1. Psychology and Poverty: An increasing number of scholars are studying how poverty affects the way people feel, think, and act. This may mean more widespread use of stress and happiness as metrics of success for development programs. Foreign Affairs
2. Microfinance: Despite the growing complexity of the microfinance industry, the most pressing risk it faces remains the same - overindebtedness. CFI
3. Poverty in the US: A few members of Congress participate in a simulation of lives of poor households. None of them stick around until the end. The Washington Post
Read More1. M-Pesa: All 85,000 M-Pesa agents are now free to sell rival services after a long battle for open networks comes to an end. IT Web Africa
2. Remittances: Tougher regulation intended to fight illicit use of international money transfers shutters low-cost remittance services for migrants and raises the cost of sending money home. The New York Times
3. Mobile Money: Global smartphone penetration is expected to double by 2017, leading to faster new product development and more competition in the mobile money industry… GSMA
Read More1. Microfinance: New evidence from Morocco is the latest addition to the debate on whether microcredit can raise income and reduce poverty. The Economist
2. Credit: Arguing about fees in the small-dollar credit market distracts from more productive debates for providers and consumers. American Banker
3. Research Methodology: Creative approaches to qualitative research - balancing survey questions with "deep hanging out." Chris Blattman
Read More1. Financial Services: An audit study of financial institutions in peri-urban Mexico found staff voluntarily provides little information about avoidable fees and clients are almost never offered the cheapest product. The World Bank
2. US Income Inequality: "'Economic despair' provides a decisive blow to the nation’s mythical identity as the land of opportunity: for many children at the bottom, it suggests, opportunity is not just out of reach. It is inconceivable." The New York Times
3. Digital Payments: 10 days in Kenya. No cash. 1 mobile phone. Business Week
Read More1. Financial Inclusion: As part EMERGE: The Forum on Consumer Financial Service Innovation, attendees got a taste of what it is like (including how expensive it is) to be unbanked. American Banker
2. Student Debt: Despite the fact that student debt in the US passed the $1 trillion mark, new research from the NY Fed shows many borrowers are not aware of what happens if they default. Liberty Street Economics
3. Financial Services: Google created a new service that searches Gmail accounts for correspondence from creditors then sends a reminder when a bill is due with the amount owed. PYMNTS.com
Read More1. Cash Transfers: Opponents of cash transfers argue the poor waste their funds on alcohol and tobacco. But a review of 44 estimates of consumption across 19 studies and 13 interventions does not show evidence of increased spending on these goods. The World Bank - Development Impact Blog
2. Mobile Banking: Sometimes mobile banking is a little too helpful. The New Yorker
3. Financial Access: The bank branch may make a comeback after all - new research on issues relating to financial access among communities of color shows individuals surveyed greatly preferred to bank in person rather than use online services, even if they owned a smartphone. National Council of La Raza
Read More1. Remittances: Why have such rapid increases in remittances not resulted in noticeable improvements in economic growth in the recipient countries? Michael Clemens and David McKenzie investigate possible answers in a new working paper. The World Bank - Development Impact Blog
2. Poverty in the US: Over the past 30 years, government spending on the poorest Americans dwindled - those living far below the poverty line now receive less government assistance than they did in 1983 and spending has shifted to the relatively more well-off. Slate
3. Cash Transfers: After receiving $150, five days of training, and intensive supervision, ultra-poor women in Uganda doubled their business ownership and their incomes, according to a newly published study. Chrisblattman.com
Read More1. Bank Transparency: Wal-Mart is known as a low-cost retailer, but customers of the independent banks inside its outlets are among America's highest payers of bank fees. The 5 banks with the most Wal-Mart branches ranked among the top 10 in fee income as a percentage of deposits in 2013. The Wall Street Journal (paywall)
2. Financial Sector Investment: A new report finds that the financial sector is now the largest beneficiary of World Bank Group investment, receiving $36 billion between July 2009 and June 2013 the IFC. Over the same period the World Bank’s public sector arms committed $22.1 billion to health and $12.4 billion to education. Bretton Woods Project
3. Credit: "There are two housing markets in America. It's not one for student debtors and one for non-student-debtors. Rather, it's one market for healthy corporations, who are buying at a historic rate; and one market for families, which is still quite sick." The Atlantic
Read More1. Mobile Money: New data show the potential of Bitcoin and mobile money for disruption in payments and transfers systems in the developing world (particularly sub-Saharan Africa) has a long way to go before becoming a reality. Business Insider
2. Payments: Despite the rise of electronic payment methods, cash is still king in the US. According to the Federal Reserve, cash is the most popular consumer payment instrument, particularly for small-value transactions. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
3. Financial Inclusion: Financial Inclusion Insights (FII) announced the launch of its 2014 Open Data Challenge. Participants can win up to $5000 and a chance to present their innovative analysis of financial inclusion indicators through FII's conferences and network. Financial Inclusion Insights
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