Digital banking and neobanks
If all you’ve ever known is dollarmites and the big four, the idea of an online bank may seem a bit intimidating to you. But as banks roll out new app features and handy online services, the reliability of online banking grows, and makes room for digital banks and neobanks to emerge. If you’re curious about the world of online banks, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions below. What is digital banking and what online-only banks are there in Australia? Digital banks, or online-only banks are exactly what they suggest, banks that operate online through a computer or app on your phone. This means they don’t offer in-branch service like […]
‘The clock is ticking for banks’: Morgan Stanley warns banks need to up their game before they get disrupted
Banks need to transform themselves or they’ll be left in the dust by new fintech companies, according to a new report. With fintech companies raising $58 billion globally in the first half of 2018, banks are feeling more pressure than ever to spend on their own technology. This is compounded by the fact that fintech companies don’t suffer from legacy IT systems and can provide banking services 50% cheaper than big banks. “Pressure is mounting for banks to innovate and disrupt themselves fast, before someone else ‘eats their lunch’,” Morgan Stanley analyst Betsy Graseck wrote in the report. Big banks are already stepping up their tech investments in response. JPMorgan’s […]
Fintech 101: Core concepts for the future of banking
Everyday it feels like someone, somewhere has coined a new banking term. But as Australia continues to take big steps towards innovation, the average Aussie might feel left in the dark when it comes to understanding what’s in store for the future of banking. So to keep you in the loop with all the latest in fintech, we thought it might be worth getting the basics down first. What is fintech? Put simply, fintech stands for ‘financial technology’ and can refer to any technology that is used in the finance industry to provide products and services. Just remember that fintech usually refers to newer, innovative products and services. For example, […]
ANZ bank launches phone wallet to withdraw cash from ATMs
The days of carrying a plastic bank card could be numbered, with ANZ customers now being offered the option of ditching their wallet for an all-digital profile. The bank’s latest innovation is technology allowing consumers to use a smartphone or watch to withdraw their cash from an ATM. The move means all ATM functions can now be completed without a card, and follows the widespread use of devices to process payments and purchases. “It is more secure than plastic cards because customers have to either use their face ID, or thumbprint or pin on their phone before they can even use cash, and take the cash out at the ATM,” […]
Aussie banks dragged into the ‘open source’ era via GitHub
Financial policy making is getting the open source tech treatment, courtesy of Data61. The use of GitHub to manage the development of open banking technical standards represents a significant innovation in Australian policy making. GitHub, which is used by 28 million software developers around the world, was bought by Microsoft in June for $US7.5 billion ($10.5 billion). The open banking Data Standards Body, which is being run by the CSIRO’s Data61 unit, is using the online service to manage feedback and comments for the technical standards that will govern the movement of data in the new economy. All decision proposals and final decisions for the open banking standards will be […]
ACCC wants fintechs to improve data standards
The competition regulator wants fintechs receiving bank data under the government’s data porting regime to face tough penalties if they fail to meet stricter privacy standards that will be introduced to protect customers. Releasing a framework for rules to govern the new “consumer data right” (CDR) – which will begin with bank data and then be extended to telecommunications and utilities – the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said its accreditation regime would require data recipients to be “fit and proper”, have “effective” risk systems to protect information and privacy, and to take out insurance to cover potential data breaches. Suggesting it will adopt a tougher approach towards open banking […]
The power to make corporate banking ‘beautiful’
Small businesses “simply want working capital. They want to know how much, how soon and what it will cost,” says Martin McCann, CEO and Co-Founder of Trade Ledger. As the Australian company establishes itself in Europe, Martin talks with FinTECHTalents about bringing the open banking revolution to corporate banking, overcoming the barriers of Excel spreadsheets with machine learning, AI and bots and plans to bring the winner of their upcoming ‘Code Challenge’ to Sydney. Trade Ledger was founded in 2016 – Why, what problem were you solving? The single biggest reason businesses fail is a lack of adequate funding – globally this equates to an under supply of credit of […]
Australia in driving seat as global blockchain standards take shape
Westpac director Craig Dunn will tell China this week that more engagement from its technology leaders will help the global standards-setting process for blockchain, which Australia is leading, to create guidelines that will reduce the cost of deploying the emerging technology across the global economy. An Austrade trade delegation arrived in China over the weekend ahead of this week’s Wangxiang Global Blockchain Summit in Shanghai. Australia is chairing the International Standards Organisation (ISO) group developing standards for blockchain and distributed ledgers and Mr Dunn is chairing the work. He told The Australian Financial Review ahead of a keynote address at the summit that “if you are going to have an […]
