Why Financial Services and Banks Need An Operational Data Layer

whitePaper | December 11, 2021

Financial inclusion is a well-recognized global issue: 1.7 billion people are “unbanked” – lacking an account at a financial institution or mobilemoney provider – according to the World Bank.1 Meanwhile, many small- and medium-sized businesses face challenges in realizing benefits from the current financial system. Individuals and small businesses may not be able to access financial services; if they can, those services may not be of high quality, suitable or affordable. The World Bank defines financial inclusion as the ability of individuals and businesses to access “useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs”.2 Financial inclusion is a complex global problem that existing systems and offerings have so far failed to solve.

whitePaper | October 25, 2022

Financial institutions’ pre-pandemic investments in technology and the increased adoption by the public of online banking services helped banks and credit unions continue serving and, in some cases, expand their reach of customers. However, accelerated technology adoption and institutions’ growing reliance on third-party partners amplify the importance of cybersecurity measures for protecting private data, financial assets, and systems.

whitePaper | July 3, 2022

Founded in 1896, Barclays is among the world's oldest banks and enjoys the patronage of some of Europe's most profitable corporations. In 2021, Barclays claimed over 48 million customers, amassed over its 120+ year history. On the other hand, Revolut is a UK neobank that has acquired over 15 million account holders in less than a decade since its founding. These numbers are illustrative of a larger shift in the global banking system, with agile, digitally empowered financial service providers making inroads into mainstream banking territory. Currently, traditional banks, with their large product and service portfolios and legions of loyal customers, still hold the lion's share of the European banking market.

whitePaper | August 24, 2022

India's smartphone boom proved conducive for the rise of digital payments. The government-sanctioned push toward a unified payment interface led to over two billion digital transactions in April 2021, just shy of Rs 5 lakh crore. Correspondingly, this also eased access to short-term, low interest credit - reflected in a 220 % jump in offerings such as buy-now-pay-later (BNPL). BNPL products can potentially help plug the Rs. 25 trillion credit gap in the micro, small and medium (MSME) segment, considered high-risk by legacy lenders.

whitePaper | November 14, 2019

Municipal bond funds experienced strong flows in 2019, as tailwinds from the country’s new tax code (the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “TCJA”) and low interest rates found investors flocking to the asset class for the tax benefit. Add in strong year-to-date performance, and investors may be asking if they missed the boat and if it’s too late to invest in municipal bonds. Yet, there are clear and distinct reasons why municipal bonds are still an attractive investment for investors today.

whitePaper | September 3, 2022

Money has transformed human society, enabling commerce and trade even between widely dispersed geographic locations.