This study examines how access to different types of financial services influences household welfare in Indonesia. Using data from a large sample of 331,068 households, the research applies Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression to evaluate the impact of financial institutions on household income, which serves as a proxy for welfare. The findings reveal that access to microfinance and commercial banks significantly improves household income, highlighting the critical role these institutions play in enhancing welfare. Conversely, households relying on informal financial institutions tend to have lower incomes, indicating a negative effect on welfare. Further analysis reveals important variations based on gender and geographic location. Microfinance and cooperatives are particularly beneficial for female-headed households and those in rural areas, underscoring their importance in supporting underserved populations. On the other hand, access to commercial banks benefits both male and female headed households but has a stronger impact in urban areas where formal banking services are more readily available. While informal financial institutions negatively affect urban households, they provide modest advantages for female-headed and rural households, serving as an alternative in areas lacking formal financial services. These findings underscore the need for targeted financial inclusion policies that address gender and regional disparities. Such policies should prioritize expanding access to microfinance and cooperatives for rural and female-headed households while also improving access to formal banking services in urban areas to enhance overall welfare.

Studies on the role of gender, family businesses, and non-family businesses in examining financial management practices, particularly in developing countries, have been largely overlooked. This research, based on the collaboration between Positive Accounting Theory (PAT) and Agency Theory, aims to explore the intervention of microfinance in micro and small agricultural enterprises (MSEs). Using a quantitative approach, the study employs the Structural Equation Model Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) method with a sample size of 656 respondents, comprising ultra-micro and small business actors in the agricultural sector in Indonesia. The findings indicate that for micro-sized businesses, entrepreneurial success mediates the relationship between microfinance and subjective wellbeing, while in small-sized businesses, poverty reduction and entrepreneurial success fully mediate the relationship between ultra-microfinance and subjective wellbeing. Ultra-microfinance assists business owners in enhancing their financial resource capacity more easily. On the other hand, microfinance not only provides financial access but also offers training and mentorship programs, helping business owners achieve long-term success. The study also reveals that gender does not mediate the relationship between microfinance and subjective wellbeing. Gender inequality in accessing resources, differences in decision-making participation, and social norms that still limit women's roles in economic activities within the agricultural sector are contributing factors. The implication of this study is to provide insights for decision-makers in the agricultural MSME sector to enhance subjective wellbeing. It is hoped that poverty alleviation programs through microfinance initiatives, such as PNPM, can be optimally absorbed and have a positive impact on empowering business owners to reduce structural poverty, especially in the key sector of agricultural businesses.