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Shifting from Financial Inclusion to Financial Health: Strategic Focus Areas for Providers and Other Stakeholders
In the past decade, 1.2 billion people around the world have obtained a financial account. But according to Nishant Kumar and Sonal Agrawal at Lakshya, this growing financial inclusion isn't leading to similar gains in financial health – and addressing this challenge will require stakeholders to boost engagement on the demand side rather than just maximizing supply-side efficiency. They propose three key strategic focus areas for improving global financial health, and explore how they differ from the approaches taken to boost financial inclusion.
- Categories
- Finance
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An Innovative Approach to Income Volatility: How One Company Is Bringing Income Pooling (Back) to the United States
Low-income communities in emerging markets around the world use income pooling groups to recover from financial shocks or save for much-needed expenditures. As Sarmed Rashid at Pando explains, the practice allows group members to manage their income volatility – a challenge also faced by many professionals in the United States. He explores how Pando is seeking to serve these individuals by creating, organizing and managing income pools for Americans working in entrepreneurship and sports, while aiming to expand its focus to include poverty alleviation and economic development.
- Categories
- Finance
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Africa’s Fintech Gold Rush: Why Banks Must Adapt to Survive
These are exciting times in the fintech startup ecosystem in Africa, as direct investment activity is growing at a dizzying pace. But according to Osahon Akpata at Ecobank Group, this influx of capital is also raising challenges for startups and investors – and particularly for traditional banks, which have to adjust to the emergence of these innovative and well-funded new competitors. He discusses the implications of Africa's ongoing fintech revolution for both startups and banks, and explores why partnerships between them can provide a way forward.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Press Release: Heifer International and IBM Work with Coffee and Cocoa Farmers in Honduras to Increase Access to Data and Global Markets
Smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers and their cooperatives in Honduras are harnessing the power of technology to access new markets and make better business decisions.
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- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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GrEEn Project Partners with Fidelity Bank and Viamo to Improve Access to Financial Services
Fidelity Bank and Viamo are partnering with GrEEn Projects to bring financial innovation to the Ashanti and Western regions.
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- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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10 Financial Literacy Solutions Receive Grants, Support From Nationwide Innovation Challenge
Ten financial literacy innovations were awarded grants and support from PhilDev Foundation and Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI) to boost financial literacy in underserved communities in the Philippines.
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- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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Uruguayan Unicorn’s $10 Billion Nasdaq Float Shows Rising Power of Latin American Tech
South America is slowly emerging as a hotbed for fintech innovation. The world’s arguably biggest challenger bank NuBank hails from Brazil and is rumoured to be gearing up for a public listing in the US.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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Press Release: 2021 FinHealth Spend Report Shows Financially Coping and Vulnerable Households Spent $255 Billion for Everyday Financial Services
Struggling households shoulder greater burden of fees and interest, highlighting the need for innovative solutions that reduce economic pressures
- Categories
- Finance
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