The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a study analyzing the UK's mortgage industry; study will focus on the industry's tools for consumers and the partnerships among mortgage lenders; the FCA will specifically seek to identify ways to better utilize technological solutions within the industry; the FCA will be obtaining information from a range of market participants and plans to release the results of the study in an interim report in 2017 followed by a comment period and final report in 2018. Source
Fleximize is a SME revenue-based finance provider; offers financing from GBP250,000 ($310,000) unsecured and GBP500,000 secured ($621,000); funds from the facility will be used to increase lending capacity; anticipates GBP100 million ($124 million) in funding by 2019; lending in 2016 was GBP40 million ($49 million), up 132% from 2015; company also plans to expand their product set and tech platform. Source
European banking profits are at risk from digitization according to a McKinsey report; the report, "A Brave New World for Global Banking", says European banks have $35 billion, or 31%, of profit at risk from digitization; fee-based products for traditional banks versus online banks is the main factor for profit; McKinsey says banks must enhance their business models, provide competitive digital tools and data analytic platforms; also suggests that banks partner with financial companies across the industry to reduce and share innovation costs; the McKinsey report also says banks will need to streamline their information technology structures and be more proactive in their regulatory strategies. Source
Facebook's data and privacy rules have slowed business development plans for insurtech firm, Admiral; many fintech firms have sought to use social media profiles in crowdfunding with little success for various reasons; insurtech firm, Admiral, will now be forced to end its plans to use Facebook social media posts and likes for consideration in auto insurance underwriting; Facebook says use of the information is a violation of its data privacy rules. Source
The Blockchain Insurance Industry Initiative B3i announces that 23 new entrants are joining its Market Testing program; The new entrants are: AIA, AIG, Aon, Chubb, Covéa, Everest Re, Gen Re, Guy Carpenter & Marsh, JLT Re and more; the new companies will join the existing group in testing the prototype platform. Source.
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Banks have been given a deadline of early 2018 to comply with new regulations that will allow for open banking; many industry experts believe this deadline is too tight; to comply, banks would need to completely overhaul their current security infrastructure and banks are not known to rapidly change anything; the UK's big four - Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland - control 77% of personal current accounts and 85% of business accounts; these new regulations will allow consumers to control access to their data and give them comparison tools to shop for the best mortgage, credit card or loan. Source
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