NatWest Group to Support Vital Businesses Across UK Economy with New Initiatives
NatWest Group announced a nationwide rollout of Mid‑Market Champions, assigning a dedicated advocate to each of the UK’s 12 nations and regions. The move follows research showing 90% of midsized firms desire regional leadership to accelerate growth and influence policy. The bank also launched a £30,000 Accelerator Pitch competition in Scotland, tied to the opening of a new RBS Accelerator Hub. Together, these initiatives aim to boost the mid‑market segment, which supplies a large share of regional employment and could add £35 bn to the UK economy with modest growth.
Banking on the Cloud
Amazon Web Services’ 2026 "Banking on the Cloud" report declares cloud computing a strategic foundation for modern banks. It outlines six trends—agentic AI, hyper‑personalised experiences, unified data platforms, ecosystem banking, resilient infrastructure, and modular architectures—that together reshape operations and product...
Client Impact DEBrief: Caja La Araucana
IDB Invest’s Impact Management Framework tracks outcomes of its operations, and its latest Client Impact DEBrief details a partnership with Chilean bank Caja La Araucana. The initiative targets underserved segments, notably pensioners and women, by expanding credit access and streamlining...
Rocket Pro's Niemiec Plans to Win Brokers with ‘True Partnership’
Rocket Pro’s chief revenue officer Austin Niemiec announced a partnership‑first strategy aimed at easing long‑standing tension between the two wholesale mortgage giants, United Wholesale Mortgage and Rocket. He highlighted the company’s new technology platform, which lets brokers retain full data ownership...
India Neobank Fi Winds Down Banking Services on Its Platform
India’s neobank Fi is winding down the banking layer of its platform after four years of partnership with Federal Bank. The move forces its 3.5 million customers to access their savings accounts via Federal Bank’s FedMobile app instead of Fi’s interface....
Second Liens Appear on 16% of U.S. Mortgages
Approximately 16% of active first‑lien mortgages in the United States also carry second liens, representing $522 billion in outstanding balances, according to Experian’s Mortgage Loan Performance data. The new loan‑level visibility into these secondary claims gives agency MBS investors clearer insight...
PayPal Pivots for 2026
PayPal Holdings announced a strategic pivot for 2026, concentrating on strengthening its branded checkout services. Chief financial and operating officer Jamie Miller said the company will shift from broad portfolio scaling to a targeted approach that supports its largest merchants....
Lower Mortgage Review 2026
Lower Mortgage, formerly AmeriHome, offers a wide array of loan products across 100 locations in 47 states, but many options are not listed online. In 2024 the lender posted a higher‑than‑median mortgage rate of 6.625 % and a total loan‑cost of...
Mastercard Boosts Agentic Commerce, Adds Crypto Network
Mastercard announced two strategic moves to broaden its revenue beyond card fees: a live agentic commerce test in Malaysia using its Agent Pay platform, and the launch of a global Crypto Partner Program that enlists over 85 cryptocurrency firms. The AI‑driven...
Radian Shuts Mortgage Conduit Instead of Selling
Radian Group announced it will wind down its mortgage conduit business rather than pursue a sale, halting new originations in early April. The non‑agency conduit, launched in July 2022, generated $2.2 billion in securitizations but posted a $16.4 million adjusted pre‑tax loss...
Global Citizen Solutions’ Report Examines 22 Countries’ Crypto Friendliness
Global Citizen Solutions released a briefing titled "Crypto Secure Jurisdictions: Where Crypto Actually Works" that evaluates how 22 countries are embedding digital assets into tax, licensing and banking systems. The report shifts investor focus from asset selection to the legal...
OCC's Gould Fleshes Out Goals for Core Provider Review
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is deepening its fact‑finding on the highly concentrated core banking‑software market, where three vendors serve more than 70% of banks. Comptroller Jonathan Gould said the agency is engaging both banks and...
Generic AI Falls Short for Banks: Glia’s New Benchmark Report Reveals the Power of Purpose-Built Tools
Glia’s 2026 Banking AI Benchmarks Report finds that 95% of generic generative‑AI pilots never reach production, urging banks to switch to industry‑specific tools. The study of 400 financial institutions shows purpose‑built AI delivers a 92%+ understanding rate, up to 94.8%...
Citi Evacuates Offices in the Middle East After Iran Threatens to Target Banks
Citigroup evacuated three office buildings in the United Arab Emirates after Iranian military leaders warned of attacks on regional banks. The bank moved all UAE staff to a fully remote work model, ensuring employee safety while maintaining client services. The...
IFF 2026: Why Africa’s Financial Future May Not Belong to Banks
At the Inclusive Finance Forum in Kigali, leaders argued that Africa’s financial future hinges on digital public infrastructure rather than traditional banking apps. They emphasized a shift from mere inclusion toward wealth creation, calling for citizen‑owned digital wallets and interoperable...
Andrew Russell on Strong Broker-Lender Partnerships
Mortgage broker Andrew Russell emphasizes that strong lender partnerships hinge on three pillars: product quality, speed, and service. He highlights that while rates matter, rapid turnaround and accessible, knowledgeable account executives are equally critical for client satisfaction. Russell points to...
Damon Germanides on Bank Statement Loans for Brokers
Damon Germanides explains how bank‑statement loans are becoming a mainstream tool for mortgage brokers serving self‑employed and non‑traditional borrowers. By validating income through deposit analysis rather than tax returns, these non‑QM products expand qualifying capacity and offset pressure on conventional...
Avant Card Review: A Credit-Building Card With No Security Deposit
Avant’s cash‑back credit card targets consumers who are building or rebuilding credit without requiring a security deposit. Applicants can pre‑qualify online, which does not impact their credit score, and the card reports to all three major bureaus. Rewards and the...
Wisconsin Credit Union to Buy Local Bank
Milwaukee‑based Landmark Credit Union announced it will acquire American National Bank‑Fox Cities, adding $419 million in assets and two branches to its $7 billion portfolio. The transaction, the fifth credit‑union‑bank deal this year and the third full‑bank purchase, is slated to close...
Bilt 2.0: All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go
Bilt’s original rent‑rewards credit card, co‑branded with Wells Fargo, failed to generate sustainable revenue and was discontinued. The replacement, Bilt 2.0, partners with tiny fintech bank Column, NA, whose assets are under $1 billion and interest earnings are negligible. Early user reports describe...
Published in OJ – Commission Implementing Regulation Amending ITS on MREL Reporting by Resolution Authorities
On 11 March 2026 the EU published Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/519, amending the technical standards of Regulation 2021/622 that govern MREL reporting. The amendment revises the frequency and content of data that resolution authorities must transmit to the European...
BNP, Bradesco, Rabobank Named Among Raízen Top Creditors
Brazilian energy giant Raízen SA is seeking to restructure roughly $12.6 billion of debt out of court. Major European and Latin American banks—BNP Paribas, Banco Bradesco and Rabobank—have been identified as some of the company’s largest creditors. The restructuring plan is expected...
ZendBusiness Powers Faster Cross-Border Payments for Africa’s Global Trade
ZendWallet has launched Zend Business, a platform that merges international payments and internal operations for African companies. At its core is ZendFX, a stablecoin‑based engine that moves funds in USDT and USDC across more than 140 countries, supporting transactions from...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...