“We’d walk into meetings with VCs and receive a huge number of blank stares from investors who said, ‘I don’t get insurance. I don’t get what you guys are doing. It feels like this probably exists already.’” That was the rough reception delivered four years ago to ex-McKinsey consultant Jennifer Fitzgerald
Read MoreThe ongoing rationalization of the marketplace lending space still has a way to go, says Ryan Gilbert of Propel Venture Partners, who notes that “too many princes have wanted to be kings, and they will not all be successful.” The fact that OnDeck and Lending Club posted upbeat Q2 earnings this past
Read MoreThis past week, Bridgewater’s Ray Dalio took to Linkedin to discuss why investors should allocate up to 10 percent of their portfolios to gold. His reasons appear to be predicated on: a) an ongoing feud between President Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un that has gone from humorous to dead serious;
Read MoreWe were interested in CNBC’s Bob Pisani’s recent article pointing out the so-called “paradox” in equities hitting a record high while Wall Street headcounts and compensation head south. Our contention with his argument is that it ascribes much of the paradox to recent years of low market volatility
Read MoreA white paper just out from the Milken Institute and fintech specialist Jackson Mueller says that developing a fintech hub “requires more than just a press release or a news soundbite.” It contends there must be an impetus for change that leads officials from the top down to wade into uncharted regulatory territory.
Read MoreIt’s gratifying to see start-ups highlighted in our Company of Note section receive their just validation. A case in point is ClearGraph, which we highlighted in March as a compelling solution to help financial institutions better harness their raw data. This week, the firm agreed to become part of business intelligence and analytics firm Tableau.
Read MoreJon Butler has left his senior technology role at Goldman Sachs to join Deloitte’s technology consulting practice. Also this week, Heather Tuason, formerly of Capital One, has joined StreetShares, a small business lending marketplace. Given the company’s dedication to helping America’s veterans
Read MoreAdvanced analytics and machine-learning applications present financial services firms with a challenge. On one hand, consumers want their financial institutions to utilize technology to provide new and more frictionless services. But they also want their sensitive personal data to be protected to the fullest extent possible.
Read More“'A sad day for the American financial system… It represents a significant blow to New York City's economy and marks the end of an era in American finance.'' That’s a 1990 quote from then-Rep. Charles Schumer discussing the demise of Drexel Burnham, a firm that pioneered junk bonds.
Read More“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or on their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” That passage from the Book of Revelations describes the mark that everyone will need to have in or on their bodies during the “end times.”
Read MoreLooking back, it’s hard to believe the skepticism in the online lending sector that greeted the arrival of Marcus, Goldman Sachs’ online retail lending arm. After a few growing pains, Marcus has hit its stride, benefiting greatly from a parental balance sheet that has no legacy credit card business or branch network to constrain lending.
Read MoreGuy Gentile is a scrappy entrepreneur who had been involved in a number of risky financial adventures before he was arrested by the FBI. According to this fascinating podcast, though, the real reason the FBI arrested Gentile was to use him to get to someone else they were trying to nab.
Read MoreFrom academics to AI gurus, it seems like everyone has a view on the Zuckerberg-Musk trashtalkathon over AI regulation. For us, recent discussions with finance pros with AI chops have fueled our Muskian perspective. Here’s our theory on Zuckerberg’s position:
Read MorePayPal has partnered with Baidu to let Baidu Wallet users send payments to Paypal’s 17 million-strong merchants worldwide. Also in payments land, Stripe paid an undisclosed amount for Payable to bolster its tax reporting and contractor payments offerings; and Visa has made an investment in Marqeta
Read MoreAlthough Scott Blumstein and Jimmy Levin look like bar mitzvah boys, each just received far more than a $100 check from Grandma. In 25-year-old Blumstein’s case, it was the $8.15 million he received last week as the winner of the World Series of Poker. Said the new millionaire, “I definitely feel like I’m in this position because I’m from New Jersey.”
Read MoreThe Financial Revolutionist is weekly newsletter and blog focused on the torrid pace of financial innovation. Today, thanks to the exponential rate of technological change, explosion in global trade and new regulations ushered in by the Great Financial Crisis, a new financial revolution is under way. In this battle, virtually every aspect of the greater financial services sector is subject to rigorous challenge. With the Financial Revolutionist, we are aspiring to create a boots-on-the-ground and highly opinionated assessment of important financial innovation developments in the past week.
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