higher take up rates if policymakers communicate information in a simple way with emphasis on the program benefits. What a radical concept! The Psych Report
5. Pawn Shops: Pawn shops are a source of credit for many unbanked Americans but research on item bids and loan terms reveals a complex shadow banking system for the poor. Priceonomics
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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