IG Group boss joins fintech startup board November 7, 2016 A top boss at spreadbetter IG Group has joined the board of a startup opening up high level investments to individual private investors. Ian Peacock, head of UK and Ireland at the FTSE 250 firm, will join the advisory board of CoInvestor, an alternative investment platform which lets investors put their cash into assets usually reserved for institutional investors. The six [...]
Convicted Libor traders hit back at fraud squad boss for “misleading” comments November 6, 2016 Two convicted Libor traders have launched fresh attacks against the head of the fraud squad for presenting "misleading" stories about their trials. The scathing criticism comes after David Green, director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), gave evidence to the Justice Select Committee last month on, among other things, his agency's performance in the Libor [...]
Former Barclays boss says technology is the key to scandal-free banking November 6, 2016 A former Barclays boss has said banking scandals could be slashed if there were less people across the sector and more computers. Antony Jenkins, who was suddenly let go from his group chief executive role at Barclays last year, has previously spoken about the "Uber" moment the industry is undergoing, and launched his own fintech venture, [...]
Mobile pay is still waiting for its “Uber moment” (even among millennials) November 3, 2016 Despite our addiction to smartphones, using them to pay for a new winter coat or that morning coffee has yet to become commonplace – even among tech obsessed digital natives, aka millennials. Just a quarter of those aged between 18 and 35 are using mobile pay and only two per cent are using Apple Pay, the [...]
Recipe box startup Gousto gobbles up millions more in funding November 3, 2016 Food delivery startup Gousto is hungry for growth, landing millions more cash from investors. Unilever and Barclays are among the corporate investors ploughing a further £10m into the company which delivers fresh ingredients and recipes via subscription direct to people's doors. Read more: Antony Jenkins' fintech startup has revealed its first banking client LoveFilm entrepreneur Simon Calver's BGF Ventures, [...]
Shoppers still love the high street – but want more technology, like VR and smart fitting rooms November 2, 2016 Shoppers still love the British high street experience – but they are craving the introduction of more in-store technologies, like virtual reality (VR), according to a new report. Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of consumers prefer to physically see products before buying them and 57 per cent want more technology in-store, such as digital “smart [...]
The influential Treasury Committee has launched a stinging attack on a probe into competition in retail banking November 2, 2016 An influential group of MPs has lashed out at a light-touch report into high street banking, days before the City watchdog publishes its verdict on the sector. Treasury Select Committee chair Andrew Tyrie said the failure of the Competition and Markets Authority to propose dramatic reform smacked of “complacency”, while Labour MP Rachel Reeves said the [...]
Antony Jenkins’ fintech startup has revealed its first banking client November 1, 2016 The former boss of Barclays Antony Jenkins has revealed his new fintech startup's first client – and it's a well known name. 10x Future Technologies will build a digital banking platform for Virgin Money, the challenger bank founded by Richard Branson and boasting millions of customers. It will work on creating a digital platform for the bank [...]
Lending leaps at Virgin Money but it’s cautious over Brexit November 1, 2016 Challenger bank Virgin Money shrugged off post-Brexit vote volatility, increasing mortgage and credit card lending – although it warned it was exercising caution. The figures Gross mortgage lending rose 19 per cent to £6.5bn in the nine months to the end of September, putting its total mortgage balances at £28.9bn. That pushed Virgin's share of total mortgage lending up to 3.6 [...]
UK fintech pushes for its very own “Big Bang” moment November 1, 2016 The UK’s world leading fintech industry will this week meet with top government officials seeking to spark another “Big Bang” moment, the first of which kicked off the making of the City as a global financial powerhouse. Leaders in the industry will head to Westminster where several meetings with treasury and trade officials are on [...]