Policy Principles for Expanding Financial Access

Despite the rapid growth in finance worldwide over the past quarter- century—now interrupted by the global financial crisis—many low-income households and small firms remain excluded from access to many financial services, especially in developing countries. While traditionally seen by many financial-service providers (FSPs) as less attractive customers, a growing number of mainstream FSPs have joined micro finance firms in extending the range of their service provision, and important advances have been made in expanding access.