The U.K.’s financial watchdog says lenders need to make online loan applications easier to understand. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said Thursday (July 31) that a review found room for improvement to the online application processes to help potential borrowers make informed decisions on their finances. “Online and app-based...
For a company long hailed as a tech disruptor in financial services, Block’s Q1 2025 results present a paradox. One of slowing growth amid a flurry of innovation. The question looming over the company is this: Can its investments in artificial intelligence (AI), digital lending,...
Singapore-based payments startup Airwallex reportedly wants to expand into lending. To that end, the company, which offers AI-powered automated workflow solutions among other offerings, plans to acquire banking licenses in the U.S. and United Kingdom, CEO Jack Zhang told the Financial Times (FT) Monday (April 7). “We are planning to...
The platforms that have banks embedded in their operations are taking more of their lending activities into a direct model, giving momentum to income streams well beyond the confines of peer-to-peer transactions. As had been reported last week, Block said that its Square Financial Services...
November 22, 2024
Banks and credit unions may feel like they offer a best-in-class digital experience — and the readiness to offer new services and options — when it comes to bringing lending products online. And they may see themselves as engaging with their customers across online channels. But their customers might beg to differ. As Eric Lee, […]
November 18, 2024
“Complexity powers the status quo,” Karen Webster wrote in a recent column. And in financial services — particularly for credit unions — complexity in the back office, and in member-facing...
November 14, 2024
The payment and commerce platforms PayPal, Shopify and Block have long been developing ecosystems for merchants. For the small to mid-sized businesses, signing on to some services (such as payments...
October 16, 2024
Mid-sized financial institutions (FIs) — including community banks, regional banks, and credit unions — face growing challenges in automating their lending processes. This is particularly true for small to mid-sized...
May 25, 2026
Visa-backed digital lending startup Branch International is reportedly cutting staff at its Kenyan and Nigerian offices. That’s according to a report Friday (May 22) from Business Insider (BI), which said the layoffs are indicative of a large shift among African FinTechs, with startups focused on profitability, leaner operations and sustainability. According to the report, the […]
July 31, 2025
The U.K.’s financial watchdog says lenders need to make online loan applications easier to understand. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said Thursday (July 31) that a review found room for improvement to the online...
May 01, 2025
For a company long hailed as a tech disruptor in financial services, Block’s Q1 2025 results present a paradox. One of slowing growth amid a flurry of innovation. The question...
April 07, 2025
Singapore-based payments startup Airwallex reportedly wants to expand into lending. To that end, the company, which offers AI-powered automated workflow solutions among other offerings, plans to acquire banking licenses in the U.S. and...
