Week of August 18, 2014

1. Savings: Will increased access to formal savings accounts in India translate to greater financial inclusion? Live Mint

2. Remittances:  FAI's Timothy Ogden spoke with The New York Times' editorial board about some of the macro challenges of remittance systems and the role that the World Bank could play in alleviating the costs and burdens of anti-money laundering regulations. The New York Times

3. Financial Diaries: A financial diaries project in Kenya provides new insights into how low-income Kenyans use and think about their money. FSD Kenya

4. Digital Financial Services:  "Despite being ranked as a low income country, over 50% of the adult population [in Bangladesh] subscribes to mobile services and it has outpaced all its peers in terms of network coverage." GSMA 

5. Mobile Money:  In response to Equity Bank's plans to enter the mobile banking space, Safaricom announced it will reduce its fees for M-Pesa transactions.  Mobile Money Africa