Today's Banking Pulse
Mortgage refinance demand plunges 18% as rates climb to 6.65%
Refinance applications fell 18% week‑over‑week, dropping to 38% of total mortgage filings—the lowest share since June 2025. The average 30‑year fixed rate rose to 6.65%, while purchase‑loan volume edged down 0.4% and the average loan size hit $473,600.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OakNorth acquires Monite to boost business banking
Canada’s RTR Enters Resilience, Security Testing
Payments Canada’s February update shows the real‑time rail (RTR) system moving into Q1 2026 with a strong emphasis on resilience, security and anti‑fraud testing. The organization has completed system integration testing in Q4 2025 and is now deepening user acceptance testing while simulating peak‑volume scenarios. More payment‑service providers—including Wise, Float, KOHO, Brim and Paramount—have enrolled, expanding the ecosystem ahead of the planned 2026 go‑live. The rollout aims to deliver 24/7, data‑rich payments that improve liquidity and curb fraud.
UATP Teams With Hands In on a Split Funding Service for Travel
Airlines can now offer travelers a split‑payment option through a new partnership between UATP and Hands In. The integration embeds Hands In’s split‑payment code into UATP’s Ceptor platform, letting customers combine multiple cards, debit accounts, or payors at checkout while...
HSBC’s Sustainable Finance Activity Tops $100 Billion in 2025
HSBC announced it mobilised $102 billion in sustainable finance during 2025, surpassing the $100 billion mark for the first time. The total cumulative facilitation since 2020 now stands at $495.6 billion, keeping the bank on track for its 2030 goal of $750 billion to...
Engine Aims to Fix SMB Cards
Engine introduced the Visa‑branded Engine X charge card aimed at small and midsized businesses, a segment that often lacks corporate payment solutions. The card delivers 10% cash back on travel booked through Engine and 1.5% on other spend, while offering spend...
Embedded Finance Innovator AAZZUR Forges Partnership with Wallester
Embedded finance platform AAZZUR announced a partnership with electronic money institution Wallester, integrating Wallester’s Visa‑principal card issuing infrastructure into AAZZUR’s regulated partner ecosystem. The collaboration enables AAZZUR’s clients across Europe to launch compliant card programs through a single integration, complementing...
Global Payments Feels Middle East Impact
Global Payments warned that the Middle East conflict is creating a modest headwind as flights for 12 of its largest regional airline clients are grounded, potentially affecting Q1 and Q2 results. CEO Cameron Bready said the impact on earnings and...
Cash-Strapped Homeowners Tap BNPL
A JPMorgan Chase Institute study of 4.5 million homeowners shows that cash‑strained borrowers increasingly turn to buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) as a liquidity valve, especially when mortgage payments tighten budgets. BNPL spending spikes 34‑38% in the year before a first‑time home purchase, while...
Wells Fargo Files Trademark for 'WFUSD,' Signaling Stablecoin Ambitions
Wells Fargo filed a trademark application for the ticker “WFUSD,” covering cryptocurrency exchange services, blockchain payment verification, hardware wallets and NFT software. The naming aligns with conventional stablecoin tickers, suggesting the bank may be preparing a dollar‑pegged digital token. The move...
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Chikwama Pay, Paymentology Partner to Expand WhatsApp-Based Banking
Chikwama Pay, a South‑African neobank, has teamed up with global issuer processor Paymentology to broaden its WhatsApp‑based banking suite across the Southern African Development Community. The partnership will bring cloud‑first debit‑card issuing, real‑time transaction controls and multi‑market compliance to a...
Stablecoins Enable Uber‑Style Surge Pricing, Threatening Fragmentation
Nice to see that @HyunSongShin has officially recognized that stablecoins open the door to an "Uber Surge Pricing" type liquidity market. [Actual gas markets also clear in a similar way, notably the NBP balancing point system.] The below screenshot is from...
Crypto Gateways Offer Access at an Inflection Point for Digital Assets
Crypto gateways are evolving from simple "Pay with Crypto" buttons into full‑stack payment orchestration platforms that route, settle, and ensure compliance for digital assets. They enable merchants to accept cryptocurrencies directly or indirectly, with hybrid solutions allowing stablecoin usage while...
Mizuho Financial Group Selects FIS Balance Sheet Manager to More Easily Manage Regulatory Compliance
Mizuho Financial Group has chosen FIS Balance Sheet Manager to meet Japan’s upcoming IFRS 9 reporting requirements. The platform automates expected credit loss calculations, scenario modeling and balance‑sheet analytics, reducing manual effort and error risk. By integrating these capabilities, Mizuho aims...
Bank of England Signals Flexibility on Stablecoin Rules as Consultation Continues
The Bank of England announced a shift in its proposed stablecoin capital requirements, moving from a 100% to a 60/40 split between remunerated and non‑remunerated holdings. Deputy Governor Ben Breeden said the change reflects the regulator’s response to industry feedback...
How Do You Measure Up?
The Fifth‑Year Future of Competitive Advantage in Banking and Payments Global Report uses a peer‑based, real‑time benchmarking survey to evaluate how banks and payments firms are meeting corporate customer expectations. It covers real‑time and cross‑border payments, ISO 20022, SaaS migration, compliance,...
RBNZ Working with Industry to Improve Access to Basic Transaction Services
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) is finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with banks, fintechs and public‑sector agencies to improve access to basic transaction accounts. The consultation attracted 50 submissions, with 98% of respondents urging action on financial exclusion....
FCA Imposes Restrictions on Sendsii
UK's Financial Conduct Authority has placed stringent restrictions on Sendsii Ltd, prohibiting the firm from engaging in any regulated activity. The action follows a First Supervisory Notice issued after HM Revenue and Customs suspended the company's registration on October 9,...
Fortifying Your Compliance Strategy: Decoding AML Risk Assessment Methodology
The article outlines how anti‑money laundering (AML) risk assessment has become a cornerstone of compliance, detailing its methodology, regulatory mandates, and core elements such as customer, geographic, product and transaction risk factors. It explains the BSA/AML framework, the role of...
CRED Gets RBI’s Final Nod To Operate As Payment Aggregator
Fintech unicorn CRED has received the Reserve Bank of India's final payment aggregator licence, allowing it to onboard merchants, collect payments and manage settlements directly. The approval builds on its in‑principle nod from April 2024 and adds to its suite...
FNB Rejigs eWallet with WhatsApp Integration
First National Bank (FNB) has added WhatsApp integration to its eWallet service, allowing users to register and manage a digital wallet directly through a chat interface. The upgrade lets new customers create an eWallet without an existing FNB account, expanding...
Blackcat CTO on the Future of European Fintech: Multi-Rail Finance and Operational Maturity
Blackcat rebranded from Blackcatcard and launched a unified multi‑wallet app that merges a personal EUR IBAN, SEPA transfers, card payments and regulated crypto services. The new architecture lets users manage separate fiat and crypto wallets within a single interface, reducing...
Eurosystem Unveils Appia Roadmap for Europe’s Tokenised Finance
The Eurosystem unveiled the Appia roadmap, a two‑year plan to build a European tokenised wholesale finance ecosystem while keeping central‑bank money as the system’s anchor. Appia will work alongside the Pontes DLT settlement platform, with a detailed blueprint slated for...
EBAday Agenda to Provide Blueprint for the 2030 Payments Playbook
EBAday returns for its 21st edition on 16‑17 June 2026 in Copenhagen, drawing over 1,400 senior European payments executives. The two‑day conference will map the 2030 payments playbook, covering upcoming regulations such as PSD3, PSR and FIDA, as well as emerging technologies...
Top-5 White-Label Payment Gateway Providers Powering PSPs and Fintechs
White‑label payment gateways let PSPs and fintechs launch branded payment products without building a full gateway stack. The article evaluates five providers—Corefy, SDK.finance, Gr4vy, Spell and Decta—against criteria such as multi‑provider connectivity, routing control, tenant isolation and global scalability. Each...
Modernising Banking & Insurance for Africa’s Digital Economy
Africa’s digital banking and insurance sectors are rapidly evolving as mobile‑first consumers demand seamless, personalized services. South Africa leads with scalable platforms and embedded finance models that integrate lending and insurance into everyday digital interactions. Artificial intelligence is becoming central,...
Rate Hike Forecasts Surge One Week Out From RBA Meeting
Borrowers face a likely interest‑rate increase as the Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to lift the cash rate by 0.25 percentage points at its March 26 meeting, taking it to 4.1%. Westpac and National Australia Bank have revised forecasts...
Indonesia Lawmakers Grill Candidates for Top Regulator Jobs After Market Turmoil
Indonesia’s parliamentary financial commission is set to vet ten candidates for five top posts at the Financial Services Authority (OJK) after an equity‑market rout in January forced the agency’s chair, deputy chair and capital‑market supervisors to resign. The rout, sparked...
Even Millionaires Face Bank Upsell Tactics
A millionaire walked into her bank to renew a fixed deposit. Simple transaction. In and out. But the relationship manager had other plans. "Before we process that renewal, let me show you something better."
Worst Loans Hit First as Credit Cycles Collapse
FWIW - As the worst loans are made at the very peak of the credit cycle, credit cycles invariably burst on a LIFO basis. The worst always go first, and frequently through a high-storey window leaving no skid marks.
Detect, Assess, Prevent: The Key Components of AML Risk Assessment
The article outlines the essential components of anti‑money laundering (AML) risk assessment, from risk categories and key risk indicators to regulatory expectations and the role of technology. It explains how risk models score customers as low, medium, or high, and...
Beyond CX: The Next Frontier in Banking
[New Episode] Joe Pine: What Comes After Customer Experience in Banking. Watch the latest episode with @joepine, the author of Experience Economy: https://t.co/IxymL1KiHq https://t.co/yBfvjgK08C
Stablecoin Earnings Won’t Vanish, Says BoE’s Breeden
BoE's Sarah Breeden currently doing a sterling job explaining to Lord Davies on the Financial Services Regulation Committee why money earned by the BoE on prospective stablecoin deposits wouldn't just disappear from the system. https://t.co/bdMoke431Y
Latham & Watkins Discusses the FCA’s Enforcement Strategy
The FCA has moved to a more selective enforcement model, aiming for “impactful deterrence” by concentrating on cases likely to succeed quickly. In the first half of 2025 it opened 23 new operations, with a notable emphasis on senior‑manager accountability...
JPMorgan's Loan Write‑downs Expose Private Credit Valuation Fragility
JPMorgan is marking down the value of some software-related loans in private credit portfolios. This highlights how fungible private loan valuations have become at a time of little liquidity, and raises questions about which firms are doing a better job...
Banks Show Earnings
10K @ banks: growth in NII and fees plus positive operating leverage w lower criticized assets, continued share buyback and potential V gains for some. Importantly loans to NDFIs are 17% and diversified by borrower+ tech sector is less than...
Bank Lending Growth Eased to Near 2-Year Low in January ’26
Bank lending in the Philippines slowed to its weakest pace in nearly two years in January 2026, expanding only 9.3% year‑on‑year to P14.2 trillion. The dip follows a high‑profile corruption scandal that dented business confidence despite the central bank’s aggressive rate...
Buyer Confidence Edges Back, but Mortgage Rate Volatility Risks Recovery
The Bank of England reports UK residential mortgage stock reached a record £1.734 trn in Q4 2025, up 0.8% from the previous quarter and 3% year‑on‑year. New mortgage advances slipped 1.3% to £79.4 bn and commitments fell 11.9%, indicating a slowdown in...
LoanDepot Tech Investment Powers Highest Loan Volume Since 2022
LoanDepot reported a 23% quarter‑over‑quarter increase in loan origination volume, reaching $8.04 billion—the highest since 2022. The surge lifted its market share to 1.4%, up 19% from the prior quarter. Company executives attributed the growth to recent technology investments, including AI...
Grab Charges Philippine Bike Riders over 230% Interest for In-App Loans
Grab Finance is offering short‑term in‑app loans to Philippine ride‑hailing partners with an effective annual interest rate exceeding 230%, reaching about 277% for a typical PHP 11,000 loan. The loans are repaid through daily deductions from the riders' e‑wallets, a model...
BBVA Boosts Audit Productivity with AI Assistant
BBVA has integrated ChatGPT Enterprise across its 120,000‑employee workforce, including a custom GPT for its internal audit function. The AI assistant automates data‑analysis tasks, reducing manual programming and documentation while maintaining auditor oversight. BBVA estimates a 10 % productivity gain for...
Velocity Financial Inc (VEL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Velocity Financial reported a 66.5% jump in pretax earnings, setting a new company record for Q3 2025. Loan production reached $739 million, with new applications exceeding $1.4 billion, driving a 32% year‑over‑year portfolio expansion. Management highlighted a landmark single‑counterparty securitization that broadens...
TSS Inc (TSSI) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Global Payments reported third‑quarter 2020 results that far exceeded expectations, driven by a technology‑enabled strategy. Adjusted net revenue reached $1.75 billion, a 64% increase year‑over‑year, while adjusted operating margin rose 250 basis points to 41.1%. The company highlighted strong omnichannel volume...
OppFi Inc (OPFI) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
OppFi reported a record Q3 2025 with revenue of $155 million, up 14% year‑over‑year, and adjusted net income of $41 million, a 41% increase. Net originations grew 12.5%, driven by nearly half of new loan volume from fresh customers and an auto‑approval...
IMobile Login Changes Confuse NRI Users, SMS Validation Fails
@ICICIBank_Care have you changed the iMobile login method? How does it work for NRI customers now? How will an overseas telco send you a SMS and you will be able to match it with our phone numbers on your record?...
Robinhood Banking Threatens Discontented Banks with Better Alternative
Robinhood Banking isn’t even fully available to the public yet Banking customers are notoriously ‘high discontent, low action’ Everyone hates their bank, no one does anything about it - there’s never been a better product to swap to. Until now. Banks are...
Stepping Back, Staying Safe: A Joined-Up Approach to Growth
At the MoneyLIVE Summit 2026, FCA executive David Geale outlined the planned consolidation of the Payment Systems Regulator into the FCA, promising a single, coordinated payments oversight body. He highlighted recent pro‑growth reforms, including the removal of the £100 contactless...
Federal Court Dismisses Chapter 93A Claims Predicated on Fraud for Failure to Plead With Particularity
The U.S. District Court for Massachusetts dismissed Chapter 93A fraud claims against Bank of America after plaintiffs failed to meet Rule 9(b)'s heightened pleading requirements. Plaintiffs alleged $48,000 was transferred via Zelle without authorization and that the bank misrepresented Zelle’s safety and...
Elon Musk Says X Money Set to Debut in April
Elon Musk announced that X Money, the financial services arm of the X platform, will enter early public access in April 2026. The rollout follows a multi‑year push to turn X into a super‑app, with a Visa Direct partnership enabling...
Subprime Lending Thrives Only on Continuous Growth
Few business models depend on growth like subprime lending. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that without it, it can't exist.
Big Banks Grow Cards in Wealth Hubs; Branches Lag
Big banks can target wealthy areas for credit card growth. Most others? Branch expansion won’t move the needle. https://t.co/yizKsJvyL9
Tillis Hopeful Fed Hurdles Cleared for Warsh Chair Nomination
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Tuesday he was hopeful that issues surrounding the Federal Reserve would be resolved, allowing Kevin Warsh’s nomination as central bank chair to move forward. https://t.co/7hUfth4Lf9