By Sabrina Régent, Sophie Chauliac and Benoit Rigollet; published by PlaNet Finance and PlaNet Guarantee; 2011; 119 pages; available at:
http://admin.planetfinancegroup.org/upload/medias/fr/pfgroup-market_study_microinsurance_2011.pdf Continue Reading »

Women’s World Banking (WWB), a US-based microfinance network, and Asociación Dominicana para el Desarrollo de la Mujer (Banco ADOPEM), a microfinance institution (MFI) based in the Dominican Republic, recently launched a television series intended to teach women how to manage their money and build savings. Continue Reading »

Mr Fernando Alvarez Toca, chief executive officer of the Mexican microfinance bank Compartamos Banco, reportedly has said that the bank is seeking to venture into “alternative products” such as microinsurance and mobile banking during 2012 either “through acquisitions in different countries or through organic growth” [1]. Continue Reading »

The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the US-based Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, has partnered with the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), a Finland-based international finance institution, to launch a USD 7 million “green microfinance” program known as Ecomicro. Continue Reading »

responsAbility Social Investments AG, an investment company based in Switzerland, recently announced that it is investing an undisclosed amount in private healthcare provider Por Ti, Familia (PTF) of Peru. Continue Reading »

The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the US-based Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, recently announced it will lend USD 4.9 million to US-based Root Capital, provides capital, financial education and market connections to small and growing businesses in Latin America and Africa [1]. Continue Reading »

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the business information arm of The Economist Group, has published the Global Microscope on the Microfinance Business Environment 2011. Continue Reading »

Global Partnerships (GP), a US-based nonprofit organization that supports microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Latin America, recently announced that it will make loans totaling the equivalent of USD 1.2 million in three microfinance institutions (MFIs): Pro Mujer, for its Mexican operations; Café y Desarrollo of Mexico; and Fundación Campo of El Salvador [1]. Continue Reading »

Global Partnerships (GP), a US-based nonprofit organization that supports microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Latin America, recently announced that it will lend a total of USD 3.7 million to three microfinance institutions: USD 2 million to FINCA Ecuador, USD 1 million to Credito con Educacion Rural (CRECER) of Bolivia and USD 750,000 of Crediflorida of Peru [1]. Continue Reading »

Swiss company responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility) recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made loans to three Latin American microfinance institutions (MFIs): USD 1.5 million to Coopronaranjo of Costa Rica, USD 500,000 to Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito Esperanza y Progreso del Valle (COAC Progreso) of Ecuador and the local currency equivalent of USD 374,000 to Fundación Amanecer of Colombia. Continue Reading »

Triodos Investment Management, a Netherlands-based manager of four microfinance investment funds, recently reported to MicroCapital that it has invested an undisclosed amount of funds in five Latin American microfinance institutions (MFIs): Semilla Solidaria (SemiSol) of Mexico, Cooperativa Mixta Mujeres Unidas Limitada (COMIXMUL) of Honduras, Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Mujeres Unidas (CACMU) of Ecuador and Institución Financiera de Desarollo (IFD) Sembrar Sartawi and Instituto para el Desarrollo de la Pequeña Unidad Productiva (IDEPRO) both of Bolivia [1]. Continue Reading »

Superintendencia de Seguros Privados (SUSEP), Brazil’s insurance regulator, recently announced that it will release a framework for the regulation of microinsurance by the end of October [1]. Continue Reading »

Nonprofit social investor Global Partnerships (GP), which has offices in USA and Nicaragua, has made its first two loans in Colombia to the following microfinance institutions: USD 1 million to Fundación Amanecer and USD 1.5 million to Corporación Nariño Empresa y Futuro (Contactar). Continue Reading »

Mexican microfinance institution Banco Compartamos, S A, Institucion de Banca Multiple has issued local bank bonds (certificados bursatiles bancarios) amounting to MXN 2 billion (USD 147 million) in the local debt capital market. Continue Reading »

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a US-based development finance institution, recently approved a loan of USD 30 million to the “Program to Support Production Development for International Integration,” which will be carried out by El Salvador’s Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the export promotion agency, National Investment Promotion Agency (PROESA) [1]. Continue Reading »

Protecta, the microinsurance provider of Peru-based microfinance holding company Grupo ACP, reportedly is predicting that it will turn its first annual profit in the year 2012 [1]. Continue Reading »

A recent study by the US-based nonprofit Grameen Foundation titled “Rapid Response in the Wake of Disaster: Using the PPI to Design and Support Fonkoze’s Earthquake Recovery Program,” describes how Fonkoze, a Haitian microfinance institution (MFI), is using the Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI), a country-specific poverty assessment tool, in disaster affected areas to monitor and evaluate the progress of its clients [1]. Continue Reading »

responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility), a Swiss asset management company that manages four microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it made loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) through its MIVs equivalent to the following amounts: the local-currency equivalent of USD 4.92 million to FINCA Mexico, the local-currency equivalent of USD 850,000 to Instituto para el Desarrollo de la Pequeña Unidad Productiva (IDEPRO) in Bolivia, USD 1.41 million to Entidad de Desarrollo a la Pequeña y Micro Empresa (EDPYME) Alternativa in Peru and USD 2 million to Fundación para el Desarrollo Microempresarial D-Miro (D-Miro) in Ecuador [1]. Continue Reading »