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Finding Macro Solutions for Microfinance
Small loans to give backcountry villagers a modest start toward entrepreneurship — the bright idea that brought Muhammad Yunus the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, 30 years after he founded Grameen Bank in Bangladesh — is by now a fading ideal.
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Mobile Money in the Democratic Republic of Congo: The indirect path may be most effective for small business payments
Much of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) economy consists of small businesses, and most of them operate exclusively in cash. With only 4 percent of adults in DRC having a formal bank account, mobile money is key to improving the efficiency and security of small business payments. A recent report by InterMedia and GSMA highlighted opportunities for expanding mobile money use among small business owners.
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Yes – the sandwich generation can and should work in social enterprises
The generation sandwiched between looking after their children and parents can benefit financially from a new approach
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People-Centered Finance: How behavioral economics can improve financial products – part 2 of our Q&A with Alexandra Fiorillo, VP at ideas42
Why do people struggle to make sound financial decisions? Answering that question is one of the missions of ideas42, a consulting organization that specializes in behavioral economics, the study of how market decisions are made. We spoke with Alexandra Fiorillo, a vice president at ideas42, about how behavioral economics can improve financial product design.
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Swiss insurer invests $1B to fight global warming
Zurich Insurance is investing $1 billion to fight climate change in a sign of growing demand for socially conscious investing.
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- impact investing
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Five Reasons Washington Should Leave Bitcoin Alone
This afternoon the Senate Committee on Homeland Security will hold a hearing on virtual currencies, followed by a Banking Committee hearing Nov. 19. Judging from the witness lists, lawmakers will hear the usual warnings about how Bitcoin and other digital monies facilitate money laundering, online underground drug bazaars, Internet gambling and worse.
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Impact investors now tap urban poor market
Impact investment funds and social entrepreneurs are now targeting social ventures that cater to the urban poor segment. There is a visible departure from earlier practice where the focus of most impact funds was on funding micro finance institutions, catering largely to the rural poor, and similar base-of-pyramid ventures in a rural set up.
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- impact investing
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India launches first bank exclusively for women
India launched its first public sector bank catering for women on Tuesday, an initiative aimed at economically empowering millions of women across the country who do not have access to basic financial services such as bank accounts or loans.
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- Region
- South Asia
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