There are those for whom microfinance is not an option, since a prerequisite for access to even the most basic financial services is access to some kind of regular income. This group is on the lowest rung on the poverty ladder.

Financial exclusion rates are generally higher for women than for men. in Zambia, for example, 68.4 per cent of women are financially excluded compared with 64.4 per cent of men, according to Finscope, a survey of financial inclusion conducted by the FinMark trust. Efforts to improve financial inclusion, for example through the provision of microfinance, have often been targeted at women.

There can be few areas of the world that show so clearly the dangers of over-development than the skyline of Dubai, which once had the highestconcentration of construction cranes in the world. Today, the cranes are idle, the market has stalled and there is a new mood of sobriety.

Synergy Asset Management is a Geneva-based family office that manages money for several high net worth families in the Middle East and Europe. In 2008, Synergy, together with some private investors, set up the Landmark Real Estate Fund, a Swiss-based real estate investment fund that aims to provide solid, low-risk, steady returns in commercial and residential investment opportunities in Switzerland and other parts of Europe.

Fortis Bank was close to bankruptcy in 2008 after a combination of risky initiatives and the financial crisis depleted the company’s assets. One of these initiatives was the failed merger with a Dutch banking giant, ABN Amro, says Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, head of transversal portfolio management at BNP Paribas Fortis in Belgium.

“Fail early and fail cheap,” is the motto at Suncorp, a financial services firm in Brisbane, Australia. If a project is floundering, the project’s executive sponsor is expected to identify the problem and make a decision about what to do before major resources are wasted.

Identifying and responding to unexpected events and emerging threats is a key responsibility for risk management, yet it is one with which many companies continue to struggle. Just 37% of respondents say that their organisation is effective at anticipating and measuring emerging risks. They also find it difficult to react promptly when the unexpected strikes. Only a slim majority of 55% say that their company's risk

Fortis Bank was close to bankruptcy in 2008 after a combination of risky initiatives and the financial crisis depleted the company’s assets. One of these initiatives was the failed merger with a Dutch banking giant, ABN Amro, says Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, head of transversal portfolio management at BNP Paribas Fortis in Belgium.

“Fail early and fail cheap,” is the motto at Suncorp, a financial services firm in Brisbane, Australia. If a project is floundering, the project’s executive sponsor is expected to identify the problem and make a decision about what to do before major resources are wasted.

Synergy Asset Management is a Geneva-based family office that manages money for several high net worth families in the Middle East and Europe. In 2008, Synergy, together with some private investors, set up the Landmark Real Estate Fund, a Swiss-based real estate investment fund that aims to provide solid, low-risk, steady returns in commercial and residential investment opportunities in Switzerland and other parts of Europe.