Rafe Mazer

Rafe Mazer works with CGAP's Policy Team on applying behavioral research to consumer protection and financial inclusion. For more than five years he has been designing and leading behavioral research projects with policymakers, providers and donors to help understand how our behaviors impact financial decisions and outcomes.

Research issues Rafe has explored include: Does digital delivery credit change how we borrow and save? Why do financial sales staff sometimes give the right advice, and others times mislead consumers? Do consumers really care about their data privacy in financial inclusion? Why do some consumers choose to complain about a problem, while others remain silent?

This research has been used to develop a range of financial inclusion solutions, including interactive SMS for mobile savings and credit, key facts statements and disclosure regulations, complaints handling regulations, data disclosure messaging, and regulations for consumer protection in digital financial services. He has led research in markets including Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and Tanzania.

By Rafe Mazer

Blog

10 Myths About M-PESA: 2014 Update

M-PESA and its 12.6 million active customers have fundamentally altered the landscape of financial services in Kenya. Despite its popularity, there are still some misconceptions about how it works.
Blog

Simple Messages Help Consumers Understand Big Data

After experimenting with SMS messages with Tanzanian microfinance loan applicants, First Access determined that customers can learn a lot about data and their privacy from simple forms of communication.
Research

Informed Consent: How Do We Make It Work for Mobile Credit Scoring

This report explores what consumers understand about their mobile data, and how it is being used by financial service providers and what methods for informed consent might help ensure that individual borrowers understand how their information is used.
Blog

Price Sensitivity and the New M-Pesa Tariffs

M-Pesa recently reduced its fees on person-to-person mobile money transfers. How will these price changes affect usage?
Blog

Is Kenya Ready for an MVNO?

Kenya recently granted MVNO licenses to several new companies, allowing them to provide mobile money services without building new cellular infrastructure. This could shake up the mobile money market in Kenya, which has been dominated by Safaricom.