Swift CEO Gottfried Leibbrandt talks about how the global messaging network is looking to stay relevant to its bank members; the potential and limitations of blockchain technology; and his views on the startups looking to disrupt banking.

A California company called NEFT wants to provide the online meeting place where debt-laden borrowers get together with lenders and credit bureaus to negotiate repayment plans. Backed by some prominent investors, NEFT says it offers carrots to get all the parties to participate.

Bankers, investors and analysts stop short of declaring a bubble. But the fintech startup and investor fields are getting crowded, and there's bound to be a culling of the herd.

Can true innovation happen when so much of the industry is still working on systems built in the 20th century?

A growing number of fintech startups are appealing to the sensibilities of millennials by meeting social missions and, in some cases, by tying the amount of business they generate to the amount they give back to charity or to their customers.

Tangerine Bank, the former Canadian operation of ING Direct, is creating and testing applications on IBM's Bluemix cloud software environment at a facility in Toronto.

Among big-bank accelerator programs, the British bank's effort is unique for its scope, size and depth.

Battery Ventures, a tech-focused investment firm, has agreed to acquire Physical Security Business Unit, part of the security division of Nice Systems, a vendor that focuses primarily on the financial services industry.

The nation's Federal Reserve Banks have kicked off a multi-year process aimed at speeding up our often painfully slow payment system. Earlier this month, a Fed task force on the issue elected a steering committee that will play a key role in defining a path forward. The 19 members on the steering committee represent various parts of the payments ecosystem, including banking giants, corporations like Walmart that are large users of the payment system, and payment innovators like Dwolla and Ripple Labs. Here's a look at 13 of them.

USAA's newest app, Savings Coach, analyzes financial data to recommend small amounts of money to save and invites members to take savings challenges, then moves the money upon the member's approval. The app comes at a time when millennials have a negative savings rate.

Blockchain technology can be used to help financial-services institutions accomplish their most important goal — improving customer service, Blythe Masters said Tuesday.

In the years ahead, look for projects that leverage the Bitcoin network to greatly expand mainstream banking infrastructure's reach into new markets — particularly those in volatile economies.

Some critics see banks' innovation labs as wasteful, unapplied research, but Wells Fargo has embraced the trend by establishing six such labs, a so-called accelerator program and now an innovation group. The bank's Steve Ellis explains its rationale.

In order for the financial services industry to achieve its full potential in the digital age, Silicon Valley must work together with banks and lawmakers to build technology that can modernize banking infrastructure while addressing regulatory and cybersecurity challenges.

Stephen Bohanon of Alkami, a vendor of online and mobile banking software, explains why tech companies serving financial institutions need to hire both industry veterans ("Jedis") and innovative outsiders ("Padawans").

Investment in London fintech firms is soaring and young companies are being drawn to the area, especially the Canary Wharf district, thanks to the efforts of incubator Level39, a vibrant social scene, and close proximity to large banks.

Investor communications company Broadridge Financial Solutions has entered into an agreement with Thomson Reuters Lipper to acquire its Fiduciary Services and Competitive Intelligence unit.

Wells Fargo and other banks are testing the use of mobile devices to authenticate consumers in the drive-through lane. The pilot, designed to expedite service and improve security, serves as the latest example of a growing trend: preordering banking services via digital devices.

The Fintech Sandbox — an accelerator of sorts for startups — has attracted ten data providers and eight fintech startups in two months. But it's still missing what it needs most: bank members.

After the early exuberance surrounding Apple Watch, banks and vendors are ramping up testing of bank apps on other wearable devices and everyday objects, preparing for a day in which most everything is connected to the Internet.