Research & Analysis

Young Women and Financial Services: Maximizing Impact

Research has shown that marginalized young women can benefit from financial services in both economic and non-economic ways. But with over half a billion women aged 15-24 in the world, the life stages, needs, and contexts of this population are tremendously diverse. Among which segments of young women could investments in improved financial services make the most impact? This infographic highlights findings from a recent CGAP segmentation exercise.

Digital Finance’s Little Secret... (Agent Networks)

The wide reach of digital financial services can unlock life-changing opportunities for low-income consumers by helping them save, borrow, and receive remittances. But here’s a little secret about these digital services: their current ability to attract and serve new users largely depends on the expansion of old-fashioned physical interaction through agent networks, which is crucial in cash economies. In this episode, we explore the latest advances in agent networks and what they mean for the future of inclusive finance. 

Will Central Bank Digital Currencies be a Game-Changer for Financial Inclusion?

Central banks have been eying the emergence of privately issued digital currencies with a mix of excitement and anxiety, and some began experimenting with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Some advocates say CBDCs will help central banks advance financial inclusion. But are CBDCs really a game-changer for financial inclusion?

The Promise of Fintech for Micro and Small Enterprises

Nearly 500 million micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are estimated to be operating around the world. Access to credit and other financial services is critical to the growth and sustainability of these businesses, and consequentially to the low-income and vulnerable populations which rely on MSEs for their livelihoods. Yet despite decades of efforts and some notable successes in expanding MSE finance, the credit gap remains an estimated 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars.

Building Blocks of a Modern G2P Architecture

G2P systems seldom fulfill their potential because they underutilize the capabilities of digital payments systems. As a result, recipients are prevented from exercising choice over the account or withdrawal points that are used. This results in a poor experience for beneficiaries, reduces the financial inclusion potential, and can lead to costly and inefficient systems that are unfit for purpose.

Agent Networks at the Last Mile​: Implications for Financial Regulators

Rural agent networks are critical to “last mile” financial inclusion. This reading deck for regulators does three things: (i) it shows how expanding rural Cash-in/Cash-out (CICO) agent networks is key to ensuring more inclusive digital financial systems; (ii) it illustrates industry innovations that are making rural CICO more viable; and (iii) it presents a set of regulatory considerations that can enable such innovations within a stable financial system. 

Agent Networks​ at the Last Mile​: Implications for Policy Makers

Rural agent networks are critical to “last mile” financial inclusion. This reading deck for policy makers does two things: (i) it shows how rural Cash-in/Cash-out (CICO) agent network expansion is key to ensuring poor people can capture the benefits of digital financial ecosystems; and (ii) it presents a set of policies that have been effective in enabling rural CICO in a way that benefits vulnerable segments, like rural women, and that reinforces the effectiveness of social programs targeting these segments. 

Agent Networks ​at the Last Mile: Implications for Financial​ Service Providers

Rural agent networks are critical to “last mile” financial inclusion. This reading deck for Financial Services Providers (FSPs) shows: (i) how rural Cash-in/Cash-Out (CICO) agent network expansion leads to increased customer value and sustained market growth; (ii) the barriers FSPs face to expand rural CICO networks; and (iii) successful new practices carried out in different markets that address barriers and result in improved rural CICO reach and quality. 

Developing Rural Agent Networks: Emerging Guidance for Funders

Funders are uniquely positioned to help expand rural Cash-in / Cash-out (CICO) agent networks by leveraging their financial resources, technical knowledge and convening power to align the incentives and build capacity of market actors, so that they design and implement self-sustaining solutions.

Banking-as-a-Service: How it Can Catalyze Financial Inclusion

Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) is an entirely new business model that enables non-banks to offer banking services under their own brand and seamlessly embedded into their digital offering. By enabling the embedding of financial services into almost any digital context, BaaS may augur a profound evolution of the financial sector of which we are only seeing the early stages.