Finance With A Purpose Fintech Development And Financial Inclusion In The Global Economy

From vehicles to music, power generation to retail, every aspect of our daily routine has experienced drastic changes in the recent past, driven by secular forces such as digitization, a growing focus on sustainability, regulatory changes and evolving consumer behavior. Financial services are no exception. A paradigm change is at play in the financial sector, with a surge in competition from non-traditional actors, a revolution in customer experience evidenced by rising transparency and customer-centric strategies. FinTech is disrupting financial services, providing a historic opportunity for formally underserved customers, a formidable threat to existing banks and a critical challenge to regulators. Through the lens of FinTech (financial technology) — including payments, lending platforms, insurtech, superapps and market infrastructure — the author highlights the practical policy opportunities and risks of financial inclusion with a wealth of data.This book tells the story of entrepreneurs, companies, investors, researchers and regulators who are building the financial services of tomorrow and the mechanisms that will allow us as a society to fulfill the promise of inclusion. There are still challenges to overcome, particularly high levels of informality, subpar quality in financial services, and low levels of financial education. Regulators play a crucial role to foster inclusion, proposing sandboxes and stepping up their efforts against risks triggered by technology such as monopolistic behavior, consumer protection and cybercrime.Finance with a Purpose combines the theory in the fields of economics, finance and law with the practice of financial institutions, corporates, households and investors. By combining the latest academic research with ample professional experience in emerging markets, this book is essential for policymakers, scholars, and any reader who wants to understand the recent progress in financial inclusion and how it can be used to alleviate inequality and foster economic development.

In 2011 the World Bank—with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—launched the Global Findex database, the world's most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. Drawing on survey data collected in collaboration with Gallup, Inc., the Global Findex database covers more than 140 economies around the world. The initial survey round was followed by a second one in 2014 and by a third in 2017. Compiled using nationally representative surveys of more than 150,000 adults age 15 and above in over 140 economies, The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution includes updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services. It has additional data on the use of financial technology (or fintech), including the use of mobile phones and the Internet to conduct financial transactions. The data reveal opportunities to expand access to financial services among people who do not have an account—the unbanked—as well as to promote greater use of digital financial services among those who do have an account. The Global Findex database has become a mainstay of global efforts to promote financial inclusion. In addition to being widely cited by scholars and development practitioners, Global Findex data are used to track progress toward the World Bank goal of Universal Financial Access by 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The database, the full text of the report, and the underlying country-level data for all figures—along with the questionnaire, the survey methodology, and other relevant materials—are available at www.worldbank.org/globalfindex.

Technology is changing the landscape of the financial sector, increasing access to financial services in profound ways. These changes have been in motion for several years, affecting nearly all countries in the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has created new opportunities for digital financial services to accelerate and enhance financial inclusion, amid social distancing and containment measures. At the same time, the risks emerging prior to COVID-19, as digital financial services developed, are becoming even more relevant.

We are only in the early stages of a broader revolution that will impact every aspect of the global economy, including commerce and government services. Coming financial technology innovations could improve the quality of life for all people. Over the past few decades, digital technology has transformed finance. Financial technology (fintech) has enabled more people with fewer resources, in more places around the world, to take advantage of banking, insurance, credit, investment, and other financial services. Marion Laboure and Nicolas Deffrennes argue that these changes are only the tip of the iceberg. A much broader revolution is under way that, if steered correctly, will lead to huge and beneficial social change. The authors describe the genesis of recent financial innovations and how they have helped consumers in rich and poor countries alike by reducing costs, increasing accessibility, and improving convenience and efficiency. They connect the dots between early innovations in financial services and the wider revolution unfolding today. Changes may disrupt traditional financial services, especially banking, but they may also help us address major social challenges: opening new career paths for millennials, transforming government services, and expanding the gig economy in developed markets. Fintech could lead to economic infrastructure developments in rural areas and could facilitate emerging social security and healthcare systems in developing countries. The authors make this case with a rich combination of economic theory and case studies, including microanalyses of the effects of fintech innovations on individuals, as well as macroeconomic perspectives on fintech’s impact on societies. While celebrating fintech’s achievements to date, Laboure and Deffrennes also make recommendations for overcoming the obstacles that remain. The stakes—improved quality of life for all people—could not be higher.

Financial technology (FinTech) and its related products are considered a major disruptive innovation in financial services, substantially elevating financial solutions and new business models. Resulting from the fusion of finance and smart mobile technology, this innovative technology requires additional investigation into its adoption, challenges, opportunities, and future directions so that we may understand and develop the technology to its full potential. FinTech Development for Financial Inclusiveness moves beyond the theoretical areas of FinTech to comprehensively explore the recent FinTech initiative scenarios with respect to processes, strategies, challenges, lessons learned, and outcomes within economic development as well as trade and investment. Covering a range of topics such as decentralized finance and global electronic commerce, it is ideal for industry professionals, business owners, consultants, practitioners, instructors, researchers, academicians, and students.

Taking a detailed tour through the emerging economic field of financial inclusion, this timely book charts the subtle conceptual shifts that gave rise to the focus on inclusivity in development finance, and provides an overview of key concepts, issues, and empirical findings. Diving into the crucial interaction of financial inclusion with gender, further chapters present new conceptual frameworks for thinking about these interactions, as well as discussing the impacts of gendered financial exclusion on both economic and empowerment outcomes.

This book explores the significant impact of FinTech on the financial industry and how it could be used to promote legitimate development in the global economy. It takes readers on an engaging tour of the field of FinTech, immersing them in a thorough investigation of the technological advancements, creative business models, and regulatory issues that define the FinTech landscape. The book begins by documenting the rise of FinTech, providing historical context, and highlighting key milestones. It delves into the numerous technologies that have fueled the FinTech revolution and offers valuable insights into the ongoing evolution of the financial industry and its implications for individuals, businesses, and society. It explores topics such as microfinance, digital lending, social impact investing, and sustainable finance, signalling the ability of FinTech to foster financial inclusion, reduce poverty, and drive sustainable economic growth in developing economies. The book takes into account ethical as well as regulatory considerations, and the importance of striking a balance between innovation and consumer protection. The book offers a comparative regional perspective and provides case studies of successful FinTech organisations from across the world. It concludes by providing an in-depth exploration of future trends and predictions, with a specific focus on emerging technologies such as ChatGPT and their potential impact. This will be a useful reference for researchers, scholars and students, concerned with the changing dynamics of the industry in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.

Extending Financial Inclusion in Africa unveils the genesis and transformation of Africa’s financial sector and its ability to provide finance for all. Contributors of the Book traverse the whole spectrum of African financial systems, examining their depth and breadth and empirically evaluating their appropriateness and effectiveness to achieve inclusive financial services. Explores the evolution of the financial sector in Africa from the pre-colonial to post-colonial era Investigates the financial inclusion–economic growth nexus Explores the role of financial regulation and governance in either enhancing or limiting financial inclusion Evaluates unintended consequences of financial inclusion, including over-indebtedness and increased propensity to spend Assesses cross-sectional evidence on the link between financial inclusion and technological developments such as the internet and mobile technology