November 23, 2016 @ 4:52 pm By JD Alois  |  

Announced earlier this month, SPDH Technologies doing business as VentureNear.com, became the first intrastate crowdfunding platform approved in the state of Minnesota. The announcement was accompanied with the following disclaimer by the Minnesota Department of Commerce: By declaring a portal operator’s registration effective, the Department does not… Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 4:12 pm By JD Alois  |  

Coverage in minutes. No trip to the doctor necessary. Incredible pricing. This is what most people want to hear when they are considering purchasing life insurance. Online lender SoFi is doing just this but they are targeting the healthiest demographic among us – the Millennials…. Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 3:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has outlined its strategic goals for 2017 to 2020 and like much of the developed world, the financial regulator is embracing innovation and Fintech disruption. The strategic goals were approved were approved this past week by the Federal… Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 3:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

The final rule updates to Rules 147 and 504 have finally hit the pages of the Federal Register. Now the countdown begins for the rules to become actionable. The amendments to Rule 147 and new Rule 147A are designed to facilitate capital formation, including through… Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 11:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Lawrence Wintermeyer, CEO of Innovate Finance, welcomed Chancellor of the Exchequer,  Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement delivered to Parliament today. Wintermeyer said he was “pleased to see a focus on investment, productivity, and digital innovation”. Innovate Finance had called for the UK government to advance on… Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 10:29 am By JD Alois  |  

The NS&I Investment bond as described in the Autumn Statement was created to provide savers with a higher rate of return. The indicative rate is 2.2% but the rate may be adjusted according to market conditions when it is launched in the spring of 2017. The… Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 9:16 am By JD Alois  |  

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond delivered the annual Autumn Statement designed to deal with Brexit repercussions while announcing that in the future only a single major fiscal presentation will be delivered. HM Treasury will move to a single fiscal event will be made after the… Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 8:24 am By JD Alois  |  

The House of Representatives is scheduled to consider the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2016 (H.R. 6392). Sponsored by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, the legislation is designed to create regulation of financial institutions on risk rather than on arbitrary asset size.  Dodd-Frank has placed a… Read More

November 22, 2016 @ 6:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

There has been a lot of buzz within the investment community regarding the updated exemption created under Title IV of the JOBS Act.  Regulation A+, or just Reg A+, was crafted by the SEC and Congress to allow issuers to raise up to $50 million… Read More

November 22, 2016 @ 9:01 am By JD Alois  |  

The German Federal Ministry of Finance or Bundesministerium der Finanzen, has published a report on the emerging Fintech sector. The document, authored by Prof. Dr. Gregor Dorfleitner and Jun.-Prof. Dr. Lars Hornuf (with the assistance of Matthias Schmitt & Martina Weber), quantifies the emergence of disruptive… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 8:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

The UK had solid representation in Singapore last week for the inaugural Fintech Festival. The UK Economic Secretary Simon Kirby was in Singapore attending the event, helping to promote the globalization of Fintech – an admirable pursuit. This past spring, A This past spring, a Fintech… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 4:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

Do you have someone on your holiday gift list that is impossible to shop for?  Here is a new option: Wefunder, an investment crowdfunding platform, is now offering gift cards for investing in early stage companies. Nick Tomarello, CEO and co-founder of Wefunder, told Crowdfund Insider;… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 4:02 pm By JD Alois  |  

The SEC has announced the agenda for the December 8 meeting of its Investor Advisory Committee (IAC).  At this forthcoming meeting, the IAC will discuss investor protection priorities for the New Year. It also will hear an update on the Commission’s response to the rulemaking… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 1:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last time we provided an update on the Reg CF crowdfunding sector and approved funding portals there were 17 in operation. Today that number has increased to 21 FINRA approved platforms with several notable updates. Reg CF was created under Title III of the JOBS… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 11:12 am By JD Alois  |  

As part of the first annual Fintech Festival, Singapore gifted S$1.15 million to ten different Fintech firms. Sponsored by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), a list of 200 global Fintech firms were narrowed down to 40… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 9:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Singapore is on a mission to become the global leader in Fintech innovation. From fast-tracking the creation of a regulatory Sandbox to launching the largest Fintech hub in the world, Singapore envisions a world-leading ecosystem – not just a regional hub. As part of the… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 8:00 am By JD Alois  |  

PwC and the Crowdfunding Centre are prepping to jointly publish a report in early 2017 entitled “Women Unbound”.  Their initial feedback indicates that women led crowdfunding campaigns are significantly more successful than those led by men across most industries – and across the world. The… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 7:31 am By JD Alois  |  

  Care Concern Group, described as a high-quality care home for the elderly in Edinburgh, is raising £3million through Downing Crowd, a crowdfunding platform that invests in a wide range of UK business sectors.  The funding will be raised using “Downing Crowd Bonds”, a type… Read More

November 20, 2016 @ 5:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

As a growing number of nations around the globe embrace the potential of Fintech to provide superior services to consumers, businesses and the under-banked, one country stands out as lacking in leadership in the evolution of finance. The US has been the epicenter of financial… Read More

November 20, 2016 @ 9:03 am By JD Alois  |  

The Korea Exchange (KRX) has launched the Korea Startup Market (KSM) a service that provides a marketplace where the shares of early stage companies can be traded in the public market. As part of the launch, the KSM is utilizing the technology of Korean blockchain startup… Read More