Latest Posts
Filter PostsRethinking Financial Inclusion at the Data Margins
This is the first in a series of blog posts that explores the endless-data era’s impacts on financial inclusion.
The Challenge of Bringing Agri-SMEs and Lenders Closer Together
New “bankability” metrics, which incorporate robust sector data and research, aim to further understand how to close the estimated $65 billion financing gap in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Revisiting Building Financial Capability with a Gender Lens
We must see women as part of a larger ecosystem that impacts their opportunities to learn, apply the information, and make economic decisions for themselves and their families.
Breaking Silos and Challenging Inequities in America: An Interview with Jennifer Tescher
The founder and CEO of the Financial Health Network discusses COVID’s impact on communities of color, Financial Health Network’s projects for 2021, and her take on CFI’s strategic priorities.
Prof. Jonathan Morduch’s Four New Projects
With the pandemic restricting direct research, 2020 was a year of planning and preparing for a busy 2021 that will (if the pandemic abates) take Prof. Morduch and his collaborators from rural villages in South Asia to Compton, California – all with a view towards further deepening our understanding of the lives of the poor.
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Preparing for the Long Tail of COVID’s Impact on Microfinance
While similarities between the pandemic and the financial crisis a decade ago exist, the threats are now more external, which is one reason CFI is publishing an updated case study series: Weathering the Storm II.
Top 10 CFI Blog Posts of 2020
Data, consumer protection, and women's financial inclusion were among the most read topics this year.
Combating the Rise in Fraudulent Fintech Apps
Exploratory research by academics at the University of Zurich indicates a troubling trend of exploitative apps -- buoyed by likely fake reviews -- promising access to cheap financial products during the pandemic.
Have We Passed the Test? Reflections on the Test of a Lifetime
What have we learned from the responses to COVID-19 undertaken around the world, and has inclusive finance risen to the occasion?
Three Ways Governments Expedited Social Payments During COVID
A new CFI policy brief details ways vulnerable beneficiaries were onboarded quickly and innovatively during the pandemic. Here’s a summary and a selection of examples from that brief.
Digital Finance and Women’s Economic Empowerment: Possibilities and Pitfalls
More evidence on digital financial services and women's economic empowerment is needed to understand impact and eliminate the risk of worsening gender inequality.
Questions for EIB Group: DFIs, Financial Inclusion and the COVID-19 Response
CFI recently spoke with the European Investment Bank Group about priorities during the pandemic, risks, instruments deployed, and what the inclusive finance community can do to support the organization's priorities. This is the fourth in an occasional series of interviews with professionals from development finance institutions, international financial institutions, and donor agencies supporting inclusive finance during these challenging times.
How Consumer Protection Has Driven Maha’s COVID-19 Response
Unprecedented times bring unprecedented challenges, and we have all been working to balance the interests of all stakeholders since the onset of the pandemic.
Lending For Water and Sanitation During COVID-19
Further interest in WASH loans from financial institutions may surface due to the pandemic.
What Is the Future of Microfinance? Q and A with Paul DiLeo
The maturity of microfinance brings us to a unique inflection point. “The Future of Microfinance” coeditor Paul DiLeo analyzes the past and present, and shares his hopes for the sector.
There’s (Not) an App for That: Taking a Hard Look at the “App-ification” of Migration
Should the international development and humanitarian communities bother with niche tech solutions for migrant financial inclusion? An app you might use every day gives us a hint.
Financial Authorities’ Tools Must Evolve to Catch Up with “Digital Multinationals”
The movement of big tech into financial services calls for a digital transformation of financial authorities, new SupTech tools, and open data commons.
Financial Inclusion Week and My Emoji Roller Coaster Ride
Grateful, curious, tempted, connected, tired, sad, and inspired: Mayada El-Zoghbi reflects on all the emotions from an exciting Financial Inclusion Week 2020.