Mahi Sall, Advisor, Fintech-Bank Partnerships, Payments and Financial Inclusivity
January 25th, 2023
Mahi Sall is the CEO & Founder of FinXpair, a Berlin-based strategic advisory boutique firm focu[...]
What Can Traditional Banks Learn From Fintech?
Forbes |
The growing popularity of fintech and the emergence of competitors in different phases of the cycle, from new banks such as Germany’s N26 to partial service providers such as Revolut and others, or niche competitors such as Shine, highlights not just the inability of traditional banking to compete with them, but even to understand the most basic implications of the phenomenon.
The banks’ problem is not competing with these types of companies, or at least, not for now. We talking here about vastly different magnitudes, of scale: a service with strong growth like Revolut, for example, expects to reach three million customers by next month, which is nothing to Santander’s more than 113 million customers in more than ten countries worldwide. The idea that fintech companies represent some kind of threat seems absurd, seen in the context of size.
Obviously, this does not mean that the traditional banks should ignore the phenomenon — and they aren’t. Ignoring change and hoping that size will continue to matter is risky. The big banks are aware that the growth of the fintech phenomenon is mainly due to their own shortcomings, to the strong tendency towards industry isomorphism, and to the need for a replacement highlighted by the fact that fintech attracts younger people. Clearly, if nothing is done, there is a risk that many customers who today resort to competitors from the fintech world for relatively specific needs such as making a transfer or traveling abroad will end up seeing them as a more and more attractive option to the big banks, who are burdened by a specific approach to banking and many years of bad image.
See: Fintech startup looks to expedite tax-free shopping online for First Nations
So what should the big banks do about fintech? Study how they do things and use them as external innovation laboratories. For a traditional bank, the news is not that a fintech closes a round of successful financing or grows its client base, but that it is able to present itself as a “bank without commissions” when in a reality, their freemium service is very limited, and access to a real range of services requires paying between €7.99 and € 13.99 a month. For a traditional banking executive, the idea that those same customers who protest their operation-by-operation commissions every day may consider paying those amounts because “they are not a commission but an extra service” should be very interesting. If we add seemingly more superficial elements to the equation, such as the new tendency towards heavier metal cards than the usual plastic, supposedly higher status, the question seems obvious: is there a demand for a type of client who not only wants a bank that offers traditional banking services, but also “feels” different in some way. Absurd? Image? A mere fad? The point is that a certain number of people go from protesting about daily commissions from traditional banks to religiously paying a monthly or annual fee for a metal credit card, and the banks need to ask themselves why.
Believe it or not, the new Revolut card’s marketing emphasizes its careful manufacture as if it was some sort of luxury item, while N26’s has no less than an inner tungsten layer. But what they’re really about are services such as cashback systems paid in a cryptocurrency of your choice, special advantages for users of work centers like WeWork, or access to insurance, along with highly customized services for certain customer segments. France’s Shine, for example, is particularly interesting: a specialized approach for freelancers offering services ranging from legal registration to tax payments (a real pain in terms of bureaucracy in France), and with a sign up process pretty similar to a social network’s. For certain groups, a Shine account offers advantages that, whether you’re a Deliveroo runner, somebody offering your services in Upwork or who works directly with your clients, allow you to enter your Shine IBAN on the platform to regularize the entire process, or create a page from which to manage your billing and that allows your customers to pay you with a card.
What do we look for in a bank? Increasingly, services far beyond traditional banking operations, and with much higher tolerance for payment derived from a perception of added value, of simplifying a process. Pay for convenience, not by decree, for what we really value, be it a service or a perception. Where can you expect these kinds of trends to start, where is the right place to see and understand them? Not in a traditional bank that launches them as “another project” by someone who competes for the attention of senior management with a thousand similar projects, but in small fintech companies that treat these services as a matter of identity or even life and death.
More: U.S. bank regulator allows fintech firms to seek federal charter
How many senior banking executives are curious enough about fintech to have bothered to open an account with a fintech and then to use it to the full to learn from their practices? How many are thinking about what it would take for their organizations to launch similar products or services? How many people in the traditional banks are studying fintech as a source of ideas for innovation at all levels? Or are they too busy with other, supposedly more important things?
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AI | Dec 4, 2023 AI is a game-changer, reshaping how startups innovate and deliver services. AI Is changing the startup landscape forever. For instance, AI-driven platforms like Wealthsimple in Canada have revolutionized personal finance management, offering automated, algorithm-driven financial planning services. In the US, companies like Affirm and Robinhood are leveraging AI to personalize investing and credit services, making them more accessible to a broader audience. Across Europe, startups like Revolut and Klarna are using AI to enhance user experience and security, offering real-time fraud detection and tailored financial products. These examples underscore a significant shift towards AI-driven personalization and efficiency in financial services. See: AI Metamorphosis in Venture Capital For investors, this shift means looking beyond traditional metrics and considering the innovative potential of AI in transforming financial services. The ability of AI to process vast amounts of data for insights, risk assessment, and customer personalization presents a new frontier for investment opportunities. Founders, on the other hand, must focus on leveraging AI to address specific financial challenges, ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory standards, and maintaining ethical standards in data usage. Evaluating AI Startups NFX has recently published the 5-Level AI Spectrum offering a high level framework for ...
Crypto Tax | Nov 29, 2023 The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) Has Clarified That Crypto Deposits on Trading Platforms May Trigger Taxes As deftly summarized in this November 2023 client update article from Goodman's LLP, the CRA suggests that: A client holding cryptocurrency through a centralized Crypto Trading Platform (CTP) may not actually own the cryptocurrency for Canadian income tax purposes. Depositing cryptocurrency with a trading and lending platform could be considered a disposition for Canadian tax purposes, making it a taxable event for the client. Notes The CRA's response was based on two specific questions. The first question involved a Canadian taxpayer who lost bitcoin due to fraud on a platform. The CRA's response highlighted the need to determine the nature of ownership and the platform's liability in such cases. The loss's tax treatment depends on whether the cryptocurrency was held as a business or as a capital investment and the contractual relationship between the taxpayer and the CTP. See: Proposed Changes to Crypto Mining GST/HST Rules: What’s Capture and What’s Not? The second question addressed the tax implications when a taxpayer transfers bitcoin to a platform offering a return, payable in bitcoin. The CRA concluded that such a ...
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Investing | Nov 29, 2023 Reflecting on Charles T. Munger who passed away yesterday at the age of 99 in Santa Barbara, California Charles Thomas Munger (January 1, 1924 – November 28, 2023) The recent passing of Charlie Munger, the esteemed vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway (and billionaire), marks the end of an era in the investment world. As reported by The New York Times, Munger's influence extended beyond investment strategies to shaping the very culture of Berkshire Hathaway. His emphasis on integrity, patience, and rational decision-making are principles that fintechs and investors can adopt for long-term success. Born in Omaha in 1924, Munger served in the Army Air Corps and later graduated from Harvard Law School. He practiced law before shifting to investing, where he made his first million dollars. Munger was also known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly in architecture, donating millions to university projects. He was active in Berkshire Hathaway into his 90s and served as chairman of Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. Despite being overshadowed by Warren Buffett, Munger's influence at Berkshire Hathaway was significant. He was known as the originator of the company's investing approach, shifting Buffett's strategy from buying undervalued companies to investing in ...
Canadian Digital Dollar | Nov 29, 2023 Bank of Canada Publishes Stakeholder Feedback on The Canadian Digital Dollar Initiative Since 2020, the Bank of Canada has actively engaged with Canadians and stakeholders to gather insights on the digital Canadian dollar. This has included diverse discussions with the financial sector, focus groups, civil society groups, and an online public questionnaire. The Bank of Canada's report, "A Digital Canadian Dollar: What we heard 2020–23 and what comes next", provides a feedback lens across several themes. Key Feedback Themes There's a shared interest in accessibility and financial inclusion ensuring that the digital dollar caters to underserved communities, with a focus on making it accessible without stringent identification requirements. This approach aims to bridge gaps in current digital payment offerings and promote universal access. Stakeholders emphasized the importance and concerns of privacy, advocating for a digital currency that offers the anonymity of banknotes. The public expressed strong reservations about sharing personal information and the potential overreach of privacy laws. See: Bank of Canada Publishes Staff Paper on ‘Unmet Payment Needs and CBDCs The importance of maintaining access to physical currency was highlighted, with suggestions to mandate merchant acceptance of banknotes to support marginalized communities ...
Regulation | Nov 29, 2023 Elon Musk and Mark Cuban Support Legal Challenge Against SEC's In-House Judges Elon Musk and Mark Cuban are backing hedge-fund manager George Jarkesy in a significant legal battle against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This case, now before the US Supreme Court, questions the SEC's use of in-house judges for imposing penalties. Jarkesy's argument, supported by Musk and Cuban, is centered on the constitutional right of defendants in SEC cases to have a jury trial. This challenge could reshape how the SEC and potentially other regulatory bodies like the Federal Trade Commission conduct their enforcement actions. The Problems with Conflicts and Power Imbalance The problem with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) using in-house judges primarily revolves around concerns of fairness, constitutional rights, and the balance of power in regulatory enforcement. Here are some key points of contention: The central issue is the SEC's ability to bring cases before its own administrative law judges (ALJs) instead of federal courts. Critics argue that this denies defendants the constitutional right to a jury trial, which is seen as a fundamental aspect of the American legal system. There's a perception that in-house judges may be biased in ...
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