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New Products, New Markets – New Risks? Microfinance Shifts its Gaze to Housing
$2.3 trillion: That's what low-income households are predicted to spend on urban housing by 2025. So it's no surprise that many microfinance providers view housing lending as their next big opportunity for both profit and social impact. But this new focus brings plenty of challenges – and more than a few risks. We explore the implications of this development – a key topic of discussion at the recent European Microfinance Week.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Asian Development Bank Bolsters Microfinance Program with $100 Million in Additional Financing
“Giving small businesses and entrepreneurs access to finance is one proven tool to improve livelihoods and reduce poverty,” said Sabine Spohn, Senior Investment Specialist in ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Allianz invests $100M in micro-insurer BIMA
Allianz has invested $96.6 million in micro-insurer BIMA, which sells insurance by mobile phone in Africa, Asia and Latin America, Germany’s largest insurer said on Tuesday.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- insurance
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OPIC Announces $3.8 Billion in New Commitments in Fiscal Year 2017
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) today announced it committed $3.8 billion in financing and insurance across 111 new projects in fiscal year 2017 to support economic development in emerging markets.
- Categories
- Investing
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Impact investing: A $250 billion game-changer for finance
Making money is the lifeblood of Wall Street. Making the world a better place not so much. Now that's starting to change, as some of the biggest names in finance adjust their businesses to reflect growing demand for impact investments.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- North America
- Tags
- impact investing
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The mobile phone gender gap: Why does it matter and what can we do?
Research shows that mobile technology has the potential to help women close gender gaps in outcomes like employment — phones can help job seekers connect to networks and learn about job opportunities.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Report says CalPERS investments too focused on environmental and social activism
The American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) said CalPERS board members have overemphasized what are called Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investments — and the sluggish returns on those investments are dragging down the pension fund’s bottom line.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- North America
- Tags
- ESG, impact investing
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New Impact Investing Fund Will Support Nonprofits And Better Health Outcomes
AIM Healthy loans and lines of credit can, for example, help a recuperative-care nonprofit to add beds that provide a bridge between the hospital and permanent housing – combatting homelessness as well as hospital and jail readmissions, or a food-as-medicine nonprofit to partner with a health plan to lower costs and improve outcomes for patients with chronic diseases.
- Categories
- Health Care, Investing
- Region
- North America
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