microfinance

noun

Etymology: From micro- + finance. Coined by German sociologist and economist Hans Dieter Seibel in 1990.

1. Finance that is provided to unemployed or low-income people or groups.

   “Microfinance, once a relative cottage industry championed by antipoverty activists and development wonks, is on the verge of a revolution, with billions of dollars from big banks, private-equity shops and pension funds pouring in.”