Problems in Fintech Design

Gender Gaps in Access to Digital Payments

Women face documentation, device, social, and design barriers to adopting digital payment tools.

gender-gaps-digital-payments

Gender Gaps in Access to Insurance

Women face documentation, mobility, product design, and bias barriers in insurance markets.

gender-gaps-insurance-access

Gender Gaps in Investment Participation and Outcomes

Women invest less, start later, and face structural and behavioral barriers to wealth accumulation.

gender-gaps-investment-participation

Hidden Liquidity and Market Structure Risks

Retail investors are not aware of liquidity mismatches, gating risks, or market microstructure issues.

hidden-liquidity-market-structure-risks

Hidden Recourse and Wage Deduction Clauses

Contracts include wage assignment, automatic debit, or cross-collateralization terms that borrowers do not fully understand.

hidden-recourse-wage-deduction

High Administrative Costs for Micro-Policies

High fixed costs of onboarding, servicing, and claims make small-ticket policies uneconomical.

high-admin-costs-micro-policies

High and Opaque Account Fees

Monthly maintenance, minimum balance, and nuisance fees make basic banking unaffordable or confusing.

high-opaque-account-fees

High Collateral Requirements for Linked Credit

Banks require traditional collateral and formal proofs, excluding subprime and informal borrowers.

high-collateral-requirements-linked-credit

High Cost of Cross-Border Remittances

Migrant workers and low-income senders face high fees and poor FX rates when sending small cross-border payments.

high-cost-cross-border-remittances

High Cost of Domestic Low-Value Payments

Small payments incur disproportionate fixed fees or ad valorem charges, making everyday digital payments expensive for low-income users.

high-cost-domestic-low-value-payments

High Cost of Small-Dollar Loans

Consumers relying on small, short-term loans face very high effective interest rates and fees relative to loan size.

high-cost-small-dollar-loans

High Minimums and Fees for Investment Products

Traditional funds and brokerage accounts require balances and fees that exclude small investors.

high-minimums-and-fees-investments

High Transaction Costs for Very Small Loans

Operational costs make tiny, low-value loans expensive to deliver sustainably.

high-transaction-costs-microloans

Illiquidity and Lock-In of Many Retail Products

Rigid lock-in periods and penalties discourage participation and harm investors needing flexibility.

illiquidity-lock-in-retail-products

Inability to Link IDs, Accounts, and Wallets

Users juggle multiple identifiers and instruments without a unified, easy-to-use mapping.

inability-link-id-accounts-wallets

Inaccessible KYC for Wallets and Accounts

Strict or poorly adapted KYC rules prevent low-income or undocumented users from opening basic accounts or wallets.

inaccessible-kyc-wallets-accounts

Inadequate Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities

Physical branches, ATMs, and digital channels are not fully accessible to people with disabilities.

inadequate-accessibility-banking-pwds

Inadequate Affordability Assessment

Lenders fail to properly assess borrowers' repayment capacity, leading to unsustainable debt burdens.

inadequate-affordability-assessment

Inadequate BNPL Consumer Protections

BNPL-style small-ticket credit operates in regulatory gray zones with weak disclosure and hardship protections.

inadequate-bnpl-consumer-protections

Inadequate Consumer Privacy Protections

Payment data is harvested or shared without clear consent, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups.

inadequate-consumer-privacy-payments

Inadequate Consumer Protection and Redress

Weak complaints processes and limited recourse discourage users from formal banking.

inadequate-consumer-protection-redress

Inadequate Coverage for Displacement and Migration Risks

Refugees, migrants, and displaced people face unique risks with few tailored insurance solutions.

inadequate-displacement-migration-cover

Inadequate Crisis-Responsive Banking Services

Banks are slow to adapt fees, access, and terms in disasters or pandemics for vulnerable customers.

inadequate-crisis-responsive-banking

Inadequate Cyber and Digital Protection for Low-Income Users

Emerging cyber/identity risks are uninsured for low-income users going digital.

inadequate-cyber-digital-protection