Microfinance has become an important component of development, poverty reduction and economic regeneration strategy around the world. By the early twenty first century tens of millions of people in more than 100 countries were accessing services from formal and semi-formal microfinance institutions (MFIs). Much of the initial attention on microcredit came through work on Bangladesh's much-lauded Grameen Bank but, there are now many different 'models' for microfinance and many countries have substantial microfinance sectors.This timely book, written by one of the major players in the UK in development economics explores, amongst others, topics such as: microfinance and poverty reduction; microfinance, gender and social development; microinsurance; and, regulating and supervising microfinance institutions. Topical and insightful, this important text examines what has become a vast global industry employing hundreds of thousands of people and attracting the attention of large numbers of governments, banks, aid agencies, non-governmental organizations and consultancy firms.