Can The Poor Save? Saving and Asset Building in Individual Development Accounts

摘要

Mark Schreiner and Michael Sherraden have long held that a promising way to help the poor improve their lot is to encourage them to consume less today and save more for the future. In particular, they argue that certain forms of saving are likely to change behavior in ways that boost economic well-being; to that end, they have promoted individual development accounts (IDAs). When eligible people make deposits into IDAs, an external entity provides matching funds; this match then becomes available to the depositor only if funds are withdrawn for approved purposes. To promote the spread of IDAs, the authors joined with other collaborators and prominent U.S. foundations to support 13 demonstration projects and one genuine social experiment, collectively named the American Dream Demonstration (ADD). This book reports on the results of all fourteen ADD projects.