Fintech

I was piqued by Victor Matarranz’s [SEVP Head of Group Strategy and Chairman’s Office, Banco Santander] presentation at MoneyConf last week, mainly because he began by talking about Fintech 1.0 versus Fintech 2.0. Fintech 1.0 he defined as the emergence of peer-to-peer lenders and new payments companies between 2010 and 2014.  During this time everyone…

Well, I can’t go on and on and on about Britain’s decision to leave the EU, but it would be remiss of me to not highlight a few insights that popped up yesterday. First, there’s probably the best insight I’ve read into why we voted to Leave in The Guardian: “If you’ve got money, you vote…

The UK has had a long weekend considering the consequences of the Brexit. Chris Skinner has had a long weekend considering the consequences on London, the banking industry, Fintech and more … and I have to say that I’m quietly positive.  I don’t think we’re going to see the meltdown the doomsayers are rumour mongering,…

Just to mop up the final discussions at the White House #FinTech summit, there was a fourth panel on financial inclusion.  This panel comprised, from left to right: Gayle Smith, Administrator, USAID; Jo Ann Barefoot, Senior Fellow, Mossovar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government, Harvard Kennedy School; Greta Bull, CEO, CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the…

As you can tell, I found the White House meeting so interesting that I’m gonna bore you about it all week.  Today is the turn of how FinTech can make us live smarter, better and more informed lives.  That theme resonates as Moven’s strapline is to spend, save and live smarter (guess who came up with that…

The second White House panel discussion focused upon small business funding, an area close to my heart as it’s an area that has exploded with opportunity thanks to FinTech.  I often reflect that FinTech is not disrupting or destroying banking, but that FinTech is augmenting banking by serving markets previously unserved or underserved.  The unserved…

I got caught up in a conversation about building a new digital bank the other day, and being asked how I would organise the project.  I’m a simple guy and go back to basics, and the basics are people, process and product. People – customers and employees – are where it all starts.  Happy staff…

I get all sorts of crappy press releases from public relations managers who are eager to see me prostitute my blog for them. Rarely would I post their stuff here unless it was seriously interesting or I feel very lazy or both. You can decide which category this fits into: first direct identifies the factors…

Whilst almost 500 banks failed in the USA between 2008 and 2012, only three new banks opened. Only three new banks have opened in the United States since 2010.  Before the financial crisis, over 100 banks set up shop each year, on average, according to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the agency that approves…

Not sure how many of you spotted the announcement last month that Goldman Sachs is launching a retail bank, but it’s been interesting to monitor such developments. First there was a raft of press reviews of the announcement: Goldman Sachs gets into retail banking Goldman Sachs Enters Retail Banking Market with GS Bank Here’s How Goldman Sachs Plans to Go After the…