FI2020 Week to Convene Global Conversations on Financial Inclusion
Washington, D.C. (September 17, 2015) — The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI) today announced the upcoming launch of Financial Inclusion 2020 (FI2020) Week, taking place from November 2-6, 2015. During the week, stakeholders across the globe will organize and participate in conversations and events to explore the most important steps for achieving financial inclusion – access to financial services for low-income people – by 2020. Read more...

Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion’s ‘By the Numbers’ Report Assesses Progress toward Global Financial Inclusion
Washington, D.C. (June 4, 2015) — The Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) at Accion – an actionoriented think tank working toward full global financial inclusion – released its ‘By the Numbers’ report today, which benchmarks progress toward global financial inclusion and makes projections about the movement’s future. Read more...

Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion Names Africa Board Fellowship Program Director
Boston, MA (May 18, 2015) — The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion today announced the appointment of John Lwande as the director of its new Africa Board Fellowship program. Lwande, a Kenyan national, brings more than 25 years of experience in microfinance and financial inclusion to the position, including long-term contracts for commercial banks and specialized MFIs in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Congo DRC. Read more...

Smart Campaign Announces Enhancements To Client Protection Certification Program
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2015) -- The Smart Campaign, a global movement to embed a set of client protection principles into the fabric of the microfinance industry, today announced enhancements to its Client Protection Certification Program designed to improve and accelerate the certification process. Read more..

The World's Growing Aging Population Presents Financial Challenges and Market Opportunities for Public and Private Sectors
Washington D.C. (February 10, 2015) -- Today, the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI) and HelpAge International released Aging and Financial Inclusion: An Opportunity, a report that examines the unmet financial needs of the rapidly growing global aging population, particularly in the developing world. The purpose of this report is to highlight the barriers and opportunities related to financial services in older age and throughout the aging process, a relatively neglected area of study. Read more...

Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion and The MasterCard Foundation Partner to Strengthen Board Governance in Africa
Washington D.C. (November 12, 2014) -- The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion today announced a $6.1 million partnership with The MasterCard Foundation to launch the Accion Africa Board Fellowship program.  Targeted at corporate board members and CEOs, the Fellowship program is designed to promote peer-to-peer learning on governance and risk management practices at financial institutions that serve low-income clients in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more...

Revamped 2014 Global Microscope calls for comprehensive strategies for financial inclusion
Washington, D.C. (November 6, 2014) -- The Global Microscope 2014, formerly known as The Global Microscope on the Microfinance Business Environment, assesses the regulatory ecosystem for financial inclusion by evaluating 12 indicators across 55 countries. The Global Microscope 2014 is the first edition that goes beyond microfinance to rank countries on the wider goal of financial inclusion, evaluating the conditions and enablers of expanded access to finance. Read more...

Latin American Experts to Discuss Financial Needs of Aging Populations in a Joint Initiative between Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, HelpAge International, and MetLife Foundation
Bogota, Colombia (November 4, 2014) -- On November 11, 2014, over 40 leaders from across Latin America, including the banking, microfinance, academic, and aging advocacy sectors, will join together in Bogota, Colombia for a roundtable on the topic of Aging and Financial Inclusion. This meeting will focus specifically on aging demographics in Latin America and the increasing need for access to quality financial services—including pensions, savings, insurance, loans, and payments. Read more...

CFI and HelpAge USA Launch Research Initiative on Global Aging and Financial Inclusion
Washington, D.C. (September 22, 2014) -- Today, the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI), HelpAge USA, and MetLife Foundation announced the start of a research and thought-leadership project that aims to identify opportunities to better meet the requirements of aging populations as access to financial services expands in the developing world. This project will connect the needs of financial service users who are close to the poverty line with providers of financial services such as savings, credit, insurance and payments. The financial needs of growing older populations are becoming harder to ignore. Read more...

New Report Explores Responsible Exit in Microfinance Equity Sales
Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2014) -- A report released today by CGAP and the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI) analyzes how equity investors can exit responsibly from microfinance institutions in which they have invested. “The Art of the Responsible Exit in Microfinance Equity Sales” provides a framework for development-oriented investors to use in evaluating their exit options and balancing their exit tradeoffs. Read more...

Full Financial Inclusion Possible by 2020
London (October 28, 2013) – The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion launched today the Financial Inclusion 2020 Global Forum with remarks from Michael Corbat, CEO of Citi (NYSE: C); Ajay Banga, president and CEO of MasterCard (NYSE: MA); and Bill Sheedy, global executive, corporate strategy, M&A, and government relations of Visa Inc. (NYSE: V). This diverse coalition has attracted more than 300 other leaders in finance, technology, government and the nonprofit community to chart a course to make full financial inclusion a reality by 2020, just weeks after World Bank President Jim Yong Kim embraced the same goal. Read more...

Coalition of Public, Private and Civil Society Leaders Unveils Roadmap to Financial Inclusion
Washington, DC, September 24, 2013 – Financial Inclusion 2020 today announced the launch of the Roadmap to Financial Inclusion, a series of recommendations designed to expand access to quality financial services globally. The Roadmap focuses on five crucial areas: technology, meeting customer needs, credit reporting, financial capability and client protection. Read more...

Microfinance Leaders Welcome Anne Hastings to Helm Working Group
Washington, DC, September 3, 2013 – The Microfinance CEO Working Group, a collaborative effort by a number of leading international organizations that promote microfinance around the world, welcomes Anne Hastings as the group’s new manager. A recognized leader in microfinance, with extensive experience in social performance and client protection, Ms. Hastings will lead the Working Group’s efforts to serve as an advocate for responsible microfinance. Read more...

Rising Incomes Offer New Opportunities for Financial Inclusion
Washington, DC, June 11, 2013 – Today, the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion and MasterCard released Growing Income, Growing Inclusion: How Rising Incomes at the Base of the Pyramid Will Shape Financial Inclusion. The report shows that rising incomes among the world’s poor and near-poor are creating a vast new market for financial services. These shifts highlight the next challenge on the path to financial inclusion – designing ways to successfully serve new and untraditional banking clients. Read more... 

MasterCard and The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion Team Up to Advance Financial Inclusion
Washington, DC, February 4, 2013 – The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion together with MasterCard today launched Mapping the Invisible Market, a major research initiative as part of the Financial Inclusion 2020 campaign. Additionally, the organizations launched an interactive website that provides data visualizations to bring the research to life. Read more...