a r t i c l e i n f o JEL classification: O16 C93 D03 Keywords: Field experiment Microfinance Investment game Trust Trustworthiness Creditworthiness and trustworthiness are almost synonyms because, under asymmetric information, the act of conferring a loan has the indirect effect of signaling the trustworthiness of the borrower. We test the creditworthiness/trustworthiness nexus in an investmen...

Finding ways to downscale microfinance is one of the current challenges facing commercial banks, especially in developing countries. As banks have a poor knowledge of microfinance, operating in this market will require capacity-building, innovative business models and new technological architectures. This paper discusses how one particular architecture – the Brazilian model of correspondent ban...

The article examines the models of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and some alterations in this field. The regional distribution of MFIs has been shown, as well as their main ties with the real economy against a background of commercial banks. The study also provide some findings on the influence of the financial crisis, which erupted in the late 2007, on the microfinance sector. Therefore, th...

Muslim-majority countries do not use formal financial services (Honohon 2007).1 Even when financial services are available, some people view conventional products as incompatible with the financial principles set forth in Islamic law. In recent years, some microfinance institutions (MFIs) have stepped in to service low-income Muslim clients who demand products consistent with Islamic financial ...

specialist microfinance institutions (MFIs). The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has traditionally pursued an active "developmental" role in the microfinance sector, although this has been changing. It should further reduce its developmental activities by diluting its ownership of regional development banks and taking a less hands-on role in project implementation. Conversely, it would be appr...

Credit scoring systems are currently in common use by numerous financial institutions worldwide. However, credit scoring with the microfinance industry is a relatively recent application, and no model which employs a non-parametric statistical technique has yet, to the best of our knowledge, been published. This lack is surprising since the implementation of credit scoring should contribute tow...

Despite a dearth of theoretical studies, there is widespread perception that microfinance is an enormously useful tool for economic development. However, an increasing number of households in lesser developed countries are facing the same debt squeeze as those in the developed world, but are less able to manage debt responsibilities. The consequences are much more dramatic for LDC households be...

Much of the literature on microfinance performance has concentrated on the effects of institution-specific practices, but there have been comparatively few attempts to analyze how the broader economic environment affects the performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Drawing on the work of Ahlin and Lin (2006), who find that numerous macroeconomic indicators affect MFI performance, this p...

to emerge in the Philippines. After being in the wholesale microfinance lending business for two years, BanKO (which is licensed as a savings and thrift bank) was ready to jump into retail microfinance by using the mobile phone as its main channel. With years of experience at Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Teresita Tan knew all too well the high cost of bran...

Small Enterprise Development Vol.15 No.4 This article examines what types of electronic banking technology are open to microfinance institutions. It then proceeds to examine how various electronic products might be attractive to poor customers in terms of improved accessibility, affordability and ease of use. From the financial institution’s point of view, the functionality of electronic cards,...