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The aim of alleviating poverty has a necessary implication on rural households’ economic development. The study investigates the mediating role of access to financial services (AFS) in the effect of financial literacy (FL) on household income using survey data collected from four regions in Ghana. Using the multi-stage sampling technique, 572 respondents were randomly selected for the study. The findings of this study reveal that financial literacy has a robust, increasing effect on household income. Again, the results depict that AFS mediates the positive effect of FL on household income. An interesting moderating effect of social networks is also revealed in the study. This study adds to the existing literature on rural development by exploring how financial education and inclusions contribute to poverty alleviation and provides policy implications to improve rural households’ well-being.

This study investigates the link between financial inclusion and financial well-being among women in Western Uganda, a rural setting where agriculture dominates livelihoods. Although global interest in financial inclusion has expanded, much of the existing research emphasizes specific indicators rather than its direct influence on women’s financial well-being in rural developing contexts. To bridge this gap, primary data were collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire to examine how different dimensions of financial inclusion shape financial well-being. Three dimensions were analyzed: access and usage of financial services, financial engagement, and long-term financial planning. Likewise, three aspects of financial well-being were assessed: daily financial stability, financial goal direction, and financial cushion. Findings indicate that access, usage, and engagement significantly improve daily financial stability, while long-term financial planning shows a negative association, suggesting a trade-off between future-oriented behaviors and immediate financial management. Financial engagement and long-term planning strongly predict financial goal direction, whereas mere access to services does not necessarily foster purposeful goal setting. Furthermore, access, usage, and engagement positively contribute to building financial cushions, while long-term planning was not significant. The study highlights the importance of prioritizing access and engagement in financial inclusion initiatives to enhance women’s financial well-being in rural contexts.

Unlock the transformative power of microfinance for global poverty reduction.This insightful title explores how to build inclusive financial systems that empower the poor and drive economic growth in developing countries.Drawing on a decade of CGAP experience, it offers a comprehensive framework for expanding access to financial services for all.

Using data of 265 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2017, we studied the impact of access to digital financial services on green technology advances in the context of regional competition. We found that access to digital financial services significantly promotes green technology advances within the region but inhibits those in other regions. We also found that modest regional competition can promote green technology advances, whereas excessive competition impairs the positive relationship between access to digital financial services and green technology advances. We identified a significantly positive spatial spillover effect for green technology advances.

This study examines the determinants of access to financial services and its impact on household income, using household data collected from rural Ghana. An endogenous treatment regression model is utilized to address the selection bias issue. The results reveal that access to financial services is affected by household heads’ age, gender, education, off-farm work participation, farming experience, and access to non-fixed assets. Access to financial services exerts a positive and statistically significant impact on household income. Moreover, we find that access to financial services has a larger income impact for households with no member with chronic disease and male-headed households, relative to their counterparts. Our findings highlight the importance of financial services patronization in improving rural household welfare.

Access to financial services, which is a component of financial inclusion, enables individuals and businesses to access the funds they need on favorable terms and at low cost, without time and place constraints. In this respect, access to finance is seen as an important tool for economic growth, employment and poverty reduction. The study aims to examine the role of the variables of shadow economy (SE), human development level (HDI), automatic teller machines usage (ATM) and inflation (INF) on access to financial services (AFS) in the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). In the study, which covers the period 2004–2021, analyzes were conducted within the framework of the fixed-effect Method of Moment Quantile Regression (MM-QR). According to the results of the study, while the level of HDI and the use of ATMs have a positive effect on AFS, while the SE has a negative effect. Although the INF rate has a negative effect on AFS, this effect could not be confirmed at any quantile level.

Foreign direct investment and private capital flows are highly concentrated geographically, with almost half of them reaching five top destinations. These flows tend to evade many high-risk countries. Regulatory and contractual risks, particularly in infrastructure, have inhibited investments in many parts of the developing world. A core objective of the World Bank Group (WBG) has been to support the flow of private investment for development; guarantees and insurance have been among the instruments that the WBG has used to pursue this objective. This study examines three main questions: • Should the WBG be in the guarantee business? • Have guarantee instruments in the three WBG institutions been used to their potential as reflected in WBG expectations and perceived demand? • Is the WBG appropriately organized to deliver its range of guarantee products in an effective and efficient manner?

This study examined the determinants of financial literacy (FL) and its impact on access to financial services (AFS), using data collected from rural Ghana. A two-stage residual inclusion model is utilized to address the selection bias issue. The results showed that FL is affected by household heads’ age, gender, education, asset ownership, homeownership, and economics education. The results revealed that FL is significant and positively related to AFS, but its square shows an inverse relation with saving mobilization. This indicated a non-linear relationship between FL and AFS. Moreover, we find that FL has a larger AFS impact for households with high-income and male household heads relative to their counterparts. The study recommended that the government can initiate the creation of a rural committee to educate rural residents on financial issues through radio broadcasting and meetings. Our findings highlighted the importance of FL on AFS in enhancing the welfare of rural households. RESUMO: Este estudo examina os determinantes da educação financeira (FL) e seu impacto no acesso a serviços financeiros (AFS), usando dados coletados na zona rural de Gana. Um modelo de inclusão residual de dois estágios é utilizado para abordar a questão do viés de seleção. Os resultados mostram que a FL é afetada pela idade, sexo, educação, propriedade de ativos, propriedade e educação econômica dos chefes de família. Os resultados revelam que FL é significativo e positivamente relacionado ao AFS, mas seu quadrado mostra uma relação inversa com a mobilização de poupança. Isso indica uma relação não linear entre FL e AFS. Além disso, notou-se que o FL tem um impacto maior de AFS para famílias com alta renda e chefes de família do sexo masculino em relação às suas contrapartes. O estudo recomendou que o governo pode iniciar a criação de um comitê rural para educar os residentes rurais sobre questões financeiras por meio de radiodifusão e reuniões. Nossos resultados destacam a importância do FL no AFS para melhorar o bem-estar das famílias rurais.

Considering financial literacy as a central factor for consumer demand for financial services, we analyze its impact on access and actual use of financial services and its ultimate consequential reflections on SMEs performance in developing economies. By recognizing the important distinction between access and actual use of financial services this study uses the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to estimate the conceptual model. The study reveal significant positive impact of financial literacy to financial access and performance of the firm. It was also discovered that there is significant positive direct impact of access to financial services into actual use of financial services and positive significant effect of the use of financial service on firm performance. The firm use of financial services has a significant mediating role on firm access to financial services-firm performance relationship. The implications of these findings offers foretastes on the need to deepen and widen the scope of SMEs managers’ financial literacy for effective financial management and financial financing decisions. We argue distinct contributions of access and actual use of financial services construct on firm performance has to be given attention in attempt to avoid generalizing the phenomenon.

n emerging countries, information technology (IT) and access to financial services (AFS) are critical determinants determining household income. However, little is known about how IT and AFS work together to increase home wellbeing. This research aims to look into the influence of access to financial services in mediating the impact of IT on household income in Ghana. The study investigates the role of social networks as a moderator in the IT-AFS interaction. A multi-stage sampling strategy was used to collect data from 478 farmers for this study. The study discovered that having access to technology and financial services increases household income. Due to the mediation role of access to financial services, the positive impact of access to IT on household income was also proven. The variable, social network, influenced these mechanisms. This research shows how having access to technology and financial inclusion can help people get out of poverty. This work adds to the body of knowledge. The paper includes policies for ensuring IT and AFS development to improve the welfare of rural households.