An influx of non-bank online payment providers offering customers new, easy-to-use ways to transfer money has spurred some banks into providing similar systems. However, there is some scepticism, particularly in the US, about just how much these new methods threaten traditional banking models.
Latest articles from FX & Payments
FX in flux
May 28, 2010Banks looking to compete in today's foreign exchange markets need to cope with immense challenges, including new players, new markets, and no less than a revolution in technology. Writer Charlie Corbett
Will a new business model reinvigorate the credit card industry?
May 28, 2010Troubled since 2005, the UK credit card industry has been suffering a severe test of profitability. But credit card issuers are hoping to rejuvenate the industry by moving to a more convenience-focused, sustainable and transparent business model.
Payments: challenges and rewards
March 31, 2010The payments landscape is changing. Customers are demanding more, so banks are having to decide how to update their payments infrastructures. Competition is becoming fiercer and regulation is getting tougher. Despite this, the rewards can be high. Payments are still the lynchpin between a bank and its customers, and new markets, such as payments for the unbanked and mobile banking, are being explored. These issues and more were discussed in Brussels, Belgium, last month. Writer Michael Imeson
An emerging threat to the established order
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New products for the FX basket
March 31, 2010Whether it is algorithmic models or simple pay-offs based on baskets of currencies, currency trades are proving to be increasingly popular with buyers of structured products looking to complement their equities, commodities and fixed-income investments. Writer Michael Marray
FX industry hits back after reform
March 31, 2010US and European regulators want as many over-the-counter derivatives as possible to be traded on exchanges or cleared through a central counterparty but the foreign exchange market will not go quietly. Writer Frances Maguire
Let the battle begin
March 31, 2010The question of how to stay ahead when it comes to trading in foreign exchange boils down to one question: how deep are your pockets? The revolution in e-commerce - combined with an increasingly demanding client base and the rigours of potential new regulation - means that banks will have to work harder than ever before to maintain market share. Writer Charlie Corbett
All change in FX
March 31, 2010New markets, new players and the inexorable march of technology have transformed the foreign exchange market. As the global economy gradually gets back to its feet, 2010 looks to be a seminal year in its development. Writer Charlie Corbett
Remittances move into the light
February 1, 2010With high volumes, strong growth and resilience in the face of severe economic headwinds, the global remittance market is gaining new ground. But banks that wish to capitalise on this growth will have to think hard about what strategy they adopt. Charlie Corbett reports.
