Insights

The fact that the UK’s API standards are in prime position to be embraced across the European Union puts the country’s banks and fintechs – already conforming to those standards – at a distinct advantage over their counterparts in the rest of Europe. “The UK is the first mover on this [Open Banking] across Europe... read more

The mentality of racking up overheads in order to acquire customers leads banks to act on their own and not the customer’s best interest later down the line, says Andy Mielczarek, CEO of Chetwood Financial, the new challenger and lender. “When I reflect on the 2008 crisis and the mis selling and position of banking in the UK, it... read more

Systems consolidation is the name of the game if firms are to meet the reporting requirements of the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation (SFTR), according to Broadridge senior product director, Dean Bruyns. “Obviously it takes work and it takes budget. These are hurdles that all banks have,” says Bruyns. “Budgets... read more

Financial institutions need to improve data quality and availability not only to meet operational goals, but to contribute to core competencies in managing investment performance, reducing risk and meeting compliance goals. Our research shows firms are looking to adopt new and additional capabilities to derive higher levels of business value from... read more

A request for input from the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), seeking to improve its understanding of the ethereum blockchain, has demonstrated a “fundamental” lack of knowledge at the regulator. “It seems to not have a very good understanding of ethereum overall,” says John Quarnstrom, founder of ethereum... read more

Any extension to the scrutiny period for the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation (SFTR) comes as a blessing as “there is still so much” for banks to do. "Some banks will find it difficult to retain their resources [during a delay]. After enough time they get moved on to other projects,” says Dean Bruyns, senior... read more

Alternative data has quickly become the hot new area in data science. As the world is becoming more transparent and digital, the number of virtual footprints increases, as does the availability of data. Satellite imagery, social media posts, geolocation tracking – they all make for new, exciting sources of information that contain all... read more

If there’s one word to describe the direction that the payments industry has headed over the past year, I think it’s this: convenience. Consumers want to be able to make purchases on-the-go with just a tap of their smartphones. Workers want easier ways to access their earnings and support their lifestyles. Companies want faster, more... read more

Two in three (66%) of UK banking decision makers believe the tech giants will be offering retail banking services by 2024, according to a recent survey. The tech sector – led by Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple (GAFA) – are well poised to embrace Open Banking, according to banking commentator Elizabeth Lumley, director of fintech... read more