Schreiner, Mark

Microfinance–both credit and savings–has potential to improve the well-being of poor women in developing countries. This paper explores practical ways to achieve that potential. Based on lessons from informal savings mechanisms that women already use, the paper proposes two savings services designed to address the development issues that confront women. The proposals call for safe-deposit […]

Practical notes based on ‘Informal finance and the design of microfinance’ and ‘A solidarity-based economy’. This article is hosted by our co-publisher Taylor & Francis.

This paper describes the relative advantages and disadvantages of formal Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (RoSCAs), in contrast with informal RoSCAs, as seen in Argentina. NGOs, it is argued, are not in a good position to use the formal RoSCA structure to developmental advantage, since they could not manage the risk assessment or legal framework […]