Fintech Nexus Newsletter

Greenlight has been a leader in helping young children and teenagers develop financial skills. Its app is used today by more than six million parents and children. While the company was traditionally focused on a direct-to-consumer model, it is increasingly developing partnerships with large banks to accelerate its growth.

In the new Apple iOS 17.4 update there is a little something for fintech enthusiasts: a new API called FinanceKit. This is another example of Apple edging its way into open banking after last November the company allowed UK users to connect outside accounts.

Yesterday, there was a lot of talk about the Department of Justice’s anti-trust lawsuit against Apple. Simon Taylor called it the “biggest thing in fintech since Visa/Plaid.” American Banker gave us a history of the battles between banks and Apple over the years. And TechCrunch had no less than six articles covering this development.

Chime is getting into the earned wage access business. The leading digital bank announced yesterday that it is launching MyPay, a new earned wage access service that will allow customers to access up to $500 of their paycheck before payday.

UK digital banking pioneer Monzo reported its financial results for the 2023-24 fiscal year today. The numbers are impressive. Total revenue was £880 million for the year, more than 2x the £356 million from the previous year.

A lack of financial literacy can be devastating to maintaining financial health. The big problem is that most people find financial literacy programs boring and don't stick to it. Many fintechs and banks have tried to counteract this by creating gamified learning.

While the AI hype cycle continues, we are starting to see real fintech products come to market using this new technology. Today, core banking provider Temenos has announced the release of its Responsible Generative AI solutions for core banking as part of its "AI-infused banking platform."

Yesterday, the official legislation was issued to make the long-awaited adjustment to the CRA, accounting for the digital landscape. 

Fraud is going to be top of mind for all financial institutions in 2024. Banks and fintechs alike are constant targets of fraud attacks. It was interesting to read this morning about the experience of Regions Bank when it comes to check fraud.

Yesterday, in a 7-2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is constitutional. This is a big deal for financial institutions. Even though the agency has been a thorn in the side of many fintechs and banks, if the Supreme Court found it unconstitutional, it would undo more than a decade of work and could mean chaos for the industry.