Needy couples got cash and a spending plan. Results were good -- and bad

In Liberia, joint financial planning boosted cash aid's benefits. It also had an unexpected consequence for some families.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/6000x4000!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbd%2F10%2F85dc9d8443c0ada6a9c05700a0a4%2Fgettyimages-1054465210.jpg' alt='Cash transfers, aimed at lifting families out of poverty, are delivered by mobile pone.'/><p>In Liberia, joint financial planning boosted cash aid's benefits. It also had an unexpected consequence for some families.</p><p>(Image credit: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-144544' />