World Bank’s FINDEX David W. Rothwell Third Annual Financial Capability and Asset Building (FCAB) Convening Event January 10, 2018

Brief overview “the world’s most comprehensive database on financial inclusion, provides in-depth data on how individuals save, borrow, make payments, and manage risks.” http://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/globalfindex Sample years 2011, 2014, 2017 Covers almost 150,000 people in more than 140 economies-representing more than 97 percent of the world's population. Survey was carried out by Gallup, Inc. as part of its Gallup World Poll Randomly selected, nationally representative samples. The target population is the entire civilian, noninstitutionalized population age 15 and above. Weights consist of the base sampling weight and poststratification weight. Together these correct for unequal probability of selection based on household size, and for sampling and nonresponse error. Poststratification weights use economy-level population statistics on gender and age and, where reliable data are available, education or socioeconomic status.

What are some FCAB-related questions that can be explored? Explain cross-national differences in Inclusion / account ownership Emergency savings Microfinance participation Account access and use (electronic) Reasons for unbanked Saving in past 12 months Borrowing in past 12 months, etc. Framework: Pool data across country and years Add country-level data country level characteristic explains individual level variation or how country level characteristic moderates the relationship between two individual level variables

What are the main qualities and limitations? Many countries Cluster countries Major questions on financial inclusion Study inequality across age, gender, income, education 3 waves of data permit the study of changes over time. New data available in April 2018 (@globalfindex) Despite weighting some concerned with representativeness (n ~ 1,000 per country) Selection of countries difficult – must be driven by theory Limited individual level: race/ethnicity, immigration status, family structure geography

Example and Summary Research questions Is variation in emergency savings clustered at the nation level? If so, what are the external conditions related to emergency savings? Summary Availability of data and methods make it possible to pinpoint national-level factors associated with FCAB outcomes. - 3 waves of data in 2018 allow for changes in policies / national characteristics Lacking national-level theories and hypotheses.