Worldwide


Digital disruption: can banks add interest to others’ ideas?

The high street bank has always been relied upon to be one of those unchanging constants in our lives. Takeovers and scandals have come and gone, but the digital revolution has slowly changed the way financial products are delivered. Today the Internet, mobile devices and financial services have now converged to change the way consumers manage their finances and the way they connect with their bank

The new face of risk management

Regulations aimed at transparency across financial markets may be making things simpler for the regulators, but they are making life more complex for banks, according to Sven Ludwig, senior vice president, risk management and analytics EMEA, at SunGard.

Benchmark shows banks overpaying for IT

The eye-watering amounts of money banks spend on technology are legendary – and largely inflated according to research that shows that they are paying far higher margins on significant parts of their budget than other industry sectors .

How the Internet of Things is helping banks put their customers first

At the SAP Financial Services Forum in London last month, the topic of digital transformation dominated the agenda. From legacy banks with lumbering IT systems to nimble fintech startups, the consensus was clear: The long-standing status quo is simply unsustainable in an increasingly digital economy

Visa Considers Acquisition of Visa Europe (July 27, 2015)

Visa Inc. has confirmed it’s in negotiations to acquire Visa Europe in what could be a $20 billion deal. Visa expects to resolve discussions about the possible acquisition in October and provide an update about its decision during the company’s fourth quarter earnings report.

Square Secretly Files for IPO (July 27, 2015)

After more than a year of rumors, it appears Square finally could be taking the plunge and going public. The m-POS pioneer—which has been expanding steadily into other verticals—has filed confidentially for an IPO with the SEC, according to Bloomberg, which cited sources with knowledge of the plan.

Cometh the Digital Bank

The only banking activity that is digital is taking money out of clients’ accounts, which is performed in real-time with 100% consistency. After that the banking journey is far slower and less consistent.

Digital: serve better, not just serve more

Look at most technology initiatives around you, most are obsessed with taking the cost out e.g. ATMs, online banking or selling more e.g. marketing automation, emails. As a business it’s important to manage the cost, but when cost becomes the primary driver, it creates more problems than it solves

Blog: What the Blockchain Can Do for Gift Cards

While the role of bitcoin itself is still in question, there is a growing industry consensus that the blockchain—bitcoin’s underlying technology—may become to value, what the Web has been to information. And, the gift card industry may be the first to reap the benefits.

Reinforcing supply chain links

Despite the squeeze on capital created by the increased global regulatory burden, treasurers must still provide ample working capital for daily commercial flows, with minimum damage to their balance sheets. At the same time, the continuing rise in cross-border trade – frequently with relatively unknown and distant markets – increases exposure to geo-political and environmental risks. In such an environment, and particularly in light of post-crisis sensibilities, liquidity is more of a concern than ever, both to lubricate the daily machinations of trade and to act as a buffer for potential financial or supply-related shocks

People on the Move: Steve Antonakes, CFPB

Steve Antonakes has stepped down from his position as deputy director of the CFPB as well as his position as associate director for supervision, enforcement and fair lending.

Caught on the defensive: why the financial sector needs to reevaluate its approach to cyber risk

Contrary to popular belief, the financial sector is now far more aware and better prepared for cyber attacks. The Bank of England’s Financial Stability Report, issued 1 July, states that threat awareness has grown exponentially and the sector is leading efforts to combat cybercrime. Perhaps this isn’t surprising given 90% of large businesses across the sector had suffered a malicious attack over the past year. But what is worrying is that the financial sector is falling into a familiar trap: by focusing so much on defence, it has failed to make provisions for an effective recovery

PayPal’s Shares Rise as it Flies Solo (July 20, 2015)

PayPal’s stock rose more than 5 percent on its first day of trading as an independent company, bringing its total market capitalization to about $50 billion, making it an even more potent force in the red-hot payments M&A arena, observers say.

Meta Buys Tax Refund Company for $50 Million (July 20, 2015)

Meta Financial Group Inc. and bank subsidiary MetaBank are getting ready for tax season early with the acquisition of Fort Knox Financial Services Corp. and its subsidiary, Tax Product Services. The deal, valued at approximately $50 million, bolsters Meta’s business in the tax refund prepaid card vertical.

U.K. Payments Study Shows Consumers’ Need for Speed

Faster payments could be the key factor in getting U.K. consumers to switch bank accounts, a new report says. In a study commissioned by ACI Worldwide, 45 percent of 2,000 of consumers polled in the U.K. said the prospect of faster and more convenient electronic payments would encourage them to consider moving their accounts to a different bank.

Ageing reconciliation systems cost firms dear

Two-thirds of top-tier financial institutions have established reconciliation centres of excellence following a recent wave of consolidation of the reconciliation function – but more than half of firms say their reconciliation technology platform was at least five years old, and a quarter of respondents use platforms more than nine years old.

Biometrics and authentication – a new world of possibilities

With governments, retailers, banks and (not least) consumers increasingly crying out for a means of confirming someone’s identity beyond any doubt, the search for a common, international standard of payment authentication is in full flow.

‘Insidious’ client-side malware targets banks through customers

Banks are at risk from a new kind of ‘client side injected malware’ attack, in which attackers install malware on the customer’s device and use it as a base for injected ads, spyware scripts, unauthorised cookies and fake surveys designed to look like they are part of the bank’s website or app, but which actually steal a customer’s private information.