Blog

India’s Unique ID Could Generate Big Boost in Financial Access

Aadhaar, the effort to give every Indian resident a unique identification number for the purpose of accessing services and social benefits, is at the center of India's progress towards financial inclusion.

The Case for Branchless Banking in Thousand Islands, Indonesia

In Thousand Islands, Indonesia, financial access is virtually nonexistent. Since most residents have mobile phones, the introduction of branchless banking could bridge the access gap and help improve the lives of the islands' residents.

Private Sector Stepping Up Leadership in Financial Inclusion

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, some 60+ private and public sector leaders expressed their commitment to put the puzzle pieces for greater financial inclusion together for real impact.

Understanding Smallholders' Financial Needs is Key First Step

Banks that recognize the unique characteristics of farmers as customers and adapt their businesses using financial and skill-based support from donors will be best positioned to address the huge gap in demand for smallholder financing.

Smallholder Financing: Meeting Demand Between Harvests

For smallholder farms, expenses come early in the season before the planting while income arrives only several months later with the harvest. How, then, can these farmers access the cash they need to plant their crops and, more importantly, to survive between harvests?

Does Facebook Represent the Future of International Remittances?

Though it may be a long way off, the "what if" of social networks playing a role in international remittances is exciting. Networks like Facebook and China's RenRen increasingly reach financially-excluded portions of the population and may have the potential to generate significant transaction volumes in places where m-wallets have struggled.

Working with The Poorest Women in Pakistan

The design firm Continuum Innovation found that simplified ATM receipts and photographic instructions helped poor women in Pakistan access their money with more confidence.

Can Voice Corridors be Used to Predict Mobile Money Hotspots?

Voice corridors aren't direct predictors of mobile money hotspots. But, this information can be valuable to mobile providers launching new services, since voice and mobile money corridors often overlap in new markets.

Literacy a Hidden Hurdle to Financial Inclusion

Literacy is often a hidden hurdle to bringing financial inclusion to the unbanked. This means that the onus is on the designer of financial systems to make sure clients can use them confidently.

10 Useful Data Sources for Measuring Financial Inclusion

In recent years, data sources for financial inclusion have become richer but more complicated to navigate. How do we navigate this busy data landscape? There is no single "best source" for data on financial inclusion, and each source in this list has its own unique strengths and weaknesses.

10 Things You May Not Know about Postal Networks

Postal networks have undertaken major transformations. They are increasingly leveraging their branch networks to play a role in financial services, and many are emerging as important gateways for financial inclusion of the world's poor.

Mobile Money: 10 Things You Need to Know

Mobile money is a fast moving space and 2013 was a busy year. Read our list of 10 trends in the mobile money arena in 2013.

10 Things You May Not Know About Financial Capability

There is significant new experimentation and research around financial capability. Here is a snapshot of 10 new pieces of literature and research for consideration.

Financial Inclusion in Myanmar: 10 Things You Should Know

The financial inclusion ecosystem in Myanmar is changing rapidly. Here are 10 things you should know about financial inclusion in Myanmar.

Banking on Including Women in Nigeria

In Nigeria, Diamond Bank is using customer insights to design and market a new savings product for women.

Prioritizing Complaints Handling with Third Party Ombudsmen

More and more countries are realizing the importance of establishing proper mechanisms for handling complaints within financial institutions and establishing proper external or third party recourse systems through ombudsman schemes.

Nicaragua’s System for Resolving Financial Complaints

Nicaragua has made significant strides in consumer protection and financial inclusion since 2005, especially regarding its formalized complaints channel for credit card disputes.

Complaints Handling: A Secret Ingredient to Financial Inclusion

When things go wrong with consumers' financial services, having a good system for addressing complaints and resolving problems can go a long way towards building long-lasting uptake and usage of financial products.

Global Landscape of Digital Finance Plus

To illustrate the global landscape of Digital Finance Plus, CGAP has identified 55 companies providing innovative solutions in the energy, water, health and agriculture sectors.

Improving Education with Financial Innovation, Chapter-by-Chapter

Kytabu is a Kenyan-based company that offers a textbook subscription service where users can pay in small increments for individual chapters of textbooks and read the content on their cell phones. The company hopes to make educational materials much more accessible and affordable in Kenya.