by Meraj Husain -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Over-indebtedness in Mexico; Achieving Customer Centricity; Managing Over-indebtedness

“Over-Indebtedness in Mexico: Its Effect on Borrowers;” published by Microfinance CEO Working Group; May 2014; 32 pages; available at http://microfinanceceoworkinggroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Over-Indebtedness-in-Mexico-Its-Effect-on-Borrowers-552014.pdf

This report cautions lending institutions in Mexico about rising levels of over-indebtedness – meaning more borrowers cannot reasonably repay their debts – which can threaten the financial system as well as the economic outlook of low-income individuals.

by Juan Blanco Ramos -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Financial Capability in Colombia: Results from a National Survey on Financial Behaviors, Attitudes, and Knowledge;” by Rekha Reddy, Miriam Bruhn and Congyan Tan; Published by The World Bank

“Financial Capability in Colombia: Results from a National Survey on Financial Behaviors, Attitudes, and Knowledge;” by Rekha Reddy, Miriam Bruhn and Congyan Tan; published by The World Bank; 2013; 87 pages; available at http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/07/18054984/financial-capability-colombia-results-national-survey-financial-behaviors-attitudes-knowledge

This report, which was published by The World Bank, a US-based multilateral institution, analyzes a survey carried out in Colombia regarding “financial capabilities,” including behaviors, attitudes and knowledge regarding financial products.

by Meraj Husain -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Dynamic Effects of Microcredit in Bangladesh,” Published by the Development Research Group of the World Bank

“Dynamic Effects of Microcredit in Bangladesh,” by Shahidur R. Khandker and Hussain A. Samad, published by The World Bank, March 2014, 50 pages, available at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2417519

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Bangladesh have experienced rapid growth over the past two decades and in 2008 disbursed approximately USD 1.8 billion to approximately 30 million clients.

by Chikondano Faith Chisala -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Responsible Equity Exits in Microfinance; Greenfield Microfinance Models in Africa; Mobile Financial Services Usage Among Rural Women in India, Philippines

“The Art of the Responsible Exit in Microfinance Equity Sales;” by Daniel Rozas, Deborah Drake, Estelle Lahaye, Katharine McKee and Danielle Piskadlo; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); April 2014; 32 pages; available at http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/Forum-Art-of-the-Responsible-Exit-April-2014.pdf

This paper explores how microfinance investment intermediaries (MIIs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) can exit responsibly from microfinance institutions (MFIs) in which they have invested equity as well as how investors can contribute to healthy development of the overall market. The authors conducted six case studies and interviewed representatives from MIIs, nongovernmental organizations, DFIs, MFIs and merger-and-acquisition specialists.

by A'kos Szebeni -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Call for Proposals for 10th International Microinsurance Conference, Hosted by Munich Re Foundation, Microinsurance Network, Mexico City, November 11-13, 2014

Munich Re Foundation, a German nonprofit organization affiliated with reinsurer Munich Re, and the Microinsurance Network, a Luxembourg-based membership organization that seeks to improve access to insurance for poor people, recently issued a call for proposals for presentations to be made at the 10th International Microinsurance Conference.

by Chikondano Faith Chisala -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Foundation Receives Innovation Grant from GSMA’s mWomen

The Global Systems for Mobile Association (GSMA), a London-based association of 1,000 mobile operators and associated companies, recently announced that its mWomen programme has awarded the Grameen Foundation, a US-based nonprofit organization, its Innovation Fund grant of an undisclosed amount.

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Truelift Updates Truelift Indicators Tool for Assessing Pro-poor Focus of Microfinance Institutions

Truelift, an initiative that recognises institutions that exhibit commitment to the “pro-poor objective of microfinance,” has announced an updated version of its Truelift Indicators Tool, a set of criteria intended to assess how much microfinance institutions (MFIs) meet the needs of low-income people [1].

by A'kos Szebeni -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Women and Mobile Financial Services in Uganda; Quantitative Poverty Scoring Methods; European Investment Bank’s Rural Impulse Fund II Symposium in Africa

“Research on Women and Usability of Mobile Financial Services in Uganda;” published by Grameen Foundation; February 2014; 40 pages; available at http://www.grameenfoundation.org/resource/use-mobile-financial-services-among-poor-women

This presentation gives an overview of the Uganda-specific results of a series of studies undertaken by the US-based nonprofit Grameen Foundation with the goal of understanding how mobile-phone usability, or lack thereof, impacts the ability of poor women to access mobile financial services in India, the Philippines and Uganda.

by Meraj Husain -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: First Access Purchases Data for Risk-Scoring Service from Cellular Network Provider Vodacom Tanzania

US-based data analytics company First Access reportedly has signed a deal to purchase user data from cellular network provider Vodacom Tanzania, a subsidiary of UK-based telecommunications company Vodafone Group, for their risk-scoring service for financial institutions serving poor individuals.

by A'kos Szebeni -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Microcredit Interest Rate Determinants; Mobile Phones and Microinsurance; Health Financing Through Gifts and Remittances in Kenya

“Microcredit Interest Rates and Their Determinants 2004-2011;” by Richard Rosenberg, Scott Gaul, William Ford and Olga Tomilova; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); June 2013; 32 pages; available at http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/Forum-Microcredit-Interest-Rates-and-Their-Determinants-June-2013_1.pdf

This study explores the factors affecting the determination of interest rates that microfinance institutions (MFIs) charge their customers by analyzing financial data reported from 2004 to 2011 by MFIs to the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), a US-based nonprofit data provider.

by A'kos Szebeni -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Funding Trends for Inclusive Finance; Developments in Agricultural Microinsurance; Financial Inclusion in South Africa: Survey Results

“Trends in International Funding for Financial Inclusion;” by Edlira Dashi, Estelle Lahaye and Ralitsa Rizvanolli; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); December 2013; 4 pages; available at http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/Brief-Trends-in-International-Funding-for-Financial-Inclusion-Dec-2013.pdf

This report explores qualitative and quantitative data reflecting trends in the public and private capitalization of financial service providers offering inclusive finance products and services.

by Meraj Husain -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “A Guide to Responsible Investing,” Published by MicroRate

“A Guide to Responsible Investing,” published by MicroRate, December 2013, 7 pages, available at http://www.microrate.com/a-guide-to-responsible-investing-a-microrate-white-paper

MicroRate, a US-based for-profit microfinance rating agency, has published a primer introducing the terminology and practices used by the “responsible” investing community.

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: “Partnership for Financial Inclusion” of International Finance Corporation (IFC), MasterCard Foundation Donates $2.7m to AccessBank Tanzania, FINCA Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for Projects Including Mobile Banking

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the US-based World Bank Group, recently notified MicroCapital that it has launched projects with AccessBank Tanzania (ABT), a member of Germany’s Access Microfinance Holding (AccessHolding), and FINCA DRC, a subsidiary of the US-based nonprofit Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA International) that operates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [1].

by Megan McGowan -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) of Kenya, Women’s World Banking of US Partner to Serve Women in Sub-Saharan Africa

Kenya-based Financial Services Deepening (FSD), a trust that provides funding to financial institutions, and US-based Women’s World Banking (WWB), a nonprofit that works with financial institutions to provide financial tools to low-income women in 28 countries, reportedly are partnering to provide financial services to women in Sub-Saharan Africa.

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Applications Open for $100k “Islamic Microfinance Challenge 2013: Beyond Murabaha”

The second Islamic Microfinance Challenge, a contest that encourages the design and application of microfinance products that are complaint with Islamic law (Sharia), is now accepting applications from Islamic financial services providers that offer Sharia-compliant products that are not based on the “murabaha” concept of “cost plus markup” [1].

by Megan McGowan -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Gates Foundation, International Finance Corporation (IFC), MicroSave, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Partner to Create Helix Institute of Digital Finance

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a US-based nonprofit that provides grants to organizations; the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the US-based World Bank; MicroSave, an India-based for-profit consulting center; and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the global development network of the United Nations, have partnered to create the Helix Institute of Digital Finance, an online platform that will train mobile network operators, financial institutions and third-party providers in an effort to increase the efficiency and impact of their digital and financial services [1].