US-based InvestCloud is going to launch a fintech incubator and accelerator at its European headquarters in Soho, London. Dubbed InvestCloud Innovation Centre, it will enable start-ups and established firms to create wealth management solutions supported by the InvestCloud platform.
The second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) is creating more questions and issues than the answers it ultimately should offer.
UK-based digital bank Monese has expanded its current account service to 19 countries in Europe, enabling customers to open bank accounts and “bank like a local”, even if they are not a local resident.
A group of seven large European banks, Digital Trade Chain Consortium, have turned to IBM to build and host a new trade finance platform, based on IBM Blockchain powered by Hyperledger Fabric.
Having been a fixture on the regulatory agenda for years, the go-live date for MiFID II is now rapidly approaching. On 3 January 2018, the second iteration of Europe’s Market in Financial Instruments Directive and Regulation will bring in sweeping changes to the financial markets on topics such as product governance and suitability, transaction reporting, commodities position limits and transparency.
Poland-based mBank has started to license its mobile and online banking system to other financial institutions outside Poland. The first taker is La Banque Postale (LBP) in France. The implementation will be carried out with the help of Accenture, mBank’s “strategic partner”. Alice Holzman, director of digital at LBP and lead of the bank’s New […]
Fintech zeitgeist! Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. This week, Banking Technology’s editor Tanya Andreasyan looks at one bank that has managed to successfully converge its digital and “brick and mortar” journeys […]
Clark, a German insurance robo-advisor, has inked a deal with mobile bank N26. Clark says its Bancassurance-API will help customers of N26 “to better understand their current tariffs and improve their insurance situation”.
Norway’s Sparebanken Sogn Og Fjordane (SSF) Bank is modernising its digital banking tech with Backbase.
London-based challenger bank Starling has received a banking passport into Ireland. The bank says this is “its first step in its plans to provide services to European markets”.
Job-cutting spree continues at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) – 443 jobs are to go from its business loans department. Many of these will be moved to India.
Wealthsimple, a Canada-based online investment management service, is coming to the UK.
UK challenger bank Starling has launched a “Spending Insights” tool and an online community for its users – and it is setting out its future plans. Spending Insights is probably self-explanatory. It works in the app and the bank says it gives users ideas about where they can save money. It shows customers how much […]
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) says it will develop a new service for the settlement of instant payments. The new service, Target instant payment settlement (TIPS), will enable citizens and firms to transfer money between each other in real-time and will be available around the clock, 365 days a year. The […]
Russia’s largest banking group Sberbank has completed the implementation of its bank-wide technology programme focusing on automating its financial market risk management system. As part of the multi-year project, Sberbank built a technology platform which included IT systems and modules allowing the management of various types of risks, namely credit and market risks. The platform […]
Don’t go for broke or a broker – Trading 212 has unveiled the UK’s first zero commission share trading platform. The firm says it allows investors to make ten trades per month and up to £10,000 equity per trade commission free, which it estimates will cover the needs of approximately 90% of its customers. To […]
SIX Payment Services (SIX) has enabled the Vienna Life Ball in Austria to be cashless for the first time in its history. The Life Ball is an annual AIDS charity event, and 110 cashless point of sale (POS) terminals were installed, configured and serviced by SIX, across the whole arena. There were also 30 top-up […]
A British hacker/moron has been jailed for the theft of nearly £100,000 from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group (CYBG) by exploiting a bug in its online banking system. According to the BBC, 24-year-old James Ejankowski defrauded the bank of more than £99,000 in December 2016. He spent the money on a BMW, a Range Rover […]
Colu, a blockchain-powered platform provider, has unveiled its second currency in the UK – the “Local Pound, East London”. The firm’s idea is to provide people in East London with a digital, localised currency and so create a “closed-loop economy”. It uses Colu’s digital wallet app, and individuals can pay from a smartphone. It is […]
Less than half a year from now, PSD2 will revolutionise consumers’ access to their own financial information. In fintech hubs across Europe, bright young people are planning a consumer revolution. Their financial apps and tools are helping customers manage their money far more easily than they have before. Here are five important ways in which they are changing the face of banking.
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has charged Barclays and four of its former workers with conspiracy to commit fraud over capital raising arrangements with Qatar Holding and Challenger Universal. The charge also includes the provision of unlawful financial assistance contrary to the Companies Act 1985. The charges relate to events in June and October […]
Like a bird of paradise, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is calling again – and this time for views and evidence concerning consumers’ access to insurance. This FCA’s paper looks more broadly at access issues related to insurance but specifically (and a non-fintech point) seeks views on “how consumers with cancer or those in […]
Amid last month’s extensive ransomware attack, made possible after cyber criminals stole hacking tools created by the US National Security Agency, the European Banking Federation (EBF) again urged the European Commission (EC) not to dismiss recommendations about screen scraping.
Visa is no longer a pleaser as TSB will issue Mastercard debit cards to all its current account customers in 2018 as part of a seven-year agreement. The bank says it will continue to issue Mastercard credit cards over the same term. The agreement means the two organisations “will partner to offer additional payment solutions”. […]
The UK’s Co-operative Bank’s life may not be over just yet as it reveals it is in advanced discussions with existing investors over a rescue package. As reported in February, the bank was put up for sale – with the minority investor Co-op Group saying it is “supportive of the plan to find the bank […]
How will service providers and banks implement ISO 20022 in the APIs being created for PSD2?
Don’t let the blocks cause you too much mental blockage. Our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up keeps it ultra-brief. Featuring Ayondo, XBT Provider, Xapo and the European Commission. Financial services firm Ayondo has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of Bitcoin trading, offering access to price movement without the need to open an e-wallet […]
Payments provider Klarna has powered up with a full banking licence from Finansinspektionen, the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, says it is “now one of Europe’s largest banks with 60 million customers, 70,000 merchants and working seamlessly across borders”. With the licence, Klarna states it can broaden its product portfolio for […]
Swiss wealth manager Vontobel has become the first taker of SIX Securities Services’ Advanced Settlement offering.
Natixis Asset Management has started testing the FundsDLT blockchain-powered platform for fund managers. The FundsDLT concept, announced last December in Luxembourg, is a collaboration between Fundsquare, IT firm InTech and KPMG Luxembourg. The platform will enable asset managers to sell funds through a new distribution channel, while doing all the other usual blockchain stuff – […]
HSBC has launched a £10 billion lending fund for SMEs in the UK as it looks to tap into this lively market. The bank says it continues to be open to lending, having approved 91% of small business lending applications in the last year. Ian Stuart, UK CEO, HSBC, says: “We want to put SMEs […]
European banks are placing strategic bets in areas ranging from wealth management, lending, payments, regulatory technology, software, and blockchain. Which banks were the most active and what did they invest in?
Openbank, a subsidiary of Spain’s banking giant Santander, has undergone an enterprise-wide overhaul, from products and services, to technology, to corporate culture, to new branding.
The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduces 72-hour breach notification requirements along with severe regulatory fines and consumers and affected third parties now have the right to sue organisations responsible for data breaches.
Mobile-only bank Monese has unveiled direct debit functionality for its customers – a move designed to offer services closer to that of a traditional high street bank account. Alongside this, it has also gained access to Faster Payments, so customers can send funds to accounts outside or within the UK with a “quicker transfer”. In […]
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) is fining International Card Services (ICS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABN Amro, for excessive credit limits. In March 2017, ICS says it took the initiative itself and prepared a compensation plan for the clients concerned. ICS will pay the €2.4 million fine imposed by the AFM. Which […]
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled the second wave of firms that have made it into its regulatory sandbox. As reported in 2015, the sandbox allows businesses to test out new products and services without “incurring the normal regulatory consequences”. The move is part of the FCA’s Project Innovate, which aims to boost […]
Payments services provider Circle is offering its customers in the US, UK and Europe the ability to send and receive money across borders with no fees and no mark-up on foreign exchange (FX) rates. The firm says it is “just like sending email or sharing photos” – meaning it’s “free and instant”. There will be […]
Private equity (PE) firm Warburg Pincus has acquired a 35% shareholding in Avaloq from existing shareholders – with the deal a first step towards a potential public listing. The transaction values Avaloq in excess of CHF 1 billion ($1 billion). Detailed financial terms are not being disclosed, but Francisco Fernandez, CEO at Avaloq, retains a […]
