Reimagining Microfinance Around the World: Implementing Lessons from "Portfolios of the Poor"

Note: This is not a MFCNY event. We are promoting it as we think our members may enjoy it. Please contact the organizers if you have any questions.

When

This event took place on 8 Jun 2010.

Details

MicroSave and the Financial Access Initiative (FAI) invite you to join the authors of Portfolios of the Poor for a two-day virtual conference to discuss how to turn lessons from the financial diaries into real, on-the-ground solutions for improving the lives of the poor.

This event will be moderated by co-authors Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford and Orlanda Ruthven, and MicroSave’s Graham Wright.
Dates: June 8-9, 2010


Register today at http://www.microsave.org/static/content/VC-on-portfolios-of-the-poor to join the following discussions:


Day 1: Understanding How Poor People Manage their Money – Lessons from “Portfolios of the Poor”

  1. How do poor people meet the challenges of managing their money? What mechanisms do they use?

  2. What are the three needs that drive financial behaviour of the poor? This discussion will examine

    1. managing basics;

    2. coping with risk and

    3. raising lump sums

  3. Why do microfinance institutions (MFIs) play such a small role in poor people’s efforts to manage their money?

Day 2: Designing Financial Services for the Poor – Lessons from “Portfolios of the Poor”

  1. What are the four key factors in the design of financial services for the poor

    1. Reliability

    2. Convenience

    3. Flexibility

    4. Structure

  2. How should MFIs respond to the three basic types of financial services needed by the poor to: 1. manage money on a day-to-day basis; 2. build savings over time; and 3. borrow money for a wide variety of purposes?

  3. Do interest rates matter?

  4. Does this type of market research really matter for MFIs?

Sign up today: Please join us for this interactive dialogue. For more information send your questions to madhu@MicroSave.net