General News

January 1, 2024 @ 8:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Four in 10 consumers are heading into 2024 saying they feel less financially secure than when 2023 began, according to new research from KPMG UK. Assessing confidence for 2024, KPMG’s latest Consumer Pulse survey of 3000 UK consumers shows those feeling worse “about their financial… Read More

January 1, 2024 @ 6:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Engage People, the loyalty network that enables program members to pay with points directly at checkout, commissioned a new survey to gain insights. The new survey, from The Wise Marketer titled “Paying with Points – “Tomorrow” Is Too Late,” examines the use of “pay with… Read More

December 31, 2023 @ 6:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has imposed a civil penalty of $3.9 million on Credit Suisse AG, for its alleged failure “to prevent or detect misconduct by its relationship managers (RMs) in the Singapore branch.” The RMs had allegedly provided clients “with inaccurate or… Read More

December 31, 2023 @ 1:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Central banks will likely keep interest rates higher for longer in economies with persistently elevated core inflation (excluding food and energy prices), according to an update shared by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF noted that the high-interest-rate environment, which recently “triggered banking sector… Read More

December 30, 2023 @ 5:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Entrée Capital has recently shared an update titled, A Renaissance in Israel’s high tech ecosystem in the year ahead (2024). Entrée Capital, which claims to partner with the “exceptional” to build the “impossible,” says that they remain steadfast in their commitment to supporting Israel. The… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 9:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

At Chime, they claim to firmly believe that their members’ experience with our products is at the core of their success. That’s why Chime claims it continuously goes the extra mile “by investing in simple, beautiful, easy experiences that allow their members to control their… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 9:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

OakNorth – a UK-based digital bank, has added Lord (Adair) Turner as its Chairman of the Board. Lord Turner reportedly has “an extensive track record in financial services, including as Vice-Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, a Board Director of Standard Chartered, Chair of the Financial… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 7:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The most popular market among Zillow (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) surfers this year was West Chester, Pennsylvania. After the West Coast ruled in 2021 and the Midwest took the top spot last year, the Northeast dominated this year’s list. Smaller Northeast towns dominated Zillow’s “most… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 3:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

Early-stage firms, especially startups, are very risky investments. In fact, in the real world, most of them fail. It is widely understood that between 80% to 90% of startups die, so only about 20% or so of early-stage firms survive. In venture capital investing, that’s… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 12:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Innovation Nation. Israel remains one of the hottest entrepreneurial hubs in the world. The country has punched above its weight class for years now and is well known for being the launch pad of many successful tech startups. But 2023 has hit the country… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 12:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

According to preliminary insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse, U.S. retail sales excluding automotive “increased +3.1% year over year this holiday season, running from November 1 through December 24.” Mastercard SpendingPulse from Mastercard (NYSE: MA) reportedly “measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 8:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bank of Ireland credit and debit card data for the first two weeks of December revealed that spending levels rose nationwide compared to the same period in 2022. Cavan shoppers engaged in “the biggest pre-Christmas splurge, with spending in the county rising by 11% during… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 8:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Cryptocurrency isn’t just here to stay – it’s the “future of money,” according to an update from Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN). The largest crypto exchange in the US has outlined the status of digital assets while predicting a bullish future for crypto. Even in the aftermath of… Read More

December 27, 2023 @ 11:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

On 20 December 2023 the legislative acts on the European Single Access Point (ESAP) for information on financial services, capital markets sustainability and diversity were published in the Official Journal of the EU. Eurocrowd notes in a blog post that the ESAP is “expected to provide the… Read More

December 27, 2023 @ 10:24 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) published a joint report on the impact of climate change on the European Union (EU) financial system. The report sets out detailed frameworks for “addressing risk to the financial system by (i) gathering… Read More

December 27, 2023 @ 7:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) has announced revisions to its Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Rules and Guidance (the AML Rulebook). The FSRA has made revisions that “clarify the requirements that previously appeared in the AML Rulebook, reflecting the federal regulatory framework the UAE has… Read More

December 27, 2023 @ 1:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A significant uplift in global growth is “unlikely” in 2024 with “no short-term end in sight to geopolitical uncertainty and tight monetary policies,” according to the latest KPMG Global Economic Outlook. Produced by leading economists from KPMG member firms around the world, this year’s report… Read More

December 27, 2023 @ 9:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has (21 December) signed the Berne Financial Services Agreement, a pact on financial services cooperation, with his Swiss counterpart Karin Keller-Sutter. The agreement sets sectors where the UK and Switzerland will “mutually recognize each other’s domestic laws and regulations on financial services,… Read More

December 27, 2023 @ 8:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has published the 7th edition of its Savings and Investment Barometer on investment trends. After the sharp fall seen in 2022, more retail investors are “planning to invest in equities in 2023.” This renewed interest is being driven in… Read More

December 27, 2023 @ 6:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has signed an agreement to acquire Customer Management IT and SirfinPA, a pair of jointly-owned Italian technology consultancies supporting the public sector and specializing in justice and public safety. The acquisition aligns with Accenture’s focus “on helping Italian public service organizations build… Read More