Gates pledges $500m to help poor save money

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $500m (€370m) pledge to support projects that encourage poor people around the world to save money.

The pledge, announced bu Melinda Gates at a global savings forum in Seattle, will more than double what the foundation has previously committed to help the poor make financial plans for the future – to save for everything from fertiliser to school fees and uniforms.