Know What's Happening in Banking
Know What's Happening in Banking
Klarna secures $2B facility and $1.7B risk transfer to boost lending
Klarna announced a $2 billion forward‑flow facility with Elliott Investment Management that will back up to $17 billion of U.S. loan originations over three years. On April 1 it completed a €1.7 billion Significant Risk Transfer led by Värde Partners, freeing capital for further growth.
Also developing:
Verifone announced an expanded partnership with Germany‑based Unzer Group, embedding its Android‑based terminals and processing capabilities into Unzer's cloud‑native UnzerOne platform. The joint solution will let merchants run a single payment stack from checkout to payout across in‑store and online channels in Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, with a Europe‑wide rollout planned through 2026. In parallel, U.S. fintech MANTL teamed with lending‑platform provider MeridianLink to deliver an integrated point‑of‑sale loan‑origination flow for banks, leveraging MANTL’s recent $400 million acquisition by Alkami. The collaboration promises instant approvals, automated KYC and cross‑sell opportunities within the loan‑to‑deposit workflow.
The nation's top mortgage lender (UWM) funded $163.4B in home loans during 2025. That was up ~17% from $139.4B in 2024. Interestingly, it was led by refis, which surged to $70.3B from $43.4B, while home purchase lending actually fell slightly YoY.
The last time they increased the compulsory VAT registration was circa 2009. Fun Fact: R1 million Rand in 2009 ( the last time they adjusted VAT registration ) is roughly equivalent to R2.2-R2.3 million. Inflation adjusted it’s now about the...
Payoneer has filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a U.S. national trust bank charter, to be branded as PAYO Digital Bank. The charter would let the firm issue, send and receive stablecoins, provide...
Crédit Agricole has appointed former French cabinet minister Quentin Guerineau as its Chief Sustainability and Impact Officer, succeeding Eric Campos. Guerineau joins the bank’s Management Committee and will report to Gregory Erphelin, head of the newly formed Transformation, Human Resources...
The European Banking Authority (EBA) announced it will cease its dedicated monitoring programme for legacy instruments, reaffirming its long‑standing view that such instruments should be phased out. Legacy instruments, which enjoy grandfathering under CRR‑1 and CRR‑2, can blur subordination hierarchies...
BMO’s first‑quarter 2026 earnings show a modest reversal in trucking‑related credit stress, with gross impaired loans falling to C$563 million and provisions dropping to $39 million. At the same time, allowances for credit losses rose to $77 million and the net transportation loan...
United Wholesale Mortgage’s parent, UWM Holdings, posted 2025 revenue of $3.16 billion, up from the prior year, driven by a record $163.4 billion in loan originations and higher gain‑on‑sale margins. Net income fell to $244 million, reflecting a $435 million mortgage‑servicing‑rights markdown and a...
Recent regulatory developments across major economies highlight growing scrutiny of AI, cybersecurity, and operational resilience in finance. In the UK, the Treasury Committee criticised the FCA and BoE for a reactive stance, urging AI‑specific guidance and stress testing by 2026....
The UK Financial Conduct Authority has chosen Revolut, Monee Financial Technologies, ReStabilise and VVTX to join a dedicated stablecoin cohort within its regulatory sandbox. The four firms will test issuance, payments, wholesale settlement and crypto‑trading use cases in a controlled...
Bank charter applications surged in 2025, with 18 new OCC filings—equal to the total received in the previous four years combined. OCC chief Jonathan Gould frames the spike as a return to normal, emphasizing that new bank formation signals system...
The February 2026 regulatory brief highlights four major initiatives: the RBI proposes a broader credit‑derivatives framework adding total‑return swaps and index products; MAS seeks tighter liquidity‑risk‑management rules for Singapore fund managers; the ECB releases 17 recommendations to simplify EU banking...
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) plans to adopt VantageScore 4.0 alongside FICO’s 10T score as part of a mandated modernization effort. A Deep Future Analytics study projects that competitive use of VantageScore could cut mortgage credit‑score fees by more than...
Achieve’s 2026 review highlights its hybrid lending model that blends unsecured personal loans with secured home‑equity products such as HELOCs and fixed‑rate home‑equity loans. The platform targets borrowers with mid‑600s credit scores, offering flexible credit requirements and a digital‑first application...
Germany is set to replace the legacy Riester pension with the Altersvorsorgedepot (AVD) from 1 January 2027, ending all new Riester contracts. The reform retains a state allowance of up to €480 per year and expands eligible assets to include ETFs, stocks...
Commerzbank has cautioned that the European Central Bank must step in to nurture a viable euro‑stablecoin ecosystem. The bank argues that without clear regulatory guidance, market participants will remain hesitant, slowing adoption of digital euros. It also stresses the need...
Contactless payment adoption has accelerated in retail since the pandemic, driven by consumer demand for safety and speed. NFC cards and mobile wallets are now standard, prompting retailers to upgrade POS terminals and train staff. These investments have cut cash‑handling...
Financial institutions are replacing legacy anti‑money‑laundering (AML) systems with no‑code platforms that let compliance teams build rules, workflows and reports via visual interfaces. Traditional solutions can require six to twelve months for deployment and heavy IT involvement, while modern SaaS‑based...
In this episode, Liz Short discusses her book "Rethink Everything You Know About Networking" and shares practical tips for building genuine, relationship‑focused networks in fintech and mortgage. She explains how her firm, Short Solutions, helps executives overcome implementation gaps and...
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s 2024‑25 AML report flagged source‑of‑funds checks as a persistent weakness, noting that 10% of reviewed files lacked any verification. Firms risk hefty fines, criminal prosecution, and reputational harm if they fail to match client funds with...
The European Banking Authority (EBA) and European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have opened a consultation on revised joint Guidelines for assessing the suitability of management body members and key function holders at large banks and investment firms. The initiative,...
SDK.finance released its 2026 list of top transactional ledger software, underscoring the shift from batch‑based bookkeeping to real‑time financial truth engines. The article defines transactional ledger software as the central double‑entry system that powers banks, digital wallets, marketplaces and cross‑border...
The Bloomberg Intelligence FIC team examined global credit trends, focusing on a surge in Asian convertible bonds driven by higher rates, equity volatility, and issuer demand for cheap funding, while noting a slowdown in Chinese dollar bond issuance as firms...
Chase has announced Wyndham Rewards as a new transfer partner for its Ultimate Rewards portfolio, extending the option to Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, J.P. Morgan Reserve and Ink Business Preferred cardholders. The transfer ratio is expected to be 1:1, though the...
The World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) warns that extending equity trading to a 24‑hours‑five‑days (24/5) schedule introduces settlement and liquidity risks unless clearing, settlement and payment infrastructures are upgraded. U.S. venues such as NYSE Arca, Nasdaq and Cboe are piloting...
Axis Bank has teamed up with a job‑focused edtech firm to launch a Hire‑Train‑Deploy (HTD) programme aimed at creating a specialised cadre of relationship managers for its Commercial Banking Group. The curriculum blends real‑world simulations, product knowledge and regulatory training...
Public Bank. Highest Annual Net Profit •4Q Net Profit RM1.88b, up 2% •Total 2025 RM7.22bn, highest ever. •ROE ~12%, upper league among banks •Div 12 sen, 2025 total 22.5 sen (2024: 21 sen). Record high div payout ~60%. Annual div yield around...
eNovate, a subsidiary of eFinance Investment Group, has teamed with UAE‑based AI platform Cobi under Mastercard’s Engage programme to embed artificial intelligence across Egypt’s digital payment landscape. The partnership will debut in Q1 2026 on eNovate’s Rize digital wallet, delivering real‑time...
On February 25, 2026, The Depository Trust Company (DTC) submitted rule filing SR‑DTC‑2026‑002 to the SEC, proposing amendments to the Clearing Agency Stress Testing Framework shared by DTC, the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, and the National Securities Clearing Corporation. The...
Tenants are increasingly filing Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud reports to contest rent and holding‑deposit payments, treating the banking route as a quicker, less adversarial alternative to traditional tenancy dispute mechanisms. Letting agents are left to defend these claims through...
Yicai: "Chinese yuan deposits saw strong year-on-year growth in January, but the pattern of slower household deposit growth alongside faster non-bank deposit growth persisted. Industry insiders said this does not mean that money is leaving the banking system, nor does...
Mortgage demand to buy houses just plummeted to its lowest level in 10 months. The MBA mortgage purchase index is now at 150. 57% crash from pandemic peak. 40% drop from 2018-2019 levels. It's the biggest homebuyer strike ever. https://t.co/FVB0HYY4bc
HSBC reported a 7.4% year‑on‑year drop in 2025 profit before tax to US$29.907 billion, landing near the top of its forecast range. Basic earnings per share were US$1.21 and the bank declared a fourth interim dividend of US$0.45, bringing the total...
Fintech as a Service Market Forecasted to Reach USD 1.82 Trillion by 2035 Driven by Rising Demand for Embedded Finance, Digital Banking, and Scalable Cloud-Based Solutions https://t.co/i6QoyzAi7r https://t.co/HwNAWxpkN8
Cyber resilience goes beyond stopping attacks. It’s keeping the organization running when systems fail, and data is uncertain. Prevention helps, but resilience ensures the business keeps moving. https://t.co/iRvh9PxW7z
Congress has stripped more than $40 billion of IRS funding authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, threatening the agency’s capacity to combat cross‑border financial crime. IRS Criminal Investigation referrals fell to a 40‑year low in FY2024, and its special‑agent force has...
This week in (publicly-listed) fintechs: @PayPal gets takeover interest from @Stripe @RobinhoodApp launches private markets @Remitly beats expectations @Klarna delivers better GMV but margins fall https://t.co/bEeEnaTZ3V
[New Episode] @Bland's CEO on How Voice AI is Changing Banking. Interview with @zaygranet of @usebland. Watch the latest episode now: https://t.co/XXRymkLwFx https://t.co/44oPGvHNn8
On February 6, 2026, CFIUS issued a request for information (RFI) to refine its Known Investor Program (KIP), a fast‑track review mechanism for repeat foreign investors in U.S. advanced‑technology sectors. The RFI outlines eligibility thresholds—at least three covered filings in...
Two leading economists spent years studying how ordinary people interact with the financial system. Their conclusion: most consumers don't understand what they're buying.. and the industry profits from that confusion. My latest for @IFAdotcom 👉 https://t.co/wJzz7eYwJx @PrincetonUPress #Investing #FinancialLiteracy #FinancialRegulation
Christine Lagarde is expected to leave the ECB before her term ends, paving the way for Klaas Knot to succeed her as president, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists https://t.co/rjUbI1zZMG via @jrandow https://t.co/aOgFWMclPG
In this February 2026 episode of This Month in Banking, host Tara Ween and co‑host Ben Crowley speak with Emmett Shipman, Wolf & Company’s fintech strategy and growth senior manager. Emmett traces his decade‑long fintech journey, explains the evolution of...
Bank of America show the biggest positive allocation to #euro assets on record in an impressive global rebalancing. A net 22% say they hold a lower-than-benchmark allocation to US, from just 6% at end of 2025. The backlash appears to...
Stablecoins are quietly embedding themselves across merchants, PSPs, acquirers, and fintechs, I shared how in January's edition of MPE Magazine: https://t.co/2i4ZQzcko7 @mpecosystem https://t.co/L0WnRe9iGB
The episode reviews recent market moves, highlighting OCBC's 3% profit rise driven by strong non‑interest income and a proposed special dividend, while noting net interest margin compression. Singapore Airlines showed robust revenue growth and higher passenger loads but saw net...
An AI-generated doomsday scenario was enough to rattle real markets. Shares in Uber, Mastercard and American Express dipped, not because of fundamentals, but because narrative spread faster than verification. When synthetic analysis triggers real capital flows, we’re in a feedback loop with...
Covenant Review released its latest quarterly snapshot of new‑issue institutional loans that include a pick‑your‑poison covenant provision. The accompanying chart tracks the share of such loans by quarter, showing a clear upward trajectory over the past two years. The data...
McGrath RentCorp posted Q4 2025 net income of $34.8 million, or $2.79 per share, and full‑year earnings of $134 million, $10.41 per share. Loan growth accelerated to more than 12% quarter‑over‑quarter while deposits rose 7.4% in the quarter, indicating strong demand. At...
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman hinted at regulatory tweaks that could pull banks back into mortgage lending, reversing a decline from 60% of originations in 2008 to roughly 35% today. By reconsidering how mortgage‑servicing rights are accounted for, the...
I trust this would apply equally to crypto and stablecoin exchanges and wallets, right? https://t.co/WxYHETT3uw
