Tagged: digital banks

October 17, 2020 @ 6:26 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Australian neobank Volt has confirmed that it’s planning to reduce the total interest rate on its Save account. The bank will slash the current rate by 20 basis points, so it will be lowered from the current 1.45% p.a. to 1.25% p.a. This new rate… Read More

October 9, 2020 @ 8:31 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK-based Fintech Payhawk, a corporate expense management solution provider that secured €3 million in seed funding in March 2020, notes that “the ticket to ride the rollercoaster of hype in any emerging technology is expensive.” Hristo Borisov, the co-founder and CEO at Payhawk who’s focused… Read More

October 4, 2020 @ 6:50 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech companies in India are now expecting to make a recovery within the next six months, after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to many people losing their jobs and businesses shutting down. Indian Fintech firms including payments, lending and neobanking… Read More

September 2, 2020 @ 2:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

  The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) will start processing Fintech applications to become federally chartered firms as soon as this week, according to a report. The acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks has only been managing the regulator since May… Read More

August 23, 2020 @ 7:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong’s future economy is set to be supported by the latest Fintech platforms and services, as the city-state will be home to at least eight virtual banks. Hong Kong serves as the primary gateway for (mainland) Chinese businesses to expand their operations, globally. It… Read More

August 21, 2020 @ 9:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital banking or the use of online services and platforms may have been accelerated due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which had led to many countries enforcing nationwide lockdowns. While many countries are now beginning to “re-open” their businesses, the Coronavirus crisis has led to major… Read More

August 8, 2020 @ 6:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Even though interest rates offered by challenger banks or neobanks in Australia (and globally) are generally higher than those offered by incumbents, Mozo reports that these all-digital banking platforms have been lowering their rates. Analysis performed by Mozo reveals that three neobanks were forced to… Read More

August 5, 2020 @ 1:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Current, an established US-based banking challenger serving Americans “overlooked” by traditional banks, revealed on August 4, 2020, that it is launching a points rewards program for all its members. Current claims that it’s now the first US mobile bank to offer points rewards on purchases… Read More

July 21, 2020 @ 8:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Germany based Open Banking platform Deposit Solutions says 1/5 of British consumers will consider switching savings accounts during the next 12 months. The historically low-interest rates provided by banks is obviously part of the reason consumers are more willing to consider change. Deposit Solutions is… Read More

June 25, 2020 @ 8:40 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Switzerland-based Credit Suisse, a multinational wealth manager, investment bank and financial services firm, has made a deal with modalmais, a Brazilian digital bank. According to the terms of the agreement, the Swiss bank will purchase preferred shares that will be “equivalent to up to 35%”… Read More

June 19, 2020 @ 12:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Asia’s Fintech industry has been negatively affected due to socio-economic challenges resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. There’s reportedly been a significant decline in the number of financial technology deals closed. The amount of venture capital acquired by Fintechs in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region dropped 58.5%… Read More

June 8, 2020 @ 9:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Financial service providers and regulators are increasingly focusing on enabling and supporting instant payments, according to Juniper Research. The researchers note that the EU’s Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) has “brought down settlement times significantly,” with the SEPA Instant Credit Transfer Scheme helping to reduce… Read More

June 7, 2020 @ 10:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the nation’s central bank, recently revealed that it’s looking into whether it should provide digital bank accounts to Pakistanis residing abroad. Reza Baqir, the reserve bank’s governor, noted that overseas Pakistanis won’t have to be physically in the country… Read More

June 6, 2020 @ 11:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Fintech sector continues to attract significant investments across the Middle East and Europe. However, the world is currently trying to cope with the socio-economic challenges created by the deadly COVID-19 outbreak. Competition in the Fintech space has been increasing steadily, with many new startups… Read More

June 1, 2020 @ 12:32 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The digital transformation strategy used by most traditional banks has been “optimized for a world that no longer exists,” according to a new report from ResearchandMarkets.com. The report notes that incumbents have developed digital transformation strategies for the vertically integrated value chain, where change can… Read More

May 31, 2020 @ 11:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital or neobanks are increasingly being used by consumers of all age groups for managing finances, and completing transactions. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting economic problems, digital bank Starling Bank recently secured £40 million in capital. Challenger banks aim to offer better services compared… Read More

May 25, 2020 @ 9:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

  Digital banks are on track to serve as many clients in Ireland as traditional banking service providers, according to N26, an all-digital challenger that recently secured $100 million in funding for its ongoing growth and development. The German neobank reports double-digit growth in the… Read More

May 23, 2020 @ 9:14 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Southeast Asian banks will most likely accelerate their digital transformation initiatives, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and changing consumer behavior resulting from safe distancing measures and lockdowns. Incumbents could be challenged more than ever before, as they might struggle to offer the same level of… Read More

May 9, 2020 @ 4:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Changes in consumer behavior and attitudes towards digital platforms have led to the introduction of virtual banking solutions in many countries across the globe. Digital banking licenses will be awarded to several new Fintech service providers based in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. Wissam Khoury… Read More

May 5, 2020 @ 8:28 am By JD Alois  |  

While more traditional financial services firms are regularly spoofed two emerging Hong Kong virtual banks have recently been targeted by scammers. Both ZA Bank and Airstar Bank have seen bogus sites posted online in an attempt to fleece unsuspecting consumers. This past weekend, Airstar posted… Read More