Publications

Published: December 2015

In November, CFI hosted the first-ever FI2020 Week, a week of global conversation to advance financial inclusion. We are pleased to announce that the week was a success, including 34 partners, over 300 participating organizations, and over 700 participants in hosted conversations, and resulting in over 100 calls to action. A new Financial Inclusion 2020 e-magazine sums up the week, with a focus on event highlights, social media activity, and calls to action.

2015 Global Microscope Shows Progress in the Environment for Financial Inclusion in Most Countries

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and East and South Asia have the most conducive environments for financial inclusion; India, Haiti, and Egypt are among the most improved countries this year.

Access to affordable, diverse financial services is expanding and deepening in many parts of the world, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) 2015 Global Microscope on Financial Inclusion. Two-thirds of the 55 countries studied have improved their enabling environment for financial inclusion in all areas in the past year. Peru, Colombia, and the Philippines remain at the forefront of the international country rankings.

Published: October 2015

WIn the new FI2020 Progress Report, we present our assessment of progress toward global financial inclusion through the lens of five topics: Addressing Customer Needs, Client Protection, Credit Reporting & Data, Financial Capability, and Technology. The report provides a qualitative and interactive assessment of who is doing what, celebrating the most significant accomplishments, and highlighting the gaps that constitute the agenda for the coming years. We’ve started each topic of conversation with a scorecard between 0 and 10. We invite you to use the interactive feature on the website to cast your own vote and compare your scores to ours. Click here to visit the Progress Report website.

Published: August 2015

Will microfinance continue to be relevant in 2020 and beyond? Should regulators or the industry lead on client protection? Will data analytics replace traditional credit reporting systems? A new Financial inclusion 2020 e-magazine explores these three essential questions debate-style, tapping industry leaders from around the world to weigh in with their perspectives.

Published: July, 2015

“Nearly every industry requires infrastructure to thrive, and this goes for the microfinance industry too. But the infrastructure that the global microfinance industry has constructed over the past two decades is looking a bit shaky today. Infrastructure investments are urgently needed to keep the industry sound and prepare it for the future.”

With that introduction, CFI called for an investigation, to be followed by action, into the state of the information infrastructure that supports the microfinance sector. CFI subsequently conducted a study of three main microfinance information infrastructure elements. This study aimed to help microfinance stakeholders understand the business models of the information providers and allow the stakeholders to identify actions that might improve the sustainability of the information infrastructure. This report summarizes the findings of the study and puts forward action recommendations for consideration.

Published: June, 2015

By the Numbers is a quantitative review of the current status of financial inclusion globally, which relies on the two Findex datasets supplemented by data from the EIU Global Microscope 2014, UN, World Development Indicators, IMF, Alliance for Financial Inclusion, and the GSMA State of the Industry. The Center for Financial Inclusion is grateful for the generous support we have received from our founding partner, Credit Suisse in support of By the Numbers.

What Happens to Microfinance Clients who Default?
By the Smart Campaign - Published: January, 2015

Download Aging and Financial Inclusion: An Opportunity (PDF)  |  View the Aging Webinar (Video)

The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI), HelpAge USA, and MetLife Foundation are partnering in a research and thought-leadership project that aims to identify opportunities to better meet the requirements of aging populations as access to financial services expands in the developing world. 

Microfinance Banana Skins 2014: The CSFI Survey of Microfinance Risk
By The Center for the Study of Financial Innovation - Published: July, 2014

Making Microfinance Accessible to Persons with Disabilities: Awareness and Attitudes Among Indian Microfinance Institutions

Published: May, 2014