AFL great says Hayne will help robo-advice make mark
The findings of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry could play into the hands of robo-advice, reckons Ted Richards, the former AFL great turned director at Australian robo-advice platform Six Park Asset Management. “The royal commission has been sad for certain parts of Australia, but a fantastic opportunity as well,” the former Essendon Bombers and Sydney Swans player says. “We’ve been able to receive a lot of attention off the back of the (Hayne) inquiry.” Richards expects Commissioner Kenneth Hayne’s report and its ramifications to upset the traditional advice delivery model. “Robo-advice really grew in the US on the back of the financial […]
BGW Group chooses Link4’s e-Invoicing solution
BGW Group, an Australian wholesaler, has partnered with e-Invoicing company, Link4, to provide seamless invoicing for their customers. Following initial testing, three BGW Group companies are now using Link4’s e-Invoicing system which gives customers instant access to invoices without the need for data entry. CNW Electrical Wholesale, Samios Plumbing Supplies and Sherriff Electrical Wholesalers are already connected to Link4 and are sending their invoices instantly to their connected customers. As this partnership moves forward, BGW Group will be inviting more of their customers to join Link4’s e-Invoicing network. Many Australian businesses are adopting e-Invoicing and joining this wave to automate their business processes even further. For BGW Group customers, streamlining […]
Prospa top fintech in 2018 LinkedIn Top Startups List
Prospa has been named 6th on the 2018 LinkedIn Top Startups List, which honours the 25 most sought-after startups to work for in Australia. Prospa is also the highest placing Fintech in the ranking. The LinkedIn Top Startups list is derived from a blended score looking at factors including interest in the company, engagement with employees, job interest and retention, and is informed by the billions of actions taken by more than 575 million professionals on LinkedIn. Now in its sixth year, Prospa has established itself as a leader in the online small business lending space. Prospa has delivered consistent high growth with customer satisfaction highlighted by an NPS score […]
Fintech start-ups threaten mortgage broking old guard amid royal commission heat
The emergence of fintech disrupters to the lucrative mortgage broking industry is being driven by three key dynamics. First, banks pay $2 billion a year in commissions to mortgage brokers for the delivery of home loan borrowers – but want to pay less. Second, the Hayne royal commission is investigating whether current broker pay structures create conflicts of interest and exploring better ways to serve customers. Third, technology is making self-service easier, and “open banking” will put customers in control of their data, including all the information required to make a mortgage application. So enter the mortgage broking entrepreneurs and a bunch of start-ups ruffling the feathers of the powerful […]
Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer says cashless society is just round the corner
Plenty of intriguing insights about fintech were delivered at The Australian Financial Review’s Banking & Wealth Summit last week. So, here’s a selection of highlights, in no particular order. Brian Hartzer says cash is disappearing from the economy “faster than any of us anticipated”. A recent trip to Copenhagen by the Westpac chief revealed the decline of cash in Denmark is being driven by customers. Danske Bank’s MobilePay is being used by more than 80 per cent of Danes to pay each other, after five years in the market. Hartzer reckons 95 per cent of Westpac transactions will be online or mobile within a decade. Other Westpac bankers are also […]
Chinese blockchain delegation hunts Aussie opportunities
A high-powered delegation of Chinese technology executives is in Australia this week for discussions on blockchain, including how China plans to apply it to trading relationships. The companies are a who’s who of China’s fintech elite. Senior managers from Ant Financial, WeBank, JD.com, ZhongAn, Wanxiang and OnChain have made the trip south. They’re being led by Ming Li, director of the China Electronics Standardisation Institute, which has responsibility for setting blockchain industry standards under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Blockchain records and verifies transactions in synchronised databases providing transparency and security. The architecture will end up underpinning an “internet of value”, which proponents reckon will be as important […]
Top fintech predictions for 2018
Here’s some crystal ball gazing, courtesy of KPMG’s global fintech team. In its latest Pulse of fintech report, released last week, the firm sets out 10 factors it reckons will drive financial technology this year, after $US31 billion of deals were struck in 2017. There are now 25 fintech unicorns around the world, collectively valued at $US76 billion (none are from Australia). On the KPMG list is the acceleration of artificial intelligence technology and the growing number of devices connected to the internet of things. It expects AI and IoT enablement “to continue at a rapid pace” as financial services offerings are embedded into home automation systems. A couple of […]
Sunshine Coast business promising easier bill payment
A Sunshine Coast business is promising to take their innovative bill payment platform to the next level with Queensland Government backing from the Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas Fund. Innovation Minister Leeanne Enoch said Noosa Heads business Promis Network’s automated bill payment platform had the potential to change the lives of business operators across Queensland, nationally and globally. “Promis Network have been working on the automated bill payment platform for over a year and have some customers already established on the Sunshine Coast. This Ignite Ideas funding will allow the business to take their amazing idea to new markets,” she said. Promis Network’s automated bill payment platform allows invoices to be […]
