APRA prepares to approve three new banks
There’s a prospect of there will be three new banks in the Australian market by Christmas, operating under unrestricted, full banking licences. That these could be held by three start-ups less than a year old – Volt Bank, 86400 and Judo Capital – shows just how fast the regulatory environment is changing under policy leadership of new Prime Minister Scott Morrison. As Treasurer, he championed the need for more competition to pressure incumbent banks to become more customer-centric. Before Morrison’s 2017 budget paved the way for new entrants to enter the deposit market by streamlining application procedures, APRA had granted only one new banking licence to a local player in […]
Fintechs target millennials with online financial services
Millennials, a demographic group born between 1980 and 2000, make up one of the largest living generations and have now overtaken the baby boomers. Millennials are likely to fall into three categories: • Inheritors: With wealthy parents, they are major consumers while they wait to inherit. • Strivers: Coming from a more modest background, they are studying, saving and working hard with ambitions for promotion. They will borrow to support their lifestyle, not unlike inheritors. • Given-ups: They are more likely earning a low salary but continue to consume as much as the other two categories. Buying a house is not on the agenda, so they do not see the […]
Touchcorp, Afterpay merger worth $500m
Melbourne-based fintech start-up Afterpay has announced a proposed merger with Touchcorp, in a deal set to create a new ASX-listed software and payments firm valued at $500 million. Afterpay MD Nick Molnar said the two companies had been working together, and the proposed merger would help the combined entity rapidly scale into new markets and grow faster than otherwise possible. Founded in 2014, Afterpay is a retail payments outfit that facilitates commerce between retail merchants and end customers, offering a “buy now, receive now, pay later” service that does not require end customers to enter into traditional loan arrangements or pay upfront fees to the group. It landed on the […]
Moneysoft analysis shows worth of financial coaching as personal debt reaches record levels
High-quality financial coaching and automated tracking software can help Australians almost halve their discretionary spending, according to an analysis of Moneysoft’s client database. The ability to overhaul negative spending habits has never been more important as Australians’ total household debt recently reached a record 185 per cent of annual household disposable income. However, 101 Moneysoft clients working with a financial adviser were able to reduce their average spending on irregular discretionary items such as entertainment, travel, hobbies and existing credit card repayments from $11,400 to $5,730 after 12 months. The most marked reduction in discretionary spending was in the 25-35 age bracket. Source: Moneysoft analysis of 101 clients over first […]
Co-working boom, but no room
Nearly three-quarters of start-ups are now based in co-working spaces, up from half a year ago, according to a major survey of founders, and the sites are running out of room. The 2016 Startup Muster survey released on Wednesday shows the NSW government’s plan for a 15,000 square metre start-up hub in or near the Sydney CBD is desperately needed. Co-working spaces were home for 72.3 per cent of the 685 verified start-ups that responded to the survey, up from 49 per cent in the 2015 Startup Muster. The arrival of international co-working brands such as Rocketspace and WeWork have helped popularise the concept, according to Brad Delamare, general manager […]
First State Super commits $250m to fintech
Speaking at Sydney fintech hub Stone & Chalk yesterday, Prime Minister Turnbull said the $250 million partnership between First State Super and H2 Ventures “recognises there has been an insufficient appetite to date for this type of risk in Australia”. “But that is changing. There is $2 trillion in superannuation assets. As we start to see more investors in innovative ventures we will see the fruits of that,” Mr Turnbull said. “We’ve seen this year an explosion in venture capital funding, with more than $400 million raised so far. “That’s expected to rise to $600 million by the end of this financial year. That’s the highest amount raised in seven […]
