As neighbor to the US, and with much of its commercial banking system now managed by multinational groups, Mexico has had a particularly rough ride of the global financial crisis compared to other Latin American nations. The crisis has changed the structure of the overall loan portfolio, such as corporate vs consumer loans, meaning sector players must rethink their strategies as the economy bounces back from rock bottom. And at the same time the government is pulling strings to ensure that banking services reach those who still have no way of signing up for them. In this report BNamericas considers how much damage has been done and what steps Mexican banks will take to recover.

From the start of the current global financial crisis, local economists said that Chile should be fine due to its generous state coffers, pumped up by booming copper prices in the preceding months. However, the local stock market did plummet, companies downsized and a general air of belt-tightening ensued. The government decided to play it safe and engage in countercyclical monetary policy decisions, and by all accounts Chile is now exiting the crisis phase. Could this country serve as an example of how to do things right in times of crisis?

Think of multilateral funding agencies and you will almost certainly think of projects to assist developing countries. You would therefore assume that these agencies are as active in Latin America as anywhere else, but in recent years this region has been blessed by strong economic growth, which took a lot of the pressure off of the multilaterals. Now it is the developed economies that are ailing, and as a result they are unable to invest in areas like Latin America, which has put multilaterals back into the spotlight when it comes to financing in the region.

Private equity and venture capital have a relatively low profile as investment models in Latin America, compared to developed parts of the world. However, governments around the region have taken steps to make this option more available to investors, and the region's relative immunity to the financial crisis suggests a rapid recovery, that PE ventures can take advantage of.

Bankers are not exactly flavor of the month these days. And soon after the crisis hit the global headlines, laypeople everywhere delved into the mysterious financial world to find out who they should lynch. The industry itself of course looked at the root of the problem too, and how the attitude towards risk management had contributed. As a result several criteria used in this key part of the investment process are under revision, which means an important change in the way finance industry players - from banks to investment funds - evaluate risk and the likely return on investments. In this report BNamericas studies the changes afoot and how the repercussions will trickle down to Latin America's capital markets.

All signs seem to indicate that the Latin American microfinance model is weathering this storm, even though the blows being dealt seem to be aimed at the very elements that give this industry its identity. However, development of the microfinance offering is fairly uneven across the region with corresponding variation in the challenges and the outlook for this segment in each country. In this report we will examine the three principal microfinance markets in Latin America, how the segment fits into the plans of some of the most important players in the region, and the current challenges facing the industry.

Having dealt with a major internal crisis in 1999, Colombia's banking sector is well prepared for whatever ill effects arise from the current global meltdown. This leaves the government relatively free to continue with the ongoing task of introducing banking services to the large number of citizens that have yet to formally enter the system. In this report BNamericas considers the growth potential of this sector and the steps being taken to capitalize on it.

The economic crisis has become the centerpiece for development banks in Latin America. Less liquidity and higher credit restrictions followed by more expensive debt and cancelled investments have driven many governments in the region to launch crisis contingency programs in recent months, placing development banks in a key position. This report analyses whether development banks - which will have trouble growing their funds during the crisis - are fully prepared in their financial structure to fill the key role that regional governments have assigned them.

Due to the global financial crisis, many Latin Americans of retirement age have found that they must put off their plans to stop working because their savings have been severely devalued. Governments have reacted in various ways, the most extreme being the Argentine government's politically motivated decision to nationalize the AFJP pension system. In this report BNamericas takes stock of the situation in key countries and compares measures being taken in each case.

Banking institutions have been the talk of the town for the past six months. The financial global crisis that quickly swept away the prosperity from several years of economic expansion had its origin in the financial systems of developed countries, with the United States leading the way. The current crisis goes to the heart of the international financial system insofar as credit flow has dropped to worrisome levels and both banks and regulators agree the global banking industry is in need of radical change. In this report BNamericas will identify the main effects of the current juncture on Latin American banking systems, and the position in which they find themselves to face future challenges. This edition also includes our 2008 Year in Review and a Top TEN ranking for 2009.