Fintech Review
Bio
Insight, analysis and news about Fintech topics
Stories (29/0)
Are fintechs better at lending than banks?
Banks have been lending money to people and businesses for a long, long time. A lot of the incumbent banks can trace their roots back to the 19th century. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which is the oldest bank in existence, was founded in 1472. Although they often rely on cranky processes and old systems, these guys know how to lend money. It might be quite narrow, within a very finite set of parameters, but they know what they are doing in that space. Hate them or love them, that’s a fact. When fintech lenders emerged with their slick user experience and nimble operating model, it was widely assumed that lending would change for the better. It is true that one of the assumption was that fintechs would rely on newer technology, like machine learning, and thus completely revolutionise lending. But, are fintechs better at lending than banks?
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
What can you do with AI in Financial Services?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is probably the biggest buzzword in the business and finance world. Yes, even more than blockchain. AI is not particularly new and can trace its roots back to the mid 1950s. However, it is true that developments in computing over the past 20 years have led the field to progress tremendously. It also helped to move AI from the academia to the business world. This has happened through practical applications, including in financial services. It is often misused and confused with simple rules-based mechanisms. However, there are plenty of use cases for AI in financial services. The applications are almost endless but let’s have a look at the most developed and popular ones.
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
5 Finance Skills to better understand Fintech
It’s very true that Fintech is a lot about tech, as per the little war for talent happening in the industry. So it’s obviously helpful if you have tech skills like coding. However, let’s not forget that we are talking about finance here. Without finance, there is no financial technology. Maybe it seems obvious, but it is worth noting that more often than not, people put a stronger emphasis on the technology side of things when talking about Fintech. Although very important, remember that technology is deployed to support financial services, and therefore the finance journey is central. Knowledge of finance is key to understand the big picture. If you need to pick a few, what are the 5 finance skills to better understand fintech? But not only, the top skills and principles that will more generally help you thrive with your personal and business finances?
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
Can Fintech help with Financial Inclusion?
One of the biggest premise of fintech, perhaps somehow implied, is that it would change banking for the better. You know the story: the year is 2009, greedy banks have created a massive mess. And that’s an understatement, just watch The Big Short for a quick recap. In the following years, fintechs will emerge as a credible alternative to the old banking system across much of financial services. One of the most visible part being retail banking and consumer finance, with the likes of Revolut, Monzo or Chime. Fintechs have risen on the hopes that they would do things differently and truly improve people’s life. But are fintechs just traditional financial services with a shiny paint — lipstick on a pig — or do they actually care about people’s financial well-being? For instance, can fintech help with financial inclusion?
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
Top Fintech Hubs in the World
By now, you should know who are the top European startups (more like big companies actually) in fintech. And you probably have heard of a few other well-known fintechs outside Europe like Stripe or the gigantic Ant Group (that is or is not going to have the biggest IPO of all time, mystery remains). Where do they tend to be based or start off from? Where are the top fintech hubs in the world?
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
Are partnerships between Banks and Fintechs a good idea?
When Fintech first really emerged as an industry 15 years ago, it was all about how it would replace banking and existing financial services. As an aside, “ really emerged” meaning that in the purest sense, technology has been deployed in financial services for a while. Post-crisis, the new kids on the block (not the actual NKOTB) were here for disruption. It was Banks vs Fintechs. Us against them. However, the great replacement never happened, and so began the era of collaboration and partnerships. But are partnerships between banks and fintechs really a good idea?
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
Will Fintechs be wiped out by Coronavirus?
The Coronavirus outbreak is disrupting lives across the world and is having a significant impact on the global economy. The damages are expected to be long-lasting and the recovery very slow, most likely over a number of years. It could accelerate the death of cash as a form of payment. By some accounts, it could be the worst economic crisis in 300 years. This would mean a much bigger impact on businesses around the globe than the Great Financial Crisis or even World War II. Fintech was born out of the last economic crisis, but how is this crisis going to impact the industry? Will fintechs wiped out by Coronavirus or will it come out stronger?
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
Are low interest rates any good for Banks and Fintechs?
As the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll on economies around the world, central banks are cutting their base (or discount) rates to new lows. This is the rate at which a commercial bank can borrow from a central bank, like the Fed in the USA or the ECB in the Eurozone, when it needs to. These rates were already significantly lower than before the Great Financial Crisis. Some central banks are even going negative, which is particularly uncommon. A monetary policy experiments from economics books. Are low interest rates any good for banks and fintechs? Or is a low interest rate environment negatively impacting financial services?
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
Is Blockchain a revolution for financial services?
There is a lot of hype around blockchain technology. Some of it is driven by crypto, and more notably Bitcoin (if you have not heard about it yet, you are living in a bubble). Some of the hype comes from the potential applications of the technology in several industries. However, these two things are quite different. Let’s have a look at how blockchain might transform financial services.
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
Fintech funding reaches new records
It seems that when it comes to funding for Fintech startups, sky is the limit… According to data released by international consulting firm KPMG, fintech companies in the UK have attracted a record $48.5bn (£37.4bn) of investments in 2019, up 91 per cent from $25.4bn a year earlier. That’s quite a big jump, even in the Fintech world. Volumes were also up, as the number of deals reached a six-year high. You can see similar trends across other European countries, Asia, and the USA.
By Fintech Review3 years ago in Trader
Blockchain and Crypto, know the difference!
Let’s clear a common mistake. Probably the biggest misconception in technogy and finance that there is nowadays. There tends to be lots of confusion between blockchain and crypto (abbreviation of cryptocurrency). The confusion stems from the fact that the former powers the latter. You need to know the difference though: many people use these two terms interchangeably, which is absolutely wrong!
By Fintech Review3 years ago in The Chain