Essays in Household Finance and FinTech

Abstract

This thesis consists of five independent research papers empirically addressing several questions relating to topics in Household Finance and FinTech .The first paper investigates potential gender gaps in over-indebtedness.The second paper analyzes why households rely solely on bank deposits despite the existence of subsidized pension products, which are secure as bank deposits but offer higher expected returns.The third paper studies the relationship between using smartphones to conduct mobile payments and individuals credit card misbehavior.The fourth paper investigates potential gender gaps with respect to knowledge of recent financial technologies, such as Bitcoin.The fifth paper analyzes how negative life events, such as becoming a victim of consumer fraud, affect individuals financial well-being.