Finextra Research: Latest fintech news, analysis, interviews, features and opinion by industry experts

HSBC customers to get account access at Post Office branches

From next spring, nine million HSBC and First Direct customers will be able to access their accounts at 11,500 Post Office branches.

17 September 2012

News/Branch banking

Developing country lenders drive virtual banking revolution - EIU

A quiet revolution is occurring in the methods and composition of the global banking market as tech-savvy lenders in developing countries grab a major share of the pie, according to an Economist Intelligence Unit report.

12 September 2012

News/Branch banking

ICICI preps Facebook transactions

India's ICICI Bank will soon allow customers to make transactions through social network Facebook.

07 September 2012

News/Branch banking

Australia's CUA opens concept branch

Credit Union Australia (CUA) has become the latest financial institution to try its hand at a 'branch of the future', employing the usual barrage of screens and some quirkier features, including a herb wall, to draw customers in.

06 September 2012

News/Branch banking

Bradesco opens the bank of the future

Banco Bradesco has opened a futuristic hi-tech branch in São Paulo Brazil featuring robot guides, personalised financial advisory services from digital avatars and on-screen consultants, biometric interfaces, and wall- and table-mounted gesture-controlled touchscreens.

30 August 2012

News/Branch banking

Post Office begins selling mortgages in branches

The UK Post Office is taking on high street banks with the introduction of in-branch specialist mortgage advisers.

09 August 2012

News/Branch banking

RBS sets aside £125m to cover IT meltdown costs

The Royal Bank of Scotland has set aside £125 million to cover costs resulting from the technology failure that hit RBS, NatWest and Ulster Bank customers in June.

03 August 2012

News/Branch banking

Young Brits still visit bank branches - they're usually closed though

Online and mobile banking may be the future but twenty-something Brits still visit branches, even if the trip is often wasted because of unhelpful opening hours, according to the Young Money report.

01 August 2012

News/Branch banking

Bank staff numbers to plummet as tech takes over - NAB executive

The number of people employed by banks will tumble over the next two decades as technological advancements such as mobile services make large parts of workforces redundant, according to a senior executive at Australian giant NAB.

24 July 2012

News/Branch banking

Lloyds to run IT for Co-op branch network

The bargain-basement acquisition of 632 Lloyds bank branches and 754 ATMs by the UK's Co-operative group includes a long-term technology services agreement between the two parties.

19 July 2012

News/Branch banking

Branch networks expected to halve as more customers go online

As much as 50% of existing retail bank branches in the developed world will be obsolete by 2020 as banks assess their space requirements in the face of continued growth in online and mobile banking, according to forecasts by real estate agency Jones Lang LaSalle.

16 July 2012

News/Branch banking

Virgin Money opens first store

Virgin Money has opened its first 'store' - a refurbished Northern Rock branch - in Guildford, Surrey as it prepares to take on Britain's high street old-guard.

09 July 2012

News/Branch banking

Asda makes financial services play

UK supermarket giant Asda has re-branded its personal finance arm as it prepares to become the latest retailer to take on traditional high street banks.

09 July 2012

News/Branch banking

I'm a person, not a bank: tweeters mistakenly bombard @natwest

Among the many victims of RBS's systems meltdown over the last few days, the most unusual may be Natalie Westerman, a 22 year old woman who happens to go by the name @natwest on Twitter.

25 June 2012

News/Branch banking

South African banks modernise branches

South Africa's Absa has opened a 'test lab' bank branch in Johannesburg to help it trial new products and technology with real customers.

22 June 2012

News/Branch banking

NatWest opens branches early as online problems continue to hit millions

NatWest opened around 1000 branches one hour early Friday morning in a bid to placate millions of customers unable to access online services for a second day running.

22 June 2012

News/Branch banking

Branch still best for personal attention and expertise - Cisco survey

Customers may be happy to carry out simple banking tasks online and through their mobile phones but when they need personal attention and expertise the old fashioned branch still wins out, according to a survey from Cisco.

21 June 2012

News/Branch banking

"Brutal" jobs cuts at RBS spark debate on branch investment

Royal Bank of Scotland is to slash over 600 UK jobs in reaction to incoming rules on the sale of investment products to customers. The cuts have been described as "brutal" by union leaders and competing banks that have opted to invest in a branch-based sales force.

19 June 2012

News/Branch banking

Virtual branches and Facebook payments: Poland gets new digital bank

Poland's first digital bank has launched, complete with virtual branch, mobile, app, Facebook payments, personal finance management tools and an "entertainment area".

18 June 2012

News/Branch banking

Yorkshire BS cashes in on consumer nostalgia for branch-based passbook accounts

Yorkshire Building Society is trumpeting the success of its new savings account which, despite bucking the digital trend in favour of a traditional passbook and branch-based approach, has proved a huge hit with customers.

14 June 2012