Searching: Research & Analysis

Regulation of Branchless Banking in Colombia

This update of CGAP’s 2008 “Diagnostic Report on the Legal and Regulatory Environment for Branchless Banking in Colombia” incorporates research conducted by CGAP in January 2010.

Branchless Banking and Consumer Protection in Brazil

As part of its Global Policy Initiative, CGAP partnered with the Central Bank of Brazil in late 2008, to learn more about the issues and trends in consumer relations when financial services are delivered through branchless banking. This report highlights some of our findings.

Branchless Banking Policy and Regulation in El Salvador

These notes offer details on CGAP's findings and recommendations as a result of a branchless banking policy and regulatory diagnostic carried out in late 2008 in El Salvador.

An Analysis of Peru’s “Cajeros Corresponsales”

Most banks in Peru have tended to use banking agents fundamentally to shift low-value transactions away from the more costly branch channel and to extend the reach of their existing branches.

CGAP Reflections on the Compartamos Initial Public Offering

On April 20, 2007, Banco Compartamos, a microfinance institution (MFI) that was launched in 1990 and originally funded by grants from various sources, including CGAP, completed a landmark initial public offering (IPO) of its stock.

A Multilateral Donor Triumphs over Disbursement Pressure

The CrediAmigo microfinance program mounted by Brazil’s Banco do Nordeste (BN) shows how an international financial institution like the World Bank can be a useful catalyst in the development of microfinance retail capacity.

Commercialization and Mission Drift: Transformation in Latin America

This Occasional Paper examines the impact of commercialization and increased competition on the strategy and performance of microfinance institutions in Latin America, with particular focus on "mission drift"-- whether or not commercialization drives MFIs to deviate from their original missions.

The Challenge of Growth for Microfinance:The BancoSol Experience

This note focuses on the financial and management challenges MFIs face as they grow and formalize.