Financial Well-being and Social Protection

CMF coordinated this study in collaboration with five MRAP professors. The primary focus of this study was to investigate the borrowing practices of existing microfinance clients, inclusion within a formal banking system, and spending patterns in relation to microloans. Furthermore, … Read More

The MRAP Report details the capacity building program of CMF conducted over the last three years. This document summarizes the activities covered under Microfinance Researchers Alliance Program (MRAP)- a research capacity development programme funded by Ford Foundation in the span … Read More

This report explores the reasons and costs of hidden loan delinquency, despite high group repayment rates prevalent in the group lending mechanism. In a Joint Liability Group, if one of the members fails to repay a loan fully, the responsibility … Read More

This report presents insights from a study that aims at understanding the impact of EKO’s mobile money on the savings behavior and practices of low income users and its transformative potential on the economic lives of the users in terms … Read More

This report, a collection of key CMF studies conducted over the last five years, is meant to serve as a reference document for policymakers, practitioners, researchers and others interested in financial services for the poor. More specifically, the studies presented … Read More

This study throws light on the patterns of multiple borrowing that was prevalent in Andhra Pradesh. Following up on the Access to Finance Study, CMF visited 428 households in two districts of Andhra Pradesh. 36% of 428 households (153 households) … Read More

This policy note reviews recent amendments to RBI regulations, and examines whether these regulations align with the requirements of microfinance clients. The note also puts forth recommendations for reforming guidelines regarding the eligibility of MFIs for priority sector lending.

This policy note summarizes evidence of the existence of informal insurance networks and the extent of such informal exchanges in community level financial management. It provides information regarding the interaction of the informal and formal insurance markets, assessing the demand … Read More

This policy note reports the results of a systematic review of the empirical literature investigating the impact of access to formal banking services on the income of the poor. Taking a functional approach to finance, the authors define formal banking … Read More

Many of India’s domestic migrants (a group that numbers 100 million by some estimates) regularly confront a significant problem: how to move money from where it is earned in one part of the country to another part of the country … Read More