-
Financial Inclusion: Banking in the Amazon (With Video)
Autazes, a municipality in Brazil’s Amazon region, did not have a single point of access to banking services until 2002, when an agent set up operations there. Since then, Autazes has experienced significant economic and social changes, as the local population has access to government payments and other banking services for the first time.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Building Markets for Financial Inclusion … Beyond Micro-credit!
The micro-credit crises under way in Andhra Pradesh will probably affect micro-credit operations globally. Time to take a broader look at financial inclusion ? on how to bring credit, transactions, savings and insurance to those currently excluded formal banking ? through a review of the Global Financial Inclusion report by McKinsey.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Inclusive Business Has Buy-in, Now We Need Action
The Inclusive Business concept has been adopted by the United Nations, the International Business Leaders Forum, and other major organizations. Convincing multinational corporations was a critical step in validating and positioning market-based solutions as profitable ways to create wealth and prosperity. But how will we really achieve scale?
- Categories
- Education
-
An Update from the Financial Services for the Poor Team at the Gates Foundation
On November 16 and 17, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hosted a Global Savings Forum which brought together leading players from around the world. The foundation presented its strategy to provide millions with affordable access to safe places to save.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Financial Services for All Kenyans: Equity Bank and M-PESA Go Head to Head
Kenya is home to two extraordinary, but very different, financial service providers that have reached massive scale with unprecedented speed: Equity Bank and Safaricom’s M-PESA.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Guest Post: M-PESA Gets High Marks as It Goes Down Market
New data shows M-PESA’s reach is spreading down market while service and customer satisfaction are at all time highs.
- Categories
- Technology
-
NextThought Monday: A Closer Look at the Numbers Behind Branchless Banking
While the New York Times’ Thomas Friedman breathlessly reports on the latest mobile banking advancement in India, can we really believe the hype? Mark Pickens, Microfinance Analyst with CGAP’s Technology Program, says based on his study of 18 branchless banking providers, in fact, we can.
- Categories
- Finance
-
Transactions Without Borders: The March of Mobile Money
The term "unbanked" does not always equate to "unbankable." In fact, it’s often simply a case of banks being unreachable. In his latest book, Sam Pitroda explains that the digital wallet is going to change the very concept of money, leading to financial and social inclusion.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications