Recent Blogs
Unpacking Effects of Gender Norms on Women's Financial Lives in Uganda
How do gender norms impact not just women’s behavior, but the behavior of all market actors in the financial system? Recent findings from Uganda offer some insights.
When Does Financial Education Work Best? Evidence-Based Insights
CGAP’s Impact Pathfinder consistently identified financial education as a factor for the uptake and use of financial services, prompting us to ask: Could it be playing a more central role in what works, for whom, and in what circumstances?
How Digitization Is Disrupting Collateral-Based Lending
Data is upending traditional lending models and can broaden access to finance.
The Hidden Costs of Forex Funding: Do Women Pay a Higher Price?
Smaller lenders serve women borrowers best but face high costs, forex risk, and limited scale. In light of this fact, donors and DFIs must expand local currency funding and strengthen risk management to close the gender gap in finance.
Competition as a Catalyst for Financial Inclusion
Healthy competition in the financial sector is essential for advancing financial inclusion, as it lowers costs, spurs innovation, improves access and service quality—especially for underserved populations.
Is Climate Change Undermining Financial Inclusion? Early Evidence Says Yes
Early evidence from Pakistan confirms the need to shore up the financial institutions that serve vulnerable populations facing climate impacts, as climate risk threatens to undermine global progress on financial inclusion.
RDFE Lessons From the UK's Open Banking Journey
The UK’s open banking approach demonstrates how digital finance can be harnessed responsibly to promote innovation and competition while safeguarding consumers and their data, aligning well with CGAP’s Responsible Digital Finance Ecosystem framework.
AI and Responsible Finance: A Double-Edged Sword
Artificial Intelligence can transform financial inclusion and digital financial services, but it can also increase consumer risks like fraud, data misuse, and lack of transparency.
Finance Meets AI: Considerations for Public Authorities
How can public authorities support the financial sector to harness the power of AI while ensuring it operates within safe and ethical boundaries? Here, we propose three key considerations that could enable the responsible use of AI in finance.
Beyond the Balance Sheet: How Data is Rewriting the Investment Playbook
Inclusive credit fintechs can help narrow the financial inclusion gap—but their path is challenging. New data-driven asset managers are stepping in with transaction-based financing, offering the capital and credibility fintechs need to scale responsibly.
Granular Data for More Equitable Financial Systems
As financial systems evolve, so must the tools for oversight. Suptech is helping supervisors harness better data, spot trends (including by gender), and guide smarter decisions. Countries like Rwanda are showing how tech can drive more inclusive, effective financial systems.
Will FATF’s Travel Rule Revisions Affect Financial Inclusion?
The FATF is consulting on revisions to its travel rule that will affect all payments. However, the changes pose a threat to the speed, cost, and inclusiveness that the international community expects from global remittances. So why the change?
Avanti’s Digital Edge: Winning for Customers, Partners, and Growth
Avanti Finance leverages technology and partnerships to provide affordable, accessible financial services to low-income households in India, focusing on women. Their digital processes enhance efficiency, scalability, and customer experience.
Key Regulatory Developments for AI in Finance
AI is not a novel concept in finance; so, what is driving renewed interest in addressing regulatory gaps around the technology? CGAP desk research covering more than 100 jurisdictions identified five key global developments in AI regulation.
Bringing Resilience to the Table to Achieve Development Goals
CGAP's Impact Pathfinder provides insights into the role of financial services in building the resilience of vulnerable populations and small businesses globally.
