Born out of social innovation in the 19th century, Europe's co-operative banking model is now struggling to stay relevant in an increasingly globalised, technology-driven and heavily regulated banking market. Silvia Pavoni looks into ways the model can stay afloat.

As crowd-funding becomes an established form of investing, banks are looking at ways to take on these crowd-funders, whether it be by collaboration or competition. 

Mobile has long been a buzzword in banking, but while bankers almost unanimously agree on the significance of the mobile platform, there is still a lot of uncertainty about how they can monetise it.

A closed economy for nearly 50 years, the opportunities that have opened up in Myanmar are endless, especially in telecommunications and banking. Brian Caplen looks at how players from these sectors are collaborating and innovating in order to tap into the country's huge potential, and examines the hurdles still facing foreign entrants to the market.

Wells Fargo has maintained its lead in The Banker's Top 500 Banking Brands survey, but it is the impressive performance of China's leading lenders, many of which have gained several places in the ranking, that really stands out.

Frank Abagnale's story of cheque forger-turned-good guy is well documented in print and on film. His career has seen him work in partnership with 41st Parameter CEO and founder Ori Eisen. They tell Jane Cooper about their work to stay one step ahead of the cyber criminals.

With consolidation under way, non-performing loans finally showing a downward trend and banks readying for the implementation of Basel III, Kazakhstan’s banking sector finally appears to be in recovery mode after a difficult period.

As the world’s population ages, the challenges for wealth managers, economists and governments are significant if countries are to maintain productivity and generate growth. 

Financial institutions are at the forefront of voice biometrics, applying the technology to virtual assistants, voice recognition software and increased security. 

With its own digital labs and an accelerator programme for financial technology start-ups, Wells Fargo is one bank that can boast it is keeping pace with technology trendsetters such as Google and Apple. Jane Cooper looks at how the bank is integrating new technologies to provide a seamless customer service experience.