1. Financial Inclusion: A comprehensive synthesis of various financial inclusion indicators reports large strides in achieving the goal of universal access by 2020. But what will be the next set of challenges to developing quality products for harder-to-reach populations? CFI
2. Debt: After filing for personal bankruptcy, San Francisco-based photographer Brittney Powell interviewed and photographed over fifty people for her ongoing series “The Debt Project,” which chronicles the struggles of ordinary Americans with large debt burdens. Slate
3. Poverty Alleviation: Due to the shifting and relative nature of poverty thresholds, does the quest to end extreme poverty still have meaning? Bloomberg
4. Mobile Money: Last December, Ecuador launched the first state-run electronic payments system, aimed at resolving the issue of interoperability among mobile money providers. Will the new model spark a payments revolution or will lingering security questions and low registration prevent widespread adoption? NextBillion
5. Historical Economics: In the past 10-15 years, the study of African economic history has been experiencing a renaissance as scholars are using econometrics and archival sources to explain the long-term economic development of Africa’s diverse societies, moving beyond the simplistic characterization of a "Dark Continent." Quartz
Source: The Guardian
To learn more about American households need savings for, and how much they are really saving, check out the newly published USFD Issue Briefs on Emergency Savings and Savings Horizons.
Editor’s Note: I’m going to assume that you are seeing plenty of AI content (news and papers, not AI slop, though I’m sure you’re getting plenty of that too) from other sources, so I’m trying to think hard about the marginal value that the faiV can provide. As far as I’ve gotten so far: a) make sure that directly AI-related content does not take up more than 2 of the 5 items, and b) try to focus specifically on the cybersecurity issue for financial inclusion. Beyond that, I’m open to feedback on the value you get from the faiV in relation to AI to help guide us in the future. On a different note, I’ll be making a brief cameo appearance at the e-MFP Inclusive Finance Conference to moderate the opening plenary. If you haven’t registered, do so and I hope to see you there! - Tim Ogden