* By Angela Miller When people are asked to name institutions they trust, banks rarely top the list. In fact, they don’t usually make it among the top five. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, the financial sector is among the least trusted industries, a position it has held since the height of the global financial crisis in 2008. … [Read more...] about Banks can make the world a better place — here’s how
Financial Institutions
Development finance institutions and private sector innovation
By Andre Averbug Development finance institutions (DFIs) can play an important role promoting innovation for increased competitiveness and sustained development in their client countries. Properly executed programs and projects can leverage private investment placement, develop local capital markets, improve resource allocation, as well as avoid moral hazard. … [Read more...] about Development finance institutions and private sector innovation
Five reasons FinTech companies are an opportunity for financial institutions and SMEs
By Greg Da Re Access to financing has been and continues to be the main obstacle facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to a recent survey, 90% of all banks surveyed in Latin America and the Caribbean consider SMEs strategically important for their business, yet 44% acknowledge that their portfolio lacks suitable financial products for such enterprises. … [Read more...] about Five reasons FinTech companies are an opportunity for financial institutions and SMEs
Financial inclusion just a click away: E-wallets and payment platforms
By Valentina Echeverry, Opportunities for the Majority; and Sergio Navajas, MIF. In Latin America, 60 percent of the population lacks access to financial services, equivalent to approximately 250 million people. However, mobile phone penetration is between 90 and 100 percent. In some countries, such as Colombia, penetration is 105 percent. This indicates that most people … [Read more...] about Financial inclusion just a click away: E-wallets and payment platforms
Transformation of banks to reach unbanked: Cases from Jamaica and Paraguay
By Tomas Miller and Veronica Trujillo There have been remarkable advances in the role of banks in financial inclusion and development in Latin America and the Caribbean as measured by various indicators (access to bank accounts, supply of credit, insurance for micro and small enterprises, and availability of customer points of service) compared with levels in the previous … [Read more...] about Transformation of banks to reach unbanked: Cases from Jamaica and Paraguay
