Banking and Microfinance in Brazil (Synopsis of Research Results)
Abstract
Final Report/Synopsis of Research Results: Our research focused on new microfinance products and services at the Brazilian Federal Government Savings Banks (Caixa Econômica Federal, Caixa) in the far East End of São Paulo to assess advances and challenges toward social inclusion at the most critical point, that is to say the large urban poor districts of Brazil. Aggregate data on banking and demographics clarified the major challenge for social banking in Brazil: The persistence of urban poverty in large middle-income or emerging country. The Caixa's dual mandate as agent for federal government social policy and savings bank specializing in urban development and down-market banking services provides an alternative model to private bank and financial market driven microfinance that has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. More on Alternative Banking and Social Inclusion here: https://blog.imtfi.uci.edu/2011/12/alternative-banking-and-social_05.html