Money pooling is an international phenomenon that strengthens the purchasing power of the world’s poor by sharing income. But until now it’s been done exclusively offline: people travel to and from the ATM, then to and from each others’ houses. eMoneyPool is making this easier and more transparent by putting the process online. Started by brothers Francisco and Luis Cervera, the service lets users create their own pools and see when and how much each participant contributes. Because the site creates a record of each user’s commitment, it doubles as a source of credit history, empowering participants to secure loans from banks. So far 391 people have signed up; they have collectively pooled more than $280,000. Banks have expressed interest. The site could be key to newfound mobility among America’s working poor.
Online Money Pooling Could Build Credit History for America’s Working Poor
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