Innovations in lending technologies and market saturation have made La Paz, Bolivia one of the most rapidly changing and competitive microfinance markets in the world. Two lenders stand out: the pioneer BancoSol, which first profitably expanded the loan market with group liability loans, and the...

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Wide agreement about the goal of microfinance-to improve the welfare of the poor-has not led to wide agreement about how best to achieve that goal. To aid discussion, I propose a framework for outreach-the social benefits of microfinance-in terms of six aspects: worth, cost, depth, breadth,...