Latest long reads: Finextra Research

Solving modern KYC challenges

In today’s digital age, banking is expected to be seamless, frictionless, and to make it plain and simple: easy. However, with a constantly shifting regulatory landscape, increased demand for hyper-personalisation and desire to be digital – financial institutions have obstacles to overcome to keep up with consumer demand. A pain point in the digit...

9 hours /retail

Why and how America’s midsize cities are leading the way in business payments

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Why and how America’s midsize cities are leading the way in business payments

“Go West (or maybe, Go South instead), young business!” is an appropriate hallmark slogan for post-pandemic small business payment and general population trends. Even if the US and its communities large and small have changed substantially - and the economic and political environment is dramatically different than in the days of this original quot...

14 July 2025 /markets

What sustainability-linked bank accounts are out there?

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

What sustainability-linked bank accounts are out there?

Due to the increasing pressure on big banks to meet net zero goals and fulfill environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements, a wave of sustainability-focused banking services have been released, seeking to help integrate green initiatives into consumers’ everyday lives. As Scott Hamilton detailed in an earlier Finextra long read on ES...

11 July 2025 /sustainable

How Ireland is shaping the circular future of European fintech

Chloé Wade VP International Financial Services UK at IDA Ireland

How Ireland is shaping the circular future of European fintech

As Europe’s digital finance ecosystem matures, innovation alone is not enough to ensure scalability, future growth and longevity. Regulation, customer expectations, user experience (UX), and social responsibility are raising the bar for all companies, including in financial services and amongst fintech firms. Firms capable of balancing growth with...

10 July 2025 /markets

Traditional banking vs. crypto banks: The road ahead

Franz Bergmueller CEO at AMINA Bank

Traditional banking vs. crypto banks: The road ahead

The rise of cryptocurrency since 2008 shook the world of traditional banking. What began as skepticism and denial has evolved into cautious acceptance, as institutions and retailers have seen the potential of crypto – not only as an asset class, but as infrastructure. Traditional banks are increasingly playing catch-up in a system that is being re...

09 July 2025 /crypto

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is robo advice?

Robo advice in the context of the financial services industry refers to automated investment advice available around-the-clock, over the internet. The process typically begins with an information gathering phase – often in the form of an online questionnaire – before which investments are automatically executed on behalf of the client, based on th...

08 July 2025 /wealth

Anuradha Raman Product Owner at Pay.UK

Confirmation of Payee five years on

Five years ago, the UK's financial landscape underwent a profound transformation with the introduction of Confirmation of Payee (CoP) . The service was launched by Pay.UK in 2020 to reduce the number of misdirected payments by verifying the account details of the intended recipient before a payment is made. Having since also demonstrated its effec...

08 July 2025 /devops

What is the real bitcoin inflation rate?

Martin Walker Research Fellow at Warwick Business School

What is the real bitcoin inflation rate?

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean- neither more nor less." - Through the Looking Glass, Chapter 6, by Lewis Carroll One of the explanations for the value of bitcoin is based on its claimed anti-inflationary properties. The ultimate supply of bitcoin, unlik...

03 July 2025 /crypto

Is financial literacy still important? New survey says now more than ever

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Is financial literacy still important? New survey says now more than ever

Money – acquiring it and managing it safely and effectively - is causing more household stress now than ever, and not just among parents, but kids too. It’s not a huge surprise to hear this message arising from a recent survey of more than 1,000 full-time working parents of children 8-18. The study was conducted by Greenlight – an Atlanta-based co...

02 July 2025 /inclusion

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is predictive analysis?

Predictive analytics is a method of data analysis used within the financial services industry – and beyond – to forecast business-related outcomes. It sits on a spectrum, beginning with descriptive analytics, the most basic form of data analysis, then moving to diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics, and finally prescriptive analytics – the mo...

01 July 2025 /ai

The Data (Use and Access) Act has passed - what will change and what’s next?

Chris Holmes Peer at House of Lords

The Data (Use and Access) Act has passed - what will change and what’s next?

After six years in the making, the Data (Use and Access) Act is finally here. The Act gained Royal Assent on 19 June 2025 and is set to have a significant impact despite more controversial parts of the Bill being dropped before the law was passed. The Data Act amends the UK GDPR, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations and the Data Pr...

01 July 2025 /regulation

Why do customers and business leaders diverge on client experience views?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Why do customers and business leaders diverge on client experience views?

Customers aren’t ‘buying’ companies’ improved customer experience (CX) claims or promises, and company leaders aren’t buying the value of spending more to delight the customer. At least not in large percentages on either side of the commerce spectrum, according to a recent global study. When it comes to the leaders of the companies surveyed, respo...

27 June 2025 /retail

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