General News

May 31, 2024 @ 9:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The latest Lloyds Bank Business Barometer has found that overall business confidence reached its highest level for over eight years. Confidence increased by 8 points – up to 50% – “a level last exceeded in November 2015.” Survey data suggests the monthly increase “is largely… Read More

May 31, 2024 @ 9:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Breaking new ground in Europe, the Mastercard (NYSE: MA) hub will contribute to further “securing the commerce and payment ecosystem in the region.” Mastercard recently confirmed the opening of its European Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) at its European Headquarters reaffirming “the company’s commitment to combatting… Read More

May 30, 2024 @ 11:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bank for International Settlements’ Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) has published its work program for 2024-25, highlighting its strategic priorities for policy, standard-setting, implementation and analytical activities. The program’s key themes are: Risk management of financial market infrastructures (FMIs). FMIs’ practices for… Read More

May 30, 2024 @ 8:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

P2PMarketData and EUROCROWD are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to strengthen services and benefits for our members, particularly crowdfunding platforms operating within the sector. The collaboration reportedly marks “a significant milestone in the crowdfunding ecosystem, as it brings together two prominent entities dedicated to… Read More

May 30, 2024 @ 8:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The board of directors of Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD) has authorized a $1 billion share repurchase program, “demonstrating management and the board’s confidence in Robinhood’s financial strength and future growth prospects.” Jason Warnick, Chief Financial Officer of Robinhood, said: “As our business and cash… Read More

May 30, 2024 @ 8:29 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows that Best Buy/Geek Squad, Amazon, and PayPal are the companies people report scammers impersonating most often. A newly released data spotlight shows that in 2023, consumers “submitted about 52,000 reports about scammers impersonating Best Buy or its… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 10:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Crowdcheck is one of the foundational firms that entered the securities crowdfunding sector, supporting issuers and platforms that enable online capital formation. Crowdcheck is probably the top legal services firm preparing Reg A+ documents for issuers, which the Securities and Exchange Commission must qualify for… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 8:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Karim Haji, Global and UK Head of Financial Services at KPMG, comments on today’s March Money and Credit statistical release from the Bank of England. Karim noted: “A rise in consumer borrowing in March signals that many stretched households continue to battle the cost of… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 8:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The British Business Bank has agreed an £100m increase to its existing ENABLE Guarantee transaction with leading fintech Oxbury Bank – a UK bank with a singular focus on farmers, food production and the rural economy. The original £100m transaction, announced in November 2023, and… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 10:42 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Onbe, a corporate payouts platform, recently published its Spring 2024 Title, Escrow and Mortgage Payments Survey. It suggests that home buyers overwhelmingly prefer digital payouts; 92% of respondents stated receiving a digital refund would be more convenient compared to waiting for a check in the… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 3:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

WealthKernel, a provider of digital investing infrastructure, announced the appointment of James Dingwall as its new Strategic Regulatory Adviser. With a specialized focus on the Appointed Representative framework, Dingwall is expected to be  “a key role in helping WealthKernel navigate the complex regulatory landscape.” Dingwall… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 1:02 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The severity of data breach risks rose to the highest level in two years during the first quarter of 2024, increasing 31% from the same period last year. TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) unveiled its analysis of data breach trends while also introducing the company’s new identity… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 12:19 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Sectors more exposed to AI are experiencing almost five times (4.8x) higher growth in labor productivity, according to PwC’s 2024 Global AI Jobs Barometer, released recently. The report, which analyzed “over half a billion job ads from 15 countries, suggests that AI could allow many… Read More

May 27, 2024 @ 11:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Pension savers are strongly backing shareholder calls for Shell to further reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, according to an update from PensionBee. A survey of pension savers by PensionBee revealed “that almost 60% of respondents – equal to nearly 18.5 million pensions savers… Read More

May 27, 2024 @ 10:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As companies around the globe grapple with an accelerated pace of change and seek ways to optimize their businesses, Experian is introducing (what it claims to be) a new era of simplification, scalability and automation through the debut of new enhancements to its cloud-based Experian… Read More

May 27, 2024 @ 10:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Mass Fintech Hub, a public-private partnership dedicated to making the state a global leader in Fintech, announced the Mass Bankers Association, a multi-faceted banking trade group representing over 120 banks, as its newest member. With this addition, the collaborative has “welcomed nearly 55 member organizations… Read More

May 26, 2024 @ 7:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Younger Australians in their mid-to-late-twenties have pulled back on spending more than any other age group, while those over 65 continue to spend above the rate of inflation, according to the latest CommBank iQ Cost of Living Insights Report. Those aged 25-29 have reduced “spending… Read More

May 26, 2024 @ 5:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Embedded finance firm Weavr has revealed in new research that the overwhelming majority of business-to-business SaaS product managers plan to adopt and utilize embedded finance as part of their near-term roadmap. The new research, entitled ‘The next step for B2B SaaS’, captured the following key… Read More

May 25, 2024 @ 2:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Modulr is pleased to be working with the University of Edinburgh Business School. Their collaboration showcases their shared commitment “to fostering technology innovations, inspiring the next generation of business leaders and building Scotland’s prominence as a tech hub.” Here’s how Modulr is supporting the University… Read More

May 24, 2024 @ 9:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Smart Pension, which claims to be one of the UK’s leading workplace pension providers, has appointed Kim Gubler as an independent trustee. Kim was a founding director of the Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) and has been its Chair since 2019. PASA is an industry… Read More