The future of innovation is fintech – and long let the City’s dominance continue March 13, 2018 Fintech is now the firepower of innovation in the City. Such innovation has driven a complete rethink in how firms, governments, and consumers across the world think about finance. From streamlining capital markets, to debunking traditional insurance practices and offering completely new ways to bank, the UK sector has it all. Read more: Fintech leaders [...]
PwC, Tesco, JP Morgan, British Science Association, NatWest, women in tech March 8, 2018 PwC is launching a new initiative today called Tech She Can, to get more women into technology-related jobs. The company is collaborating with 17 other corporations — ranging from Tesco to JP Morgan — to tear down barriers for women entering technology by creating what they dubbed a “tech talent pipeline”. Sheridan Ash, the PwC [...]
Open banking is a test of trust for financial firms: What lenders face in their quest to win customers’ confidence March 5, 2018 Open banking, the new initiative threatening to tear up the banking rule book, has the power to revolutionise how people manage their money. For the first time, customers will be able to give companies other than their bank access to their financial data, opening retail and business banking to fresh competition and delivering more choice, [...]
Natwest to launch new fintech accelerator in London in April February 26, 2018 Natwest bank will launch new fintech accelerators in four cities across the UK in April, including one in the capital, it announced today. The bank will launch units in London, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh, supporting up to 80 fintech firms with a "technology team mentor" and access to government contacts. The six- to 18-month acceleration [...]
NatWest has recruited a “digital human” called Cora to help customers February 21, 2018 NatWest has developed a new “digital human” prototype called Cora to have conversations with customers and help them out with some 200 banking queries. Since the start of last year, NatWest has been using a text-based chat bot which customers can use on its online help pages. Now though, the bank has drawn upon “advances [...]
UK retailers suffer worst footfall and spending for half a decade February 12, 2018 Britain’s retailers have been dealt another blow at the start of 2018, suffering the worst January for sales and footfall in half a decade. Figures released today by retail experts Springboard show footfall dropped by 1.6 per cent last month, the worst result for January since 2013, with customer numbers on high streets falling by [...]
There’s a fresh mission to woo foreign fintech startups to the UK after Brexit February 8, 2018 The UK is seeking to woo foreign fintech firms after Brexit with more than 50 startups set to head to London. The government and City institutions will host companies from more than 13 countries inside the European Union and outside the bloc, in a fresh bid to shore up the sector. Read more: 2017 was [...]
RBS is selling its London Bishopsgate headquarters in cost-cutting drive January 23, 2018 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which is currently majority-owned by the UK government, is planning to flog its London headquarters post-2019 as it pushes ahead with an extreme cost-cutting drive. The bank will move out of the 280 Bishopsgate building back down the road to number 250, which it is planning to revamp later this [...]
Open Banking: NatWest warns fraudsters could scam customers through new Open Banking regulations January 13, 2018 As Open Banking comes into effect today, NatWest has warned customers of the risks the new regulations could bring. New Open Banking rules give customers of nine banks, including RBS-owned NatWest, the ability to share their financial data from personal current accounts electronically with other banks and businesses. The plans aim to make it easier [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) chops 680 jobs in the run-up to Christmas as 259 RBS and Natwest branches are marked for closure December 1, 2017 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has entered December with an unwelcome gift for its employees, announcing 680 jobs will be cut as it marks 259 branches for closure. Blaming the rise of online banking, RBS said it would get rid of 62 Royal Bank of Scotland branches and 197 Natwest branches. Read more: Royal Bank [...]