What’s next for credit unions in Costa Rica? From financial repression to the risks of a new financial environment
Description of the project: Empirical study. It aims to analyze: a) if credit unions in Costa Rica became less competitive, compared to commercial banks and other kinds of competitors as a result of the liberalization of financial markets and the enactment of new regulations, intended to promote competition  in the Costa Rican financial industry; b) If the ability of credit unions was related to a number of factors (size, open or close membership, etc.),

Date of beginning: October, 2013

Other researchers involved: Sébastien Deschênes; M André Leclerc (both affiliated with the Université de Moncton)

Key words: Credit unions; financial repression in developing nations; regulation of the financial industry; financial reform