Portfolios of the Poor

Portfolios of the Poor
Author: Daryl Collins
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2009-04-20
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1400829968

Nearly forty percent of humanity lives on an average of two dollars a day or less. If you've never had to survive on an income so small, it is hard to imagine. How would you put food on the table, afford a home, and educate your children? How would you handle emergencies and old age? Every day, more than a billion people around the world must answer these questions. Portfolios of the Poor is the first book to systematically explain how the poor find solutions to their everyday financial problems. The authors conducted year-long interviews with impoverished villagers and slum dwellers in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa--records that track penny by penny how specific households manage their money. The stories of these families are often surprising and inspiring. Most poor households do not live hand to mouth, spending what they earn in a desperate bid to keep afloat. Instead, they employ financial tools, many linked to informal networks and family ties. They push money into savings for reserves, squeeze money out of creditors whenever possible, run sophisticated savings clubs, and use microfinancing wherever available. Their experiences reveal new methods to fight poverty and ways to envision the next generation of banks for the "bottom billion." Indispensable for those in development studies, economics, and microfinance, Portfolios of the Poor will appeal to anyone interested in knowing more about poverty and what can be done about it.

The Financial Diaries

The Financial Diaries
Author: Jonathan Morduch
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2017-04-04
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0691172986

Drawing on the groundbreaking U.S. Financial Diaries project (http://www.usfinancialdiaries.org/), which follows the lives of 235 low- and middle-income families as they navigate through a year, the authors challenge popular assumptions about how Americans earn, spend, borrow, and save-- and they identify the true causes of distress and inequality for many working Americans.

Just Give Money to the Poor

Just Give Money to the Poor
Author: Joseph Hanlon
Publisher: Kumarian Press
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2012-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1565493907

* Argues strongly for overlooked approach to development by showing how the poor use money in ways that confound stereotypical notions of aid and handouts * Team authored by foremost scholars in the development field Amid all the complicated economic theories about the causes and solutions to poverty, one idea is so basic it seems radical: just give money to the poor. Despite its skeptics, researchers have found again and again that cash transfers given to significant portions of the population transform the lives of recipients. Countries from Mexico to South Africa to Indonesia are giving money directly to the poor and discovering that they use it wisely “ to send their children to school, to start a business and to feed their families. Directly challenging an aid industry that thrives on complexity and mystification, with highly paid consultants designing ever more complicated projects, Just Give Money to the Pooroffers the elegant southern alternative “ bypass governments and NGOs and let the poor decide how to use their money. Stressing that cash transfers are not charity or a safety net, the authors draw an outline of effective practices that work precisely because they are regular, guaranteed and fair. This book, the first to report on this quiet revolution in an accessible way, is essential reading for policymakers, students of international development and anyone yearning for an alternative to traditional poverty-alleviation methods.

Due Diligence

Due Diligence
Author: David Roodman
Publisher: CGD Books
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2012
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1933286539

The idea that small loans can help poor families build businesses and exit poverty has blossomed into a global movement. The concept has captured the public imagination, drawn in billions of dollars, reached millions of customers, and garnered a Nobel Prize. Radical in its suggestion that the poor are creditworthy and conservative in its insistence on individual accountability, the idea has expanded beyond credit into savings, insurance, and money transfers, earning the name microfinance. But is it the boon so many think it is? Readers of David Roodman's openbook blog will immediately recognize his thorough, straightforward, and trenchant analysis. Due Diligence, written entirely in public with input from readers, probes the truth about microfinance to guide governments, foundations, investors, and private citizens who support financial services for poor people. In particular, it explains the need to deemphasize microcredit in favor of other financial services for the poor.

Banking the World

Banking the World
Author: Robert Cull
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 519
Release: 2021-08-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0262544016

Experts report on the latest research on extending access to financial services to the 2.5 billion adults around the world who lack it. About 2.5 billion adults, just over half the world's adult population, lack bank accounts. If we are to realize the goal of extending banking and other financial services to this vast “unbanked” population, we need to consider not only such product innovations as microfinance and mobile banking but also issues of data accuracy, impact assessment, risk mitigation, technology adaptation, financial literacy, and local context. In Banking the World, experts take up these topics, reporting on new research that will guide both policy makers and scholars in a broader push to extend financial markets. The contributors consider such topics as the complexity of surveying people about their use of financial services; evidence of the impact of financial services on income; the occasional negative effects of financial services on poor households, including disincentives to work and overindebtedness; and tools for improving access such as nontraditional credit scores, financial incentives for banking, and identification technologies that can dramatically reduce loan default rates.

Strong Towns

Strong Towns
Author: Charles L. Marohn, Jr.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2019-10-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1119564816

A new way forward for sustainable quality of life in cities of all sizes Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he co-founded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem. Inside, you’ll learn why inducing growth and development has been the conventional response to urban financial struggles—and why it just doesn’t work. New development and high-risk investing don’t generate enough wealth to support itself, and cities continue to struggle. Read this book to find out how cities large and small can focus on bottom-up investments to minimize risk and maximize their ability to strengthen the community financially and improve citizens’ quality of life. Develop in-depth knowledge of the underlying logic behind the “traditional” search for never-ending urban growth Learn practical solutions for ameliorating financial struggles through low-risk investment and a grassroots focus Gain insights and tools that can stop the vicious cycle of budget shortfalls and unexpected downturns Become a part of the Strong Towns revolution by shifting the focus away from top-down growth toward rebuilding American prosperity Strong Towns acknowledges that there is a problem with the American approach to growth and shows community leaders a new way forward. The Strong Towns response is a revolution in how we assemble the places we live.

Credit Portfolio Management

Credit Portfolio Management
Author: Charles Smithson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2003-04-07
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0471465429

A cutting-edge text on credit portfolio management Credit risk. A number of market factors are causing revolutionary changes in the way it is measured and managed at financial institutions. Charles Smithson, author of the bestselling Managing Financial Risk, introduces a portfolio management approach to credit in his latest book. Understanding how to manage the inherent risks of this market has become increasingly important over the years. Credit Portfolio Management provides readers with a complete understanding of the alternative approaches to credit risk measurement and portfolio management. This definitive guide discusses the pricing and managing of credit risks associated with a variety of off-balance-sheet products such as credit default swaps, total return swaps, first-to-default baskets, and credit spread options; as well as on-balance-sheet customized structured products such as credit-linked notes, repackage notes, and synthetic collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). Filled with expert insight and advice, this book is a must-read for all credit professionals. Charles W. Smithson, PhD (New York, NY), is the Managing Partner of Rutter Associates and Executive Director of the International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers (IACPM). He is the author of five books, including The Handbook of Financial Engineering and Managing Financial Risk (now in its Third Edition).

Business Driven Project Portfolio Management

Business Driven Project Portfolio Management
Author: Mark Price Perry
Publisher: J. Ross Publishing
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2011-03-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1604270535

Business Driven Project Portfolio Management covers the top 10 risks that threaten project portfolio management success and offers practical alternatives to help ensure achievement of desired results. Written from a business perspective, it contains the executive insights, management strategy, tactics, processes and architecture needed for the successful implementation, ongoing management, and continual improvement of project portfolio management (PPM) in any organization. Key Features: --Presents actionable tools, techniques and solutions to the top 10 PPM risks and execution difficulties that most organizations and program management offices (PMOs) face --Includes real case examples that organizations and PMOs of all shapes and sizes seeking to effectively management project portfolios will find beneficial --Shares insightful and practical advice from executives of leading PPM providers, coupled with the wisdom of highly experienced operational executives who manage PMOs, use PPM applications, and are responsible for PPM success --WAV offers downloadable PPM-related episodes of The PMO Podcast™, an executive overview presentation of the book's content, solutions to end-of-chapter questions for professors, and 100 practical tips for implementing PPM within your organization — available from the Web Added Value™ Download Resource Center at www.jrosspub.com

Agile Portfolio Management

Agile Portfolio Management
Author: Jochen Krebs
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2008-07-16
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0735638489

Agile development processes foster better collaboration, innovation, and results. So why limit their use to software projects—when you can transform your entire business? Written by agile-mentoring expert Jochen Krebs, this book illuminates the opportunities—and rewards—of applying agile processes to your overall IT portfolio. Whether project manager, business analyst, or executive—you’ll understand the business drivers behind agile portfolio management. And learn best practices for optimizing results. Use agile processes to align IT and business strategy Adapt and extend core agile processes Orchestrate the collaboration between IT and business vision Eliminate wish-list driven requirements, and manage expectations instead Optimize the balance of projects, resources, and assets in your portfolio Use metrics to communicate project status, quality, even team morale Create a portfolio strategy consistent with the goals of the organization Achieve organizational and process transparency Manage your business with agility—and help maximize the returns!

The Standard & Poor's Guide to the Perfect Portfolio

The Standard & Poor's Guide to the Perfect Portfolio
Author: Michael Kaye
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2007-10-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0071479341

Many people devote their time to choosing “the right” stocks. Yet they bypass an important step that will have an even greater impact on their portfolio’s performance: asset allocation. The Standard & Poor’s Guide to the Perfect Portfolio is the definitive road map to diversifying your financial holdings in order to get the highest returns with the lowest risk and ensure a secure financial future. You can beat 90% of money managers with a properly balanced portfolio of mixed investment classes. Investment expert and columnist Michael Kaye presents a clear and reliable approach to asset allocation. He helps investors at every level to better understand all the major investment products available and how to best use them to achieve investor’s specific goals. Kaye shows you five essential steps to allocate your assets: Identify your goals and objectives Choose the right asset classes for your portfolio Determine how much of your assets belong in each class Pick your investment products Monitor your portfolio and make adjustments as needed The Standard & Poor’s Guide to the Perfect Portfolio is packed with examples of portfolio mixes that illustrate many ways to balance your assets based on different risk profiles and investment goals. A range of relevant, reliable advice shows you how to successfully consider such factors as where you are in your career, what your financial needs are, and your personal tolerance to risk.