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Financial inclusion: How digital lending can help

IBS Intelligence is partnering with Sopra Banking Software to promote the Sopra Banking Summit, which takes place 18-22 October 2021. The summit is tackling the biggest issues in the financial sector. This weeklong festival of FinTech will touch on the hottest topics in financial services and highlight the new paths industry leaders are taking.

The following article was originally published here.

Financial inclusion – its efficacy, implication and urgency – is becoming one of our industry’s biggest talking points. And this is a good thing. The more light that’s shed on the issue, the more likely we are as a collective to push its agenda.

by Nelly Kambiwa, Financial Inclusion Director MEA, Sopra Banking Software

However, there are still question marks over what exactly financial inclusion means. For some, it’s tied intrinsically to demographics; for others, it’s about politics. Most interpretations are not wrong, and almost all are well meaning, but perhaps the clearest and most succinct definition comes from the World Bank:

“Financial inclusion means that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable  financial products and services that meet their needs – transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance – delivered in a responsible and sustainable way.”

Without this ‘access to useful and affordable financial products and services,’ people may not have a secure place to store money, no effective and free means of receiving payment, and no safe, reliable way to make payments.

And while great strides have been made around financial inclusion, there’s still a long way to go. According to the most recent Findex data, there are still close to 1.7 billion adults in the world without access to basic financial services

Financial inclusion in Africa

Of course, financial inclusion is not a challenge limited to a particular country, region or continent; rather, it affects areas all over the world. However, for the purposes of this article, we’re going to look at financial inclusion in Africa, and how digital lending can help to improve the financial lives of millions of Africans.

According to Global Finance, 50% of the African population is unbanked, equating to 350 million people. This is already a problem that needs addressing, but with the African population rising quickly – it’s set to double over the next 30 years, adding an additional 1 billion people – it could quickly go from bad to worse.

The role of digital in expanding access

Extending access to borrowers who are otherwise unlikely to receive it is key to improving the health of a society. Among all financial services, access to credit is perhaps the most important as it’s a force multiplier. To this end, innovative digital strategies and new technologies are enabling lenders to reach traditionally underserved people while securing their own interests.

Indeed, the use of big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning and open banking-enabled solutions is expanding the scope of what’s possible. Thanks to new products and soaring internet penetration rates, geographical limitations are being overcome. More sophisticated data analysis tools have come online and are enabling easier credit decisions in lieu of traditional credit scores.

This is particularly relevant to lending in Africa, where access to physical branches is an issue for many people. A recent white paper published by Sopra Banking explained how the rise in mobile money users in Africa is an opportunity and challenge that many incumbent financial institutions have yet to rise to.

Thankfully, that is changing, and many lenders are coming up with solutions that will allow them to provide digital loans to their customers in a safe and effective way for all parties. With the introduction of video KYC and account aggregators, lenders can easily access permissioned customer data and conduct better due diligence. And the digitization of the entire loan application lifecycle means that borrowers can apply for loans remotely—a benefit both in terms of reducing friction and expanding reach.

New-to-credit (NTC) customers

Historically, credit institutions have been cautious with NTC consumers, due to the lack of credit history to assess their probability of default. However, given technological advances, lenders can now more confidently lend to NTC borrowers. They can do this by leveraging some of the solutions mentioned above, solutions that afford new ways of analysing data, predicting a customer’s creditworthiness and gauging the risk involved in lending.

Analysing mobile and web data makes it possible to offer credit to individuals and SMEs without financial footprints. Over the past decade, this practice has emerged and really caught on in Africa, where FinTechs, microfinance institutions and traditional financial institutions like NCBA Group, Equity Bank and Orange Bank use SMS data to inform credit decisions.

While alternative credit scoring systems show great promise, they also bring up privacy and data reliability concerns. And in at least one case, have led to a large group of digital borrowers taking on unsustainable levels of debt.

Open banking as a catalyst

On the regulatory side, open banking is also driving improvement in lending processes. With access to more data (including non-financial data), lenders can do enhanced credit scoring and risk assessment. This provides additional insight, allowing lenders to assess a borrower’s eligibility more accurately. This not only drives down costs for the lender, but it improves the customer experience and, because it’s digital, it works in places without existing infrastructure.

For those most likely to be denied credit, the sub-prime loan application process can still be paper-heavy, involving the manual submission of payslips or statements. Furthermore, Covid-19 has underscored just how inefficient traditional loan processes are.

As an antidote, open banking is pushing financial inclusion solutions that make it easier to verify customer details in real-time—in some cases, going as far as automating the entire interaction. This makes the process easier for the user and significantly increases the chances of applications being accepted.

The good news is that African banks are taking notice of open banking and starting to take huge strides in furthering its implementation. For instance, in 2020, the Central Bank of Kenya – a country where 44% of the population is unbanked – included open banking as one of its main strategic objectives; and last year at the height of the pandemic, Nigerian startup Okra announced that it had received significant funding to develop an open banking infrastructure.

Such developments are becoming increasingly common throughout Africa and bode well for the future of financial inclusion across the continent.

Looking ahead

Digital lending is redefining the dynamics of the credit market in Africa. With a lower cost base and improved reach, financial institutions – including banks, MFIs, neobanks and Telcos – can simply do more with less. Digital lending cuts the cost of offering services and streamlines onboarding. It also enables instantaneous and remote approval and supports data-driven mechanisms to initiate repayment. At the same time, open banking facilitates greater access to data than ever before and unlocks new use cases.

Ultimately, expanding access to credit requires careful planning and is more of a journey than a destination. The use of alternative credit scoring is still in its infancy, and open banking is only a few years old. At its best, digital credit can be responsible, inclusive and affordable. And it’s something every financial institution should strive for, as it not only helps individuals and communities, but it drives economic growth, too.

Increased FX [foreign exchange] volatility and greater complexity in managing cashflow forecasting, is changing the way UK businesses are hedging.

by Richard Eaddy, CEO, Hedgebook

For a start, companies have moved from being hands-off to hands-on in managing their forecasts and FX hedging.  It is seen as a concern across the business, impacting sales, procurement, and the supply chain.  While the C-Suite are aware of the impact, it is often the board that is driving change in wanting to see a far more proactive approach in managing these risks.

The increased volatility in financial markets, is matched by increased uncertainty in business. Once stable supply chains now operate on much shakier terms if they haven’t disappeared altogether.  It means there is no longer certainty around when you will be making a payment or how long you will need to hedge.

Businesses working on low margins can be significantly impacted. A cancelled order or significant swing in foreign exchange that has not been hedged, leaves the business dangerously exposed. All of this has meant UK companies are looking more regularly at their hedging positions and reviewing the risk.

Many businesses are acting responsibly and adding FX Management to their library of risk management policies.  This gives the treasury team some real guidance as to the risk tolerance the business is prepared to work within.  The ability to model FX hedging options against this policy enables faster and better decisions to be made – with minimised risk.

Remote working also removed the expectation of a monthly or quarterly meeting where such matters were generally discussed.  The traditional round-the-table closed door reviews essentially disappeared during lockdown.

Very quickly, companies realised the need to proactively review their FX hedging positions and that players across the company needed to part of that.  Over 80% of surveyed customers using our FX tools now engage with them at least once a month, with 10% checking in on a daily basis.

Working remotely has also seen companies move away from spreadsheets being the default tool for managing FX hedging.  This is largely due to the increased risk around version control and data security when shared across multiple screens and locations.

But it also highlighted the spreadsheet owner as a potential single point of failure in the organisation. In many cases they were the only ones who could successfully run the formulas and manage the complex hedging situations the business was facing.   As a result, companies have proactively started looking for online tools capable of managing this for them.

They want to view data in real time, have secure access to their hedging positions and for everyone involved to be working off a single version of the truth.   Companies now say using online FX hedging reports and modelling saves them half to a full day per month – but the exponential value is in greater accuracy and faster, better decisions.

It is these companies that are driving change.  They expect their banker to be able be onboard with managing foreign exchange hedging online.  They want their broker to see the same information they are and be able to guide them through the options – modelling the different rates and hedging percentages as they go.

Even though cloud technology has driven the access cost right down, online treasury management is new technology for banks to become familiar with. Perennial slow adopters, banks are now realising they need to get onboard fast, or their customers will leave them behind – quite literally.

It really should be a win-win for everyone.  Customers limit their FX risk and banks become even more valuable and responsive to their customers.   It enables much better FX hedging decisions to be made faster and strengthens the banks relationship with its customers.  A definite change for the better.

Starting and running a business is no small feat, and as we all know, cash flow is the core fuel that powers any business. A set marker for identifying a healthy and thriving business is strong cash flow, and the importance of this particular resource is not lost upon any entrepreneur

by Mr Vineet Tyagi, Global CTO, Biz2X

They say that the first five years are extremely crucial for any business, and generally determine whether a company will crash or float. The question therein is why do various businesses that have a strong financial foundation and good initial investment, end up failing within five years?

The answer to this simply lies in their cash flow, so much so, that a recent study conducted in the US concluded that 82% of the time, poor cash flow management ends up contributing to the failure of an SME.

To understand how SMEs can manage their cashflow effectively, let us first take a look at the challenges:

Cash flow management challenges faced by SMEs

• Underestimating Start-Up Costs: Having unrealistic estimates and low cash reserve gets most SMEs started on the wrong foot. Obtaining capital and then not calculating realistic costs becomes like quicksand – quite difficult to get out of.

• Managing Receivables: Receivables, as most are aware, is the amount that is due to a company. Inefficient management of it ends up in a huge amount of outstanding receivables, which end up hampering cash flow.

• Managing Payments Efficiently: According to a study, almost 66% of SMEs revealed that the biggest impact on their company’s cash flow is due to the amount of time that it takes for money to process post receiving payments, with some of them having to wait more than 30 days for payments to clear. Thus, due to the time taken, if not managed well, it becomes a huge cash flow challenge for upcoming and ongoing projects.

• Ignoring Overhead Costs: A company with high overhead costs such as rental, travel, etc. will notice the profits depleting quickly. To cover such costs and break even, the organization will have to and hence, make more sales. Thus, to make a long-term difference to the business’s profitability and cash flow, overhead costs cannot be overlooked. 

• Low-Profit Margins: While they say that pricing is an art, the first step is always understanding your numbers. This means that knowing your profit margin is an extremely important metric for analyzing your prices. A low-profit margin implies that either business’s costs are too high or the pricing is too low or it could even be both. The lack of a sustainable and strong profit margin means that a business will always battle cash flow issues.

Having talked about the cash flow challenges faced by SMEs, let us talk about how FinTech can assist in overcoming them.

5 ways FinTech helps small businesses better manage their cashflow

1. Easier Business Lending: Traditional lenders, usually hesitate when handing out loans to SMEs with smaller loan amounts and what they consider to be inconsistent earnings, thus risky. Apart from this, the entire application process for the loan is quite time-consuming and cumbersome. With the advent of FinTechs, it has now become easier for SMEs to bypass the conventional loan obtaining methods and scale their operations faster owing to easier business lending. Thus, bridging the gap, with offerings such as through P2P lending platforms, FinTechs are making the lending space much more dynamic.
2. Simplified and Faster Invoicing Systems: Having access to simplified and faster-invoicing systems, it is now easier for businesses to thrive. Besides saving them from existing revenue losses or accumulation of bad debts, an efficient management system helps firms collect payments effectively, irrespective of the location or currency, thus, creating a sustainable flow of operations and cash flow.
3. Efficient Account Management Tools: Owing to FinTechs, SMEs now have access to a lot of options to help them control their costs and expenses. With the help of online accounting systems, they can monitor their cash flow in real-time, and ensure the smooth running of operations. Taking out the guesswork from running the business, FinTechs with the help of expenses and invoices apps, aid business owners in focusing on expansion and growth instead of other small details. 
4. Transparency: The proliferation of the internet and mobile, has helped FinTechs in creating digital banking solutions that reduce both the cost of transferring funds as well as the need for paper currency for conducting any kind of financial transaction. This aids in making the financial system much more transparent, and reduces the chances of tax evasion or other negative practices, thus ensuring that the business ecosystem becomes robust.
5. Increased Profit Potential: Post the advent of FinTechs, capital markets have witnessed a huge growth in terms of technology infrastructure. Irrespective of the industry or the type of organization, a reduction in costs ends up aiding an increase in revenue and profits eventually. The union of technology and finance has led to the rise of trading platforms that via ‘collection and analysis of market’ and ‘user data’ can help in uncovering trends, providing aggregated views of the market, and enhancing forecasting capabilities that eventually maximize the profit potential for firms and traders alike.

With FinTechs now making it possible for businesses to serve their clients irrespective of location, monumental strides have been made in the areas of payments, inventory management, invoicing, cost-reduction, etc. which were previously unimaginable. Many components of FinTech are now intertwined in business operations that can help in cash flow management for SMEs tremendously. Thus, offering capabilities to leverage technology, FinTechs can really make a difference for companies in keeping their cash flow positive even in times of crisis.

Digital banking has reached such levels of disruption that the disrupted are unaware of disruptors racing ahead.

By Indranil Basu Roy, Chief Business Officer, Modefin

Next to the “new normal,” the most overused term could be digital banking. What’s the tipping point of technology or service delivery that makes a bank truly digital? Net banking? Yes and No, as its entry dates to an earlier era. App-based access? You must be joking. Cashless payments… now we are talking.

Let’s take one step back to understand digital banking. Over time, as fintech progressed from state-of-the-art, to cutting edge, to leading edge, services offered by banks migrated from conventional delivery channels to online.

Banks, in their eagerness to keep pace, ensured they incorporated every facet of digital banking in their ecosystem. Somewhere down the line, the music stopped. After all, customers were not complaining – no branch visits, no staying on hold in the helpline, no relationship manager to deal with – banking was no longer a chore but a breeze.

Not just retail or personal banking, the transformation had encompassed corporate banking as well, and had eased the procedures in document-oriented products such as Trade Finance.

Should we conclude that all is well, and congratulate the fraternity? Can we compliment the far-thinking CTOs and CMDs on their vision for digitization? Can we name the top 10 digital-driven banks and announce such other lists that make the jury glow and winners feel good?

If we do, we are falling into the trap that others have already got into. Let’s get this straight, digital banking has reached such levels of disruption that the disrupted are unaware of disruptors racing ahead.

As a banking institution, how do you gauge or ensure you are not left behind? Here are three test questions (don’t look for synergy, this is a random round):

• How equipped are you to compete with a wholly-digital bank that does not have a single brick and mortar branch?
• To enhance your digital capability, has your bank partnered with, or invested into non-financial players, such as a fintech enterprise, data analytics firm, mortgage-software start up or any other disruptor?
• Here are five terminologies that are the latest in fintech applications: If you have to look up any, you are labeled “behind,” if you have implemented one or more you are “ahead.”

Here we go: Social Banking, Digital Queue, Conversational Banking, Peer to Peer Payment Systems, Facial Recognition Banking.

Assuming that banks cannot endlessly invest in technology (tech is not their domain) the answer is cross-industry collaboration with fintech players who focus on agile solutions. If the engagement process gets further delayed, the next wave will be fintechs playing the role of banks in certain product areas (we already have several online lending platforms which are not backed by a bank). Look closely, lending platforms of today are replicating services that banks pioneered five years ago by offering instant loans based on a review of credit history.

Looking back, IBM, the one-time mainframe behemoth, proved elephants can dance by making a dramatic turnaround in the mid-1990s. Now is the turn of mammoth banks to appreciate that digital transformation calls for more than online banking. If not, they may as well recall the story of a humble ant that troubled the mighty elephant by entering its trunk (can’t think of a better disruptor-disrupted metaphor).

Beyond folklore and stories of yore, here’s a reality check reflected in a research report on ‘Digital Banking in Asia,’ published by Mckinsey & Company:

“The disruption caused by digitization can create or destroy significant value for banks, depending on their starting positions and how well they respond to shifting consumer behavior and other trends. Experience is showing that 30 to 50 percent of net profit is at risk.”

The findings are disquieting. Rather than assuage your anxiety, I end with a call to action. Start with an audit of your bank’s digital platforms and products, benchmark against the best in the industry, get to know where you feature, and get to work on greater transformation.

If the fraternity fails to keep pace, faster adapters, disruptors and other innovators will get ahead. No marks for guessing who could laugh all the way to the bank.

eCommerce is seeing accelerated growth across Latin America, with overall retail eCommerce sales increasing more than 36% throughout the region in 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019. However, the social and practical realities of Covid-19 have exposed some significant pre-existing problems within the digital payment systems that underpin this region’s expanding digital economy.

by Juan Carlos Martinez, Director & Co-Founder, Bamboo Payment Systems

These problems include a lack of financial inclusion among the population, regional disparities in payment formats, arduous complexities in many cross-border transactions, a deficiency in available credit rating programmes, and shaky consumer confidence in digital payment methods – all of which represent major barriers to sustained growth in the sector. To maintain a competitive edge, online merchants must frequently adapt their eCommerce strategies to meet varying local needs, and regional payment service providers (PSPs) that cater to global merchants must allow for constant customisation of payment offerings and flows if they aim to maximise opportunities within the LatAm eCommerce space.

The issue of limited access to and/or adoption of digital payment methods among Latin American populations is nothing new and has traditionally been viewed as a primary barrier to the expansion of eCommerce throughout the region. However, the global pandemic has accelerated adoption of digital payments and eCommerce, in many cases as a resulting necessity of strict quarantine restrictions. However, cash payments remain a major component, and currently account for 20-30% of online purchases. More striking is the fact that close to 207 million Latin Americans – roughly 46% of the population – do not have access to bank accounts, an important catalyst for the adoption of digital payment methods like credit and debit cards.

The local experts

Regional payment facilitators play a crucial role in promoting cross-border eCommerce by offering global merchants simplified access to this fragmented eCommerce environment. The local knowledge of these PSPs and the connectivity with popular local payment methods including cash networks, bank transfers, and local prepaid cards enable the development of unique, tailor-made solutions for each merchant that reflect the realities in each country via a single platform. As consumer preferences evolve and new digital payment methods are adopted, PSPs adapt their connections to local acquirers accordingly, allowing international merchants to benefit from this quick adaptation to ever-changing market realities. Essentially, PSPs are the local experts. Global merchants can then leverage this expertise to maximize the conversion rates of their eCommerce sales and stay at the top of their game.

But how important is this market flexibility in relation to the digital payment methods offered by global merchants to local consumers? Let’s look at a few basic indicators within the top three eCommerce markets in Latin America: Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, three countries that when combined represent approximately 75% of all eCommerce sales in the LatAm region.

Generally speaking, credit and debit card adoption rates are noticeably low across the board in these countries, underscoring the significant barrier a lack of financial inclusion presents. Furthermore, among those who do have them, a large percentage of credit cards and debit cards issued in these countries are enabled solely for domestic purchases. In other words, these cards will not function for purchases made on merchant websites abroad. Additionally, chargeback rates are high in the region. In Mexico for example, the industry standard can be up to 3-6% which is roughly triple the global average. Thus, regional PSPs are key in mitigating this risk via the utilisation of region-specific anti-fraud systems which incorporate localised transaction databases and region-specific rules.

Another reality is the informality within the LatAm labour market, something that is still quite prevalent, with cash payments being preferred by many consumers. In Mexico, the OXXO convenience store’s cash voucher system is still a highly popular payment avenue, in Argentina the national chains Rapipago and PagoFacil offer many popular local payment options, and in Brazil there is Boleto cash payments which are still popular despite them currently being supplanted by a new national online payment protocol, PIX.

Finally, local bank transfers via standardised protocols are crucial necessities for many consumers, for example the Bank of Mexico’s Interbank Electronic Payment System, SPEI (Sistema de Pagos Electrónicos Interbancários), which is widely relied on by citizens for payment purposes.

In short, the disparities across countries and the widely-varying alternative payment methods available make regional PSPs an invaluable partner for global merchants wanting to access the hugely substantial and yet considerably underserviced LatAm population.

So, what is the outlook as we enter the second half of 2021?

As LatAm markets continue their transitions toward digital payment, as is the case of PIX increasingly replacing Boleto as the new gold standard in Brazil, the diversity of payment methods and consumer preferences across countries is profound, and highlights the supreme importance of regional PSPs as uniquely unifying entities for global merchants wanting to sell in Latin America.

When a human being or even an animal faces risk, there can be one of two reactions – fight or flight. Risk is inarguably ubiquitous and something that most of us deal with on a daily basis. However, rather than fight or flight, sometimes the best way to deal with risk is to buy protection. And, this is where the insurance industry plays an integral role.

By Vijay Kasturi, Head of Sales & Business Development – Western Europe at Profinch Solutions 

The insurance industry enables you to protect the downside of unforeseen events and mitigate the impact of risk events. Traders and mariners have been buying insurance for the last 500 years. Inevitably, the insurance industry has significantly evolved over this vast period of time and shape shifted in response to the changing environment. Today, the industry is in the midst of another important transition precipitated by technology and in response to changing consumer needs. It has finally started its delayed, but firm, march towards digitization. While digitization is being embraced across the value chain, its importance in claims management needs to be highlighted.

The digital claims value proposition

For an insurance company, the moment of truth comes at the time of claims processing. An efficient and timely settlement of claims can lead to a positive experience for the customer and help the insurer engender trust. Digitisation can help enable this in several ways. However, in the digital age, a truly robust claims value proposition needs to go beyond the traditional after-the-event claims management exercise. It needs to be holistic and foster an end-to-end partnership with the customer. This means digitizing the entire claims journey starting from digital claims prevention and digital first notification of loss (FNOL) to digital loss assessment and automated settlement, especially for clear and simple cases.

What does digitizing the claims process mean for insurers?

Automated and intelligent interactions can facilitate the faster settlement of claims.  Insurers can leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create chatbots that can act as the first call of support for customers. These chatbots can address basic settlement queries and even commence the claims settlement process. For example, chatbots can easily avoid the need to check the policy number for identification by simply verifying it with the policy documents, photographs, and other documents submitted by the policyholder. Further, they can interact with the customer, assess the requirement, and then suggest the best course of action. A process that would normally take a number of days can be done in just a few minutes with the assistance of chatbots. The best part is that since chatbots are available round the clock, customers can interact with them and have their queries addressed almost as soon as the need arises. This can be invaluable to a customer who is looking to make a claim.

Machine Learning (ML), a subset of AI, can further augment the value being generated by automating a significant part of the claims process. Imagine this scenario – an individual interacts with a chatbot to initiate the claims process. At the back end, ML tools have already converted all the files and information into digital assets and made all the information available to the chatbot via cloud. The chatbot can now point the customer in the right direction. Next, data analytics and drone technology can be leveraged to assess or verify the damage for which the claim is being made. For example, the claimant can take a picture of the damage and share it with the insurer. Digital tools can then be applied to scan the picture, compare it to a repository, and verify the actual damage. Or, unmanned drones can be deployed in case of large-scale damage where individually assessing the damage might not be possible. With assessment done, settlement of small value claims can be automated while large value claims can be referred for further evaluation. With the entire process automated, it becomes more efficient and seamless.

It is important to recognize that automated risk assessment is actually the first step in improving the claims management process. AI can enable insurance companies to improve the risk assessment and underwriting cycle. Insurance companies can leverage AI and predictive analytics to access data related to the risk metrics of individuals rather than groups of people and assess it more efficiently, thereby improving the risk assessment and the claims cycle. According to a report by PWC, the initial impact of AI will primarily relate to improving efficiencies and automating existing customer-facing underwriting and claims processes.

Clearly, digitization of the claims process can be highly value accretive for the insurer as it leads to faster settlement of claims, improves the customer’s claim journey by making it more seamless and efficient, and helps in achieving cost efficiencies.

Today, the average insurance customer is already accustomed to digital interactions and is, in fact, demanding digital journeys in most spheres of their lives. For insurance companies, it has now become essential to holistically embrace digital solutions in order to meet the customer’s needs and thrive in the new normal.

Irrespective of where they are in the world FinTech companies are vulnerable to cyberattacks and deploying the kind of encryption and security technology that major banks use is costly and requires technical expertise.

by Eyal Worthalter, Vice President – Global Solution Sales, MYHSM by Utimaco

FinTechs are not just getting more customers and larger investments, but we are seeing new FinTechs founded in sub-Saharan Africa and cities like Tel Aviv, Stockholm and Hangzhou beginning to compete with traditional cities such as New York, London and San Francisco as major hubs of innovation.

Cybercrime is a global problem

Cybercrime cost the world $1 trillion dollars in 2020, more than the combined cost of all natural disasters and the costs of adapting to climate change, and this number is only going to rise. Data breaches can cost companies as much as $3.86 million and take as long as 207 days to discover. Some companies have been the victims of particularly damaging, headline-grabbing hacks: after 147 million people’s personal information was exposed in the Equifax hack the company spent $1.4 billion on security upgrades.

Although the global pandemic helped FinTech companies by showing many people that they could easily administer their financial lives from their phone and pay for goods and services without cash, it also drastically increased the amount and sophistication of cybercrime. At any time when there is a global financial downturn more people will turn to crime of any kind to make ends meet.

FinTech companies may seem like low-hanging fruit to criminals when compared to banks. Both keep and process customer payment data, but banks have extensive security operations – one survey shows that banks spent on average 10.9% of their IT budget on cybersecurity, and this is growing every year. FinTech companies will have the same challenges but significantly lower budgets, which leads to a situation in which criminals perceive them as weak and are more likely to target them, increasing their need for cybersecurity when they are least able to satisfy that need.

This is a particular problem for companies based outside of the traditional tech hubs, and even more so for startups in the developing world. There is already a skills shortage in the cybersecurity industry, and the limited number of experienced professionals know that they are more likely to get high-paying jobs in the world’s major tech hubs than those cities that are still developing their FinTech industries. This leaves the younger companies who need the most support without the critical skills that they need.

Cloud-based encryption can bridge the gap

Encrypting cardholder sensitive data such as PINs during online transactions is hugely important to minimise any fraudulent activity. The use of a Payment HSMs in the financial services industry is mandated by PCI Security Requirements and are a fundamental requirement to become PCI PIN compliant. However, Payment HSMs require significant investment and specialist knowledge to operate and manage. For these reasons, they may be out of reach for small start-ups and companies in the developing world.

Cloud technology has clear advantages for FinTechs and the recent pandemic has accelerated the use of cloud-based systems in the financial world and increased the use of cloud systems by FinTechs, 55% of which say they use multiple clouds. Cloud technology may be deployed quickly without the need for new hardware, it scales to meet surges in demand, backs up all of a company’s data and can often be paid for monthly rather than as a single expensive purchase.

Furthermore, cloud-based services allow smaller companies to deploy the same level of security and compliance that is used by much larger companies at a fraction of the price. This means that startups can focus on their core business knowing that security and compliance is taken care of, which in today’s cybersecurity climate will be a major relief for the company.

Technology that integrates a business’s accounting data directly into lending propositions – a practice that we term open accounting – can help mitigate risks for lenders while the demands and stress on borrowers are reduced.

by Kevin Day, CEO, HPD Lendscape

In respect to secured lending, where the lending is based on the accounts receivables of a borrower, open accounting provides accurate and up to date information regarding the collateral that effectively underpins the financing facility. It can help lower costs, reduce the friction in the process and enable more optimised funding, benefitting both parties in the process.

What is open accounting?

Open accounting is the process by which the financial records of a business are purposefully shared with a third party or lender via their accounting software, in order to speed up the lending process by finding all the reliable and up-to-date information transparently and in one place.

It offers an answer to several issues in SME lending. By granting permission to banks and FinTech lenders to the information contained in their accounting platforms, SMEs can receive more optimised lending propositions. Open accounting offers the promise of smoother access to working capital for SMEs and also allows lenders to create better, more flexible products and services.

Fighting fraud and smoothing out the lending process

A crucial issue lenders will face in a period of increased demand for financing is the rising risk of fraud. Indeed, each instance of receivables or supply chain finance fraud contributes to the vast $5 trillion lost to corporate fraud each year – a sum equivalent to the GDPs of Italy and the UK combined! Compounding this issue is the fact that lenders must often make do with out-of-date and incomplete client data that can slow down the process for borrowers and lenders alike.

It is here that open accounting can provide the answer.

Transparency and granularity of operation data available to the lender enables better risk management. For example, a business that traditionally operates during Monday-to-Friday business hours suddenly has invoices issued over a weekend. This circumstance may be due to legitimate reasons, but by being alerted to the fact, the lender can bring more scrutiny to bear should this be an indication of potentially fraudulent activity.

Helping to increase access for SMEs and agile businesses

Traditionally, SMEs might have avoided approaching banks for financing due to the difficulties they faced when dealing with large financial institutions and their often-cumbersome lending processes. It is not uncommon for smaller businesses owners and directors to be required to provide personal guarantees to secure lending. For example, using collateral like their own home is often a deterrent to borrowing due to the personal risks involved.

However, there has been a step-change in the way businesses and institutions embrace digitalisation that has the potential to change the dynamics at play. There is an increasing opportunity for trust and transparency between lenders and borrowers that open accounting can answer. Offering transparency into the day-to-day operations of a business removes the opaqueness that might otherwise exist. Can enhanced data quality provide sufficient security to the lender to enable it to waive protective covenants and securities it may otherwise wish to invoke?

Open accounting could help create a renewed attractive market for lenders to fund businesses that have lower boundaries to borrowing. In addition, this will help encourage better and fairer equity exchanges between borrowers and lenders while streamlining the customer journey by removing cumbersome processes for time-constrained businesses.

Overall, the Covid-19 pandemic has driven more demand for financing among businesses as they look to inject fresh liquidity and stave off the financial cliff edge many are facing now that government lending schemes are drawing to a close. With this change, more companies and financial institutions will look towards digital solutions that incorporate an open accounting approach to inform their lending. Greater visibility of a business’s data helps mitigate fraud risks and enhances lending propositions for those companies that may have been less likely to borrow before the pandemic. With businesses in more need of financing and liquidity than ever before, this can only be a good thing.

With the traditional lines between retail and institutional trading blurring, it is fair to say that wealth managers are being faced with an increasingly complex market to navigate. And with the repercussions of the volatility seen in 2020 still looming, they must embrace technological innovation and automation to keep their heads above water.

by Tamsin Hobley, Country Head UK and Ireland, SIX

From the impacts of the pandemic to the aftermath of Brexit, wealth managers have had their fair share of market upheaval. And it is not to say that 2021 has been a smooth ride. With the continuation of hybrid working environments, and the unprecedented events that happened at the beginning of the year – the short squeeze on GameStop and the forced liquidation of Archegos, for example – clearly, risk and workflow management are top priorities across the industry.

The key takeaway from each of these individual events is that modern-day wealth managers need a real-time view of prices to navigate themselves through similar bouts of unexpected stock volatility. Why? Because capitalising on the increase in automation and technology means that wealth managers can keep up with the increasing demands placed on them by second-generation investors.

To improve efficiencies, workflows and manage working remotely with their own clients, wealth managers are increasingly turning to technology to support all aspects of their offering, including front, middle, and back office operational issues. This is where the efficiency and scope of the technology that wealth managers look to adopt has become increasingly important.

Wealth managers are also looking to invest resources in technologies which enable them to continue servicing their own clients to a high standard now more than ever before. These technologies, including investments in digital reporting, are underpinned by high quality data and services, better self-service tools and integrated systems that provide them with a more transparent view into their investment decisions. data and the security of the decisions made are crucial to identifying those all-important key risks.

Firms need data sets that can adapt quickly to any sudden bouts of market volatility. In turn, systems and technologies will need to modernise to accommodate such data and help wealth managers increase their data assets without increasing the associated costs.

Digitisation of client communications is another area in which better quality data and technology systems is required. Some wealth managers have even started to look to artificial intelligence and machine learning, allowing them to better adapt to the current climate and counteract the operational burden caused by remote working.

In this way, data providers can support wealth managers in navigating future events that will undeniably impact the market, supporting the industry and investor-driven need for quality data to combat future stock volatility. And the first step in this process is adopting the right set of technology for your firm that efficiency processes risk reporting and enhances workflow management, all the while maximising investment value.

Since their inception in 2011, mobile wallets have made a significant impression, with the global mobile wallet market size expected to reach over $3 trillion by 2022. What was once a unique technological advancement has now become second nature as the pandemic brought expedited adoption and usage of contactless payments. This offers a unique opportunity to engage and retain customers building lasting, meaningful relationships.

by Dave Dabbah, CMO, CleverTap

Mobile wallets are on the rise. According to a recent eMarketer report, 92.3 million U.S. consumers over the age of 14 used mobile payments at least once in a six-month period in 2020 — that accounts for about 40% of U.S. smartphone users. This spike in usage was largely due to the global pandemic but will remain even after the smoke clears; by 2025, mobile wallet usage is predicted to surpass half of all smartphone users.

This steady upsurge in mobile wallet usage brings a new, opportunistic channel for marketers to reach and deliver value to consumers. Where mobile wallets provide convenience and ease-of-use, they also offer brands the ability to push relevant communication to their customer base beyond their own mobile apps, driving increased engagement, spend, and in-store traffic.

Specifically, mobile wallets can bypass individual mobile apps to push critical real-time updates on loyalty cards, scannable tickets/transit passes, and coupons. Think: a push notification updating the user of a gate change for their upcoming flight. Taking advantage of this new channel provides brands with the opportunity to foster a more value-driven user experience.

Mobile wallet marketing in practice

So what exactly are the benefits for marketers? For one, brands have a great opportunity to localize content and fine-tune personalization for consumers who have opted into location tracking permissions. A consumer could be walking by their favourite shoe store when they receive a push notification that the store is having a buy-one-get-one sneaker sale. Or perhaps during lunch hour, a local burrito joint sends a notification boasting the newest mouth-watering addition to their menu.

Better yet, let’s say a consumer recently attempted to buy a lamp online only to find it was sold out. Determined to purchase the lamp, they sign up to be notified when it would be available again. A mobile wallet notification can tell the consumer when the lamp is back in stock — online or at the store location closest to them. By leveraging location-based marketing, brands are able to meet users where they are, leading to an increase in in-store traffic, customer spending, and brand satisfaction.

Consumers can also access coupons and gift cards in their mobile wallets without having to open the brand’s app. As they partake in their routine daily scrolling, consumers can receive digital offers in real time that can be saved for later use. Once a coupon is saved to a mobile wallet, brands can send notification reminders about expiring deals and other updates, which can lead to higher coupon redemption rates.

Challenges in mobile wallet adoption

Mobile wallet marketing depends on the increased adoption of the technology, and as with any new technology, there are challenges in getting everyone on board. Many consumers are dubious about the security of mobile wallets, unsure if their new and digital nature makes them more susceptible to fraud or hacking. In many ways, however, mobile wallets are actually safer than real ones.

If someone steals your physical wallet, they can pick whichever card they please to make a $1,000 purchase at the nearest Best Buy. But with mobile wallets, users can rest easy knowing their information is fortified with more layers of security. First, a thief would have to be able to gain access into your phone or smartwatch without knowing your passcode. Additionally, many wallets are equipped with a multifactor authentication biometric feature, meaning they require a face scan or fingerprint in order to gain access, making it virtually impossible for someone who isn’t you to use your cards.

Mobile wallets are consistently encrypted and able to receive technological updates quickly. Plus, it’s much easier to pause or cancel all your cards at once on a mobile wallet than it is to individually contact credit card companies. Samsung, Apple Pay, and Google Pay all offer solutions that enable you to suspend your mobile wallet or remotely erase information from your device if lost or stolen. Therefore, the biggest challenge in the realm of safety lies in consumer education.

Because mobile wallet usage is still an up-and-coming phenomenon, not all retailers accept this form of payment. Many brands have shown a reluctance to adopt digital transactions like Apple Pay or Google Pay due to customer concerns with credit and debit card vendors. Plus, some retailers limit mobile wallet payments to just their own app, like Walmart Pay.

Ultimately, the growing popularity of mobile wallets will chip away at these challenges. As more consumers and brands become comfortable with them, marketers will be able to reap further benefits.

The bottom line

Mobile wallets present a fresh opportunity for brands to engage with customers. Capitalizing on mobile wallet marketing can enable more meaningful communication that drives revenue and brand loyalty. If they haven’t already, marketers should start paying attention to ways they can integrate mobile wallets into their mobile marketing strategy.