Digital disruption disrupting brokers
Digital disruption could be a threat to broker networks, according to APRA chairman Wayne Byres. The chairman spoke at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s (APRA) Curious Thinkers Conference in Sydney on 24 September. He discussed the impact on emerging fintechs, saying it was “too soon to tell whether the financial world faces evolution or revolution”. Outlining several scenarios which could play out, Byres said either way the production and delivery of financial services would change. In his speech, he said technological advancements in finance will change in the future as new technologies have already allowed smaller businesses to enter the space. Here he said, “The advent of digital distribution and […]
Fintech dwarfs Big Four at finder Awards, winning Best Home Loans & Tech Innovation
Tic:Toc, the fintech lender offering the world’s only instant home loan, was awarded Best Owner Occupier Home Loan – Variable; Best Investor Home Loan P&I Variable; and Best Tech Innovation, at the finder Awards held in Sydney last night; identifying the best value finance products across 20 categories. Tic:Toc founder and CEO, Anthony Baum, said the awards recognised the immense value Tic:Toc brings Australians. “It was so exciting for us to receive yet another source of validation for us that we’re filling a real need in the home loan market. It’s an industry that has been ripe for disruption, and we’re proud to have made such a big impact on […]
Moody’s expects consumer technology giants to be major disruptors in financial services
Moody’s Investors Service expects large technology firms like Google, Facebook and Apple to continue expanding their ability to distribute and offer financial products and services, emerging as significant competitors to traditional consumer-facing financial institutions. The greatest risk to incumbent financial firms is retail-facing technology giants taking control of customer relationships and distribution of financial products, according to a report Moody’s released on Tuesday. Technology-focused companies can enter finance with products core to their businesses, such as payments, that can create and store value — just as Square did with its Cash App. As account balances grow, technology firms can easily start offering low-cost index funds, investment advice, insurance and financial […]
Home owners willing to accept bitcoin for property despite volatility
Despite a sharp fall in bitcoin prices over the past eight months, some bullish investors are still willing to accept the cryptocurrency instead of Australian dollars for the sale of their multimillion-dollar homes. One bitcoin is currently trading at $US6448, down from its peak in December 2017 of $19,535.70.Now with one bitcoin worth $A8786, a prime piece of real estate in Sydney’s inner-city has hit the market with the option to buy in the cryptocurrency. It is a risky move given a property deal is yet to be struck in Australia using bitcoin, despite several properties being offered for sale last year with vendors willing to accept payment in that […]
Stone & Chalk appoints new Chairman and Board, prepares for ‘scale-up’ phase
Asia’s largest fintech innovation hub, Stone & Chalk, is today announcing the appointment of a new chairman and suite of new board members, as it prepares for its next phase of growth, transitioning out of “start-up” mode to “scale-up” mode itself. After the conclusion of Stone & Chalk’s AGM in November, Leona Murphy, who had already served for three years on the board, will move up and replace Craig Dunn as Chairman, whose three-year term was set to expire. Speaking on Craig’s departure, Stone & Chalk CEO, Alex Scandurra, said; “I will forever be grateful to have served as CEO alongside someone with the wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion […]
Australians are embracing fintech as they move away from traditional payment solutions: Research
Australian appetite for fintech services is on the up, with non-bank contactless or card-less mobile payment solutions now being used more than bank-owned payment solutions, according to recent research from market research company Roy Morgan. The Roy Morgan Digital Payment Solutions Currency Report, which is based on more than 50,000 consumer interviews, suggests fintechs, including startups, are taking market share from incumbents, albeit slowly. While 6.4% of people interviewed said they had used bank-owned digital payment solutions within the past 12 months, 6.5% had used non-bank solutions such as Apple Pay or Google Wallet. Further, 6% said they had used pay-later startup Afterpay within the past year. Some 94% of Australians said […]
OnMarket celebrates significant milestone: 100 transactions in 1,000 days
Digital investing platform OnMarket BookBuilds has recently completed their 100th transaction. OnMarket launched its B2C platform in October 2015, approximately 1,000 days ago. OnMarket, which is now approaching 50,000 members, provides retail investors with access to over one third of all IPOs on the ASX. OnMarket also offers equity crowdfunding after being granted an equity crowdfunding licence by ASIC in January this year, enabling its members access to innovative early stage and growth stage companies. OnMarket has raised over $65.7 million across the 100 transactions it has successfully completed. OnMarket CEO Ben Bucknell stated “Never before have Australians had access to investing into early stage companies and IPO companies like […]
FinTech Australia discovers Uber trick won’t work on the Big Four banks
Uber rose to prominence and captured market share with a pugnacious style that revolved around flouting laws and picking fights. But financial services is not ride-hailing. And it seems lobbying on behalf of the local fintech start-up scene carried very different expectations to lobbying on behalf of an aggressive, global, multinational disrupter. Uber’s former director of public policy and government in Australia, Brad Kitschke, has only spent four months as CEO of FinTech Australia. At a meeting of its board last Thursday, he tendered his resignation, citing his health. While the whole fintech scene would obviously wish him a speedy recovery, Kitschke’s departure from the high-pressure role is also being […]
