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Microfinance for Better Housing: How the Sector Can Serve Low-Income Borrowers in India and Other Emerging Markets
In most emerging countries, populations are growing and the numbers moving into cities are rising even faster. Providing housing for these often low-income individuals has become a huge global challenge. But as development sector researcher Moin Qazi points out, these borrowers' lack of credit history, collateral and property rights makes it difficult for both traditional commercial lenders and microfinance providers to serve them. He explores the challenges facing housing microfinance in India and other emerging markets, and highlights some solutions.
- Categories
- Finance
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Addressing Predatory Lending Apps: Lessons From the Regulatory Response in Indonesia, India and the Philippines
Digital lending apps have provided financial inclusion to many in emerging markets, but complaints about predatory practices have been surging over the last two years. Financial inclusion and consumer protection consultant Hema Bansal explains how misleading marketing, inadequate disclosure of pricing, terms and conditions, and inappropriate collections practices have led to new regulatory responses in Indonesia, India and the Philippines. She shares which of these steps have proven effective — and where there is still room for improvement.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Scaling the Last-Mile Distribution Industry With Data-Driven Lending
Low-income consumers in emerging markets rely heavily on last-mile distributors (LMDs) for access to life-changing products, from smartphones to solar home systems. But as Erin Junio at Angaza explains, despite the critical role they play in the sale and distribution of these products, LMDs struggle to access the funding they need to scale. She explores the funding challenges these businesses face — and how data-driven innovations in lending are emerging to close this financing gap.
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Beyond Risk: How Addressing Transaction Costs Can Boost Lending to Agricultural SMEs in Africa
Providing loans to agricultural enterprises in East Africa can be a complicated task, with challenges ranging from higher origination costs to arduous journeys to conduct due diligence. As Brian Milder of Aceli Africa explains, that makes many lenders reluctant to serve these businesses — and this lack of capital is stunting the growth of local agri-SMEs. In this third article in a four-part series, he explores the barriers to financing in the industry – particularly the under-recognized role of high transaction costs in limiting capital flows – and shares how Aceli is addressing them.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
- Tags
- impact investing, lending
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Press Release: Kiva Capital Management Announces Final Close of Kiva Refugee Investment Fund to Scale Lending to Fragile Communities Globally
Kiva Capital Management, the impact-first fund management subsidiary of non-profit Kiva.org, announced today the successful final close of the Kiva Refugee Investment Fund, LLC, a $32.5 million facility to scale lending to fragile communities globally.
- Categories
- Finance
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Togo: Microfinance Institutions Slow Down on Lending as Overdue Loans Spike Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, microfinance institutions active in Togo considerably lowered loans to the public in the nine first months of 2020.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Two Former Coinbase Employees Are Building a DeFi Lending Protocol for Emerging Markets
A pair of former Coinbase employees are launching a new protocol that aims to advance one of the DeFi space’s primary use cases — decentralized lending — in the world’s emerging markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Press Release: The Risk Management Association Survey Finds ESG Investing and Securities Lending Can Coexist
A new survey of leading institutional investors released today by The Risk Management Association (RMA) revealed that 95% of respondents believe that securities lending activities can coexist with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing
- Tags
- ESG, governance, impact investing, lending
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