Qantas, GetCapital in deal to reward borrowers
Qantas has joined a growing number of global companies opening their arms to partnerships with new financial technology companies, linking up with small business online lender GetCapital. Unveiling the agreement with Qantas’s Aquire business rewards program, GetCapital chief Jamie Osborn said the deal was another example of the growing interest from big companies in “fintech” that is pushing the industry from “adolescence to adulthood”. Source: Qantas, GetCapital in deal to reward borrowers | The Australian
MoneyPlace second Aussie P2P lender for mums and dads
Melbourne start-up MoneyPlace became the second Australian peer-to-peer lender to open its virtual doors to mum and dad investors on Monday. The company, led by former NAB banker Stuart Stoyan and backed by Westpac’s former head of retail banking Rob Coombe, provides a platform for investors to make personal loans. Borrowers can get loans of between $5000 and $35,000 for terms of three to five years directly from individual lenders via MoneyPlace at rates starting at 8.99 per cent. It claims investors can earn returns from 7.8 per cent. After two years building MoneyPlace, including a 13-month approval process with the corporate regulator, it “matched” its first loan last week. […]
Six trends shaking up transaction banking
Fintech We are in the middle of a digital revolution, evident in the rise of fintech companies and technologies. For the first time, new technology such as Blockchain and Cloud based solutions were very visible at SIBOS (Swift International Banking Operations Seminar) and technology was the most talked about topic everywhere you went. Despite the buzz on technology, everyone is still trying to make sense of what this means for their customers and their business. Fintechs have forced banks to look at the competitive environment in a completely new way and banks are working out how they can make this work for them. Ultimately, fintechs rely on banks for basic […]
Five bank fees likely to disappear thanks to technology
WHEN you look closely, you may be surprised at how many bank fees, charges and costs you incur; as a result of their cosy oligopoly, Australian banks have become the most profitable in the world, collecting $29 billion in profit in 2015 or $1600 from every adult Australian. This financial year, bank profits are expected to top $30 billion after Westpac, CommBank, NAB and ANZ all raised interest rates outside of the RBA cycle, adding an estimated $1 billion to their bottom lines. But have you ever wondered why certain charges exist at all – or what could be done to get rid of them? A new breed of technology-focused […]
Peer-to-peer lenders attract investors with double-digit returns
Savers are earning almost 10 per cent a year by lending online through banking’s answer to eBay. Peer to peer or P2P lenders, to use their cyber-savvy name, are auction sites for potential lenders and borrowers who bid an amount and an interest rate. The biggest are RateSetter, aimed at ordinary investors, and SocietyOne, which caters for professionals. The most common reason borrowers apply for a peer-to-peer loan is to buy a new car. Both run the credit checks for you. Still, it’s a big jump from investing in a government-guaranteed term deposit to an unsecured loan to somebody you don’t know and never will. But so far the risk […]
The need to be shrewd in the property boom
It’s said that buying a property is one of the most stressful life events. Further, mortgage lender incompetence, bank and finance problems are in the top 20 most stressful aspects of selling a property. For two people, those frustrations spawned the next big idea to hit the FinTech industry. Mandeep Sodhi, a loyal customer to his bank, thought he had secured the best rate on his home loan. Atul Narang on the other hand secured a better rate on his loan through a broker – but it wasn’t that easy, having already experienced two bad brokers. With this experience, the pair joined forces to bring clarity and simplicity to the […]
Why these giant Chinese companies could destroy Australia’s fintech ambitions
Fintech companies are some of the hottest startups around right now. Incredibly, more than 20 are now valued over $US1 billion. Australian credit reference fintech, Veda, might get bought for $2.2 billion. The possibilities offered by fintech are enormous. Mobile payments, payment terminals, smart contracts, smart bonds, P2P lending and crowdsourcing are all examples of new technologies that pose a risk to core services provided by the financial establishment. This is why they want in. According to some, Australia has the potential to be a leader in the sector. Australian super funds are investing heavily, with First State Super launching its own venture capital platform just weeks after putting $110 […]
FinTech changing the landscape
The emerging world of financial technology, or fintech, is having an impact on everything from the way new products are funded through to the culture and practices of major banks and financial institutions. According to Simon Cant, co-founder and co-managing director of venture capital player Reinventure Group, fintech is basically anything providing some version of a financial service using modern digital technology. “Fintech is affecting, in particular, the way consumers and SMEs are conducting their business,” he said. “Fintech is providing a better user experience, providing financing that is cheaper and is more convenient. “One of the earliest examples of new funding mechanisms is Kickstarter, where a technology platform underpins […]
