Indicators
What does the FIIT Index track, why, and what comes next? This page explains the datapoints behind the databases, the logic for including them, and the roadmap for what is being added.
Website
The foundation for online transparency
A working, publicly accessible website is the most basic prerequisite for any form of digital transparency. Without one, an institution has no mechanism to share pricing, impact data, or any other information with the public.
A website is not a transparency indicator in itself. It is a precondition. An institution without a website cannot demonstrate transparency in any meaningful, scalable way. It sets the floor for everything else.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
website |
URL of institution’s public website, if available |
| Type | URL / null |
| Applies to | Institutions |
Impact Report
If you measure impact, report it. If you don’t, ask why not.
An impact report is a publicly available document in which a financial institution reports on the social or development outcomes of its activities. This is distinct from a standard annual report or financial statement.
The logic is simple: if a financial institution cares about impact, it should be collecting relevant data. If it has the data, it should report it. The absence of reporting tells us something.
There are broadly two reasons an institution may not publish an impact report:
1. They lack the systems and processes to efficiently collect and report impact data. This is common, particularly among smaller institutions in emerging markets, and points to a capacity gap across the sector.
2. The data is neutral or negative. If impact data does not tell a favourable story, there is little incentive to publish it. This creates a structural bias where only positive results are shared publicly.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
hasImpactReport |
Whether the institution publishes a publicly accessible impact report |
| Type | Boolean (true / false) |
| Applies to | Institutions |
Loan Pricing Transparency
The cost of a loan has direct implications for impact
Loan pricing transparency refers to whether a financial institution publicly discloses the cost of its loan products on its website. This includes interest rates, fees, or any indicative pricing information that a potential borrower or external stakeholder could access without requesting it directly.
Pricing is one of the most direct levers of impact in financial inclusion. High interest rates can trap borrowers in cycles of debt, while fair, transparent pricing enables informed decision-making. Despite widespread commitment to client protection principles across the industry, remarkably few institutions publish their loan pricing openly.
An institution that does not disclose its pricing makes it impossible for clients, researchers, or funders to assess whether its products are genuinely serving borrowers. Pricing transparency is a minimum standard for accountability in financial services.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
loanPricingTransparency |
Whether loan pricing is publicly visible on the institution’s website |
| Type | Boolean (true / false) |
| Applies to | Institutions |
Roadmap
The FIIT Index is continuously expanding. These are datapoints being researched and added to the live databases.
Tracking the interest rates charged by financial institutions, where publicly disclosed or available through external sources.
Whether impact reports contain measurable outcome data, not just activity metrics. Moving beyond the binary of report existence.