CFA exam to include blockchain and cryptocurrency parts from 2019
With cryptocurrencies here to stay, education needs to start meeting student and employer demand. Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies will be making an appearance in the level I and II Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams from 2019 onwards as part of a broader new reading called Fintech in Investment Management. The material will be released in August this year, giving exam-goers time to start logging their recommended 300 hours of study time on the topic. Like crypto uptake elsewhere, it’s being largely driven by popular demand from participants, with surveys and focus groups showing strong interest from future analysts and employers. The organisers might be equally onboard. “We saw the field […]
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 […]
AFL’s Ted Richards and the human side of robo-investing
There is a lot of talk about the entry of ‘robo advisers’ into the financial advice market. Revelations by the banking royal commission have accelerated calls for technology to provide the answer to the broadening trust deficit and intractable problem of advice being too expensive for the average investor. However, despite these tailwinds, the take up of digital advice in Australia has been relatively modest. This compares to the United States where a significant proportion of investors are embracing technology-enabled advice solutions, such as Betterment and Wealthfront. Home-grown Australian providers, such as Clover and Stockspot, have made inroads with their low cost, automated investment offerings. The challenge remains for consumers […]
Quantifeed eyes Australian expansion with $13.5m raising
The fintech is looking to expand its B2B robo-advice business in Australia as a part of a $13.5 million venture capital raising announced today. The series B funding was led by Taiwanese giant Cathay Financial Holdings, with participation from US-based asset manager Legg Mason, and will go towards Australia and Asia Pacific growth. “We will be growing the Australian team over the next six to 12 months and also open an office [on an undisclosed timeline],” Quantifeed co-founder and chief executive Alex Ypsilanti told Financial Standard. The five-year-old fintech has now raised a total of $24 million. This includes today’s $13.5 million, a series A funding of $6 million in […]
Automated advice to help Australians’ money grow
Cotton farmer George Stacey grows crops for a living and he’s also focused on watching his finances flourish. A long way from the hustle and bustle of city life, the 24-year-old works on a 97,000 hectare farm in Goondiwindi, 300km southwest of Brisbane, and said he loves investing in companies all over the world “from my couch in remote western Queensland.” Following in his father’s footsteps of investing, Mr Stacey said “ever since I was a young kid when the finance news would come I had a bit of an interest in it and my dad invested in a share portfolio”. “When I went out west and I started to […]
How AI is becoming an asset to the finance industry
As AI transforms an increasing number of domains, players in the finance industry are moving fast to keep pace. While many people are aware of the term artificial intelligence (AI), this is largely in relation to the more extreme use-cases of AI such as flying cars and Sophia the AI robot. Yet, much of our contact of AI – and our understanding of it – revolves around products that affect our everyday lives as consumers. An example of this is within the finance industry. Many key players are leveraging the power of AI to improve their services. Here are three ways AI is disrupting the finance industry: Customer service chatbots […]
Think you’ve innovated? Enter the finder Awards 2018 to show ‘em what you’ve got
We’ve seen our fair share of fintech innovations over the past few years. From robo-advice to peer-to-peer (P2P) lending to Blockchain, innovation has been offered in spades within the Australian marketplace. The finder Awards 2018 celebrates excellence in local business innovation by recognising creativity and impact across key industries including banking, property, retail, travel and of course, fintech. Comparison site, finder.com.au, invites the nation’s most forward-thinking businesses, both big and small, to step forward and showcase their best innovation. From Best Tech Innovation to Best Personal Finance App, there are seven innovation categories now open for submission. These include; Best Tech Innovation Best Online Shopping Innovation Most Innovative Team/Person Best […]
Pensioners prime market for robo-advice
There is considerable opportunity to provide robo-advice to pensioners seeking affordable, accessible and personalised advice, according to GlobalData. The company’s 2017 Life & UK Pensions Survey found that 63 per cent of individuals accessing financial advice used it to discuss pensions, which usually was through visiting online platforms that provided automated advice. GlobalData pointed to the cheaper fees and ability to engage with services more frequently through robo-advice as key to its appeal to pensioners. Insurance analyst for GlobalData, Danielle Cripps, said that pension providers should look to robo-advice to offer assistance on not just saving for retirement, but also helping people at and in retirement. To read more, […]
