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  • user 8:28 pm on November 14, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: asset management, banks, , ,   

    The Uber Moment of Asset Management Just Ahead 

    The world has seen unprecedented disruption from in many sectors, as major trends such as Cloud Computing, Big Data and Internet of Things converge to what some say is the fourth industrial revolution. Now this trend is reaching .

    Our predictions

    Our predictions for asset management in this new world are:

    (1) Large mergers in the highly fragmented fund industry driven by a trend to lower fees and therefore a reach for scale.

    (2) Smaller industry players who really aim to understand their customers and implement ‘ease of use’ for the clients have the potential to jump ahead in this game.

    The Finance sector, in particular the asset management industry, has broadly been slow to adapt this technological change. One reason for this is that the sector is quite conservative but it is also in our view due to financial regulation actually protecting the incumbents.

    Technology had already an impact

    However, we have seen technology making inroads into asset management. Let us list three examples:

    a.) Exchange Traded Funds (or ETFs) would have been not possible without fast computer technology to easily replicate indices of all types.

    b.) High Frequency Trading obviously uses improvements in communication speeds thought impossible a decade ago, opening an area for new sources of returns.

    c.) The Internet has triggered transparency in the sector, on fees, on performance, on manager changes et al. We are now able to ‘prove’ that stock picking is not adding value.

    Zero fee funds coming?

    In our view, the industry is just about to see the full impact of technological change. Despite rising markets over the last couple of years, fees already came under pressure. This likely has been only the early inning as they say in baseball, and we may see even zero fee funds being offered. Commoditized offerings simply cannot be differentiated by definition and the price approaches the cost.

    According to Morningstar 70 % of all net flows in equities went into passive products in 2015, hence this trend is affecting the whole industry. Passive funds have typically lower fees than actively managed funds and reached already a 40 % market share in the US fund market for equities.

    Industrialization next stop

    Where is threat, there is also opportunity for agile players. The industry is mostly still not using the latest technology, has not cut all the processes into modules and automatized them as the manufacturing sector did many, many years ago.

    Here, new technologies such as could be helpful. While the concept may be close to its peak in terms of the Gartner hype cycle, we see a lot of areas where the technology can be applied. Isn’t it an anachronism that we can deliver milk in one hour but shares settle three days later?

    Will the Alphabets and Amazons take over?

    We do not think so as those companies have other, easier targets first. Finance is highly regulated and complex, and you need domain expertise to be successful. However, the asset management industry could profit from implementing the customer centric obsession tech companies demonstrate. Where is the Amazon type recommendation engine for financial products?

    Uberization

    Some think that Uberization stands for the currently large tech companies replacing and asset managers. Yes, firms such as Alibaba have demonstrated their ability to raise $ 100 bn quickly by using their platform. Uber stands though for the ‘gig’ economy, for a highly efficient, mostly outsourced operation that uses the latest technology and increases the efficiency of underutilized assets. Netflix or Apple demonstrated what ease of use means, Tesla shows that your product feels fresher if you car comes with a regular software update. Hence, the Uber Moment of Asset Management will create an avalanche of new, easy to handle tools, and new players who are betting on this technology are likely to gain share.

    They did not believe it in the taxi and hotel industry before it was too late. Be warned it may happen also in asset management!

    There are many more themes we could address here but leave them for a later blog post (please visit http://www.hcp.ch for future updates). For the readers in Switzerland, please feel free to attend my presentation at the CFA events in Zurich and Geneva this week.

    Feedback is welcome!


    [linkedinbadge URL=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/bolko-hohaus-5406219″ connections=”off” mode=”icon” liname=”Bolko Hohaus”] is Founder & CEO at HCP Hohaus AdvisoryFounder HCP Hohaus Advisory

    HCP Hohaus Advisory is a company based in Switzerland focussing on state of the art, innovative asset management solutions.

     
  • user 12:18 pm on November 14, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: banks, , , , RealLife   

    Banks Close In on Real-Life Blockchain Use Cases 

    is at a bit of a critical point, because it’s running up against the one universal enemy all new technologies have to face eventually: reality. In reality, how will use the blockchain? “To do the real thing, it takes time, effort and expertise,” says Alex Wolff, head ofRead More
    Bank Innovation

     
  • user 4:55 am on November 14, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: banks, , , , , FinTrump,   

    FinTrump 

    shutterstock_492348688

    We know the next POTUS but we do not necessarily know what his policies will be at a granular level, although we know some of his pronouncements at a high and vague level. I will refrain from passing judgement on some of Trump&;s promises, how he managed his campaign, some of his specific messages and the various forces that helped him get elected, such is not my purpose with this post.

    We know, for example, that part of Trump&8217;s platform is to create more US based jobs, which he intends to do partly via tax cuts, partly via the renegotiation of trade deals and potentially erecting trade tariffs, partly via smart infrastructure spending and partly via deregulation.

    Without going into budgetary and economics details, a combination of tax cuts and increased infrastructure spending sure looks to me like a recipe for larger federal deficits, i.e. more government borrowing and the potential for inflation. Indeed, financial markets expect just that as the yield curve started steepening with long term rates spiking up immediately after the election.

    Bank stocks also rose after the election, which is great news for bank investors as well as bankers. I believe this can be explained by two factors: the first being renewed expected inflation which I just explained and the second being potential deregulation. The former seems a foregone conclusion, the latter needs further examination.

    Trump is no fan of regulation and has stated it on many occasions. We should expect many federal initiatives to be toned down, de-fanged or outright destroyed, based on how POTUS and Congress will collaborate. Think of the EPA, the Clean Air Act, Obamacare as being in the immediate line of fire. Trump has also indicated he is no fan of financial regulation, although his pronouncements have been less clear, and we have heard pundit chatter focused on repealing Dodd Frank in whole or in part &; the Volcker rule comes to mind &8211; or even bringing back Glass Steagall. He also has stated he is no fan of the current Fed Chair. Further, some of Trump&8217;s supporters have also publicly criticized the recent DOL fiduciary rule intended for the asset management industry or their profound dislike for the CFPB. I am sure I am missing other financial regulatory flash points. At the same time, Trump needs to fill many positions for his incoming administration and the rumor mill is already hard at work, with industry insiders and/or lobbyists names being circulated to help with the transition effort or as outright candidates for prominent positions.

    I venture that the complex system that is Trump&8217;s vision and gut decisions on the one hand, his transition team on the other hand, and the influences both will be subjected to will flesh out exactly how populist the Trump administration will be or how friendly to the private sector, financial services firms included. Let&8217;s take one example: the CFPB is one of the few entities that has battled &8217; wrongdoings. We also know that banks are still deeply unpopular due to their role in the great recession. Will a Trump administration rein in the CFPB and in so doing risk alienating part of their electoral base which is surely not pro-banks. As far as this example is concerned I sense a tension between Trump and his inner circle and a Republican Congress and Wall Street. In other words, how will &;drain the swamp&; will be interpreted and applied. The same lens can be applied to all other financial regulations which are deeply unpopular with the Republican establishment but may be interpreted as rightful banker punishment by the electorate.

    Be that as it may and given that the Trump administration will be busy with dismantling other regulations and that the DOJ may be focused on other targets than the financial services industry &8211; based on Trump&8217;s goals &8211; it is safe to say that in the most benign case, financial regulation will not increase and enforcement will move into neutral, essentially hitting the pause button, or in the most extreme case, deregulation will be actively sought. In either case, financial institutions will breathe a sigh of relief &8211; small win vs major win &8211; and will enjoy the fruits of renewed inflation expectations. Indeed, the more reliable story here is that of rising interest rates, obviously far out on the yield curve &8211; this has already happened and will continue to happen I believe &8211; and at some point also with short term maturities when the Fed will stop signaling and start raising. Even more so if the Fed Chair is replaced?

    Rising interest rates is good for banks bottom lines. A fatter net interest income does wonders to the income statement and return on equity. The important question here is whether renewed profitability will halt further digitization of the industry or further enable it? Will suffer or go from strength to strength? Will banks, which have resisted change up to only recently, use the excuse of increased profits to stop investing or collaborating in/with startups, stop rolling out ambitious innovation plans and return to a conservative stance? I suspect that in the aggregate the answer may be yes, the more so if return to profitability is swift and material. I also expect leaders to accelerate their plans to reinvent themselves, knowing that secular trends are too important to ignore and that tech giants are the real threat. Thusly a relative retrenching of US fintech related investments may be expected &8211; arguably a continuation from the recent retrenchment &8211; especially in the direct to consumer space. I also expect the third fintech wave to accelerate: deeper digitization via the adoption of enabling technologies sold to incumbents by new b2b startups.

    This aggregate vision gives us only partial clarity though. What will be the impact within the fintech sector?

    Banks have a natural competitive advantage against alternative lenders or marketplace lenders. In a low interest rate environment this competitive advantage was blunted. In a rising interest rate environment this competitive advantage will be used with ruthless efficiency. Thusly, I expect fintech startups in the lending space to come under pressure &8211; natural outcomes would be further bank collaboration, mergers between alt lenders, acquisitions by incumbents and the inevitable bankruptcies of the weaker platforms. Should regulatory pressure on lending practices abate, this will further strengthen banks. Either way I expect banks to increase their domestic lending activities.

    From a capital markets perspective &8211; and to some extent in asset management too &8211;  less enforcement actions coupled with potential outright repeal of complex legislation or regulation and the introduction of simpler frameworks will reduce compliance pressure as well as regulatory dislocation. From that perspective some regtech business models may end up having a hard time finding traction. What is clear though is that any regtech solution focused on fighting fraud, illegal activities, tightening AML/KYC and identity verification as well as strengthening security and cybersecurity will remain strong given the broad consensus towards doing more rather than less in that space.

    Based on my current understanding, I think the net effect of Trump administration will be neutral for the insurance sector and insurtech &8211; not including health care obviously. I do not have enough data points though so I might be completely off the mark.

    We also must deal with the payments sector. Considering an extreme deregulation scenario, might we see further changes targeted at interchange fees, on the credit card side, or more particularly on the debit card side? One cannot discount this entirely &8211; again think of the interaction between a Republican Congress and President Trump. Needless to say that payments solutions that address infrastructure spending, directly or indirectly, will be potential winners. Incumbent cross border solutions that process or finance trade may be hit by a populist Trump bent on renegotiating trade deals and starting a tariffs war &8211; trade finance or supply chain finance platforms come to mind given they cater to onshore/offshore manufacturing/trade value chains.

    Switching back to higher level concerns, we should also keep in mind the potential for a global recession. Should the actions and choices of the Trump administration hurt the US economy and via domino effects trigger a deep recession, the financial services industry will be the first to be hurt: weak $ , lower growth, less payments to process, less investments to make, less lending, increased risk. &8220;Mainstream&8221; fintech would definitely suffer if this were to happen. I believe this to be a remote event but one cannot discount it entirely.

    Based on the last two points, it is therefore logical to infer that cryptocurrencies, solutions  and in particular &8211; due to their disintermediated nature &8211; may become even more attractive as alternative modes of payments, stores of value and means to build new exchange rails; whether new policies have a benign negative effect and especially whether we head towards more sever outcomes.

    On another note, even though a majority of the tech industry did not support Trump, it is hard to imagine his administration being directly hostile to the sector, fintech included, and in so doing hurt job creation &8211; indirect and unintended consequences of supporting &8220;made in USA&8221; and threatening the intricate global supply chains of most tech companies aside. Yet it is far from clear what Trump&8217;s stance is with regards to Silicon Valley and on advanced technologies such as AI, robotics, blockchain, advanced analytics, IoT. Although these have the potential to augment humans, they also have the potential to eliminate them too. How would self driving cars play to his electoral base and his theme of creating mainstream jobs? What about the knowledge economy, the sharing economy, digital natives, digital workers, p2p networks, AI chatbots that would displace bank tellers. All these themes are imbedded in fintech, from payments to helping with lending, to capital allocation, to new financial services.

    The above thoughts are focused on US fintech which is somewhat disconnected on the tech side from Europe or Asia. Domestic US payments is a beast in and of itself for example. European or Asian fintech is linked to US fintech via the $ . Should Trump&8217;s impact be a net negative on the $ and reduce confidence in the US economy, I would expect an acceleration towards decoupling away from the $ for international trade, international settlements, international payments. Alternative solutions such as a new basket of currencies, the rise of one to one currency settlements such as Euro-Yuan or in the more extreme case relying on a as proxy for a new standard would de facto re-align global financial exchanges in a drastic new way and global fintech business models accordingly.

    In summary I see several potential paths:

    1) Extreme populism and no material financial deregulation lead to a global recession:  fintech startups and financial services incumbents will suffer; crypto currencies and blockchain will get a major boost.

    2) Benign populism and some financial deregulation lead to a slight positives and a middle of the road path: some fintech startup models will suffer and financial services incumbents will be stronger, all else being constant.

    3) Watered down populism aligned with major financial deregulation lead to strong growth, at least in the short term: financial services incumbents to be the clear winners along with fintech startups tightly aligned with incumbents&8217; needs.

    The fact that we are faced with such a divergent array of paths speaks to the unique and quasi-quantum state of Trump as a politician and businessman, exhibiting potentially pragmatic and radical intents simultaneously. I will even go further and state &8211; Nassim Taleb who I respect immensely already made this point &8211; that Trump was the ultimate antifragile candidate and that he may reveal himself to be the ultimate antifragile President. (Antifragility works up to a point, see path 1 above with clear winners and losers.) As such, thinking about fintech investment/operating strategies also need to be antifragile. I have already re-aligned my investment themes accordingly.

    Trump&8217;s administration picks as well as the decisions he will make in the first 100 days in office will enlighten us as to which is the most likely.

    FiniCulture

     
  • user 3:35 pm on November 12, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , banks, , , , , , , , ,   

    Connected Cars – How To Move From A to B in The Future (And Maybe Do Some Banking in Between) 

    It was a wonderful indian summer day in Boston, Massachusetts back in 1999, sailing boats were battling it out on Charleston River, joggers lined the river , and many a Red Sox fan was silently dreaming and hoping that one day, yes one day, their cursed team may win the world series again.

    At the MIT Media Lab &; back then, one of the culmination points where all things digital were being research and thought through by a multinational, highly switched on crowd of academics &8212; I had the pleasure to attend a conference labelled &;The of &;, where researchers different faculties and Research Groups came together with industry representatives to discuss how digital will transform cars and how we will use them in the future.

    To be honest, I don&;t remember much from that day back then &; the one example that sticks in my mind is a research project on intelligent rear-mirrors, that were able to measure objects approaching too fast and warn the driver that someone was approaching his or her car at collision course &8212; a simple algorithm that measured how fast 2D spatial objects increased in size and calcs the speed based on this.

    Today, many higher end cars have similar technologies as standard built in. And the car has definitely arrived. How disappointed do I usually get when I step into a rented car and find out I can&8217;t connect my iPhone via Bluetooth and listen to Spotify. Damn, feels like being thrown back into the neolithic ages.

    Connected car report 2016-1

     

    While smart digital systems already assist and take a lot of hassle and bad moments out of the driving experience (and fun too, as sporty drivers like to emphasize), we are looking at a even more radical digital transformation of cars in the future. Our recent PwC Strategy& study estimates a revenue potential of >155bn USD by 2022, split across safety, autonomous driving and services delivered in and out of connected cars.

    Estimated connected car revenues (and market share) by product package, 2015–22

    Estimated connected car revenues (and market share) by product package, 2015–22

     

    If ongoing tests and pilots continue to build momentum, we will soon be driving without our hands on the wheel, or even sitting on a backseat enjoying the car basically drive itself from A to B. Of course the car can also inform us of any location specific things we need to know, offer us services and entertainment, or contact the closest garage, if the engine is making strange noises.

    In our viewpoint on the Connected Car 2016 we are also looking more broadly at how connected cars will become a part of our daily lives &8211; the how and the why.

    Prospects and profits for makers of connected cars

    Prospects and profits for makers of connected cars

    If interested, please have a look here

    p.s.

    for financial services i see a big potential in using the time we are being driven by autonomous cars more productively, e.g., engaging with my bank or FS provider around advice, reporting, transactions or just catching up in general and discussing ideas.

    With the right multimedia Interfaces that experience can actually be made quite enjoyful, and people will definitely &8220;have more time&8221; and &8220;be at ease&8221; than at work or right before stepping into the car or when finally arriving at home from a long commute.

    This article first appeared on LinkedIn Pulse

    The post Connected Cars &8211; How To Move From A to B in The Future (And Maybe Do Some Banking in Between) appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH.

    Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH

     
  • user 12:19 pm on November 12, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , banks, , , , Root, , ,   

    Root Insurance And the Unbundling of the Insurance Stack Using Open APIs 

    It took a long time for startups to become full regulated . This is happening much faster in because Insurance is a stack with three layers and tech centric players understand stack dynamics in their bones and know how to build a sustainable position within a stack.Read More
    Bank Innovation

     
  • user 3:35 pm on November 11, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: banks, , , , , ,   

    Why FinTech Startups Will Not Win If They Play Like The Banks 

    My recent experience with  Startup Revolut has shown me that the can still sleep quietly for a while as Fintech Start-ups will in fact not be in measure to disrupt the industry if don’t also change the rules of the game…

    simulator screen shot 10 dec 2015 16.26.03What went wrong with Revolut?

    “Revolut is a Global Money App, cutting your hidden banking fees to zero. It allows you to exchange currencies at perfect interbank rates, send money through social networks and spend with a multi-currency card everywhere MasterCard® is accepted. All this is done at the touch of a button, in a beautiful mobile application. Our goal is to completely remove all hidden banking costs.” Source: https://revolut.com/about

    So what went wrong with my Revolut account… I used my multi-currency card abroad to pay for goods in Euro. I received a VAT refund in Euro that was to be re-credited to my Revolut account. But today, when I logged into my account, I noticed that the refund had been re-credited in Sterling, with someone taking a hefty spread in the process…

    So in simple words, it did not go as planned, the client promise was broken, and the hidden banking costs were suddenly very visible… I decided to query this with the Revolut customer service…

    Adopting the same approach to client service as the banks is recipe for failure

    What clients of FinTech Start-ups want is a completely different approach that puts them at the center. They want services that are not only answering their needs, but that are also:

    • simple to use
    • fast
    • convenient

    FinTech Start-ups have understood that, or at least, part of it…

    They are leveraging new to outgun the banks that are suffering from their archaic systems. The claim is that FinTech Start-ups armed with integrated systems, new algorithms and access to social networks can now analyse client sentiment real time and can offer the right service at the right time, for the right price.

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

     

    Banks on the other hand are struggling to make sense of big data. Because it lives on several databases and systems that are hardly integrated, because they did not think of asking clients the right to use this data twenty years ago when they signed them up, and because of plenty other valid reasons, mining through this data is a difficult, near impossible, task.

    Clients are attracted to FinTech Start-ups because of the glitter this new lawyer of technology provides. They see the novelty in the approach and they believe something has changed…

    Clients love the new simplicity – no more endless paper form to sign, all is done with a click on a fancy app interface and they even work with pictures of you, your ID card or proof of residence taken through your smartphone!

    Clients love the increased speed – they can do it here and there, through the internet and 4G mobile connection, wherever they are, no more need to visit a branch in person.

    Clients love the convenience – FinTech Start-ups provide the same services as traditional banks, often even better, and at a fraction of the price they normally pay their bank.

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

     

    But underneath, unfortunately, it seems nothing has changed… When the acid test comes, when something goes wrong at a FinTech Start-up… then the same old mechanisms that make you hate your bank re-surface:

    Claiming that they did not do anything wrong

    “Just to inform you that we don’t have any control over the refunds. Refunds are processed automatically after the merchant’s release.”

    Putting the fault on the other party in the chain

    “It is not our fault as we are not able to choose the currency for the merchant” or “if you were expecting to receive these refunds in Euros, and apparently you have received in GBP is because the merchant released then in this currency.”

    Invoking procedures and rules that prevent them doing it the simple way

    “However there is a procedure that needs to be followed. Especially when, as in this case, we didn’t have any control and the way to rectify it, is to raise a chargeback.”

    Referring client to another department or to third party as the solution lies outside their competence

    “I will forward this to the chargeback team.” or “You can contact the merchant and ask for clarification.”

    This behaviour will not help FinTech Start-ups win!

     

    Clients are asking for a great customer experience, they are asking for simplicity, speediness and convenience, even when, or especially when, things break. This is exactly where FinTech Start-ups need to make the difference.  Playing it the banks will not satisfy clients, it will end up putting FinTech Start-ups and banks in the same basket.

    What should have happened instead at a Fintech Start-up?

    First, the FinTech angle should have kicked in immediately:

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

    The data analysis should have been instantaneous, with artificial intelligence reading the support chat channel and picking up that I was growing more and more upset by the interaction with the customer service representative. This was visible in the language I was using and the speed at which I was typing (and the accompanying typos).

     

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

    Social Media listening should have also indicated real-time that I was starting to tweet about my problem and my frustration at the lack of understanding from the customer service representative, and that I was starting to drag influencers in the discussion.

    This would have also been supported by a rapid scan to establish my social media strength (number of followers, Klout score, retweets and likes) and the risk of PR damage that could result.

     

    Finally, the CRM system should have spitted out a customer profile showing that over the past 4 months:

    I had increased my volume of transactions significantly (so I was on my way to become a “good” client)

    that all transactions I had done were in Euros and that there were no transaction in GBP (so there was possibly something abnormal with those two transactions in GBP)

     

    Then, the Start-up angle should have also played a role:

    &; The customer service representative should have calculated the costs involved to solve the issue quickly and bring immediate satisfaction to the client:
    namely by reversing the two transactions in GBP into EUR, at an exchange rate of 1 GBP for 1.1177 EUR – which was 54.78 GBP x 1.1177 = 61.23 EUR, when I was claiming I should have received 64.50 EUR – that means a cost of 2.92 GBP.

    &8211; The customer service representative should have then assessed how much effort any other alternative solution would take:
    time spent by customer service staff to escalate the client’s request, plus time spent by the compliance team to raise a chargeback request and deal with the third party to fix the issue and to that, add the potential loss of faith in the product by the client, plus any potential damage to the brand resulting from the negative publicity on the social networks.

    &8211; Armed with those two assessments, the customer service representative would then decide quickly which solution would be the most satisfactory for the client and the less expensive for the FinTech Start-up to execute and would have executed it.

     

    So, in other words, the customer service representative should have assessed what was my issue with Revolut (i.e. refund process did not work properly), should have assessed the most practical and easiest way for Revolut to address my need (i.e. fix the refund by compensating the difference) and should have asked me how Revolut could still increase my client satisfaction (i.e. reinforce their client promise and turn me into a champion of their brand to drum up more business).

    FinTech Start-ups need to embrace a client-centric approach

    FinTech Start-ups need to go further than just layering a fancy new technology on one of the oldest jobs in the world if they want to win. They need to adopt a client-centric strategy, putting client satisfaction at the core. Because it is the alliance of technology and client-centric approach that will help them beat the banks.

    Client-centric champion Amazon would have paid back the 2.92 GBP in a split-second and would have probably issued a compensation voucher to make up for the bad customer experience. This would have reinforced my trust in their brand and would have led me to sing their praises on the social networks, bringing them additional clients attracted by this positive client experience sharing.

    FinTech Start-ups need to do the same, before Amazon starts doing FinTech…

    This article first appeared on Lionel Guerraz&8217;s Blog

    Featured Image: From Pixabay

    The post Why FinTech Startups Will Not Win If They Play Like The Banks appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH.

    Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH

     
  • user 12:18 pm on November 11, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , banks, , ,   

    Banking on the API Bundle of the Future 

    If you thought ‘’ was a buzzword, get ready for ‘open’. Open data, open APIs, open access – you name it. are under pressure on multiple fronts to open the doors and let in the tech punters, all of whom are hungry for a slice of customer data. OpenRead More
    Bank Innovation

     
  • user 9:18 am on November 10, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ändern, , banks, , , drastisch, , , rasch,   

    Die Banken müssen sich ändern, rasch und drastisch! 

    Rino Borini

    Rino Borini

    Rino Borini erklärt m Interview mit dem WIR Bank Blog, was der Kunde heute von seiner Bank erwartet – und dass es vielleicht bald nicht mehr braucht.

     

     

     

    Die WIR Bank positioniert neu und setzt konsequent auf Digitalisierung – zu spät, zu früh, gerade rechtzeitig?

    Digital Era

    From Pixabay

    Der digitale Schnellzug fährt noch nicht mit voller Geschwindigkeit. Doch der Lokführer beschleunigt unablässig. Wenn die WIR Bank eine Gesamtstrategie entworfen hat, die in die heutige digitale Ära passt, und diese konsequent umsetzt, dann ist der Zeitpunkt jetzt richtig. Das heisst aber: Nicht zurücklehnen, sondern auf den Zug aufspringen und sich auf die anspruchsvolle Reise freuen. Wichtig ist, dass die WIR Bank es schafft, alle Mitarbeitenden zu begeistern. Digitalisierung ist eine riesige Herausforderung, aber auch eine tolle Chance. Sowohl als Bank wie als Mitarbeitende kann man sich Wettbewerbsvorteile verschaffen.

     

    Was ist Ihre Einschätzung: Haben die Bankkunden nur darauf gewartet, dass Banken die digitale Transformation der Finanzwelt vorantreiben, oder überfordern die Banken ihre angestammte Kundschaft?

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

    Es ist komplett umgekehrt. Es sind die Banken, die überfordert sind. Denn die Kunden sind es, die den Druck erhöhen und ein anderes Banking erwarten. Banking wird digital und «social» und kommt in die Hosentasche. Schauen Sie doch, wie wir heute News konsumieren, wie wir unsere Ferien buchen, wie wir mit Freunden von unterwegs kommunizieren oder wie wir einkaufen und uns inspirieren lassen.

    Fast alles läuft digital! Und warum sollen wir gewisse Banking-Themen nicht auch digital abwickeln? Und ganz wichtig: Die junge Generation hat eine Bank noch nie von innen gesehen. Sie ist mit Google & Co. aufgewachsen. Die heute 15-Jährigen erreicht man nicht einmal mehr via Facebook, sondern via Snapchat. Das sind Kunden von morgen. Sind Bankmanager schon mal auf Snapchat gewesen?

     

    Sie unterrichten Digital Finance an der Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich. Was ist der Inhalt dieses Kurses?

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

    Wie viel Zeit haben Sie? – Ich halte mich kurz. Der Lehrgang ist breit gefächert, dauert insgesamt 18 Tage – verteilt auf ein Semester – und wird mit dem Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) Digital Finance abgeschlossen.

    Wir wollen das digitale Leadership-Denken fördern, wir möchten neue Technologien verstehen und wissen, wie altbekannte Bankdienstleistungen in Zukunft von Kunden genutzt werden. Ganz wichtig ist die neue Denkhaltung. Digitalisierung bedeutet: Es geht schnell, sehr schnell, exponentiell! Und man muss sich anpassen können. Dies wollen wir den Studenten beibringen, damit sie in ihrem Job neue Impulse einbringen können.

     

    Aus welchem Umfeld stammen Ihre Studenten – hat es darunter auch Banker alter Schule, die die Zeichen der Zeit erkannt haben?

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

    Es geht querbeet. Die jüngste Studentin ist knapp 30, der älteste 55 Jahre alt. Wir haben Studenten aus Regional-, Kantonal-, Privat- und Grossbanken und aus ganz unterschiedlichen Bereichen. Allesamt haben die Studenten etwas gemeinsam: Sie wollen eine Stimme haben. Deswegen heisst das inoffizielle Programm bei mir: «Digital Banking Rockstar».

    Denn die Studenten wollen die Transformation, die tiefgreifend sein wird, aktiv mitgestalten, und dafür brauchen sie eben eine Stimme wie ein Rockstar. Letztlich sollen die Absolventen Wettbewerbsvorteile generieren, denn es ist Fakt, dass es im Banking zu einem Arbeitsplatzabbau kommen wird. Diejenigen, die sich für das Thema Digitalisierung begeistern können, haben auch künftig viel Potenzial.

     

    In Ihrem Kurs geht es auch um die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den traditionellen Finanzinstituten und  unabhängigen -Unternehmen. Kann man wirklich von Zusammenarbeit sprechen? Ist es nicht eher so, dass Grossbanken oder ganze Konsortien von Grossbanken die innovativsten Player auf dem Gebiet des Digital Banking einfach aufkaufen, um dann das Innovationstempo auf das ihnen genehme Niveau zu drosseln?

    Es gibt zwei Seiten. Einerseits gibt es Fintechs, die einen Alleingang versuchen. Wenigen gelingt es, zum Teil aber schon sehr erfolgreich. Andererseits geht es um die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Start-ups und Banken. Denn Banken haben per se ein Innovationsproblem, und das lösen sie nicht, solange die Strukturen nach Schema «old world» gesetzt sind. Nehmen wir die UBS. Ein 150 Jahre altes Unternehmen arbeitet bereits in gewissen Bereichen sehr eng mit Fintechs zusammen, einige davon gab es vor drei Jahren noch nicht einmal. Würde nun eine Grossbank ein solches Jungunternehmen kaufen und sich einverleiben, dann wäre die Innovation tot.

    Grund dafür sind allein die bankinternen Strukturen, die veraltete Führungs- und Meetingkultur oder auch der interne Dieselmotor, d. h. das IT-System, das wenig Innovation zulässt. Folglich ist es intelligenter, wenn eine Bank überlegt, in welchen Teilbereichen sie dem Kunden einen Mehrwert bieten kann und dann eine enge Kooperation mit einem Fintech-Unternehmen eingeht. Dann profitieren alle: Die Bank, das Jungunternehmen und letztlich – und das ist das Hauptziel – der Kunde. Es geht um den Kunden und um nichts anderes. Das haben noch nicht alle Banken-CEO wirklich verstanden, sonst würden sie sich anders verhalten.

     

    Sie vertreten die These Bill Gates’ – andere sind der Meinung, sie stamme vom früheren Wells-Fargo-CEO Richard Kovacevich –, wonach es keine Banken, sondern Bankdienstleistungen braucht («Banking is necessary, are not») – solche können auch Firmen wie Valora, Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon oder Crowdfundingplattformen erbringen. Gibt es Grenzen, und geht das nicht einher mit Einbussen bezüglich Sicherheit, Zuverlässigkeit oder im Vertrauensverhältnis?

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

    Sie bringen einen wichtigen Punkt ins Spiel: Sicherheit und Vertrauen. Das ist eine Stärke der Banken, und diesen Trumpf können sie ausspielen. Aber sie sich bewegen! Der Kunde will ein anders, effizienteres, schnelleres, faireres Banking. In einem Wort ausgedrückt: Der Kunde will ein neues Kundenerlebnis haben.

    Aber dieses Bedürfnis können oftmals andere Unternehmen besser erfüllen: Valora bietet Kredite am Kiosk an, Apple hat Mobile Payment, und irgendwann wird man via Facebook Geld verschicken können. Aber insbesondere wir Schweizer wollen Sicherheit und Vertrauen, und hier können die Banken trumpfen – aber sie müssen sich , ziemlich und ziemlich .

     

    Spätestens seit der letzten Bankenkrise ächzen die Finanzinstitute unter immer neuen und schärferen regulatorischen Vorschriften. Haben diese kein Abschreckungspotenzial für branchenfremde Unternehmen, die Bankdienstleistungen erbringen wollen?

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

    Nein, überhaupt nicht. Im Gegenteil: Die jungen Wilden gehen damit ganz anders um. Sie kämpfen mit Leidenschaft, eine Leidenschaft, die oft im klassischen Banking verloren gegangen ist. Wichtig ist zu verstehen, dass die Gesetze für alle gelten. Doch was passiert in London, Singapur oder Hongkong – übrigens auch bald in der Schweiz? – Die Regulatoren passen sich der neuen Zeit an! Banken, die meinen, sie können sich hinter den strengen Regularien verstecken, verlieren.

    Wir reden von sogenannten Sandboxes, also legalen Experimentierfeldern – Banklizenzen light – ausserhalb der gültigen Standards. Sie bieten neuen Anbietern ideale Startvoraussetzungen. Und sind sie einmal fit genug und haben Kunden überzeugen können, dann kommen sie auf die nächste Ebene. Oder schauen Sie nach London. Dort hat die Regierung ein neues Gesetz erlassen, das Banken zwingt, sozusagen auf Knopfdruck Kundenbeziehungen auf ein anderes Unternehmen zu übertragen, wenn der Kunde das will. Das ist ein Game-Changer.

    Alles spricht von Bitcoins. Die Einwohnerkontrolle der Stadt Zug wird weltweit zum -Pionier erhoben, weil man dort in einem Pilotversuch seit 1. Juli und bis Ende Dezember Gebühren bis 200 Franken in dieser Kryptowährung begleichen kann. Wir haben in Zug nachgefragt: Nach einem Monat gingen nicht mehr als eine Handvoll solcher Zahlungen ein, und wegen Stempeln, Unterschriften und zum Abholen z. B. von Identitätskarten muss man immer noch am Schalter vortraben. Das tönt nicht sehr futuristisch …

    From Pixabay

    From Pixabay

    Es geht nicht darum, ob 10 oder 1000 Leute das nutzen. Erstens ist Bitcoin gar noch nicht in der breiten Bevölkerung angekommen, auch weil viele Medien ein verzerrtes Bild davon vermitteln. Zweitens, und das ist der Hauptpunkt, ist die Zuger Initiative eine Marketingaktion. Wir Schweizer müssen endlich mal lernen, uns besser zu verkaufen. Das machen z. B. die Angelsachsen vorbildlich. Und Zug macht es genau richtig, denn Zug ist das Crypto Valley der Welt – das muss man sich mal vor Augen führen!

    Hier in der Schweiz passiert ganz viel, doch niemand redet darüber. Wir sprechen hier von einer Technologie, die fast alle Branchen massiv umkrempeln kann. Das, was hinter Bitcoin steckt, ist eben diese revolutionäre Technologie, die . Darum: Eine tolle Aktion der Regierung von Zug. Ich würde mir wünschen, dass auch der Bund mutiger auftreten würde, aber unsere Bundesräte gehen lieber an die Olma oder an die Muba …

     

    Blockchain ist eine Technologie, um z. B. Bitcoins von Person zu Person zu transferieren. Für die meisten von uns ist die Funktionsweise eine Black box. Können Sie in wenigen Sätzen diese Black box erhellen?

    Blockchain

    From Wikimedia

    Nun, wer weiss schon, welche Technologie z. B. hinter E-Mail steht? Oder wer kann mir smtp, pop, imap in wenigen Sätzen erklären? Trotzdem hier mein Erklärungsversuch zu Blockchain: Es ist so, dass bislang jeder, der Geld überweisen wollte, eine Bank brauchte. Sie wickelt die Zahlung ab und prüft, ob alle nötigen Daten stimmen. Die Blockchaintechnologie macht genau dasselbe – nur vollautomatisch, schneller und billiger. Sie ersetzt somit die Bank.

    Vorstellen kann man sich die Blockchain als eine Art Superdatei, die alle Transaktionen, die über ihr System abgewickelt werden, erfasst. Der Unterschied: Im Mittelpunkt steht nicht ein zentraler Server – vielmehr wird alles gleichzeitig auf den Computern aller Teilnehmer überprüft, gespeichert und dort laufend aktualisiert. Wissen und Verantwortung werden also an Maschinen delegiert und von ihnen geteilt. Manipulation ist auf diese Weise kaum möglich: Kriminelle müssten sich dazu nicht nur in einen, sondern gleich in alle angeschlossenen Computer hacken!

     

    Sie sagen Blockchainvorgänge könnten kaum gefälscht oder manipuliert werden. Gibt es tatsächlich keine Gefahren?

    Doch, natürlich gibt es Gefahren. Aber ändern wir mal den Blickwinkel: E-Mail gibt es seit rund 30 Jahren – und ist E-Mail zu 100 Prozent sicher? Nein! Auch heute noch fallen viele Leute auf Betrugs-E-Mails herein oder E-Mail-Adressen werden missbraucht. Da sagt niemand etwas, man weiss es einfach. Blockchain ist eine extrem junge Technologie, die Zeit braucht. Natürlich finden immer wieder Betrüger Wege, um zu fälschen oder zu manipulieren. Das ist normal.

    Da dies alles sehr jung ist und der Mensch per se mit Neuem Schwierigkeiten hat, wird oft alles zuerst einmal als Gefahr abgestempelt. Es braucht Zeit, bis sich diese Technologie entwickelt hat. Parallel dazu entstehen Sicherheitssysteme, neue Regularien usw. Auch hier: Wir sollten endlich einmal unseren Technologie-Skeptizismus ablegen!

    Blockchain

    Blockchain

    Sicher, schnell, billig, fair – ein anderes Merkmal von Blockchain ist, wie Sie erwähnt haben, dass die Transaktionen öffentlich sind: Jeder sieht, wohin die Bitcoins, SETLcoins oder Citicoins fliessen und wer wie viel davon hat. Ist das der Anfang vom Ende jeglicher Form von Bankgeheimnis?

    Das Bankgeheimnis ist schon lange tot. Das hat übrigens Hans J. Bär, ehemaliger Chef der Bank Julius Bär, bereits 2004 indirekt gesagt. Damit müssen wir uns abfinden. Die Gefahr des gläsernen Kunden besteht. Wir hinterlassen ja überall digitale Spuren, das beginnt schon mit der Cumulus-Karte. Das sind ganz neue Themen – Privacy, digitale Identität etc. –, die uns künftig beschäftigen.

     

    In der Schweiz gibt es Politiker, die sich stark dafür machen, das Bankgeheimnis in der Verfassung zu verankern. Sinnloser Leerlauf oder kluger Schachzug?

    Politische Themen überlasse ich den Politikern. Ich als Rino Borini gebe dann privat, in Form meines Abstimmungszettels, meine Meinung ab. Zuerst sollen diese Damen und Herren eine Initiative erfolgreich umsetzen und das Volk überzeugen, dann schauen wir weiter. Ganz grundsätzlich: Ich erwarte schon auch – wie beim Arzt oder Anwalt –, dass meine Privatsphäre in Bezug auf meine Vermögenssituation geschützt ist. Wie das künftig aussehen soll? – Da bin ich offen.

     

    Featured image: From Pixabay

    The post Die Banken müssen sich ändern, rasch und drastisch! appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH.

    Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH

     
  • user 6:22 pm on November 9, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , banks, , , , , till   

    Swiss FinTech Awards 2017: Startups can apply till Friday 

    Swiss Fintech Awards

    &; Application

    Swiss fintech can here for the Swiss FinTech Awards 2017  the end of this week. The improved award programme boosts young as well as mature startups by offering valuable mentorings, exclusive one-to-ones with decision makers from numerous and insurances as well as exposure to a jury of influential and outspoken fintech experts and investors.

    Christian Lundsgaard-Hansen

    Christian Lundsgaard-Hansen

     

    With its distinct award categories for early stage and growth stage companies, startups of all age and funding stage can apply and benefit. According to Christian Lundsgaard-Hansen, organizer of the awards, the categories not only enable a more suitable and beneficial experience for startups with different backgrounds but also increase chances of getting into the finals even for very young companies and entrepreneurs.

    Patrick Barnert

    Patrick Barnert

     

    Last year’s finalists of the awards made positive experiences. “The award has helped us speeding up our business and we are proud to have many new clients who we’ve met thanks to the Swiss FinTech Awards”, says Patrick Barnert, CEO of Qumram. Christian Lundsgaard-Hansen adds that the awards also helped other finalists of 2016 to gain traction in Switzerland as well as abroad because the awards “serve as an internationally acknowledged seal of quality” which helps early and growth stage startups alike.

     

    All fintech startups with a Swiss connection are eligible and can apply here for the Swiss FinTech Awards  by November 11th.

     

    The post Swiss FinTech Awards 2017: Startups can apply till Friday appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH.

    Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH

     
  • user 6:22 pm on November 8, 2016 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: banks, , , , , , , , , , ,   

    Upcoming Swiss Hackathon Seeks To Use Blockchain To Disrupt The Insurance Industry 

    An organized by EPAM in collaboration with Finance + Association  and Validity Labs is looking for innovative solutions to the .

    Upcoming Hackathon Seeks To Use Blockchain To Disrupt The Insurance Industry

    Image credit: Golden Bitcoins by Julia Tsokur via Shutterstock.com

    The EPAM 2016 Blockchain Hackathon, taking place on November 18 and 19, 2016 in Zurich, is seeking dynamic teams to take on the challenges set by the three largest insurance companies in Switzerland, namely SwissLife, Zurich and SwissRe.

    &;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;

    Apply for Blockhain Insurance Zurich Hackathon

    You still can apply for it or join as a visitor, hurry up!

    &8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;&8212;

    The teams will be judged by representatives from these three companies on the following criteria: originality and innovation, usefulness and practicality, business potential and commercialization to go to market, design and interface, and technical implementation.

    Industry experts will assist the teams during the hackathon to provide insights and answer questions about specific industry characteristics.

    Insurance and Blockchain?

    Like , insurers have been exploring the merits of blockchain technology to disrupt their industry and streamline payments of premium and claims.

    According to a Deloitte paper, blockchain technology could support the significant digital transformation underway in the industry because much of this transformation relies on data.

    &;Smart contracts powered by a blockchain could provide customers and insurers with the means to manage claims in a transparent, responsive and irrefutable manner,&; the report states.

    &8220;Contracts and claims could be recorded onto a blockchain and validated by the network, ensuring online valid claims are paid. [&;] Smart contracts would also enforce the claims &; for instance, triggering payments automatically when certain conditions are met (and validated).&8221;

    Blockchain technology could allow the industry as a whole to streamline its processing and offer a better user experience for customers. Storing claims and customer information on a blockchain would also cut down fraudulent activity.

    Early blockchain developments have tended to focus on optimizing current ways of working within organizations. For instance, London-based startup Everledger uses the blockchain to create a permanent ledger for diamond certification and related transaction history. The ledger lets insurers and potential buyers check the history of any individual stone, helping insurers prevent, detect and counter fraud.

    Blockchain Industry Challenges

    Despite the enormous potential, the biggest challenges to industry-wide implementation are facilitating collaboration between market participants and technology leaders, succeeding in the operational transformation, and shaping a stimulating regulatory environment, according to McKinsey and Company.

    EPAM Systems is a leading global product development and platform engineering services company and one of Forbes&; 25 Fastest Growing Public Tech Companies.

    Validity Labs, a startup created by several blockchain technology experts in Zurich, aims at bridging the shortage of educated blockchain engineers, entrepreneurs and executives. The company organizes various educational events and workshops in Switzerland.

    Swiss FinteCH is an independent association aimed at promoting and supporting Switzerland&8217;s industry. It connects stakeholders, creates research papers, advocates for solutions and promotes Switzerland as a global fintech hub.

    The post Upcoming Swiss Hackathon Seeks To Use Blockchain To Disrupt The Insurance Industry appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH.

    Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News – FintechNewsCH

     
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