Scott Hamilton - Community Author: Finextra Research

US Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged, what’s next for banks and customers?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

US Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged, what’s next for banks and customers?

With the US Federal Reserve’s announcement Wednesday to hold interest rates steady at a target benchmark of 5.25-5.50%, broad implications of this decision are starting to line up across the financial services arena. Continuing at the highest level since 2001, current rates are being held in place by the central bank board because of what they cal...

02 May 2024 /markets

Will embedded finance change UK fintech by 2035?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Will embedded finance change UK fintech by 2035?

Buying vs. building is not going away, it’s accelerating in the business world. This is an extract from the recently published report, 'The Future of UK Fintech - 2015-2035'. Three in five (60%) UK adults has used embedded finance services as part of the checkout process when shopping online in the past 12 months. Embedded finance services include...

18 April 2024 /payments

Why don’t Canadians trust data providers?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Why don’t Canadians trust data providers?

Data privacy concerns are major worries of more than three-fourths of Canadian citizens. In fact, more than 80% of the respondents to a recent nationwide poll on the topic said they want more control of how their personal data is handled and exposed. The survey was undertaken by public relations firm Hill and Knowlton in conjunction with the Leger...

09 February 2024 /security

Why are fees on international payments so high?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Why are fees on international payments so high?

Survey shows American consumers disgusted with ‘junk fees’ and hidden costs; bank fees for international payments and foreign exchange, especially hidden or unexpected add-on charges, were among the most cited irritations in modern consumer transactions, according to a recent survey. The study, commissioned by fast-growing international payments...

08 February 2024 /payments

What’s making AI hot for FIs now, and what’s next on the menu in 2024?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

What’s making AI hot for FIs now, and what’s next on the menu in 2024?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications are becoming much more common everywhere, for consumers to research and explore online resources, for developers to more easily write code, and in customer service scenarios to (hopefully) improve responsiveness and enhance support solution development. AI also offers broad value within various areas of fi...

17 January 2024 /cloud

How migrant banking’s expansion means different approaches in US vs. Europe

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

How migrant banking’s expansion means different approaches in US vs. Europe

Migrant banking solutions, or banking for refugees and other recent arrivals, have been increasing in type and number in both Europe and the US for a while now. However, the number of programs available to new entrants to the Eurozone is far more numerous, especially on a per capita basis, than in America. There are some key differences in product...

12 January 2024 /inclusion

What are the top COP28 takeaways for banks – thus far?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

What are the top COP28 takeaways for banks – thus far?

Amid all of the high hopes and sometimes lofty or overstated goals, achievements, and elusive dreams of the COP28 conference, continuing through to the 12th of December, financial services remained one of the top industries to watch. Noted by environmental scientists and experts the world over as key influencers of potential action, on their own p...

07 December 2023 /sustainable

How new European and US Open Banking rules will change the financial landscape

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

How new European and US Open Banking rules will change the financial landscape

The 'Open Banking' movement – described by Scarlett Sieber in Forbes as “the plumbing and piping of your institution that acts as an enabler to allow you to partner with third parties like fintechs” – can be hard to define given its different approaches and elements in specific regions and countries across the globe. Europeans point proudly, and r...

28 November 2023 /devops

How California’s new climate laws will impact companies across the globe

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

How California’s new climate laws will impact companies across the globe

Recognising that climate change is a global issue that doesn’t respect human-created boundary lines, in the past month-plus the state of California took decisive action that will impact many companies defined as doing business within its boundaries. Its legislature passed two bills, both later signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, that will require lar...

14 November 2023 /sustainable

Why Biden’s Executive Order on AI signals increased scrutiny on AI policy, business and regulation

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Why Biden’s Executive Order on AI signals increased scrutiny on AI policy, business and regulation

US President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence (AI), introduced on the 30th of October, recommends wide parameters be applied to the management of this fast-emerging technology. Though the order itself has no real ‘teeth,’ or legal enforcement power, it highlights several areas where the chief executive and his cabinet believe...

01 November 2023 /regulation /ai

Can behavioural science guide the formation of a sustainable city?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Can behavioural science guide the formation of a sustainable city?

This is an excerpt from 'The Future of ESGTech 2024' report. “By 2050, 68% of the world’s population is projected to be urban,” according to the United Nations. This reinforces the idea that sustainable cities will be important to the overall well-being of humankind. Beyond the actual objectives, plans, and approaches associated with creating envir...

13 October 2023 /sustainable

Fintech founder says bottom line remains top priority for SMBs

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Fintech founder says bottom line remains top priority for SMBs

The 2023 SIBOS conference was chock-full of sessions across all the major issues in banking at the moment. Evolving international messaging standard ISO20022’s angles and options were covered in depth, in fact, it was discussed during seven separate sessions on the first day alone! Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications to assist genera...

12 October 2023 /Sibos

Long reads