Twelve key themes covering institutions, products, services, processes and enabling environment are studied in this literature review of rural finance in developing countries. Advances made and emerging lessons are examined for these themes, and the challenges and remaining gaps in knowledge...

Major investments have been made in developing microfinance in Asia with reducing poverty as one of the frequently stated objectives. A variety of institutional forms of microfinance are being introduced in the region - including by the ADB - and financial institutions pursue different...

The paper explains the market segmentation that occurs in the Philippine informal credit markets through the matching of borrows and lenders by their occupational specialization which internalizes transaction costs and facilitates economic activity. The regression results support a predictable...

Research on structural adjustment, liberalization and privatization in sub-Saharan Africa has not focused on the consequences of these policy initiatives on the financial sector. This paper documents and discusses the consequences of these reforms on the financial sector in The Gambia. Marked...