the mif blog

The Digital Revolution, sometimes referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution , has been ushered in by new digital technologies that are transforming the personal, business, and government spheres, and how these three interact.

Sonja E. Kelly, Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion & Sergio Navajas, Multilateral Investment Fund, Inter-American Development Bank

Financial institutions of all sizes around the world are joining the digital revolution. In our work and research at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion and the Inter-American Development Bank we have seen some best cases of institutions shifting toward digital as well as some failures. At the end of this month we’ll be discussing strategies to pursue digital innovation as part of the Foromic in Buenos Aires. (Join us for our session on Tuesday, October 31st at 11:15 am!) In the meantime, for institutions that want to start down the path of digital innovation, here are a few of our top strategy suggestions.

I am fascinated by debt: the advance of cash today against the mere promise of payment in the future.  A promise that depends crucially on trust and knowing who the borrower is. For that, financial institutions rely mainly on credit bureaus. But not every country has a perfectly functioning credit bureau, in which case access to credit suffers.