Latest News
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UK regulators launch inquiry into Big Tech digital wallets
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Citi taps Barclays for new commercial head
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Santander launches digital sign language service
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Anne Boden steps down from Starling board to 'develop AI business'
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NatWest payments arm partners with JD Wetherspoon
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Government stake in NatWest drops below 20 per cent
Archive Features
Following the news last week that several leading US banks came up against data gaps and modelling challenges during a climate scenario analysis pilot, FStech news editor Alexandra Leonards speaks to industry experts to investigate why the banking industry is still struggling to understand climate-related financial risks
16/5/2024
Following the Treasury’s recent launch of a new Open Finance taskforce, FStech news editor Alexandra Leonards speaks to HSBC’s director of Open Banking to explore why it could help to align the industry and how widespread adoption of Open Finance is possible in the next five years
8/5/2024
FStech News Editor Alexandra Leonards explores how scam techniques are evolving with the advent of generative AI and whether the UK’s upcoming mandatory reimbursement scheme will push fraudsters even closer to the technology.
13/12/2023
Against a backdrop of conflicting levels of confidence in cryptocurrency in a post-FTX world, August saw the launch of leading payments processor PayPay’s own US dollar stablecoin, PYUSD.
25/09/2023
With banks already launching pilots to see where GenAI could strengthen operations, the technology promises to completely transform the way banks do business. FStech news editor Alexandra Leonards reports
8/9/2023
As digital assets suffer massive losses in both value and confidence, quant funds have emerged as a potential alternative for tech-savvy investors. Dalvinder Kular reports.
15/08/2023
FStech news editor Alexandra Leonards caught up with Tony Craddock, founder of The Payments Association, to talk about everything from the impact of generative AI on the market to how payments firms need to do more for consumers during the cost-of-living crisis.
12/7/2023
Reports recently emerged that the Bank of England (BoE) was considering a ‘dilution’ of its approach to the implementation of the Basel 3 standards. Basel 3 is the latest iteration of the Basel rules – a set of guidelines which were introduced in the wake of 2008’s Global Financial Crisis as a means of safeguarding against future emergency by dictating bank capital requirements. The latest version, Basel 3, is set to come into force in 2025.
26/06/2023
During the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns, jobs losses and employment instability caused the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) sector to flourish as consumers looked for ways to spread the cost of purchases. While this credit segment has since peaked, it remains a formidable force in 2023. BNPL has reshaped the commerce landscape by allowing consumers to defer or spread the cost of payments without incurring any additional interest both from online and physical retailers.
18/04/2023
The UK’s financial watchdog has made a lot of noise about its strategy on crypto ATMs over the past year, with actions taken in the first few months of 2023 proving how serious the regulator is about clamping down on these illegal machines. Alexandra Leonards, news editor at FStech, reports
04/04/2023
Can the FCA’s recently launched investigation into the wholesale data market achieve its goal of levelling the playing field for the acquisition of data? Ross Henry Law, senior reporter at FStech, reports.
29/03/2023
The UK has strengthened its measures to meet international standards and stamp out economic crime, but high-profile money laundering failures linked to some of the country’s largest banks indicate that there could be room for improvement. Alexandra Leonards reports.
13/2/2023
High-profile cryptocurrency exchange FTX recently reached an ignominious end, becoming the latest crypto lender to file for bankruptcy in the past few months. Senior reporter Ross Henry Law spoke to Marcus Schmalbach, chief executive of Ryskex, to explore whether the spectacular collapse of FTX marks the end of crypto and to identify some of the alternative use cases for blockchain technology.
23/03/2023
2022 saw the financial services industry deal with a range of complex challenges ranging from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and its impact on inflation, to the continued ripple effects of Brexit and changing consumer habits.
23/1/2023
Will McCurdy explores the potential of a cyberattack to severely disrupt the functioning of the UK’s national infrastructure
21/01/2022
From digital currencies and embedded finance to leaps forward in alternative payments, AI and ESG, 2021 was a busy year for innovation and further digital transformation of the sector. To assess the impact of these changes we’ve asked a range of experts from across the industry for their reflections on the past year and thoughts on what’s to come in the next 12 months…
05/01/2022
The sheer size of the City of London puts it in pole position to spearhead action on climate change. Alexandra Leonards reports
11/8/2021
Quantum computing could change the game for several key activities in the City of London according to some experts. However, some commentators remain less convinced. Will McCurdy explores whether quantum computing is set to have a concrete impact on the UK financial services industry any time soon.
07/08/2021
Will McCurdy explores the potential effect of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) on the UK financial services industry, if it could help the City of London stay competitive, and what challenges its introduction might hold.
19/05/2021
To mark International Women’s Day, Alexandra Leonards spoke to a group of women leading the way in financial services, discovering some of the challenges they have faced, and exploring why men still dominate the boardroom
8/3/2021
Alexandra Leonards explores what regulation might mean for the future of Buy Now Pay Later and looks at how the market has responded to the government’s decision to green-light new rules.
4/3/2021
The asset management industry has not been immune to the COVID challenges faced by the financial services industry. In fact, as one of the sectors slowest to digitally transform and be disrupted by challengers, things like app operational resilience and secure remote working have been particularly difficult. To tackle some of these issues, FStech virtually sat down with Arrow Global head of data governance Dave Parker.
04/01/21
The asset management industry has not been immune to the COVID challenges faced by the financial services industry. In fact, as one of the sectors slowest to digitally transform and be disrupted by challengers, things like app operational resilience and secure remote working have been particularly difficult. To tackle some of these issues, FStech virtually sat down with Arrow Global head of data governance Dave Parker.
04/01/21
My role involves ensuring that existing technology within Markets and Securities Services is fit for purpose from a regulatory, commercial and functional standpoint and meets the performance required to support the business. This means ensuring our platform is optimised to deliver the best outcomes for our business, while also managing the inherent technology related risks.
3/12/2020
As the world’s largest building society, Nationwide is expected to take the lead on product and service innovation. The man tasked with leading the digital side of that is the mutual’s chief information officer Gary Delooze, who virtually sat down with FStech editor Peter Walker to talk through how such a large and legacy organisation tries to keep up with the disruptive challenger banks.
15/10/20
While the Coronavirus crisis has plunged FinTech funding into some disarray, the announcement earlier this month that Santander was to spin-out its venture capital arm and double its capital commitment to $400 million was seen as something of a vote of confidence in the sector. To find out more about the change and the industry in general, FStech editor virtually sat down with Manuel Silva Martínez, general partner at the newly-named Mouro Capital.
29/09/20
Julie Ashmore is the managing director of NatWest Rapid Cash, a FinTech venture focused on giving businesses an overdraft alternative – something which has been of increasing relevance over the last few months of turmoil. FStech editor Peter Walker had a conversation with her about its formation, development and future.
21/08/20
Traditional insurance companies are currently facing threats on several different fronts, from Coronavirus-related payouts to cyber security challenges and InsurTech disruption. The most immediate concern is that the pandemic is hitting every industry in many different ways.
15/06/20
Several research reports in recent weeks have weighed in on how FinTech firms are likely to weather the Coronavirus crisis, so FStech decided to do something of a meta-analysis to get to the bottom of this crucial issue. The COVID-19 pandemic hit at a time of apparent rude health for the sector, with new startups coming through and scale-up players reaching unicorn status, but as none of them were around for the last recession, it remains to be seen which companies have the cash and customer base to survive the virus intact.
13/05/20
Devised by the mysterious presumed pseudonym Satoshi Nakamato in 2008, blockchain’s immediate application was to serve as a transaction ledger for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Yet, despite more than a decade of talk about how blockchain was set to disrupt and revolutionise numerous industries, the technology has yet to really make its mark on any big business – with scalability, security and regulatory concerns holding it back.
15/04/20
A small group of large US tech firms are increasingly targeting the financial services market, with concerns being raised over the operational resilience risks associated with such concentration among so few third-party providers.
27/03/20
Digital trade is at a crossroads, as SWIFT hands over the mantle for the Bank Payment Obligation (BPO) - the electronic trade finance instrument it has championed since 2013 - to trade solutions company essDOCS. As of July this year, all SWIFT-handled BPOs are expected to go through essDOCS’ own new platform Cmatch, in a move welcomed by established trade bank users of the instrument.
06/02/20
The outsourced technology platforms that underpin the UK’s wealth and asset managers are increasingly key to movement in the market, as mergers and acquisitions (M&A) concentrate power among a handful of major players. FNZ’s deal to buy rival provider GBST at the end of July for around £150 million ended a three-way battle which also included Bravura and SS&C and saw a 94.9 per cent premium to the closing price of the company’s shares on 11 April, when Bravura made an initial approach.
04/10/19
Sibos 2019 provided a fascinating snapshot of the challenges facing banks and financial services firms as they adapt to the wave of emerging technologies in the industry as well as the opportunities and digital disruption they bring with them.The official theme of this year’s conference was “thriving in a hyperconnected world”, but it was easy to spot other strategic preoccupations: payments featured heavily but also on the agenda were: the growing debate around the ethical use artificial intelligence (AI); the potential of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and Open Banking to transform the industry; and, how to draw more value out of data while maintaining regulatory compliance as well as the challenge of finding the best human talent to help all of this happen.
27/09/2019
Concerns over many buy-side firms’ readiness to meet new margin requirements governing trading in uncleared, or bilateral, over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives have recently led regulators to push back the timescales involved. Under the new rules, banks, hedge funds, pension funds and asset managers must introduce operational processes and systems to handle margin requirements - the posting of collateral with a third party - for all their bi-lateral derivative deals. This involves calculating the amount of collateral they must post against these trades - the margin - and then posting that collateral with a segregated third party custodian before settling the transaction.
30/08/19
Tomorrow marks one year since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) deadline across Europe, so what’s changed since then?
24/05/19
A spate of recent regulatory action on banks found to be in breach of transaction reporting and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules has highlighted the need for more automated RegTech solutions. Earlier this month, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined Standard Chartered £102 million for AML breaches in two higher risk areas of its business. It found “serious and sustained shortcomings” in the bank’s AML controls relating to customer due diligence and ongoing monitoring, with a failure to implement risk-sensitive policies and procedures.
18/04/19
New research has revealed that after inheriting, 28 per cent of high net worth (HNW) clients’ children discontinue the relationship with their parents’ wealth manager, with many moving the money to digital challengers. Much like the moves being made by UK High Street banks to hold onto younger customers tempted away by mobile-only players in the new Open Banking environment, asset managers may have to update their propositions to survive the Baby Boomer intergenerational wealth transfer.
11/04/19
The mortgage process is perhaps the part of financial services that consumers would most like to see made cheaper and easier through digital disruption, so why has the so-called LendTech sector been so slow to take hold?
21/01/19
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of new rules requiring ‘buy-side’ firms - such as pension funds, hedge funds and private equity - to purchase research as an 'unbundled' product, detached from an execution fee. This change, mandated in the second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II), created a huge shift requiring ‘sell-side’ investment banks to price and sell their research into equities, currency and other financial investments – rather than provide it free to clients.
03/01/19
As we near the New Year, it’s time to gaze into our communal crystal balls and make some bold predictions for the big FinTech trends of 2019. Having canvassed the industry, what follows are the most interesting suggestions for what may take place in the months ahead.
19/12/18
The rivalry between established financial institutions and digital startups dominated proceedings at this year’s FinTech Connect conference, with a variety of opinions aired during panels and speeches over the last two days.
07/12/18
Established insurance companies are increasingly investing in new technology to increase engagement, improve underwriting and offer discounts on premiums.
17/10/18
FStech’s Chris Lemmon speaks with Edoardo Moreni, co-founder and chief executive of money management platform Emma Technologies.
17/08/2018
After cost and communication criticism from the regulator, the asset management industry is increasingly turning to technology for efficiencies enabling fee reduction and accessing the next generation of investors. Last summer, the long-awaited Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) asset management market study confirmed what many commentators had claimed for several years – massive fund houses had become complacent, offering clients’ passive performance for active management fees.
09/08/18
The automated financial advice market is ripe for mergers and acquisitions, according to several key stakeholders, as a variety of startups struggle to reach a critical mass of clients. A report from Juniper Research earlier this year estimated that total assets under management by so-called robo advisers will increase twelve-fold to reach $4.1 trillion in four years’ time, up from an estimated $330 billion in the past 12 months.
05/07/18
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority’s (PRA) first use of their new senior managers regime powers has led regulatory experts to suggest many senior bankers may move to the relative safety of FinTech. The two regulators together fined Barclays Group chief executive James Staley a total of £642,430 for failing to act with due skill, care and diligence in response to an anonymous letter received by the bank in June 2016.
15/06/18
Infosecurity Europe 2018 provided visitors with a blend of warnings about familiar risks and new reasons to feel anxious. At the first post-GDPR show, talk of data protection policies competed for attention with eye-catching tales of nation state attacks and evolving threats related to the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
11/06/2018
Money 20/20 Europe moved from Copenhagen to Amsterdam for its 2018 edition, rolling a circus theme out across the huge RAI venue for three FinTech-focused days. As an audience vote revealed on the last afternoon, Open Banking, the rise of AI and blockchain were the biggest themes of the conference – with the topics of many sessions and promotions of companies present roughly reflecting that.
08/06/18
With the UK’s departure from the European Union now less than 12 months away, FStech assesses the impact a potential deal could have on the financial services sector.
24/05/2018
Digital-only banking is set to become even busier this year, with several industry experts predicting launches from existing High Street brands and new startups, as well as the possibility of acquisitions and partnerships. The Confederation of British Industry and PwC’s Financial Services Survey for the first quarter of 2018 stated that competition from new entrants is seen by banks as a key barrier to growth over the next 12 months.
27/04/18
Italian FinTech Objectway recently invited hundreds of its international FS customers to Rome to hear about the wealth management industry’s progress towards a digital future. Graham Buck reports from the OWIN18 conference.
12/03/2018
Finance is always undergoing technology-led transformation. Yet some of the keynote presentations and panel discussions at the FinTech Connect Live! event – held at London’s ExCeL on 6-7 December – highlighted several key reasons why new technology and regulation, alongside evolving consumer expectations, could lead to profound changes in the sector.
12/12/2017
FStech catches up with Andrzej Horoszczak, Billon’s founder and CEO, to discover more about this payments-focused blockchain startup.
31/10/2017
This year’s PayExpo took place on 4-5 October in London’s ExCeL, with over 2,200 delegates from the payments industry visiting the exhibition and attending the four conference streams. FStech’s Chris Lemmon reports from day one of the conference.
16/10/2017
Marketplace lending and FinTech conference LendIt Europe returns to London on 9-10 October 2017. FStech catches up with the event’s chairman and co-founder Peter Renton, to get his take on the sector and find out what attendees can take away from the show this year.
29/09/2017
Jon Bayle, the founder and CEO of US-based FinTech startup Deposify, chats to FStech’s Chris Lemmon about the firm’s technology, funding and UK ambitions
30/08/2017
UK digital challenger bank Starling has been very busy of late, announcing a Faster Payments tie-up with Vocalink, its European expansion plans and a new payments division. FStech’s Editor Michelle Stevens sits down with chief operating officer Julian Sawyer – who is also leading the new payments service – to discuss open APIs, coming out of beta and why Starling is really the UK’s fifth clearing bank.
11/08/2017
This June saw another buzzing Money 20/20 Europe show take place in Copenhagen. FStech catches up with event director Sophie Wawro and content director Pat Patel to get their take on 2017’s conference and exhibition.
25/07/2017
The Finstar Financial Group last week unveiled a $150 million fund that it will use to invest both in FinTech startups and its in-house research and development of financial technology. FStech asks the group’s chairman, Oleg Boyko, about specific plans for the fund and the private equity group’s wider FinTech strategy.
24/07/2017
FStech catches up with Andrew Bud, founder and CEO of iProov, to find out more about this authentication focused startup.
17/07/2017
Hosted at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in London, RBR’s 2017 Self-Service Banking Europe conference bought together more than 500 banking delegates this year. FStech’s Chris Lemmon reports from day two of the event.
20/06/2017
Following another year when disruptive incidents related to IT security were visible in every industry sector, 2017’s Infosecurity Europe conference and exhibition, held in London on 6th to 8th June, seemed more relevant than ever. Presentations and panel discussions on the keynote stage considered the changing nature of information security risks, along with familiar themes including the old problem of finding the best way to persuade senior management and colleagues across organisations to do their bit to improve security.
14/06/2017
Exciting transformations are taking place in the banking industry, following the Competition Market Authority’s announcement that it’s going to shake-up retail financial services for small business clients. To say that there is a banking revolution on the horizon is an understatement and it is being driven in no small part by a rapidly expanding, innovative FinTech market. For FinTech startups globally, ‘Open Banking’ and APIs are providing a wealth of golden opportunities for tech visionaries to develop pioneering solutions for SME banking customers.
12/06/2017
Oz Alashe, the founder of cyber security startup CybSafe, chats to FStech about his career and views on the industry.
30/05/2017
FStech’s Chris Lemmon sat down for an in-depth chat with Luis Uguina, the chief digital officer at Macquarie Bank, when he left his usual base in Sydney for a recent trip to London. They discussed the bank’s technology strategy, how the FI develops its systems, and why channels such as SMS and Facebook are relevant to today’s banking customers.
03/05/2017
Tel Aviv is fast gaining a reputation as a FinTech powerhouse, serving as a base for both emerging startups and forward-thinking financial services firms. FStech’s Anthony Strzalek met the CEO of Leumi Tech, Yifat Oron, and asked her about the digital developments at parent company Bank Leumi, as well as the wider Israeli technology landscape.
28/03/2017
At a launch event in the City on 28 February, ClearBank was unveiled as the first clearing bank to enter the UK market in more than 250 years. FStech’s Chris Lemmon sat down with ClearBank’s founder and executive chairman Nick Ogden to find out more about the new entrant describing itself as “the bank for banks”.
20/03/2017
The announcement by the Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) to implement Open Banking is set to transform how data is shared and how banking services are managed by the bank and the customer. This new regime will give consumers a much better understanding of the costs and benefits associated with their bank account and easier access to alternative products. As with any change in regulation or technology there will be both opportunities and risks presented by Open Banking.
01/03/2017
Hundreds of FinTech startups, investors and bankers flocked to the Old Billingsgate market building in London for the much-anticipated FinovateEurope 2017 earlier this month. The two-day event, which took place between Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th February, saw more than 70 FinTechs demo their new and innovative products to a packed out crowd, with seven companies awarded Best in Show trophies at the end of the event. FStech’s Chris Lemmon and Anthony Strzalek round up the highlights of the eighth annual FinovateEurope.
21/02/2017
Since the fallout of the financial crisis almost 10 years ago, there has been an almighty push to reinvent the banking industry. New and innovative technologies are being developed by FinTech firms to optimise banking processes that were previously seen as inefficient and time-consuming. However, Chris Gledhill, CEO of location-based, financial social networking app Secco, believes that 95 per cent of FinTech firms are just making “leaner, nicer looking versions of current banks” and not actually reinventing the sector.
09/02/2017
2016 saw financial services firms embrace new technologies and the overall trend for digitisation in the sector sees no sign of abating as we enter 2017. Banks have had to adapt as agile digital challengers enter the space and new technologies such as biometrics and robo-advice gather momentum. The rise of interest in blockchain has been meteoric and more institutions are turning to the distributed ledger technology to streamline processes and boost efficiency. Over the past 12 months we have also seen an increase in cyber attacks and the need for businesses to respond with enhanced security and data protection measures. So what can we expect in the financial technology sector over the coming year? A range of industry experts have outlined to FStech their predictions for the next 12 months…
19/01/2017
Attended by more than 2,500 people, FinTech Connect Live returned to London for a second year in December, this time splitting the conference into three dedicated sessions of FinTech, PayTech and InsurTech talks and debates. FStech reports from the PayTech stream on day two of the conference.
10/01/2017
The 2016 RBR Branch Transformation conference was the research firm’s sixth and largest such event to date, with in excess of 500 banking delegates from more than 50 nations descending on London’s Park Plaza Riverbank hotel on 6 and 7 December. The two-day event included a packed speaker programme, including globally renowned industry leaders. FStech’s Anthony Strzalek attended the conference and gives his summary of the opening day.
19/12/2016
Individuals have light bulb moments the whole time, but what makes the idea a reality is collaboration. This is how some of the greatest inventions of the last century have come to fruition. At the moment, the financial services industry is undergoing a rapid evolution, and FinTech companies are being established left, right and centre. SWIFT’s Head of Innotribe Innovation Programmes, Kevin Johnson, is at the epicentre of this evolution, and gives a unique insight into what supports FinTech innovation, and what practices are best to avoid.
16/12/2016
Over 600 bank branches have closed across Britain in the past year, with banks citing declining demand from customers in the wake of the online banking revolution as part of the reason for the closures. But, do customers really prefer not to bank in person at all, or are banks missing a trick by not digitalising the branch experience in the same way as they have digitalised the online banking experience?
15/12/2016
As Head of BNY Mellon’s EMEA Innovation Centre, one question I’m regularly asked is, what do we mean by reimagining the future of finance and what is the outlook for European FinTech specifically? Looking ahead to the next 12 months, there are many themes I could reference, but narrowing it down to the top three I would say they are blockchain, regulation and Brexit.
12/12/2016
It may be just under two years until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect across the EU, but businesses who are not preparing for this game-changing legislation now are already behind the curve, says Dana Louise Simberkoff, the Chief Compliance and Risk Officer at AvePoint.
15/09/2016
The world of payments descended on east London last month, as the Excel Arena played host to PayExpo Europe on 7-8 June. Chris Lemmon reports from day one of the show.
15/07/2016
The themes that dominated 2016’s Infosecurity Europe (held at London Olympia in June), such as security threats associated with the cloud, mobility, social networks and the Internet of Things, should all resonate with financial companies facing competition from new entrants and alternative finance providers, particularly in relation to products and propositions based on digital technologies.
16/06/2016
When it comes to the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), it is crunch time for European banks who have a very clear choice to make. They could wait in the wings as a utility, supporting other providers’ customer-facing solutions or play a more central role in their customers’ daily lives. The new directive has big technology implications which will lay the groundwork for a number of changes in financial services. PSD2 requires banks to grant third-party providers access to its customers’ online accounts and payment services in a regulated and secure way, and mandates banks or other account-holding payment service providers to facilitate secure access, for example through application program interfaces (APIs), to their customer accounts and data, if the account holder provides consent. As part of it, banks must also allow for customer identity verification and authentication.
10/06/2016
For the sixth consecutive year, a combination of FinTech startups, investors and bankers descended upon Old Billingsgate Market for the European arm of Finovate’s conference series in February. Attended this year by more than 1,500 people, the event showcased 70 of the most innovative financial technology products on the market.
03/03/2016
FStech chats to Ashish Gupta, president, UK corporate and global banking & financial markets, BT Global Services
11/02/2016
As we frequently remind ourselves at Currency Cloud, no one wakes up in the morning and thinks, 'I want to make a payment'. Although we all make a number of transactions throughout the course of the day, that’s not the end goal – we want to grab a coffee, pick up lunch, commute into work, or grab a gift for a friend on the way home. The payment itself is simply a ‘necessary evil’ in accessing the product or service we want. As such, digital platforms are increasingly streamlining payments for both consumers and businesses – reducing the physical process involved with making a transaction and consequently making the function more ‘invisible’ to the purchaser.
26/01/2016
So, farewell then 2015. And hello 2016. To kick things off, FStech brings you 10 FS technology-related predictions for the year ahead
05/01/2016
The past 12 months proved to be another fascinating and dynamic year for financial sector technology, with huge strides made around digital channels, payments, wearables and blockchain, in a period which saw innovation and collaboration rise to the top of the industry’s agenda.
14/12/2015
Transport for London, Barclays, wagamama, William Hill, VocaLink, Earthport and SWIFT were among the winners at the 2015 Payments Awards, which took place in London during November
02/12/2015
FinTech insights will put banks back at the heart of business innovation, says Shakir Ladak, CTO, Alpha Insight
27/11/2015
Scott Thompson reviews the 2015 FStech/Retail Systems Payments Conference, which took place in London during October
11/11/2015
In the summer, SapientNitro and Fidelity Worldwide Investment launched an iPad app for all investors. The move signals a cultural shift in how wealth management is embracing digital innovation for the benefit of the customer experience. SapientNitro’s client services director, Bradley Gamage and Fidelity Worldwide Investment’s head of digital, Ian Hood explain
10/11/2015
Glynn Davis provides a progress report on Zapp, the UK mobile payments startup formed by VocaLink
19/10/2015
FStech catches up with Jays Shortt, the head of product development at online peer-to-peer mortgage lender Landbay
14/10/2015
FinTech is an industry driven by innovation. So, asks Kate O’Flaherty, why are gender equality and diversity still an issue in the sector?
08/10/2015
Financial technology is evolving at an incredible rate, with new startups and ideas constantly emerging. London, especially, is proving to be a hothouse for innovation in the field, with the UK government estimating that the domestic financial technology sector attracted £342 million in investment and generated £20 billion in revenue last year (2014) alone.
08/10/2015
In a world in which our use of digital channels and demand for instant gratification has never been higher, we routinely expect to be able to carry out almost any transaction online. Banks are responding, at least for their existing customers. However, one core financial product remains firmly in the analogue age
05/10/2015
Any new launch by tech titan Apple is guaranteed to arrive to a great fanfare. Apple fanboys happily queue around the block to be the first to get their hands on new products. But the response to its Apple Pay service has been markedly less fevered, notes Hannah Prevett
30/09/2015
The banking industry has innovated steadily and carefully in a myriad of ways, but normally in collaboration and, broadly, in step with each other. Given the institutional role which banks play as the cornerstones of the financial transaction system this perhaps should not be surprising. Indeed, it served the development of international trade and domestic enterprise well over many centuries.
30/09/2015
The UK now has one of the largest concentrations of emergent FinTech companies in the world. Innovation and investment can been seen among start-ups, innovation incubators financed or sponsored by banks, and governmental programmes to encourage FinTech development. Its importance is driven by both the desire from consumers for speed and security as well as a thirst from the traditional financial sector for greater efficiency and new ways to provide financial services. It has the potential to revolutionise customer experience (e.g. mobile banking platforms), to introduce new products and services (such as payment services and peer to peer lending), and to transform financial business models, for instance through the use of block chain technology. However, a number of questions remain. Should FinTech be regulated differently to the rest of the financial services sector, and is the UK regulator is doing enough to support the innovation (and therefore disruption) brought by FinTech?
28/09/2015
The Current Account Switch Service is two years old today. Our Editor Scott Thompson, one of the two million current account customers to have moved banking providers under the initiative, gives his verdict
16/09/2015
A host of new players are entering the payments space, vying to develop new solutions to enhance the transaction experience. With FinTech activity gaining momentum, Leda Glyptis, head, EMEA Innovation Centre, BNY Mellon, examines how banks are adapting to this digitally-focused transaction arena; aligning with FinTechs to explore ideas that could truly transform the world of payments
07/09/2015
Is cash a goner or very much alive? Scott Thompson goes in search of an answer to a question that continues to dominate the payments landscape
07/09/2015
Power-hungry datacentres consume a huge amount of resources. Energy is wasted as it enters the building and continues to leak until it reaches the servers. Adding to this, the computing hardware is always running but rarely functioning at maximum capacity
27/08/2015
As their customers embrace the likes of Facebook and Twitter, many FS companies are finally embracing social CRM. Glynn Davis reports
21/08/2015
FStech chats to Paul Shepherd, co-founder and marketing director at Hello Soda, a UK startup behind a platform called PLATFORM, which scans data and social media posts to predict consumers’ creditworthiness
20/08/2015
Hannah Prevett takes a look at the thorny issue of core banking systems
20/08/2015
Depending on who you believe, contactless is either done before it even got started. Or it’s finally achieving critical mass. Scott Thompson hears the arguments for and against this new(ish) way of paying
18/08/2015
Starling CEO, Anne Boden, tells Scott Thompson why the time is right for Starling and other digital startups to disrupt retail banking
07/07/2015
In a rapidly changing environment, UK retail banks know that omnichannel success is linked to innovation and significant investment in systems, architecture and new technologies. So, asks Scott Thompson, why are they lagging behind other sectors?
05/06/2015
Michelle Stevens talks to Grant Bourbousson, the digital and marketing director at Tesco Bank, about the FI’s recent mobile launches and the way it approaches its digital strategy
04/06/2015
Mark Mullen talks to Scott Thompson about making the leap from first direct to new digital-only bank Atom, and the challenges encountered thus far and opportunities involved
01/06/2015
Scott Thompson looks at why so many investors are scrambling to get some FinTech action
17/04/2015
The potential of financial technology is extraordinary. FinTech innovations such as mobile services, crowd funding platforms, peer to peer lending and behaviour finance software are transforming the future of banking and the way we engage with money and financial institutions. But how do we grow this sector? Beyond the praise and investment poured into superstar firms such as Transferwise, Stripe and Powa, there are many other companies grappling with fundamental challenges to growth
29/01/2015
Scott Thompson reports from the British Banker Association's Annual Banking Conference
07/01/2015
Scott Thompson looks back over what has been an extremely eventful 12 months for the FS technology sector, and ahead to 2015
07/01/2015
It’s been the next big thing for longer than FStech can care to remember. As Scott Thompson finds, contactless is finally gaining traction, although the future is uncertain
16/09/2014
Is the omnichannel revolution all that it’s cracked up to be? Scott Thompson wades through the hype and asks: how are banks faring when it comes to 24/7 access to accounts and services across multiple channels?
04/07/2014
Scott Thompson reviews the 2013 FStech/Retail Systems Payments Conference, which took place at the IoD Hub, London, in late October
27/11/2013
Green has over the years flitted in and out of financial institutions’ agendas. But how about the here and now? In tough times, is it high up on companies’ list of priorities? Glynn Davis reports
23/08/2013
Whilst social CRM sounds great in theory, it also presents financial institutions with a series of far reaching problems and challenges. Scott Thompson reports
23/08/2013
FStech brings you the lowdown on its 2013 Awards, which took place on Wednesday, 17 April at the Lancaster London Hotel
13/06/2013
Scott Thompson goes beyond the hype and asks: are the UK’s banks anywhere close to delivering a seamless customer experience across multiple channels
13/06/2013
Liz Morrell looks at the state of play following changes to FSA regulations around mobile call recording, which came into effect in 2011
05/04/2013
Scott Thompson has been busying himself asking leading industry players for their take on key 2013 FS tech trends. Here, then, are 13 stand out predictions for the year ahead, taking in the likes of Big Data, the cloud, DDoS, BYOD, social media and m-payments
05/04/2013
What, asks Glynn Davis, will the retail bank of the future look like and what chance new entrants seizing the day?
04/01/2013
The FS sector was plagued by IT troubles throughout 2012 and a number of banks consequently found themselves under fire from the media, politicians and increasingly beleaguered customers. But, as Scott Thompson reports, there were also some bright spots this year
04/01/2013
When it comes to mobile banking, the UK remains stuck in first gear. Marek Handzel reports on the long road ahead
04/01/2013
This is a critical time for the m-payments sector. Progress has been made, but, as Scott Thompson reports, the mobile dream could yet be derailed
30/10/2012
What does it mean to the highly regulated, security obsessed banking sector when its customers are increasingly using social media to communicate, share and network? Hannah Prevett investigates
30/10/2012
Liz Morrell casts an eye over an intensifying cat and mouse game between financial services companies and cyber criminals
30/07/2012
The traditional world of stock markets and trading is colliding with social networks. Will this be a marriage made in heaven or a quick fling? Hannah Prevett investigates
30/07/2012
As the London Olympics looms large, Scott Thompson asks: will 2012 be the year of the contactless card?
07/06/2012
More and more financial services firms are fully committing to open source software, but as Glynn Davis finds, issues remain
06/06/2012
How is 2012 shaping up for the FS technology sector? FStech brings you some predictions for the year ahead, not all of them comforting
06/06/2012
With more and more customers banking online and showing an interest in mobile banking and social media, what does the immediate future hold for FS technology vendors? Liz Morrell reports
13/04/2012
Maeña Twomey, programme manager, Lloyds Banking Group, looks at the issue of enhancing assurance on large cross divisional change programmes
13/04/2012
Online and mobile banking are of increasing importance. But the bank’s High Street branch still has a significant role to play, notes David Adams
24/02/2012
So, how was it for you? Scott Thompson looks back at 2011 and asks those in the know: how did the financial services sector fare and what were the key technology developments?
24/02/2012
Mobile has the potential to revolutionise the customer experience in retail banking and banks across Europe are gearing up to respond to this growing opportunity. But, as Liz Morrell highlights, problems and issues remain
24/02/2012
Scott Thompson reviews the first ever FStech/Retail Systems Payments Technology Conference
24/02/2012
Two-thirds of financial firms believe they have analytics programmes and infrastructures that are insufficient in handling increasing analytical complexity and data volume, recent research showed. Christopher Andrews reports
17/11/2011
With the Solvency II deadline approaching, financial services organisations will be able to reap the benefits of a well-designed cross-functional technology platform. But challenges remain. Dave Howell reports
17/11/2011
The European Payments Council (EPC) recently said that inconsistencies between the European Commission’s objectives threaten to hamper SEPA progress. David Adams reports
17/11/2011
Liz Morrell asks: what does it mean to the highly regulated banking world when millions of people are using Facebook etc to communicate, share, network and entertain? And who are the pioneers in this field?
17/11/2011
Smartphone uptake is continuing at a blistering rate and these devices are now shaping the way we behave. Yet mobile banking adoption has stalled. As Scott Thompson finds, fraud and security concerns underpin the stalemate
17/11/2011
Glynn Davis looks at the latest mobile payments developments and the challenges facing banks as the m-payments/NFC bandwagon picks up pace
17/11/2011
Wil Cunningham is an independent consultant who was contracted with LBG as the IT Lead for HBOS LIVE IT Planning, Command and Control and Execution for LBG/HBOS Integration, now the Delivery Lead new LBG Disaster Recovery Strategy. Here he discusses the best ways to plan and execute implementations
09/11/2011
Elaine Graham looks at the rapidly changing world of trading systems and highlights how technology can help win competitive advantage
18/07/2011
Data quality has moved up financial institutions’ agendas ahead of new regulatory regimes. But good data management also offers several advantages, reports Graham Buck
18/07/2011
A recent report from the Treasury Select Committee criticised UK banks for not doing enough to protect against online fraud. The claim has been met by the industry with mixed views, with some in agreement and others blaming the Government for not taking data security seriously enough and calling for a regulatory body to set regulations to protect bank customers. Liz Morrell reports
18/07/2011
The financial sector is at the head of the pack when it comes to combating security threats, but, with global cyber attacks on the rise, companies remain vulnerable. David Adams reports
18/07/2011
As cybercrime mutates and hackers change gear in their quest to get hold of sensitive data, the challenge facing financial organisations is greater than ever, says Christopher Andrews
18/07/2011
On Thursday 31 March 2011, IT professionals from across the financial sector gathered at the Lancaster London Hotel, Bayswater to attend presentations from prominent members of the IT industry speak on IT Security and Storage, Data and Cloud. Sophie Baker, Elaine Graham and Justin Quillinan review the day
March/April 2011
How suitable is the Cloud for small and medium businesses? Is it as accessible and relevant for them as it is for larger institutions? Do they face different challenges? Duncan Jefferies finds out
March/April 2011
The UK’s banks appear to have been rather slow on the uptake of cloud, but what about their European counterparts? Christopher Andrews looks at the benefits European finanical institutions have seen; the risks they have had to get to grips with, and asks what the future is for the cloud in European banks
March/April 2011
Against a backdrop of ongoing unease and uncertainty across the Middle East and North Africa, how are UK and European financial institutions coping under the pressure of identifying and dealing with this renewed focus on their efforts to combat money laundering? Graham Buck reports
March/April 2011
On the evening of 31 March 2011, at the Lancaster London Hotel in Bayswater, representatives from banks, regulators and suppliers gathered to celebrate the 11th Financial Sector Technology Awards. Sophie Baker looks back on a night of euphoria, dancing and celebrating...
March/April 2011
Wil Cunningham, an independent consultant currently on a contract with LBG as IT Lead for HBOS LIVE Command and Control and Planning and Execution in London, part of the LBG/HBOS Integration, discusses the best ways to optimise your infrastructure provisioning
March/April 2011
Brett Farrell, an associate at Barlow Robbins LLP, looks at the issue of datacentres and N+1 redundancy, a form of resilience that ensures system availability in the event of component failure
March/April 2011
2011’s Infosecurity Europe conference will feature speakers and topics to address all financial institutions’ concerns, finds Alison Ebbage
March/April 2011
Philip Gregory, business intelligence manager at Chaucer Syndicates, talks to Sophie Baker about the importance of data quality for an insurance company, how technology and customer service are linked, and how IT and upcoming regulation will affect insurance services
March/April 2011
In December 2010, the FSA put rules into place that would see all pertinent customer information held in one place, creating a single customer view (SCV). How has the industry dealt with the deadline, and what are the benefits for both the customer and the financial sector? Liz Morrell asks the industry
Jan/Feb 2011
The FSA has studied the way financial services companies communicate to the public and has found that some communication through new media channels, such as Twitter and Facebook, lacks compliance with its safeguards. Duncan Jefferies looks at the FSA’s rules, and asks whether banks are embracing communication through these more informal mediums
Jan/Feb 2011
Following the Basel Committee’s publication of rules and regulations for banks to comply with, with the aim of creating more resilient banks and banking systems, what must now be considered by the industry? Alison Ebbage finds out
Jan/Feb 2011
Banks are sometimes viewed as slow when it comes to adopting the latest technology; but in a world of secrecy, confidentiality and heavy steel vaults, the idea of using open source codes – freely available over the Internet – is rapidly gaining traction to cut administrative costs, reports Justin Quillinan
Jan/Feb 2011
In September 2010, the FSA proposed changes to its complaints handling rules as part of a package of measures to up the standards of complaints handling in the industry. But what is the FSA proposing? And how have the proposals been received by the financial services sector? David Adams asks the industry
Jan/Feb 2011
What does 2011 hold for the financial sector? Sophie Baker asks the industry about technology, regulation and security for the coming year
Jan/Feb 2011
The UK’s Cheque Guarantee Card Scheme is being withdrawn on 30 June 2011, and from 2018 cheques will also be pulled out of circulation. Jacqui Tribe, manager of the UK Domestic Cheque Guarantee Card Scheme, looks at alternatives to the guaranteed cheque
Jan/Feb 2011
FST invited a group of retail bankers to tackle the issues hitting the Retail Banking sector the hardest
Nov/Dec 2010
Over a series of roundtables, FST got together with EMC Consulting and a panel of financial sector commentators to discuss the industry’s current hot topic – Cloud Computing. Are the benefits clear as day?
Nov/Dec 2010
Intellectual Property is a hot topic right now, particularly with David Cameron’s recent pledge to conduct a review into the UK’s current regime. Philip Bartlett, Partner, Simmons & Simmons, looks at the issue, and sets out some top tips for employers
Nov/Dec 2010
The Independent Commission on Banking is to conduct a series of hearings in an effort to address the problems in the banking industry. The British Bankers’ Association’s chief executive, Angela Knight, looks at the importance these conclusions will carry
Nov/Dec 2010
With new banks popping up on the High Street, more traditional banks’ core systems are under increased pressure to stand up and be counted in the midst of the hype. Duncan Jefferies asks if their technology systems are hindering their services
Nov/Dec 2010
There’s pretty much an ‘app’ for everything, but is it appropriate – and safe – to move money around using mobile or contactless technology, asks Justin Quillinan
Nov/Dec 2010
A loss of consumer confidence in the banking sector, thanks to the financial crisis, paved the way for new banks to launch on the High Street, with new offerings to tempt customers away from more ‘traditional’ banks. Liz Morrell looks at what they have to offer
Nov/Dec 2010
Failure to accurately monitor and manage credit risks was a significant factor in the crisis – but what has the sector done to lessen the risk of recurrence? David Adams asks the industry
Nov/Dec 2010
With the UK’s financial services market climbing out of the recession, it’s no surprise that businesses are now more than ever concentrating on keeping their systems running. Alison Ebbage finds out what’s next for business continuity
Nov/Dec 2010
Our panellists got together in June to look at the issues surrounding datacentres, from virtualisation challenges to the very real pressures of operating in an increasingly regulated world
Sept/Oct 2010
The Financial Services Authority’s Mortgage Market Review outlines best practice for responsible lending. Amir Ghani, policy adviser, Mortgage Policy Team, at the Building Societies Association, looks at the potential consequences of the consultations
Sept/Oct 2010
In two cases in the Commercial Court and Court of Appeal parties to swaps have challenged the agreed jurisdiction clause under an ISDA Master Agreement in favour of their home courts, on the basis that the proceedings concerned the validity of internal company decisions. Jonathan Brogden, partner, and Laura Davis, solicitor, at Davies Arnold Cooper LLP, look at the ISDA Master Agreement
Sept/Oct 2010
With regulators demanding global financial transparency to combat organised crime and terrorism, banks took a step in the right direction on November 21 last year by implementing SWIFT’s new message standard for cover payments, MT202 COV. Vivienne Rosch asks how opening single cross-border customer credit transfers to intermediary banks’ scrutiny has been received
Sept/Oct 2010
The collapse of Lehman Brothers and AIG’s struggles left the industry’s lack of centralised clearing mechanisms and trade repositories plain for all to see. With the panic button well and truly hit, the industry responded. Duncan Jefferies looks at the initiatives the financial sector has come up with in an effort to address the problems
Sept/Oct 2010
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is preparing to bare its teeth yet again with a Consultation Paper looking at making the recording of mobile phone transactions mandatory for firms. Sophie Baker looks at the proposals and the implications for banks and suppliers alike
Sept/Oct 2010
With a plethora of technology available to the financial markets, and competition hotting up as banks fight to win back consumer confidence, one would be forgiven for assuming institutions might have tossed out the paper by now. So why, in today’s electronic world, do ‘paper junkies’ remain in the finance sector, asks Justin Quillinan
Sept/Oct 2010
The SEPA initiative does what it says on the tin – creates a zone for the euro in which all electronic payments are considered domestic; but what’s holding up full adoption? David Adams investigates
Sept/Oct 2010
The UK’s Faster Payment Scheme has been on the industry’s radar for two years now, but how well has it been received? Liz Morrell investigates
Sept/Oct 2010
Sandy Hamilton, vice president of the European, Middle East & African (EMEA) region, at EMC Consulting, explains the drivers for the adoption of private clouds, how they can be implemented and why she believes now is the perfect time to start
17/8/2010
Many people were pointing the finger of blame at Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) for the financial meltdown, blaming them for giving triple-A ratings to collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) and other toxic instruments that were stuffed with junk sub-prime elements. Jonathan Brogden, a partner at law firm, Davies Arnold Cooper, looks at the latest EC moves to reform the sector
17/8/2010
The 360 degree IT show to be held at London’s Earls Court on 22-23 September used to be known as StorageExpo, but it has been rebranded to better address the growing importance of other infrastructure developments, outside of traditional data storage, such as hosted services, cloud computing, SaaS, and so forth. Neil Ainger previews the new beginning
16/8/2010
Green IT, in the form of more efficient PCs, printers, building designs, remote working practices, chips, and so forth, can save you money by increasing efficiency and improve the image of your firm, so what’s not to like? Vivienne Rosch looks at whether the reality is living up to the dream
16/8/2010
These are austere times but most financial institutions have already made their cuts with outsourcing increasingly taking up the slack for decimated internal IT departments. Justin Quillinan questions this short-term focus, and examines other outsourcing trends such as the rise of cloud computing and its impact on traditional managed service models
16/8/2010
Dr Nathalie Aubry-Stacey, advisor on regulatory policy at the International Capital Market Association (ICMA), discusses the European covered bond market and the changes it is undergoing to try and improve transparency
16/8/2010
There is an operational and environmental cost in meeting the ever increasing demand from financial institution data centres, whose power surge is being driven by the rising amount of customer and regulatory data that needs to be kept and new technologies such as algorithmic trading and blade servers. Optimising data centres to keep costs down is now a key concern, especially as budgets are tight for new builds and the government’s CRC ‘carbon tax’ kicks in. Duncan Jefferies looks at the best ways to ‘sweat’ existing facilities
16/8/2010
Financial services is increasingly a data business, with good information and fast processing delivering new customers, cross-selling opportunities, arbitrage and numerous other advantages. The data centre is, therefore, the engine of growth for most retail/wholesale banks, insurers, exchanges and other financial institutions. Given its vital position then do you really want to outsource it? Liz Morrell looks at the issue of Datacentre-as-a-Service (DaaS), its differing definitions and whether it’s suitable for financial services
16/8/2010
Lots of financial institutions these days are moving away from the traditional PC route with the hard drive next to your desk, and instead looking to adopt desktop virtualisation. Moving to such an arrangement however, places a lot more demand on your data centre. Making the move requires FIs to adopt a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), which is the server computing model that enables desktop virtualisation, encompassing the hardware and software systems needed to support the environment. David Adams looks at the impact of VDI on your operations and data centre
16/8/2010
In the wake of the new coalition government's statement that it intends to end 'unfair' bank charges, reopening a case that the OFT has already lost, and the FSA saying that it wants to take action to improve the way banks handle customer complaints, Eric Leenders, executive director, retail banking, at the British Bankers' Association (BBA), comes out fighting arguing that numerous initiatives are already underway and that competitive pressures are transforming the sector anyway
9/6/2010
In a speech to the City of London last year Hector Sants, the outgoing chief executive of the Financial Services Authority, said "people should be very frightened of the FSA". In the wake of recent high-profile moves by the watchdog to prosecute insider dealing cases, Richard Sallybanks, a partner at law firm BCL Burton Copeland, thinks you'd better take notice
8/6/2010
For years, IT departments have had full control over their own infrastructure (for better and worse) and are naturally uncomfortable with anything that prevents them from being in sole control. This is likely to change with the rise of cloud computing, argues Justin Pirie, director of communities and content at Mimecast, but it isn't something to fear
9/6/2010
The stock exchanges space has undergone tremendous changes over the last decade with many new entrants joining the market and automated systems driving capacities and proximity hosting services up. More changes are on the way post-crunch as new business models are tried that are less reliant on low margins and fast disappearing high volumes. David Adams maps out the road ahead as the consolidation phase begins
8/6/2010
As the global village arrives, the mobile phone has become an important tool linking people together. It's increasingly being used to send remittances back home by those working abroad or as an alternative to traditional banking and payment systems in developing countries. Viv Rosch looks at this growing remittance market and examines if banks are doing enough to grab a slice of it
8/6/2010
A good cabling solution can 'sweat' an existing data centre or squeeze every last bit of investment out of a new build ensuring you get the best out of your telco and data communications architecture. Philip Hunter investigates what is the best cabling design, port options and mix of fibre and copper to use in reducing data centre heat, while maximising latency and efficiency
8/6/2010
As the pace of modern life quickens the mobile phone is now an indispensable tool, with many using it in their everyday working lives. Tony Dennis looks at how financial institutions are catering for and taking advantage of this increased mobility to try and gain staff efficiency benefits, while still protecting their networks. The best smartphones, operating systems and mobile devices are also examined
8/6/2010
Politicians and central bankers have been working overtime to overhaul the banking system in an effort to prevent another crisis. Graham Buck looks at the impact of the new international liquidity standards, dubbed Basel III, that are coming in and assesses how best to deal with the issue of liquidity risk on a global basis
8/6/2010
Wil Cunningham, environments manager at Lloyds Banking Group who is currently working on contract on the integration with HBOS, discusses the best ways to sweat existing systems when budgets are tight, with particular reference to his previous work optimising a data centre at a well known High Street bank based in Edinburgh
7/6/2010
Have the computer scientists at Cambridge University, who last month found a flaw in Chip and PIN so serious that they think the whole system needs a rewrite, got the financial services industry thinking the same thing? John Colley, CISSP, managing director, EMEA, for the (ISC)2 non-profit security organisation, investigates
26/4/2010
Dai Davis, a partner at law firm Brooke North, discusses the implications of the recent high profile court case involving BSkyB v EDS, which the former finally won at the turn of the year after much argument, potentially smashing the constraints of limited liability in the IT contract / outsourcing world
26/4/2010
Every day millions of financial services customers voluntarily provide personal identity details - passwords, first schools, maiden names and so on - to banks, insurers and others. Liz Morrell investigates the wisdom of this in the wake of numerous data breaches and what financial institutions are doing to protect our identities. it'd better be good as, starting in April, UK firms could face fines of up to £500,000 for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act thanks to new powers given to the Information Commissioner
26/4/2010
Sometimes security professionals at financial institutions can make themselves paranoid worrying about the threats - both internal and external - to the security of their networks, forever fretting over the cloud, mobile technologies, and other new spectres on the horizon. David Adams looks at the latest attack vectors out there and tries to provide some reassurance to worried financial services professionals
26/4/2010
Application security is one of the hottest issues for financial institutions right now as more and more mobile applications and web-based offerings are rolled out internally or to customers. Firms have invested a lot of time and money on their perimeter defences over the last decade, beefing up firewalls and monitoring tools to keep hackers out, but when it comes to securing their applications they've been nowhere near as pro-active. Duncan Jefferies calls for this to change
26/4/2010
Ahead of the G8 and G20 summits due to be held in Canada this June, a plethora of papers is spewing forth from regulators intent on meeting the ambitions and timetable set out at the last G20 meetings in Pittsburgh and London. This has left financial institutions struggling to understand and integrate the various proposals and their implications in advance of the meeting. Barbara Ridpath, CEO of the ICFR, reiterates the need for cooperation
23/4/2010
Justin Quillinan looks at a number of recent legal cases that threaten to change the way anti-money laundering (AML) rules, procedures and technology are implemented in the UK, especially the HSBC/Shah case which could force banks to compensate customers who've suffered delays due to AML procedures. Beware of the lawyers bearing sheaths of court papers, he warns
23/4/2010
Unusually for language used in the IT world, there's something quite poetic about the term 'cloud computing'. It sounds pleasantly distant from the mundane reality of servers and silicon. Looking at it in a more negative way though, clouds can be opaque, or dark and threatening. David Adams investigates if the cloud is going to bring rain or sunshine to the financial services sector in the years ahead
23/4/2010
Protecting your IT has never been more important with lots of new mobile payment applications and web-based offerings coming on to the FS market, all of which are potentially vulnerable to attack unless appropriate security procedures are taken. The InfoSecurity Europe 2010 show will showcase the latest threats, solutions and trends that you should know about. Neil Ainger previews the event
23/4/2010
The Supreme Court ruled on 25 November last year that the Office of Fair Trading may not launch an investigation into the fairness or otherwise of charges levied on retail bank customers for unauthorised overdrafts. The OFT then officially dropped the case on 22 December, with billions of pounds in potential compensation on the line. So is this long-running battle finally over? Jonathan Brogden, of Davies Arnold Cooper, investigates
1/3/2010
The last two years have presented many challenges for building societies and banks alike. Rachel Le Brocq, public affairs manager at the Building Societies Association (BSA), believes we are now over the very worst of the crisis, but that 2010 could still be a tough year, especially with mutuals facing competition in the savings space from state supported banks, proposals for a 'people's bank' at the post office, and the new liquidity requirements coming in, to name just a few challenges
1/3/2010
Staying liquid and being able to prove it by complying with the new liquidity requirements that are now coming in post-crunch is a vital concern for banks, explains Liz Morrell, as she examines the readiness of the sector for the challenges ahead. The FSA's rules, Obama's plans and the international co-ordination, or lack of it, regarding future liquidity requirements are all examined here
24/2/2010
You may well have unpleasant memories of the preparations for the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, introduced back in November 2007. But more than two years on, has it brought pleasure or pain to the financial markets and what lessons have been learnt, asks David Adams? The EC is currently undertaking a review of MiFID to try and find out
24/2/2010
With the Retail Distribution Review proposals now largely clear, advisors and financial firms should start getting ready for fundamental changes in the distribution channels for retail financial products across various sectors, such as pensions, insurance, banking, and wealth management. Resistance is futile, says Duncan Jefferies, as the early movers will gain first advantage
24/2/2010
The credibility of financial regulation, and indeed services, has taken a battering in recent years, but in the insurance industry the Solvency II capital adequacy regulations hope to learn from past mistakes, establishing a gold standard for many years to come. Justin Quillinan looks at the latest developments ahead of the 2012 start date and assesses whether the industry is on target to meet it
23/2/2010
The panic caused by Dubai World at the end of last year asking for a 'standstill' on repaying its multi-billion debts sent global stock markets tumbling and has spooked some people causing them to question sukuks and other wholesale Islamic finance instruments. Vivienne Rosch cautions not to follow the herd, pointing out that the market has grown massively over the last decade, offering technology vendors, banks, exchanges and many others much needed growth opportunities over the long term
22/2/2010
The last year or two have been some of the most difficult on record for IT teams at financial institutions, as they have sought to learn the lessons from the banking crisis and comply with the raft of new regulations that are coming in post-crunch, while dealing with reduced budgets and impending revolutionary changes, such as the SDD payment scheme and the rise of mobile banking. New technologies like cloud computing have also demanded the attention of IT teams across the sector. Neil Ainger looks ahead at what the challenges in 2010 are likely to be
28/1/2010
Mobile banking in Europe has clocked up its first decade, but much of the market's potential is still unrealised. Graham Buck reviews how this 'sleeping giant' is likely to stir into life over the next few years from checking your account, making payments, to remittances, and a myriad of other uses, the mobile has the potential to take centre stage
14/12/2009
Home owners will have to pass a mortgage affordability test in future from lenders says the FSA in its Mortgage Market Review discussion paper, which sets out proposals for the future regulation of the sector after the housing crash. Under the proposals, self-cert mortgages will also be banned with lenders having to verify borrowers' incomes. Neil Johnson, policy manager of the Building Societies Association, gives the industry's response
14/12/2009
With swine flu vaccination for millions of 'at risk' people in the UK starting recently, in anticipation of a second wave of the H1N1 virus in the winter, and the World Health Organisation officially declaring it a pandemic, many financial institutions could find their business continuity plans being tested to the full. Philip Hunter looks at how ready the financial services sector is and what technologies, such as home working, might help firms cope with absent workers
14/12/2009
With financial institutions increasingly looking to cross-sell or up-sell during the recession, modern business practices creating more unstructured data, and regulators demanding more information post-crunch to prove liquidity and sound judgement, Duncan Jefferies investigates if traditional enterprise content management (ECM) systems can cope as the data load ramps up and the electronic mountain grows
14/12/2009
Once upon a time, technologists sneaked open source software into IT infrastructures under the radar, using it for minor tasks like running print servers. Later, as open source started to become a viable option in other areas, they were more and more eager to find excuses to use it. Now, says David Adams, the onus is on the sceptics to come up with reasons not to use it as open source grows up and enters the mainstream
14/12/2009
The FSA has announced a far-reaching overhaul of the liquidity requirements expected of financial firms in the future with its Strengthening Liquidity Standards document. The new rules are intended to enhance liquidity risk management practices in light of lessons learnt during the credit crisis. Simon Hills, executive director, prudential capital & risk, British Bankers' Association (BBA), gives the industry response
14/12/2009
The third FST IT Security Conference on 8 October at the IoD Hub in the City of London carried the theme of 'security in a downturn', looking at everything from the insider threat from disgruntled employees to the likelihood of higher levels of phishing, ID theft and malware. Neil Ainger reports on the discussions, case studies and possible solutions on offer
14/12/2009
As Tesco Bank and the Co-op put branches in stores and seek to use loyalty card data to win financial services business, and as the government forces RBS and Lloyds to sell off almost 1,000 branches, opening up space for new entrants, the normally staid world of branch banking is hotting up. Liz Morrell looks at the drivers of changes and assesses how the branch might look in the future
14/12/2009
Paying for goods with a contactless card is easy and instantaneous. The underlying technology has been around for years, used to access buildings or public transport, but only recently have UK banks started issuing debit and credit cards with a contactless payment feature. FST examined various pilot projects and limited rollouts last year; Vivienne Rosch revisits the contactless market now to find out how it is growing
14/12/2009
Gerry DeMarco, a managing director at Morgan Stanley who is currently on a three-year secondment in London running the global datacentre projects team, overseeing the bank's facilities upgrades, discusses the best way to migrate your applications and commission new or upgraded datacentres
23/10/2009
Some larger financial institutions are taking the opportunity to radically restructure outsourcing deals in the wake of the recession to release cash and shift the balance of financial risk towards the outsourcing provider. Philip Hunter looks at the state of the market, how it's been affected by the downturn and the coming trends, such as performance-based shared risk models
21/10/2009
The ever-increasing demand for data storage from regulators and businesses, who want to know more about the customer for cross-selling purposes, has seen a rapid expansion in the amount of data being kept by financial institutions, but storing it all is expensive. Justin Quillinan asks if data de-duplication technologies are able to help?
21/10/2009
An inflexion point has been reached now that the number of virtual servers being shipped is outstripping the number of physical machines, says Tony Dennis. He examines the implications for financial institutions as virtualisation becomes standard operating procedure
21/10/2009
Andrew Baker, chief executive of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), says that far from reining in the excesses of speculation, as France and Germany seem to hope, the European Commission's Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) directive could actually threaten jobs and pension returns, and concentrate risk rather than dissipating it
20/10/2009
Neil Ainger reports on the lively discussions at the fifth FST DCEV Conference on 1 October at the IoD Hub in the City, where the need for efficiency in these recessionary times was touched on, alongside green taxes, virtualisation, and more efficient power and cooling
22/10/2009
Duncan Jefferies looks at the drivers for financial institutions adopting so-called 'green' data centres, including carbon taxes, erratic electricity supply and image, and urges firms to forget about whether it's going to save the environment or not and focus on the energy and operational cost savings
22/10/2009
Emissions trading schemes are already providing business for traders, brokers, and exchanges in the financial sector and there is market share to be won as more schemes are rolled out. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme Phase II began last year, with Phase III coming on stream in 2013, and the US and UK are introducing their own cap and trade schemes. Liz Morrell looks at the incentives to go green
21/10/2009
Green IT, such as better lighting, air conditioning, chips, storage and so forth, can save you money. For those who take it seriously, and not just as a vacuous publicity policy, there are potentially vast efficiency savings to be made, no mere consideration in these recessionary times. David Adams looks at best practice
20/10/2009
Owing to colossal losses from structured financial instruments, many banks are now showing a net worth close to zero. Jean-Pierre Wellens, the International Capital Market Association's chief representative in Brussels, gives his personal opinion of the credit crunch, its causes and implications for the future
04/09/2009
New execution venues in Europe, like Chi-x, Turquoise, Bats and many others are challenging the supremacy of the old incumbent national exchanges. Neil Ainger interviews the respective CEO and COO of Chi-x, Mark Howarth and Hirander Misra, to find out if there is room for all these players
04/09/2009
As part of a drive towards straight through processing (STP) in trade finance, e-invoicing's time may finally have come. Justin Quillinan looks at the various EU and European initiatives underway to provide standards and encourage uptake. Will Europe finally get wired and forge the way forward?
04/09/2009
A service orientated architecture (SOA) needs a shared web services framework and common protocols to enable financial institutions to expose proprietary systems and share applications across their network. Tony Dennis investigates how close we are to making the connection
04/09/2009
The UK Faster Payments Service (UKFPS) was introduced last May to great fanfare but some people are still unable to access it. Viv Rosch looks at when full rollout can be expected and how some more far-sighted banks are hoping it will provide new opportunities
04/09/2009
Some of the world's leading financial professionals will be meeting at Sibos 2009 in Hong Kong to discuss the most important issues facing the industry today, not the least of which of course is how to prevent another crunch and understand the global shift in power eastwards. Neil Ainger previews the event
04/09/2009
French banks are delaying the implementation of the Direct Debit scheme in the Single Euro Payments Area by a year, and continued national disagreements about the Payment Services Directive (PSD), are causing delays in the harmonisation project. David Adams investigates the troubles
03/09/2009
Has the recession helped or hindered progress towards the fully electronic financial supply chain and the end of paper-based transactions? It depends on who you ask, reports Graham Buck
03/09/2009
The pressure is on in the European securities settlement and clearing space with the EU Code of Conduct, T2S and interoperability all driving change. Duncan Jefferies reports on the transformative energy in the sector
03/09/09
Safeguarding economies: DNFBPs' role in AML and CTF compliance explained
Join FStech editor Jonathan Easton, NICE Actimize's Adam McLaughlin and Graham Mackenzie of the Law Society of Scotland as they look at the role Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) play in the financial sector, and the challenges they face in complying with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulations.
Ransomware and beyond: Enhancing cyber threat awareness in the financial sector
Join FStech editor Jonathan Easton and Proofpoint cybersecurity strategist Matt Cooke as they discuss the findings of the State of the Phish 2023 report, diving into key topics such as awareness of cyber threats, the sophisticated techniques being used by criminals to target the financial sector, and how financial institutions can take a proactive approach to educating both their employees and their customers.
Click here to read the 2023 State of the Phish report from Proofpoint.
Click here to read the 2023 State of the Phish report from Proofpoint.
Cracking down on fraud
In this webinar a panel of expert speakers explored the ways in which high-volume PSPs and FinTechs are preventing fraud while providing a seamless customer experience.
Future of Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting, and Reporting
Sage Intacct is excited to present FSN The Modern Finance Forum’s “Future of Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting, and Reporting Global Survey 2022” results. With participation from 450 companies around the globe, the survey results highlight how organisations are developing their core financial processes by 2030.
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