Banking on Technology: Expanding Financial Markets and Economic Opportunity

This paper, co-sponsored with the Financial Services Roundtable, argues that recent technological advancements and other profound changes in the financial services industry create a prime opportunity for the industry to profitably reach out to lower-income consumers. This would make the market work and help bring lower-income consumers into the economic mainstream. However, a range of information, access, policy, and other barriers are making it difficult for the market to function efficiently. Regardless, a number of financial services providers are recognizing the benefits and viability of reaching out to lower-income consumers and are creating new partnerships and new products to respond to their needs. This paper closes with recommendations on how best to address the barriers, accelerate the emerging market response and bring it to scale.

[Author's Abstract]