Viewpoint: Don’t Wait around for NFC
Smaller banks bent on taking market share from larger rivals can appeal to mobile consumers without going all-in on NFC, at least for now.
Analysis
Peering into peer-to-peer: lack of understanding affecting post-IPO prices
Mike Lobanov, partner at Target Global, takes a look at the recent fluctuations in Lending Club’s share price to assess the impact on the peer-to-peer (P2P) industries. The P2P lending platform Lending Club is proudly the largest platform of its kind in the US. Founded in 2007, it successfully raised in excess of $390 million […]
Industry: Report on Tax Refund Delays Misses Mark
A recent report claiming that heightened anti-tax fraud efforts have led to taxpayers suffering delays in receiving refunds via prepaid cards mischaracterizes the situation, industry observers say.
Cordray Testifies before House; Rep. Hensarling Plans for Regulatory Reform
The hearing followed an announcement from Committee Chairman Reb. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) of Republican committee members’ plans to reform financial reform in Washington, including demanding that regulatory agencies undergo a cost-benefit analysis of every regulation.
Cash is still king but “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown!”
Even as I am prepping for my next industry event, observations from the last conference I attended continue to permeate my thoughts. The ATMIA US Conference that was held in New Orleans only recently and yet, three items continue to have me thinking about the durability, indeed longevity, of some of the points raised. In […]
Fundamental Review of the Trading Book: impact on capital requirements and risk architecture
The introduction of the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) requires a rethink when it comes to risk architecture and data requirements. Xavier Dubois, Wolters Kluwer’s senior risk and finance specialist for EMEA, outlines the key points. There is an area of complete agreement when it comes to examining the potential impact of FRTB – […]
Watch out EBA, Swift and Visa – here comes Masterlink!
MasterCard’s planned acquisition of VocaLink has the potential to create a new payments powerhouse in Europe and beyond. Tom Hay, head of payments, Icon Solutions, explores the possibilities. The news of the planned acquisition broke a few days after the Payment Systems Regulator’s (PSR) recommendation that banks divest their ownership of the company. I’m sure […]
Labs’ labour lost: forget fin, forget tech, focus on the client
Not a day seems to go by without another innovation of fintech announcement from a bank. While most have now dabbled in an incubator, accelerator or a lab here, and a fintech investment there, they all have one thing in common, argues Leda Glyptis, director at Sapient Global Markets. And that is a lack of tangible […]
Challenger banks must strike the right balance between mobile and card
NFC mobile payments continue to grab headlines, but to really drive uptake and ensure full market coverage, combining contactless cards with next-gen mobile banking apps is surely the right way to go for 2016’s challenger banks, says Paul Underwood, MD of Thames Card Technology. Much has already been said about the opportunity for challenger banks to […]
Viewpoint: What’s the Best Route to Market in Europe?
Europe is the largest single market in the world and an attractive proposition for most payments businesses looking to expand, but you do need to look at the different options available and determine the best route to market for your own firm.
Viewpoint: No-Action Letters from the CFPB: What to Consider Before You Ask for One
The CFPB’s new no-action letter policy is designed to alleviate regulatory uncertainty for innovative financial services businesses, but asking for one could be a double-edged sword.
Retailer Sues Insurance Company over Data Breach Defense Costs
This suit between a retailer and its insurance carrier highlights the importance of ensuring that any insurance coverage meant to account for costs and assessments stemming from a data breach is adequate.
Viewpoint: Ensuring a Level Playing Field for Federal Virtual Currency Regulation
FinCEN’s virtual currency guidance creates different AML standards for virtual currency and traditional funds, but with a slight modification the agency can “re-level” the playing field without compromising its AML policy goals.
Fuchs Joins List of High-Ranking CFPB Staffers Who Flee to Private Sector
Meredith Fuchs joins at least 45 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employees who have left the bureau for the private sector since 2011.
Marketing banking products with API: now a reality
Promoting financial products is a very challenging task. Konstantin Rabin, head of marketing at Kontomatik, suggests how a bank can improve its marketing efforts by leveraging API technologies. A financial services marketer needs to at least combine the benefits of the offer with a sense of security. Needless to say, the larger the offered benefits are, […]
Q&A: What’s the Big Deal about Blockchain?
Blockchain is one of the hottest trends in fintech. A payment fraud expert explains how the technology can make transactions safer and what its limits are.
Fundamental Review of the Trading Book: analysing the impact
Exactly who is affected as a result of the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB)? Xavier Dubois, senior risk and finance specialist for EMEA at Wolters Kluwer, explores the subject. Earlier year, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) set out the long awaited revised standards for minimum capital requirements for market risk. We […]
Digital banking can be fun
Less than one in three customers now trust their bank or insurer, according to a 2014 research by PwC Financial. Banks are not only suffering from deep consumer mistrust, but they are also seen as stuffy, slow-moving relics of the pre-digital era. Antony Bream, UK managing director at Crealogix, argues that all that can be changed […]
Fed: Small Banks Not Feeling the Hurt from Debit Interchange Limits
Despite some claims from the banking industry that small banks may be at a competitive disadvantage in a post-Durbin Amendment interchange environment, a new Philadelphia Fed report suggests that banks with less than $10 billion in assets have not suffered from the Durbin Amendment, which capped debit card interchange for larger financial institutions.
Infographics: the state of fintech industry as we know it
Who, what, where, when of the fintech industry today – this excellent infographics pulls together plenty of useful data, from top specialists, unicorns and start-ups to geographies and M&As. Created by Savvy Beaver and Call Levels.
Big data analytics and its many uses
There are many uses of big data analytics by financial organisations to meet evolving regulatory and compliance requirements, Swift Institute reveals in its recent paper, “The Role of Big Data in Governance: a regulatory and legal perspective of analytics in global financial services”. The paper cites two case studies as examples of how these analytical […]
Mine that data to keep that customer
What does the future of loyalty hold and what is the role of big data in it? Christopher Evans, director at Collinson Group, shares some key insights. The fervour for big data analytics sweeping through retail bank boardrooms at a global scale is intensifying as corporate strategy prioritises a shift towards true real-time intelligence. This […]
Turning financial messaging data into business profit
Long considered an impenetrable space dominated by a few, the financial services industry is currently riding a giant wave of entrepreneurial disruption, disintermediation, and digital innovation. Recent industry developments such as the regulatory pressure as well as the criticality of business intelligence (BI) and customer experience are impacting banks more than ever before. Financial institutions […]
What Apple’s encryption fight means for payments
The gloves have come off as Apple digs in its heels against the FBI’s request to create a backdoor to the iPhone. We asked payments experts what might be at stake for mobile payments in this encryption battle.
Viewpoint: Meeting the Needs of Digitally Connected Businesses on the Go
Banks looking to serve SMBs and attract young entrepreneurs must create mobile apps that go beyond consumer-facing solutions. Those that do will be rewarded with greater loyalty and profitability.
Viewpoint: Is Direct Debit the New Alternative Payment Tool?
Find out why direct debit is a preferred payment method for nearly 40 percent of consumers worldwide and what it means for technology providers, banks and online merchants.
Securities Financing Transactions Regulation: danger signs
The aims of the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation (SFTR) may be laudable – but how much difference will some of the changes really make, other than create another operational burden? As Tracy Dilks, senior consultant, and Akber Datoo, founder and managing partner, D2 Legal Technology, suggest, the regulator might as well put a sign in […]
Payments in 2016: a pivotal year
With challenges across the board, banks will have their work cut out to keep up with the changing world of payments in 2016. It is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the payments industry as regulation, new technology, major infrastructure overhaul projects and security issues combine to reshape the landscape. According to a […]
CFPB Makes First Data Security Enforcement against Dwolla
The CFPB has hit online payments provider Dwolla with an enforcement action over what the agency describes as misleading claims the company made about customers’ data security and the risks of using Dwolla’s online system. The action is the CFPB’s first enforcement related to a data security issue, the agency said.
Turkish Man Pleads Guilty in $55 Million Global ATM Heist Scheme
A Turkish man pled guilty Tuesday in a federal court in Brooklyn to planning and leading cyber-attacks that swiped $55 million from ATMs around the world.
Client lifecycle management solutions: build or buy?
Mark Bands, head of product & regulatory intelligence, iMeta Technologies: When speaking with prospective financial institution customers of our client lifecycle management (CLM) platform I am surprised at how often an “in-house” build solution has either already been chosen or is being seriously considered as an option. Surprised, that is, that firms’ in-house technology functions are confident […]
Digitising risk data architecture reporting
Can applying semantics make BCBS 239 reporting consistent and comparable across all regulatory bodies? Rupert Brown explores the options when best practice isn’t good enough… Regulatory vagaries and the punitive fines make these tense times for bank risk officers. On the one hand, regulators are asking for a whole lot of architectural work to be […]
CFPB’s Latest Complaint Report Spotlights Prepaid
The CFPB’s latest consumer complaint report is out, and this month the agency took a closer look at prepaid-related complaints. Even though the agency says prepaid complaints “spiked in recent months,” such complaints continue to comprise a small fraction of the issues brought to the bureau’s attention.
Sen. Rounds Calls on CFPB for Cost-Benefit Analysis for Benefits Cards
As the CFPB prepares to release its final rule on prepaid accounts—expected this month—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is urging the agency to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on how the rule would affect government benefits cards and potentially increase taxpayer costs.
Privacy Shield Roils Critics, Muddying U.S.-EU Data Sharing Picture
The recently proposed data-transfer pact between the U.S. and European Union has come under fire from critics, including privacy activists and some EU lawmakers, who claim the deal fails to adequately protect EU citizens from surveillance by American intelligence agencies.
The force awakens: data science in banking
A quiet revolution powered by the force of data science has begun to deliver significant improvements in many areas including national security, business intelligence, law enforcement, financial analysis, healthcare and disaster preparedness. But are we ready to use the force in banking? Standard Chartered’s global chief innovation officer, Anju Patwardhan, explores the topic. Digital data […]
Fintech 2.0: creating new opportunities through strategic alliance
Banks and fintechs should collaborate rather than compete, leveraging their respective strengths to revolutionise the B2B payments space and create sustainable business models in today’s digital era. As the next stages of digital structural change continue to transform financial services, the focus of technological developments will shift. Most recent developments in business models have been […]
A whistle-stop tour of the regulatory calendar
As financial institutions across the board gear up for 2016, the year ahead poses some notably regulatory challenges. Not least among these is the impending Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) from the European Commission; there will also be further progress on MiFID II. On 3 July this year, an event will take place which will mark […]
MiFID II date confirmed – but why are financial institutions doing more and achieving less?
As the European Commission finally confirms an implementation date for MiFID II, Volker Lainer of GoldenSource explains why now is the time for financial institutions adopting a quick fix approach to regulation to reconsider. After waiting and wondering, financial institutions finally have a firm date of January 3rd 2018 for MiFID II compliance. Whether this […]
Apple to Testify in House Committee Hearing on Encryption
Apple will testify tomorrow before the House Judiciary Committee on encryption amid its fight with the FBI over creating software to hack an iPhone of one of the terrorists responsible for the December attacks in San Bernardino, Calif. Fellow tech companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter, are expected to file amicus briefs in support of Apple’s decision not to comply with a court order demanding that Apple comply with the FBI’s request.
