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Small Farmers, Mobile Banking, Financial Inclusion in Madagascar

Madagascar is among the poorest countries in Africa and also ranks low on the continent for financial inclusion. However, there is a great deal of innovation taking place in the country targeted at people living in rural areas.

How the Poor Can Benefit from Choice in the Remittance Market

Mounting competition and increasing innovation among money transfer companies are resulting in increased benefits to customers - especially senders of remittances.

Beyond Expectations: Applications of Gender Analysis

Ujjivan Financial Services is using data to measure how well they are actually serving women as both clients and staff. Social outcomes are one key indicator they are measuring.

Microfinance, E-Commerce, Big Data and China: The Alibaba Story

China's Alibaba Group is not only the world's largest e-commerce company, but it is also an innovator in microfinance. Alibaba leverages big data to link rural villages with the goods, sales channels and financial services they need to grow their businesses.

The “EasyPaisa” Journey from OTC to Wallets in Pakistan

While the founders of EasyPaisa guessed that they would reach a reasonable volume of customers through OTC services, they did not guess that OTC remittances would be the dominant activity by far for EasyPaisa's customers.

Growth in Women’s Businesses: The Role of Finance

Across the globe, the share of women who become entrepreneurs is significantly below that of men. Access to formal finance remains a major obstacle for women looking to grow their businesses.

Financial Inclusion 2.0: India’s Business Correspondents

In India, the lack of access to financial services still poses a major challenge. FINO aims to close the access gap by extending services right to people's doorsteps.

Winners and Losers on the Road to Financial Inclusion

The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion has created the Financial Inclusion 2020 Campaign, which aims to build a movement that mobilizes stakeholders around the globe to achieve full inclusion by the year 2020.

More on Why OTC Makes Sense for Kenya

Cashless goals are too focused on designing products that make people want to switch to e-money, even though most still prefer cash.

M-Pesa Usage Data: OTC Makes Sense, Even for Kenya

Even though "cash-lite" is a buzzword in financial inclusion, usage data from M-Pesa suggests that the goal of going "cashless" may not be aligned with the needs of people at the base of the income pyramid.

Can Retail Payment Systems be Profitable and Inclusive?

A framework developed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation explains the economics of payment systems and how providers can make a profit while still effectively serving the poor.

Mobile Money: OTC versus Wallets

A new blog series explores the business choices involved when balancing the extremes of OTC transactions and electronic wallets when it comes to making electronic payments.

What did we Learn from the Moroccan Microcredit Crisis?

The Moroccan microcredit crisis of 2009 reveals several lessons for countries in similar situations.

Keep Your Insurance Close, and Your Friends and Family Closer

Throughout our research, we are seeing that friends and family are often a preferred source of support when a financial shock strikes. So, what is the role of microinsurance.

China – The Future Leader in Branchless Banking for the Poor?

A look at the world's biggest market for branchless banking.

Context and Culture: Designing Relevant Financial Services

As a tool to help a mobile financial services provider design a business strategy, how effective is a point-in-time, one-off, research exercise in helping understand customers?

Why Some Bangladeshis Don’t Love Their MFIs

A series of 43 household interviews in rural Bangladesh uncovered the complex financial lives of the interviewees and their seemingly souring view of MFIs.

Indonesia Moves Towards a Cash Light Economy

In mid May 2013, the three leading mobile network operators in Indonesia surprised the financial services industry by announcing they will interoperate their wallets.

Microinsurance is Key to Managing Risk: Wrapping-up

CGAP's recent blog series on microinsurance brought together over a dozen thought leaders and confirmed that microinsurance is an important service to help poor households protect their fragile livelihoods and lives against inevitable risks and unexpected catastrophes.

International Remittances and Branchless Banking: Emerging Models

The landscape of international remittances through branchless banking continues to evolve, with a variety of new players and models entering the market and driving change.