Staff Directory

Laura Brix Newbury

Senior Financial Sector Specialist

Laura Newbury is a consultant working internationally to promote financial sector development and access to financial services for the poor. She provides subject matter expertise and guidance on financial inclusion, proportionate regulation and supervision, and financial consumer protection for developing and emerging market countries.

Recent projects have included published guidance documents, workshop presentations, and onsite technical assistance on behalf of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), International Monetary Fund, World Bank, U.S Treasury Department, and others. This includes being a co-author of CGAP's Market Monitoring for Financial Consumer Protection Toolkit. Laura worked for the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for 20 years in a variety of roles, including risk management examiner, regional case manager, licensing and problem bank review examiner, and policy and program development specialist.

Laura has a master’s degree from DePaul University in Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska.

By Laura Brix Newbury

Blog

Stakeholder Landscaping: A Tool for Improved Consumer Engagement

Mapping the stakeholder landscape can be a useful tool to assist market conduct authorities in designing various aspects of a consumer advisory panel, ensuring they make sound strategic decisions about whom to involve and how best to do so.
Blog

Crypto Consumer Protection: Why ‘Wait and See’ Is No Longer an Option

What was once an edgy new market with promises of high returns is now better known for scandal and volatile losses. Better protections for crypto consumers are urgently needed, especially for those who are low-income and least able to weather losses.
Blog

Consumer Advisory Panels: a Tool to Bridge the Regulator-Consumer Gap

How can FCP authorities bridge the regulator-consumer gap and ensure the financial marketplace is fair and balanced for all consumers? One promising solution is consumer advisory panels, which elevate the collective consumer voice.
Research

Consumer Protection Regulation in Low-Access Environments

This Focus Note seeks to answer this question, drawing on consumer protection diagnostics of various types carried out by CGAP in more than a dozen countries, widespread consultations with regulators, review of research and experience in developing and developed countries, and Financial Inclusion 2009 cross-country survey findings. It cites significant examples, as well as evidence of their effectiveness (where data are available).
Research

CGAP Consumer Protection Policy Diagnostic Report: Malaysia

CGAP conducted a pilot policy diagnostic mission in Malaysia in May 2009 to assess the Malaysian consumer protection policy environment for low-income and/or inexperienced customers.