Pathways to Smarter Digital Financial Inclusion

CAPCO Institute´s Journal of Financial Transformation,Vol. 42, October 2015

16 Pages Posted: 6 Jun 2011 Last revised: 23 Dec 2015

See all articles by Ignacio Mas

Ignacio Mas

Tufts University

David Porteous

Bankable Frontier Associates

Date Written: November 22, 2014

Abstract

We can now easily imagine a situation within the next ten years where most people will have a smart phone. We explore new pathways this will open up for extending financial services to the mass of the population who currently are distrustful of financial institutions and dubious of the value that their services can bring to them. The pathways are based on the assumption that smart phones can be used to deliver engaging customer experiences that gives less privileged customers more voice and lets providers form an increasingly granular understanding of these customers. But the pathways reflect a diversity of ways in which they might be included: as individuals about whom providers go out of their way to collect data; as employees and customers of local businesses through or with the support of whom they are able to pluck some relevant financial services; and as active managers of a web of socio-financial relationships that allows them to leverage those that are fortunate enough to have access to formal financial services.

Keywords: mobile money, mobile banking, financial inclusion, access to finance, branchless banking, smart phones

Suggested Citation

Mas, Ignacio and Porteous, David, Pathways to Smarter Digital Financial Inclusion (November 22, 2014). CAPCO Institute´s Journal of Financial Transformation,Vol. 42, October 2015, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1858377 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1858377

Ignacio Mas (Contact Author)

Tufts University ( email )

Medford, MA 02155
United States

David Porteous

Bankable Frontier Associates ( email )

Suite 303
48 Grove Street
Somerville, MA 02144
United States

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