Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) is making effort to integrate itself into the regional and international economy. It is seeking membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO); participating in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); the ASEAN free trade agreement (AFTA), and...

This note provides: (1) an overview of new manifestations of consumer risks that are significant and cross-cutting across four key fintech products: digital microcredit, P2PL, investment-based crowdfunding, and e-money; and (2) examples of emerging regulatory approaches to target such risks....

The Mongolian economy has grown very rapidly following the discovery of significant mineral deposits. Large investments in the mining sector have led to increased capital inflows, resulting in cheap external funding for banks and rapid credit expansion. Loans to households increased at the...

Over the last decade, consumer credit in the Russian Federation has expanded from almost nothing to 9.2 percent of GDP in 2008, at 84 percent average annual growth in 2003-2008 year for five years. Yet, the increases have been uneven throughout the Russian population: more than 40 percent are...

This review of consumer protection and financial literacy (CPFL) in the private pensions and securities sectors in Rwanda complements the 2013 review of Rwanda's banking, microfinance, and insurance sectors. As noted previously, the institutional elements of the formal financial sector in Rwanda...