Author: Fady Askharoun
Pix, Brazil’s instant payment juggernaut, shows no signs of slowing down. Despite reigning supreme in the country since its 2020 debut, with 150 million regular users, it still has untapped potential. Fueled by the global…
The new kids on the payment methods block are the popular ones, according to findings in a recent study that polled a wide swath of U.S. merchants. Buy Now Pay Later, pay-by-bank and gift cards…
The CFPB have made it very clear that they dislike banks charging junk fees. They have an entire section on their website devoted to junk fees and have proposed new rules to address them. Consumers…
The 2024 Payments Innovation Jury Report, the 11th report since it was first published in 2008, draws on the expertise of 136 industry leaders across central banks, financial institutions, and fintech startups. It provides a…
Today, payments fintech Orum has announced that it now has a direct connection to the Federal Reserve. It is currently live with FedACH and will be adding FedNow and FedWire services in the near future.…
Latin America typically isn’t at the forefront of global economic policy, but with pioneering financial initiatives like Pix, Brazil is emerging as a leader in the rapid growth of instant payments, alongside India. Brazil launched…
The emergence of the fintech industry in the 2000s sparked the fuse of the democratization of finance. Open banking is the result, providing secure, open access to transactions and the corresponding data, enabling challenger banks…
Vertical SaaS has consistently been a darling of the tech industry, as upstarts, like ServiceTitan for contractors and Auditboard for accountants, are poised to make a splash when they go public in 2024. Yet, pundits believe we are still…
As the payments landscape becomes increasingly competitive, it’s crucial that businesses improve the customer experience with optimized margins and streamlined operations. This can be achieved by having as much data as possible, which can support…
My physical wallet has three cards in it: my driver’s license, a work credit card and a personal credit card. But I try not to use any of them. Instead, I use Apple Pay, where…
In today’s digital age, global interest in chargebacks has surged due to the exponential growth of online commerce. Cardholders are increasingly aware of their rights and are quick to initiate chargebacks in cases of dissatisfaction…
Can a super app get even more super? That looks to be the case with Beem, the multi-service platform already packed with financial services including tax filing, roadside assistance, credit monitoring and insurance discounts. The…
Access to the internet already seems something widely accessible and ordinary. Most of our daily activities, including remote work, communication with friends and relatives, payments, and more, depend on this facility. But is it as…
For some time, fintech has expanded beyond financial services to transform other industries. I have always believed that magic truly happens when we apply fintech tools and frameworks to solve real-world problems. If there was…
A common challenge merchants face is offering bank loans to their customers at the place of purchase. Integrating with bank systems is no easy feat; hence, merchants initially turned to fintechs for Buy Now, Pay…
Americans today are dealing with a healthcare affordability crisis. With inflation at its highest in 40 years, consumers face progressively unaffordable prices, higher-deductible health plans, and more copays, all putting a financial strain on the…
Upstart reported earnings (see PDF presentation here) after the bell yesterday and overall it was a somewhat positive report, beating analyst expectations for both earnings and revenue. But any good news was overshadowed by a…
First came CoDi, or “Cobro Digital” (Digital Collection). But it didn’t take off. The system, launched by the Bank of Mexico to accelerate instant payments in the country, was pioneering even before Pix came online…
Lendbuzz blends its founders’ early credit experiences with artificial intelligence (AI) to disrupt traditional assessment methods and widen the pool of credit-worthy individuals. And with the founding team’s deep understanding of technology, they capitalized on…
TransUnion’s new TruVision Consumer Property Insights for Portfolio Management solution protects borrowers and lenders alike by providing a more holistic view of potential risks posed by property value fluctuations. Senior vice president, auto, and mortgage…
It began with a problem years ago, back when consumers started shifting online, particularly when financial transactions started going digital. As borrowers gravitated to the Internet to do business with lenders, the need for insurance…
The severity of a liquidity crunch for digital lenders cannot be overstated, as it poses significant challenges to their operations and the broader financial ecosystem. When liquidity becomes scarce, it can lead to a vicious…
Lending acts as a fundamental driver of economic vitality, facilitating investments, consumer spending, and broader economic expansion. Its intricacies are closely linked with the prevailing economic climate, as fluctuations in key indicators—such as inflation, interest…
A new report from Open Lending and TransUnion dispels the myth that many thin-file consumers, especially Millennials and Generation Z, are more risky. By digging deeper into available data, lenders can identify profitable consumers who…
Embedded finance is having a moment. While those of us in fintech marvel at all the technological innovation enabling its different facets, the reality is that embedded finance is helping people in very real ways.…
Since 2013, we have been closely following the lending space. In the past 11 years, there has been an incredible amount of innovation, much of which we have reported on here. After a few years…
Results of a new survey from PayNearMe show demand for digital payment types and general dissatisfaction with the loan-paying process. Both are omens for the industry. When asked what would make it easier to pay…
Affirm reported earnings before the bell this morning and, in the words of CEO Max Levchin on X, “In the parlance of our times, we slayed.” Yes, it was a terrific quarter, continuing the excellent…
While both Generation Z and millennials are maturing during difficult financial times, TransUnion’s study Solving for Z shows Generation Z has it harder. Solving for Z compares the credit usage of 22-24-year-olds today to how…
The Buy-Now-Pay-Later market in Mexico is evolving beyond the realm of digital commerce, also emerging as a viable alternative to cash for in-store transactions at brick-and-mortar establishments. In the past few years, several BNPL providers…
Hispanics are an emerging American economic force, and demographics show they will be for decades. Tricolor founder and CEO Daniel Chu has a plan to serve them. According to McKinsey, financial services revenue from Hispanics…
Cash flow underwriting has been “the next big thing” in lending for several years now. And while several lenders are using it as part of their underwriting, it has not become a mainstream tool. That…
LoanPro’s credit platform integration with Visa DPS’ digital-first processing helps brands tackle shrinking debt interchange fees while providing unique personalization opportunities. This move comes at the ideal time for banks, fintechs and other brands to…
Since 2021, U.S. entrepreneurs have submitted five million new business applications per year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And in 2023, the number of new small business formations increased by nearly 9% compared to…
What do you get when you combine a passionate community of fraud fighters with a boxing ring and loads of knowledge and energy… Fraud Fight Club, brought to you by Mastercard. Fraud Fight Club debuted…
Government-backed initiatives for real-time payments in the U.S. have lagged behind the rest of the world. However, the long-awaited FedNow is due to launch in a matter of weeks. While the launch is merely the…
