Category: Finance

Thirty years ago, CGAP was established to prove the concept of microcredit as a way to benefit people and economies. Since then, our vision has evolved as microcredit morphed into microfinance, then into financial inclusion and digital finance, and, most recently, into inclusive finance.     Three decades on, the world is a very different […]

For over a decade, access to the digital economy has been shown to be a catalyst for economic empowerment. Digital payments and services like mobile money, online banking, and digital payment cards and wallets can enhance micro and small enterprises’ agency, helping their owners gain access to other financial services.   CGAP’s Impact Pathfinder makes […]

For financial systems, climate risk is unique. The inclusive finance sector has found ways to support a wide range of development priorities to date —from small businesses and agriculture to humanitarian crises. But the various layers of climate risk create new challenges for vulnerable communities, the financial institutions that serve them, and the public and […]

📍 Belgrade, July 16, 2025 — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has extended its support for Serbia’s tech sector by providing a €60 million loan to HTEC, a Belgrade-founded engineering and AI-driven digital product development firm. The financing will fuel strategic acquisitions aimed at expanding HTEC’s presence in key global markets. 💼 […]

Low-income women are more vulnerable to climate risks and face more barriers than men in accessing the resources and tools needed to manage these risks. According to the UN, climate change could push 158 million more women and girls into poverty by 2030 due to their limited access to adaptive resources. Climate adaptation support seldom […]

Most financial sector authorities (FSAs), especially in emerging markets and developing economies, pursue at least 10 mandates and objectives, from core ones like promoting safety and soundness and financial stability, to consumer protection, financial inclusion, competition, sustainability, and capital markets development.   To fulfil each mandate, FSAs must take timely and proportionate regulatory and supervisory […]

Last week, the Mexican presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) secured one of its key objectives, leading the FATF to adopt a revised version of its guidance on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) and financial inclusion at its plenary meeting in Strasbourg. Several other updates came out of the […]

America has never been richer. But the gains are so lopsided that the top 10% controls 69% of all wealth in the country, while the bottom half controls just 3%. Meanwhile, surging corporate profits have mostly benefited investors, not the broader public. This divide is expected to widen after President Donald Trump’s sweeping new spending […]

The multitrillion-dollar bill that President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025, will change how the U.S. tax code treats charitable donations. It also has several tax provisions that affect some colleges, universities and other nonprofits. The Conversation U.S. asked Daniel Hungerman, an economist who studies charitable activities and public policy, to explain […]

📍 July 9, 2025 — United StatesThe first half of 2025 has already become the most successful year on record for U.S. startups with at least one female founder, with $78.8 billion raised across 1,428 deals, according to PitchBook’s Female Founders Dashboard. This milestone surpasses the previous full-year record of $68.7 billion set in 2021, […]