Articles by Sonja Kelly
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Friday
December 21
2018Does Greater Inclusion Lead to Financial Health? New Research Raises Pointed Questions for the Industry
Does financial inclusion really lead to financial health? The industry has largely been operating under the assumption that the answer is "yes" - but a new Gallup survey of more than 15,000 people in 10 very different countries reveals a more complex picture. Sonja Kelly and Evelyn Stark explore the results of this "unprecedented look at personal finance and how people perceive their situation," in a discussion that raises vital questions about the future direction of financial inclusion.
- Categories
- Finance
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Thursday
June 14
2018Is Financial Inclusion Stalling? The 2017 Findex Results Raise Several Red Flags
The Global Financial Inclusion Database (Findex) - one of the most authoritative yardsticks on the state of financial inclusion - finds that 69 percent of the world’s adults now have bank or mobile money accounts. But while that's an exciting headline, it's also misleading, as millions of those newly opened accounts are lying dormant. And that's just one reason why industry stakeholders have found the latest Findex data underwhelming. Elisabeth Rhyne and Sonja Kelly at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion unpack some of the troubling stats – and highlight a few bright spots.
- Categories
- Finance
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Wednesday
January 31
2018The ‘Strange Bedfellows’ Myth: How Fintechs and Financial Institutions Can Partner for Mutual Benefit – And Greater Financial Inclusion
The classic tech-meets-tradition narrative often portrays fintechs and established financial institutions as natural adversaries. But research from the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) and the Institute of International Finance found quite the opposite to be true. CFI's Sonja E. Kelly explores the report's findings, which detail the surprising scope for collaboration among these players – and the potential impact on low-income customers.
- Categories
- Finance, Impact Assessment
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Wednesday
October 5
2016The G2P Silver Bullet? Not So Fast.
Many governments offer cash transfers to millions of people at or below the poverty line, most of whom are not connected to the formal financial system. If these cash transfers are funneled into bank accounts rather than paid directly out in cash, these people immediately gain an on-ramp to financial services. But there is a resounding dissonance between enthusiasm for this solution, and the evidence to date.
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- Uncategorized
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Tuesday
November 17
2015Aging and Financial Inclusion: Steal These Ideas!
Aging is a reality, but can it also represent an opportunity for financial institutions? The smart money is on providers who recognize that the answer is yes, and work to figure out how to respond.
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- Uncategorized
- Tags
- microfinance
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Wednesday
June 10
2015Moving from Access to Inclusion: New CFI report takes stock of progress – and pitfalls – on the road to full financial inclusion
Can we bring financial services to the world’s 2 billion unbanked individuals by 2020? Accion’s Center for Financial Inclusion tackles that question in "By the Numbers: Benchmarking Progress Toward Financial Inclusion." The report explores both progress and challenges as the emphasis shifts from providing access to enabling active usage of financial services.
- Categories
- Education
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Wednesday
November 12
2014Financial Inclusion Under the Microscope: Which countries scored highest in Accion’s “Global Microscope 2014”?
Accion’s Global Microscope evaluates the environment for financial inclusion in 55 different countries, on indicators that include government support, the supervision of microfinance and other financial products, the status of credit reporting, regulations governing mobile banking, and consumer protection. Sonja Kelly runs through some winners and losers.
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- Uncategorized