Financial Access 2009 introduces thelatest data from a survey of financial regulators in 139countries. It presents indicators of access to savings,credit, and payment services in banks, and in regulatednonbank financial institutions. It is intended for a broadaudience of policymakers, researchers, practitioners,multilateral and bilateral investors, in order to guidemonetary policy, monitor systemic risks, and collectinformation on the values of deposits and credit. Thisreport reviews three interventions: disclosure requirements,interest rate caps, and methods to address excessive lendingthat can result in consumer indebtedness. Improvedtransparency and disclosure allow borrowers to make informedchoices and can facilitate competition in financial markets,eventually leading to lower prices and improved products.Policies to restrict interest rates or credit quantity,especially in consumer credit, seem to have limited effectbut require further analysis.