1. Poverty in the U.S.: “It’s assumed that we’re not unstable because we’re poor, we’re poor because we’re unstable. So let’s just talk about how impossible it is to keep your life from spiraling out of control when you have no financial cushion whatsoever.” Slate
2. Agricultural Loans: Forgiveness of agricultural loans has been a common occurrence in India. it's about to happen again. But who gets the benefits and what happens after? Bloomberg
3. Cash Transfers: Evidence is building for positive impact of both unconditional cash transfers and graduation models for the ultra-poor. How do you decide between the two? NextBillion
Week of December 1, 2014
1. Mobile Technology: Privacy and other regulatory concerns have limited access to mobile communications metadata useful for public health. Is there a path forward? Brookings
2. Savings: "After years of relative neglect from proponents of 'financial inclusion,' why are [ROSCAs] now getting the attention they deserve?" CFI
3. Cash Transfers*: Are cash transfer evaluations doing enough to measure community-level tensions? IRIN News
Week of November 17, 2014
1. E-Payments: Electronic vouchers and mobile money may be a fast, cheap way to transfer funds in some parts of the developing world but when digital infrastructure is weak (like in the DRC), old fashioned cash may be the best option. Mercy Corps
2. Financial Inclusion: Bangladesh's central bank is dropping the requirement of a guardian's signature and lowering bank account fees in hopes of bringing 7.4 million working children into the formal financial system. The Guardian
3. SMEs: Shifting the focus from regulations to actual transaction costs (gathered from local firm owners) could provide a richer, more accurate picture for The World Bank's annual Doing Business report. Policy Innovations
Week of November 10, 2014
1. Mobile Money: Ignacio Mas thinks allowing independent cash in/cash out agents would be a huge boost to mobile money. Would loosening regulations spur mobile money take-up and innovation? NextBillion
2. SDGs: Is full financial inclusion a means or an end? The Guardian
3. Financial Inclusion: Peru, Colombia, and the Philippines top The Global Microscope 2014's list of the most conducive environments for financial inclusion. The Economist Intelligence Unit
Week of November 3, 2014
1. Business Training: Previous evaluations show the effectiveness of business training programs is mixed at best. But a new paper finds (as with most things in life) it helps to have a friend. The World Bank - Development Impact
2. MFIs: Can financial service providers address domestic violence among microfinance clients? CFI
3. Savings: In India, MFIs that offer savings products have a chicken and egg problem – they struggle to attract savings because their clients don't perceive them as a savings provider. MicroSave
Week of October 27, 2014
1. Financial Inclusion: Lisa Servon asks: Are banks too expensive to use? The New York Times
2. Savings: A newly launched micro-pension platform in India links employers and domestic workers to a streamlined enrollment process for a National Pension Scheme product. CFI
3. Human-Centered Design: Seven human-centered design projects in eight countries testing 30 prototypes for 175 concepts for financial products or services. All in one report. CGAP
Week of October 20, 2014
1. Financial Inclusion: Dean Karlan asks: If microcredit has reached maturity, what's next for the financial inclusion movement? SSIR
2. Impact Evaluations: It may take a long time, a really long time, to see the impact of development interventions. The World Bank - African Can End Poverty
3. Housing: As much as 70 percent of the world’s population uses “incremental building,” a process of slowly improving shelter by adding components of a house. A new report looks at how to better serve these customers with housing-related financial products. SEEP Network
Week of October 13, 2014
1. SMEs: SMEs in the developing world are sometimes too big to access a microloan but too small to attract major investors or capital. Could crowdfunding offer a solution? InfoDev
2. Microfinance: From Bangladesh to the Hawkeye state - the American Midwest may be microfinance's newest frontier. The Guardian
3. U.S. Economy: Five facts on income inequality in the US. Pew Research
Week of October 6, 2014
1. Financial Inclusion: India’s vision of boosting financial inclusion by building thousands of bank branches may be inadequate if those branches actively prevent customers from purchasing low-cost products. IFMR
2. Insurance: How can small firms protect themselves against risks and continue with expansion plans even in an environment of uncertainty? The World Bank - Development Impact
3. Housing: A new study finds that relative to homeowners, renters in the U.S. comprise a financially fragile population that is burdened by debt and lacks emergency savings. FINRA
Week of September 29, 2014
1. Savings: How do you build credit without a bank account? One strategy is linking savings group activity to credit bureaus and formalizing invisible financial activitythat already occurs in many households, including those in the U.S. Financial Diaries project. Vox
2. Financial Inclusion: What explains Latin America's financial inclusion gap? Poor-quality institutions, income inequality, and low educational achievements. Center for Global Development
3. Microcredit: Smart Campaign responds to the recent debate on responsible pricing and self-regulation from the 17th Microcredit Summit in Mexico. NextBillion
