SoFi is partnering with WSFS financial to roll out free checking account and debit cards this spring; it is calling the new initiative “SoFi Money”; the product will include peer to peer transfers, mobile check deposits and high yield interest rates on deposits; SoFi members will be the first to have access to SoFi Money before a broader rollout. Source
The non-bank lender launched two new initiatives to expand their mello brand; the home improvement venture will launch later this year and will provide loans up to $75,000 at the point of sale.
According to the Financial Times 2018 Global Alumni Survey graduates explained they thought finance was taught the best but fintech was near the bottom of the 18 subjects; one of the main reasons for the bad scoring is that fintech is not offered at many schools; Schools are trying to grapple with how to cover the term fintech as it could mean many different things; Schools that do teach courses on fintech see that students want to learn about it and hopeful to see it offered more. Source.
Citing low usage numbers by customers and retailers the payments company says they will end all bitcoin related payments by April 23rd; "Empirically, there are fewer and fewer use cases for which accepting or paying with Bitcoin makes sense," Stripe product manager Tom Karlo wrote in the announcement reported by Business Insider; the volatility of price and mining fees also played into the decision by Stripe and has been cited by others as an issue that needs be be addressed. Source.
Citi’s mobile app users grew by 21 percent the past year to reach 9 million users; this adoption is a lot slower than peers at Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo who see mobile app users over 20 million; Citi’s growth for the past year is higher and their adoption is beginning to increase; Citi was slower to the game of adopting the new digital features but has since started to catch up by launching Citi FinTech; the new unit has helped the company to launch over 800 digital increases in the past year, a 300 percent increase; the company is planning to keep investing heavily in fintech and is optimistic about their future adoption trends. Source.
After a successful pilot last summer Venmo has started to roll out instant bank transfers; the service will require a Visa or Mastercard debit card and allow for transfers to be done within 30 minutes for $0.25 fee; the free version of bank transfers will remain; PayPal, who owns Venmo, hopes the instant transfers will help with revenues. Source.
US banks closed more than 2,000 bank branches in 2017, an 18 percent increase form the year earlier; Wells Fargo is one of the leading banks as they closed 194 branches and plan to close more than 800 more by 2020; other banks like Citizens Financial is reducing square footage at branches but not closing as many; Banking Technology lists the top 10 banks by branch closures. Source.
Bank of America’s Cathy Bessant says the bank’s talent is just as important as the technology they implement; the bank plans to spend more than $600mn on cybersecurity alone and says to TearSheet, “Sometime’s theres a misunderstanding that cyber defense is somehow all technology, and it’s not,” she said. “It’s judgment and how to assess a threat and think about mitigation every single day.”; technology is not only making the bank more efficient but it has also forced the bank to retrain employees for new technology skills, making the bank stronger overall; the bank is making a big push into AI and currently has more than 80 patents related to the new technology. Source.
Starting in February, Robinhood will allow users to buy and sell bitcoin and ethereum without any additional fees; they will compete directly with Coinbase who charge 1.5 - 4% in fees; users will also be able to track prices, news and set alerts on many top cryptocurrencies; the company plans to operate this part of the business on a break-even basis. Source
Mastercard said all consumers will be able to use biometric identification when they shop and pay by April of next year; banks offering Mastercard branded cards will have to have biometrics alongside the typical PIN and password; the company cited consumers preference for this type of authentication and new regulations like PSD2 in Europe; Mark Barnett, president, Mastercard UK and Ireland, tells Banking Technology: “It will make the purchase much smoother, and instead of having to remember passwords to authenticate, shoppers will have the chance to use a fingerprint or a picture of themselves.” Source.