Microlending is the disbursement of small loans to people, typically entrepreneurs and small business owners, living in extreme poverty.

Due to their lack of collateral and creditworthiness, many have been locked out of the banking system. A small dairy farmer in Nepal can benefit from a microloan, for example. With typical repayment rates of over 90%, commercial banks and investors from international markets have moved into microfinance, which has led to questions about the ethics of whether they should be capitalizing on the poorest people on the planet. Aft er reading and researching more about microfinance, what are your thoughts? Do the benefits outweigh the possible issues that may result?