Grants and finance can alleviate poverty traps associated with lumpy investments, but the impact on development depends on the supply of investment...

Improving access to saving tools helps urban Malawian microentrepreneurs save and adjust labour supply decisions

Offering loans with flexible repayment schedules can improve outcomes for vulnerable borrowers while also reducing the risks faced by lending...

Mobile money agents need additional support to transform lives in poor rural areas

Text-based behavioural messaging can reduce delinquency, with the most effective messages either referencing social norms, or sent to individuals...

Financial inclusion programmes must be designed to ensure that women can act with financial independence

Access to finance improved firm performance, product quality and price, but disadvantaged competitor firms

Digital credit does not appear to systematically improve lives, while the lack of transparency raises serious concerns about predatory lending

A financial development programme showed strong positive effects from expanding financial access to underbanked cities