Miriam Cross is a Washington-based reporter covering bank technology and fintech at American Banker. Previously, she was an associate editor at Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.
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Less than half of consumers believe financial services providers adequately protect their personal information, according to an Arizent survey. Banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of Idaho are offering mobile tools and cybersecurity education that could help rebuild trust.
March 2 -
The London bank is trying out new models that help it assess the creditworthiness of recent college graduates, and layering on software that analyzes the fairness of its credit decisions.
February 25 -
MoneyLion and Opportunity Financial are following in the footsteps of financial technology businesses that have raised billions of dollars from special purpose acquisition companies. The quick injection of funds is expected to accelerate their growth as well as make them more competitive with banks and other mainstream financial services firms.
February 19 -
Paybby, whose founder wanted to address disparities in the financial system after the George Floyd protests, is working with banks and others to develop products especially for underserved communities. They include a debit card that substitutes for food stamps and an app that temporarily sweeps cash into cryptocurrency.
February 17 -
Opportunity Financial, which offers consumer installment loans in partnership with banks, is merging with FG New America Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition corporation. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.
February 11 -
Discovery Bank in South Africa and other overseas financial companies say healthier customers are more profitable. They are giving reward points, gym subsidies and even free Apple Watches to those who meet fitness goals.
February 9 -
Startups such as Majority, Sable and Simba were created by newcomers to the U.S. who learned firsthand which services, including global remittances and financial education, their audience values most.
February 5 -
Community banks say Vizaline’s software, which converts property descriptions into images, helps them catch errors before they close real estate loans without resorting to expensive land surveys. But traditional surveyors say the results are of questionable value.
February 3 -
Initially created as a budgeting app, Charlie has added new features that help users visualize their debt and then chip away at balances. Eventually it hopes to add more banklike products.
January 29 -
Banks and credit unions are partnering with fintechs like Zogo Finance and Flourish to recruit younger, more financially savvy customers with quizzes, rewards and other fun activities.
January 27
