2021 in-review: Top 5 articles of the year

2022 will mark the third year that we will be living in a Covid-19 pandemic era. As governments and businesses in Asia gradually move from coping with a pandemic towards managing an endemic, this will create a new shift in the credit market landscape in the coming year.

From months long lockdown in Vietnam to rising NPLs in many emerging countries in Asia, 2021 has not been an easy year for both lenders and borrowers. Which articles got our readers most engaged? It is no surprise that articles related to empowering borrowers for more effective recovery took the top spots. Here are the top 5 (in random order) most read articles of 2021:

Financial Literacy as a Gateway to Financial Inclusion

Providing financial literacy enables borrowers to access to skills related to managing and saving money. In return, it also guides them to make better financial decisions. It is essential, especially in the developing countries, as an effective tool to empower communities neglected and mistreated over the years. Read more

The Future of Self-Servicing Channels in Debt Collections

With second and third waves of the pandemic hitting many countries in Asia, it is more crucial than ever to place customer experience at the core of collection strategies, recognise borrowers’ psychological needs and automate their debt journey. Self-service portal is the new standard in collection. Read more

Going Digital-First Collections for a Holistic Borrowers’ Experience

Surveys revealed that most borrowers prefer to be contacted via digital channels such as email, SMS and through social media. These borrowers are not only digital-first, but also digital-fast. They are constantly connected and are accustomed to digital-focused customer experiences and they prefer the same from lenders and collectors. Read more

Consumer Repayments Trends in Times of Recession

Financial institutions, policy makers, and regulators play an important role in ensuring that borrowers are treated fairly and responsibly. A customer-focused approach which is based on real time data, technology and open communication should be utilised to better understand borrowers’ current payment behaviours and resolve the rising consumer NPLs. Read more

Report: Looking Back at Our Borrowers’ Journey through COVID-19 in 2021

Flow carried out an extensive survey with our borrowers in India, Indonesia and Vietnam to better understand the borrower’s situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that debt recovery is a big challenge at a time when some borrowers in Asia have lost crucial income streams due to the pandemic. However, debt collection can be less challenging if the lenders and collectors make the borrowers understand they care about them and are there to ensure they service their loans in the most comfortable way. Read more