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Tapping the Network to Fight Poverty: How targeting influential leaders can increase financial innovation uptake
Whether you measure it by Twitter followers or by how crowded your kitchen is at dinnertime, it’s clear that some people have larger social networks than others. And a few individuals invariably emerge as central points of contact for their larger social groups. Jake Kendall of Gates Foundation discusses innovative research suggesting that these network “hubs” can propel the diffusion of financial innovations at the BoP.
- Categories
- Education
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NextThought Monday: Why I’m optimistic about small-dollar credit in the U.S.
The dangers of payday loans and similar products are well-known: they are extremely expensive, often with triple-digit interest rates, and structured in a way that easily traps borrowers in a cycle of debt. Yet CFSI’s Beth Brockland sees cause for optimism in the small-dollar credit marketplace in the U.S. - and this optimism could extend to other developing markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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In Indonesia, Mobile banking becomes a source of local banks’ revenue
With the sharp increase in the use of smartphones, mobile banking has become an important source of income for Indonesian banks that are now expanding fee-based services to boost their profits.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Full Financial Inclusion Possible by 2020
The Center for Financial Inclusion "Mapping the Invisible Market" project revealed that the majority of the financially excluded live in just six countries: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan.
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- Uncategorized
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Microinsurance in Africa grows by 200%, says report
More than 44 million Africans use microinsurance products as tools to manage the risks they are exposed to, a study on the Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa last year has shown.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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MetLife Foundation Commits $200 Million over Five Years to Global Campaign for Financial Inclusion
MetLife Foundation's New Vision Will Bring Affordable Financial Services to Underserved People Worldwide
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- Uncategorized
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How Smart Policy Can Promote Financial Inclusion: A Q&A with Alfred Hannig, founder and executive director of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion
It can be hard to even keep up with the innovations that are reshaping global finance. Imagine how hard it is to regulate them. In this Q&A, Alfred Hannig, founder and executive director of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, discusses the challenges of balancing innovation and consumer protection in a shifting financial landscape.
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- Uncategorized
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Free Trials and Payment Plans: Creative financing plans take a bit of risk, but up the reward for clean energy retailers
High prices for renewable prices are in part a result of high transportation costs from the poor road infrastructure and fragmented markets characterized by inefficient and unshared distribution channels. All these factors increase the cost of doing business in the region. What’s needed is creative financing options for consumers and enterprising retailers willing to take on additional risk for additional reward.
- Categories
- Energy