Empower to acquire robo-adviser Personal Capital for nearly $1B

Empower to acquire robo-adviser Personal Capital for nearly $1B

Empower Retirement, a subsidiary of Canada-based financial company Great-West Lifeco, will acquire robo-adviser Personal Capital for $825M on closing and up to $175 million for planned growth.

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Policybazaar plans 2021 IPO at $3.5B valuation

Policybazaar plans 2021 IPO at $3.5B valuation

Policybazaar, an Indian digital insurance marketplace backed by Softbank, Tencent and Tiger Global Management, announced that it will go public next year at a $3.5 billion valuation. The size of the IPO will be about $500 million.

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Amazon Go cashierless checkouts coming to Whole Foods next year

Amazon Go cashierless checkouts coming to Whole Foods next year

Amazon Go, the mega-retailer’s cashierless “walk in, walk out” checkout product suite, is coming to Whole Foods locations next year, according to a report from The New York Post.

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ConsenSys acquires JPMorgan’s Quorum blockchain

ConsenSys acquires JPMorgan’s Quorum blockchain

New York-based blockchain startup ConsenSys has acquired Quorum, an enterprise blockchain platform developed by JPMorgan Chase.

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JPMorgan Chase to launch UK digital bank in 2021

JPMorgan Chase to launch UK digital bank in 2021

Sky News reports JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) is launching a new U.K. digital bank early next year in response to new interest in digital services during the pandemic.

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Payments community considers impact of WeChat ban

Payments community considers impact of WeChat ban

An Executive Order dated August 6 prohibits “any transaction that is related to WeChat by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.” It takes effect in 45 days of the Order, and includes digital payments through WeChat.

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JPMorgan Chase cuts the words ‘master,’ ‘slave,’ and ‘blacklist’ from internal code

JPMorgan Chase cuts the words ‘master,’ ‘slave,’ and ‘blacklist’ from internal code

America’s reckoning on race relations is now impacting bank programming language. JPMorgan Chase is eliminating the terms ‘master,’ ‘slave,’ and ‘blacklist,’ from its technology policies, standards and control procedures, as well its programming code.

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India taps private sector to set up new payments body

India taps private sector to set up new payments body

India’s central bank is taking applications from companies for efforts to set up a new umbrella entity for retail payments. The new organization could be a for-profit entity, and will operate alongside the bank-backed nonprofit National Payments Council of India (NPCI), which currently oversees retail payments in the country.

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JPMorgan Chase spoke with USPS about banking services at post offices

JPMorgan Chase spoke with USPS about banking services at post offices

Amid recent scrutiny of changes to USPS operations, The Capitol Forum reports JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) spoke with the postal provider about offering banking services at post offices.

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UK regulator gives nod to digital securities exchange Archax

UK regulator gives nod to digital securities exchange Archax

The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has granted a license to upcoming digital securities exchange and custodian Archax.

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Samsung Pay taps Curve for UK debit card launch

Samsung Pay taps Curve for UK debit card launch

Samsung Pay has launched Samsung Pay Card, a new Mastercard digital debit card for U.K. customers. Samsung Pay Card uses startup Curve’s card consolidation tools to allow consumers to use Samsung Pay Card for all purchases, supported by an underlying payment card of their choice.

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Goldman’s Marcus rolls out ‘buy now, pay later’ tool for JetBlue flights

Goldman’s Marcus rolls out ‘buy now, pay later’ tool for JetBlue flights

Goldman Sachs’ digital consumer bank Marcus is expanding its partnership with JetBlue by allowing customers to pay for airfares over time. Marcus previously offered point-of-sale financing for JetBlue vacation packages only.

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Betterment leads inclusion-focused industry coalition

Betterment leads inclusion-focused industry coalition

A group of large fintech startups, spearheaded by robo-adviser Betterment, have formed the Fintech Equality Coalition. The group’s mandate is to enhance access to services and grow career advancement opportunities for the Black community.

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Facebook creates new internal group to oversee payments across apps

Facebook creates new internal group to oversee payments across apps

Facebook launched a new internal group called Facebook Financial to oversee payments and commerce initiatives, including Facebook Pay, a universal payments capability that it plans to include in all of its apps.

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