Latest long reads: Finextra Research

Jamie Crawley Reporter at Finextra

The pros and cons of CBDCs

Multiple central banks are looking closely at developing digital currencies to address the threat posed by projects such as Libra. There are many benefits to be found in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), likely to be magnified amidst the Coronavirus pandemic as more and more transactions are carried out electronically and cash usage continu...

27 April 2020 /crypto

Why 'Dutch panic' surrounding PSD2 & GDPR interplay may be an overreaction

Paige McNamee Senior Reporter at Finextra

Why 'Dutch panic' surrounding PSD2 & GDPR interplay may be an overreaction

Earlier this year, Dutch data protection agency De Autoriteit Persoonsgegeven launched an investigation into whether fintech companies in the Netherlands are correctly collecting personal data under PSD2, and whether this approach conflicts with GDPR requirements. When asked why De Autoriteit Persoonsgegeven (AP) commenced this investigation, Quint...

20 April 2020 /regulation

How social impact investing initiatives are leading by example

Richard Peers Founder at ResponsibleRisk Ltd

How social impact investing initiatives are leading by example

Sarah Gordon, CEO, Impact Investing Institute (III), and I sat down across a virtual desk last week to discuss her role, who the III are what they plan to achieve. Sarah started by explaining that the III builds on from previous initiatives around social impact investing that were set after the UK leadership of the G8 in 2012, to see what was stop...

20 April 2020 /sustainable

Australian neobanks face a sterner challenger than their UK equivalents did

Jamie Crawley Reporter at Finextra

Australian neobanks face a sterner challenger than their UK equivalents did

A number of neobanks in Australia, such as Volt and 86 400, are trying to make dents in an extremely consolidated banking market dominated by the four major incumbents – CommBank, ANZ, Westpac and NAB. Comparisons may be drawn between this digital banking shakeup and that which occurred in the UK in 2014-15, but Australia’s incumbents have set a h...

06 April 2020 /retail

What are the implications of digital transformation on payments?

Madhvi Mavadiya Head of Content at Finextra

What are the implications of digital transformation on payments?

Financial institutions have been forced to step up their game in order to keep up with consumer demand and push out several different products and services, leveraging emerging technologies, to provide customers with choice. Today, retail customers can deposit cheques, transfer funds and apply for loans from their mobile devices, signifying that w...

02 April 2020 /payments

Richard Peers Founder at ResponsibleRisk Ltd

Pensions for the Planet

When Richard Curtis, co-founder of Red Nose Day, Make Poverty history and writer/director of a few much loved films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral states that Pensions are going to have the biggest impact on climate change and the UN SDGs, you lean in to learn more. Last week I tuned into an online briefing via The Conduit Club a club for c...

01 April 2020 /sustainable

Rethinking Business at a Rethought conference

Richard Peers Founder at ResponsibleRisk Ltd

Rethinking Business at a Rethought conference

As we all switch to online conferences, I tuned into a day long event hosted by Imperial College entitled ‘Beyond Sustainability: Radically Rethinking the Purpose of Business’. Mike Coupe, the CEO of Sainsburys, set the scene outlining the journey of the Retailer from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through Environment Social and Governance ...

31 March 2020 /sustainable

Request to Pay: What does it mean for instant payments?

Paige McNamee Senior Reporter at Finextra

Request to Pay: What does it mean for instant payments?

The introduction of Request to Pay (R2P) services this year is poised to play a starring role in the broader transformation of the UK and EU’s payments landscape. Reduction of costs, fraud and chargebacks alongside the delivery of better transaction data are the obvious improvements, yet, it is the potential that R2P holds to act as a catalyst for ...

26 March 2020 /payments

Cybersecurity: The never-ending challenge

Jamie Crawley Reporter at Finextra

Cybersecurity: The never-ending challenge

As the financial world changes, becoming more interconnected and inclusive, the ever-moving target of cybersecurity will continue to evolve. Mitigation will therefore demand a collaborative approach from financial services companies across the industry. While financial services is generally among the best performing industries in cyber management, ...

23 March 2020 /security

Is Python storming ahead of Java in fintech?

Madhvi Mavadiya Head of Content at Finextra

Is Python storming ahead of Java in fintech?

The use of Python is catching up to Java in banking and fintech applications, but what are the reasons behind the emergence of Python? While three million developers have joined the Java community in the past year, in the banking sector, Python is fast closing in on Java’s position in top spot. Python’s backstory in banking Across all sectors, Pyt...

18 March 2020 /devops

Global downturn will be a test for the robo-advice model

Jamie Crawley Reporter at Finextra

Global downturn will be a test for the robo-advice model

With experts fearful of the Coronavirus outbreak setting the wheels in motion to a global recession, many customers of robo-advisers, unused to prolonged periods of volatility in markets, could be in for a shock and will look for appropriate advice and guidance. Last weekend, I logged on to my Nutmeg portfolio for the first time in a fortnight or ...

16 March 2020 /wealth

Could Brexit open the gates to AI in the UK?

Paige McNamee Senior Reporter at Finextra

Could Brexit open the gates to AI in the UK?

The UK is outwardly pursuing an adequacy decision from Europe regarding its current data protection and privacy regulations. However, the idea of eschewing outright assimilation with relevant EU laws is gaining traction as it provides an opportunity to sculpt a more appealing privacy framework. As it stands, come 31 December 2020, the UK will have...

09 March 2020 /regulation

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