1. E-Payments: Electronic vouchers and mobile money may be a fast, cheap way to transfer funds in some parts of the developing world but when digital infrastructure is weak (like in the DRC), old fashioned cash may be the best option. Mercy Corps
2. Financial Inclusion: Bangladesh's central bank is dropping the requirement of a guardian's signature and lowering bank account fees in hopes of bringing 7.4 million working children into the formal financial system. The Guardian
3. SMEs: Shifting the focus from regulations to actual transaction costs (gathered from local firm owners) could provide a richer, more accurate picture for The World Bank's annual Doing Business report. Policy Innovations
4. Mobile Money: Interoperability (in its many forms) is a necessary but insufficient step for digital financial inclusion. NextBillion
5. Wages: In the U.S., "near minimum-wage workers" (those that make more than $7.25 per hour by less than $10.10), are young, earn close to $10 an hour, and are most likely employed by the restaurant and food industry. Pew Research Center
Data Source: Global Findex database, 2012
House by John Caserta for the Noun Project
Hammer by Edward Boatman for the Noun Project
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