Financial Consumer Protection During a Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a lot of limitations on movements that curtailed physical access to financial services, disrupting livelihoods around the world. There are, nevertheless, valuable lessons that can be applied to future crises, whether these are due to epidemics or pandemics, extreme climate events, economic shocks, or conflicts.

This Guideline Note provides policymakers and regulators with a helpful framework to develop effective consumer protection regulations, inclusive consumer awareness and financial education initiatives that go beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, and importantly, to plan for future crises.