Category: Finance

The financial inclusion community has a chance to influence a key document that guides policymakers in balancing integrity and financial inclusion objectives – the Guidance on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Measures and financial inclusion (the Guidance) issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).  FATF released the revised Guidance for public […]

‘Hey there, Mercy! Welcome to Farmer.Chat– my name is Grace. Need help finding something? Just ask me!’ For some, receiving the above message may bring a sense of optimism that relevant help is on the way; for others, frustration that this is clearly a robot (chatbot) and not a real person. But for rural women, […]

Agricultural employers who provide farmworkers with health insurance earn higher profits, even after accounting for the cost of that coverage. In addition, farmworkers who get health insurance through their employers are more productive and earn more money than those who do not. These are the key findings from our study published in the March 2025 […]

The consultation window is now open for the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’s revisions to its Guidance on AML/CFT and Financial Inclusion. As discussed in previous blogs, the Guidance has a real impact on the financial inclusion of millions worldwide, and the financial inclusion community has a critical role to play in informing and shaping […]

To attract business investment, American cities and states offer companies billions of dollars in incentives, such as tax credits. As the theory goes, when governments create a business-friendly environment, it encourages investment, leading to job creation and economic growth. While this theory may seem logical on its face, it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. […]

Just like details are lost in a blurry photograph, relying on aggregate financial data for insights provides only a general idea of reality – supply-side gender-disaggregated data (SGDD) can sharpen the picture, exposing financial behaviors and disparities that would otherwise remain hidden. Particularly when collected and analyzed with the help of technology, SGDD is a […]

When Congress passed a law in 2024 to ban TikTok unless it came under U.S. ownership, lawmakers argued that the app’s Chinese parent company posed national security concerns. The Trump administration, which had granted the viral video app a reprieve shortly after taking office in January 2025, extended that pause again on April 4 after […]

Young women are the most underserved market for financial services. A gradual, structured approach to their financial inclusion, starting with savings and complemented by non-financial support – is key. Commercial financial service providers (FSPs) often have limited ability and interest to invest in these services, especially over the timespan required for the hardest-to-reach segments of […]

The cacophony and hype around Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to grow with every month. Whether being heralded as the key to exponential economic gains and human efficiency or the potential downfall of the species, AI is never far from the headlines. Whatever a person might feel about this emerging technology, it is now omnipresent and […]

When U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on imported goods on April 2, 2025 – upending global trade and sending markets into a tailspin – he presented the move as a response to a crisis. In an executive order released the same day, the White House said the move was necessary to address […]