Which fintech innovations are really adding value to customers?
Financial services, of all sectors, has seen some of the most significant technology innovations in recent years. Banks and insurance companies have been very keen to leverage technology in such a way that is mutually beneficial to both vendor and consumer, and now even superannuation is getting involved in the technology revolution. While there is a lot of innovation happening for the sake of it, not all of it is useful for the end user. It sounds simple, but what we learned as we developed our automated SMSF solution is a lesson that a lot of other financial services apps seem to forget at times; good design principles that keep […]
Fintech is going to be much bigger than you think
If payments can be made anywhere, anytime, across any device, why do you need a currency? Or even a bank? The “fintech” revolution is upon us – but what we’ve seen may only be the start of it. Fintech – a term coined with the listing of peer-to-peer lending platform LendingClub on the New York Stock Exchange in late 2014 – is not only a portmanteau of ‘financial technology,” it describes a whole new industry composed of companies that use technology to make financial services more efficient. It’s big, it’s growing and it’s disruptive. “Fintech is set to change finance as profoundly as the issuance of the first permanent banknotes […]
2 Upcoming FinTech IPOs
For decades financial services in numerous flavours were the exclusive province of the banking sector. To get a loan, pay bills, apply for credit cards, or transfer money, consumers and corporations alike turned to banks. It is hard to imagine the rise of the Internet is little more than 20 years old and the rise of smartphones is even more recent – less than 10 years. As a direct result new industries are emerging, among them FinTech, or financial technology. FinTech companies offer alternatives to the banks and as such stand ready to massively disrupt the way financial services are delivered. Direct peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding are changing the way […]
Fintech MoneyMe progresses diversified lending platform, entering phase ‘2.0’
Consumer fintech startup, MoneyMe, has announced it’s launch into what they’re calling ‘MoneyMe 2.0’, with the release of a new $10,000 loan product, expanding it’s portfolio of all-purpose consumer loan products designed for the tech- savvy, convenience-driven millennial market. The product expansion signals MoneyMe’s transition from being a simple small loans provider, to a diversified consumer lending fintech driven by an advanced in-house technology platform that automates loan application approvals and reduces interest costs through intelligent customer profiling algorithms. “MoneyMe’s ultimate objective has never been to remain in one segment of the lending market, rather from day one we envisaged using technology to revolutionise the way finance is delivered to […]
Aussie FinTech Octet goes global with new partner in China
Octet, a global financial technology company, has welcomed Asiafactor (CN) Limited as the latest licensee of the Octet platform. A successful Chinese supply chain finance organisation, Asiafactor will leverage Octet’s revolutionary supply chain management and financing platform to enable its customers to manage and pay international suppliers, saving time and freeing up their cashflow. Asiafactor will offer the Octet-enabled platform to serve both existing domestic small to medium enterprises, as well as to a vast range of prospective exporters throughout China. Customers leveraging the platform will be able to use their existing credit cards or other financing facilities to pay global suppliers at competitive exchange rates, removing the need for […]
Blockchain technology – why all the hype?
As one of the most talked about emerging technologies, some say blockchain technology could revolutionize everything from stock exchange settlements and transport logistics to voting or welfare payments. So what is it and why is it relevant to financial advisers? Internationally, the benefits and wide range of possible uses for blockchain technology have been touted for a couple of years now. Within Australia, it’s gained some ground after a recent Australian Securities Exchange decision to examine its use for a new clearing and settlement system that’s faster and cheaper than the existing CHESS system. To enable this effort, the ASX bought a five per cent stake ($14.9 million) in Blythe […]
Blockchain technology to hit bank profits
Revolutionary blockchain technology threatens to slash the profits of banks and wipe out lenders which fail to quickly adopt the online record-keeping innovation, a high-powered panel of finance and technology experts warned. Jose Fernandez Da Ponte, global digital business executive at Spanish banking giant BBVA, said digital disruption to financial institutions by blockchain posed “extremely large” threats and opportunities. “Those institutions not up to that are likely to cease to exist,” he said at a conference in Washington. At a panel convened by the International Monetary Fund, financiers, technologists and regulators debated the ramifications of the evolving blockchain. IMF deputy managing director David Lipton said banks and regulators were grappling […]
