March 2020

24Mar

Fintech firms say new tech could speed recovery from COVID-19

Financial technology companies are working to improve behind-the-scenes market functions, such as exchanging securities and making lending decisions, saying the use of new technologies could help markets recover faster than they did in past financial crises. New York-based Paxos Settlement Service last month became the first firm to use blockchain technology to settle U.S. stock trades, the process by which securities are exchanged for cash after two parties agree to a trade. The settlement process is more complicated than...

March 24, 2020
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23Mar

COVID-19 puts burden on gig economy workers. But can they deliver without social protection?

The coronavirus outbreak has caused life across the world to stutter to a halt and the barricades are now quickly going up. Borders are being shut down and people are increasingly seeking to isolate themselves as restricting social contact has been touted by the scientific community as the one measure that may work to decelerate the pace of the virus’ spread. However, in order for most of society to survive the isolation comfortably, we shall find ourselves increasingly dependent...

March 23, 2020
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23Mar

Ageing populations expected to impact fiscal policies, says Moody’s

Population ageing is expected to raise the debt and financing requirements of many advanced economies in the coming decades, according to a report by Moody’s Investors Service released on March 4. In addition, a shrinking labour force and lower private domestic savings due to a growing ageing population will constrain funding for governments in those economies. The report notes that the twin pressures of shrinking labour force and lower private domestic savings will leave politically challenging fiscal consolidation,...

March 23, 2020
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23Mar

New ZealandTime to rethink everything especially super policy

When share markets crash, it becomes clear that shares are only ever a potential claim on resources. They have to be converted into money before they can command the basics of survival. When the music stops, few want to buy any more. Today’s share market crash reflects not just the bursting of a speculative bubble but also a loss of faith in the viability of the underlying businesses associated with tourism and travel. While housing is a real...

March 23, 2020
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23Mar

Kenya’s Pezesha wins CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa 2020 bootcamp

Thirteen Africa-focused fintech startups took part in CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa 2020, which helps companies focusing on financial inclusion to scale. Developed by the LHoFT Foundation, the programme provided selected startups with access to a tailor made program with intensive mentoring, coaching, peer-to-peer learning and dedicated workshops. It culminated in a bootcamp, with Kenya’s Pezesha, a peer-to-peer micro lending marketplace that connects lenders with high quality, underserved, low income borrowers, named overall winner. The other selected startups included three from...

March 23, 2020
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23Mar

A List Of Fintech Firms Providing Free Technology To Banks During The Coronavirus Crisis

To help banks help their customers through these trying times, many fintech providers are extending free, discounted, or accelerated deployment offers to financial institutions. Version 1: March 23, 2020 (52 companies) Company: 401GO Contact: www.401go.com/401gofaqs Offer: 401GO is a small business 401(k) platform. We are removing any fees other than the per participant per month fee ($9 per participating employee per month), which covers everything for a 401(k) plan (testing, notifications, payroll monitoring, filing of Form 5500, etc.). Use this code...

March 23, 2020
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20Mar

Grouping Individual Investment Preferences in Retirement Savings: A Cluster Analysis of a USS Members Risk Attitude Survey

By David P. Blake, Mel Duffield, Ian Tonks, Alistair Haig, Dean Blower, Laura MacPhee Cluster analysis is used to identify homogeneous groups of members of USS in terms of risk attitudes. There are two distinct clusters of members in their 40s and 50s. One had previously ‘engaged’ with USS by making additional voluntary contributions. It typically had higher pay, longer tenure, less interest in ethical investing, lower risk capacity, a higher percentage of males, and a higher percentage of...

March 20, 2020
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20Mar

Australia. Social protection and viral recession

So far, Australia’s help for people displaced, self-isolating or ill has been far from generous. If the Australian Financial Review is right, the federal government is considering a new transitional income support payment for workers who lose their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis. Read also Australia. Veteran pensions set to increase The temporary payment, a central feature of a package that will be “more about survival than stimulus,” will be set at a higher rate than Newstart. Applicants won’t...

March 20, 2020
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20Mar

Dutch pension funds receive billions as additional collateral

Dutch pension funds received billions of euros as additional collateral on swap contracts last week in the wake of rapidly declining interest rates. Liability-driven investment managers at Achmea Investment Management and NN Investment Partners, which deal with swaps used by pension funds for hedging their interest risk, said that checking whether banks and central clearing houses could fulfill their obligations required a lot of attention. Last week, the 30-year swap rate – schemes’ main criterion for discounting liabilities –...

March 20, 2020
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19Mar

Finnish unions, employers agree crisis proposals over coronavirus

Finnish trade unions and employers on Wednesday agreed measures to support the labour market and promote temporary changes in legislation to shore up the weakening economy, they said in a joint statement. “The troubles of companies are here and now. Businesses need ways to cope with the corona crisis,” said Jyri Hakamies, the head of industry federation EK. The package - which needs to be approved by the centre-left government - includes measures such as shortening the duration of...

March 19, 2020
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