NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

The pandemic has raised the profile of digital financial services, which have enabled amazingly rapid distribution of social support funds and may provide a path forward for delivering financial services safely and at scale. But there are important questions left to consider about the roll-out and ultimate impact of DFS:
1) How to onboard those who aren’t digital, especially the illiterate and innumerate, when in-person training isn’t possible?
2) How to ensure that agents are protected and provided with the necessary resources?
3) How to ensure digital security for people who are not sophisticated users of technology?
4) How will MFIs who have to offer both physical and digital channels afford to do so, especially given the budget crunch they are already facing?
5) Will MFIs lose their best customers to digital-only platforms and what does that mean for their sustainability?

Time: 9 AM ET