Stone & Chalk unites Melbourne and Sydney with launch of $255 million mega-hub
Asia’s largest fintech innovation hub, Stone & Chalk, is uniting fintech across the eastern seaboard with the launch of a new national capability across its new home at the Goods Shed North in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD innovation precinct, and its residency in the Sydney Startup Hub. With Melbourne and Sydney combined representing over 80 per cent of all fintech activity across Australia, the new east-coast “mega-hub” will give start-ups, scale-ups, corporates, and investors nationwide opportunities for collaboration and resource-sharing. Given this Melbourne/Sydney fintech concentration, and with Stone & Chalk already the largest hub in the region, the new mega-hub is set to become a national asset that could […]
Proactive approach to compliant marketing needed: YTML
Recent interventions by ASIC, like cracking down on the use of words such as ‘independent’, highlight the need for Australian Financial Services Licensees (licensees) to be more careful about the wording of their own marketing materials and be more proactive about monitoring and approving the material being used by their advisers, according to fintech, YTML. YTML CEO, Kevin Liao said while licensees may find it comparatively easy to become more proactive about addressing issues in their own marketing materials, many appear to believe it is much more difficult to check that the material being created and distributed on a day-to-day basis by their advisers is compliant. “In fact, technology now makes […]
Fintech provided with funding facility
A fintech lender has announced it will be able to fund up to $50million in loans after it was provided a funding facility by a major lender. Through a special purpose vehicle from NAB, GetCapital will now be able to fund more loans to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) across Australia. GetCapital specialises in the fast-growing non-bank SME lending space, offering a range of products that include flexible business loans, equipment finance and trade finance. The new landmark funding facility follows unprecedented growth for GetCapital, which recently exceeded $250m of total loans written. The company hopes this will help towards reaching its goal of $1billion in funded loans by […]
Bank of Queensland bans using home equity loans for crypto
Lenders are banning property buyers from using home equity to buy cryptocurrencies because of regulatory fears and increased risk from volatile trading conditions. Bank of Queensland is the latest to ban any drawdown or lines of credit from loans to be used for leveraged purchases, trading or other use of the largely unregulated global digital currency. Other lenders are discouraging borrowers and mortgage brokers, who act as intermediaries between lenders and borrowers, from using real estate to fund high-risk investments. Leveraged currency plays can magnify gains from a successful investment decision but worsen losses. Lenders are asking questions and monitoring borrowers’ accounts to alert them to crypto-trades, purchases, or offshore […]
Australia’s first Future Hub to Accelerate Blockchain Development and Implementation
Australian technology innovator Lakeba Group today launched the Lakeba Future Hub, a consortium of leading technology, law, taxation and educational firms, with a focus on accelerating blockchain adoption and development by Australian businesses. Recognised for being one of the first technology companies in Australia to have live commercial blockchain pilots across multiple sectors, Lakeba will work with leading partners Microsoft, IBM, Macquarie University, cryptocurrency and blockchain legal expert Piper Alderman, and taxation expert Grant Thornton, to help businesses navigate the pathway for implementing blockchain and cryptocurrency solutions. New partners relevant to the vision of the Future Hub will continue to be added as the consortium grows in scope and footprint. […]
Accelerating the Accounts Payable process for BOC Australia
BOC Australia removing data entry for customers and accelerating their own invoice payments in partnership with Link4 Australia. Since November 2017, BOC Australia have partnered with Link4 Australia to deliver BOC’s invoices directly into their customer’s cloud accounting software. What initially started out as an eight week pilot period to improve their accounts payable process, turned into a much larger project. BOC saw enough pieces of success in this initial project, which led to them extending the trial to more users. Fast forward to today, where upon completion of this project, BOC have opened up e-Invoicing with Link4 to all of their customers on an opt-in basis. The initial project […]
Forget Hayne, here’s four ways technology will remake financial advice
Technology’s waves have swamped plenty of other industries, so it’s hardly a surprise they are washing over the provision of financial advice. So much so, there’s talk of yet another “-tech”: as in, AdviceTech. So what’s accelerating the pace of digitisation of financial advice? Four key themes come to mind: First, providers realise the current advice offering does not resonate with customers. It’s a poor “experience”. Stats suggest only one in five Australians gets financial advice. Second, the royal commission into financial services has made it abundantly clear the dominant advice model has too many conflicts of interest. Regardless of whether the inquiry separates product manufacture from providing advice, it […]
Robo-investment – Retirement takes the crown
A customer insights study by automated investment service Six Park has found that more than half its clients are using the robo-investment service to grow wealth outside of super (36.5%) and for retirement savings (28.6%). These long-term goals ranked higher than the desire to save for property or saving for short-term goals such as holidays and weddings. The study results were released as Six Park celebrates its second birthday. The highest percentage of customers using their Six Park investment as a way to generate wealth outside super came from age groups under the age of 45, suggesting that long-term investing is increasingly a focus for younger generations. “It’s very encouraging […]
