Category: Talking fintech

It’s no secret that the Baltic nations are considered a hub for fintech activity. This is especially true in the wake of Brexit, given the compliance and regulatory uncertainty surrounding financial services between the U.K. and the European Union. Entrepreneurs need more clarity. Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania are increasingly bridging that gap, thanks to a culture of nurturing tech innovation and embracing digitization that in many ways have made the Baltics the envy of the world.

Fintech is the intersection of finance and technology. It is a sector that looks to tech to make financial services better and more intuitive for consumers and businesses alike. The sector has disrupted legacy financial systems by leaning into what consumers want and the way in which merchants and entrepreneurs can deliver. The Baltics take the lead in areas like peer-to-peer (P2P) investing, where the region has the largest slice of the market in the EU, with France in a distant second. Continue reading Fintechs Flock to Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania

With 2021 about to be in the rear-view mirror, we thought it would be a good time to take stock of some of the key investment themes that have emerged over the past year and what’s ahead for 2022. Investors have had to navigate some choppy market waters with headwinds like inflation and the emergence of the omicron variant, which suggests that diversification could become more important than ever.

While there are still plenty of returns to be had, investors might also need to expand into new areas to capture them and move closer to their financial goals. Some of the areas we’ll explore include stocks, cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), peer-to-peer (P2P) investing, and sustainability as well as alternative asset classes including luxury items from fine art to fine wine.

In addition, we’ll take a look at some of the overhanging risks, not least including inflation and the omicron variant, as well as the effect they could have on investments. We’ll also tell you the latest exciting developments at VIAINVEST so you know what to look out for in the new year. Continue reading Investment Trends Then and Now: A Look Back on 2021 and Ahead to 2022

The world is increasingly going digital, including the monetary system. The economy has been flooded with digital assets and mobile apps that consumers are flocking to over traditional money and financial institutions. Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are taking the lead on the digital transformation in a global economy where inflation has reared its head and seemingly intends to stick around for a while. The rise of bitcoin has challenged the legacy financial system and placed a fire under the feet of countries that have not already done so to go digital. Continue reading Europe’s Potential Digital Euro a Reality Check for ECB Officials

The millennial generation is growing in influence around the world. For example, in the United States, more than 50% of the population is either part of the millennial generation/Gen Y or younger. In the EU, there were roughly 102 million millennials living in member countries as of 2017, representing one-fifth of the population. As of 2020, more than 20% of the global population falls under the millennial category, representing about 1.8 billion people around the world. Asia is out front for the millennial generation, with this segment comprising 24% of the continent’s total population. Continue reading How Millennials Are Taking Major Industries by Storm

The European Commission has for some time now placed much focus around fintech capabilities and drivers it would like to see move forward so that European economies can harvest its potential. They started off by drafting various reiterations of a Digital Strategy as well as a FinTech Action Plan. Continue reading The future of fintech in Europe

Fintech, which is the intersection of finance and technology, came on the scene more than a decade ago but it is gaining even more momentum in 2021. No longer are fintech firms just coming on the scene and trying to muscle their way into the bigger landscape. Now they have become the trendsetters whose innovation is sought after by even the largest tech firms and financial institutions.  Continue reading Fintech Trends on the Rise Across Europe

The Philippines is a country situated in South East Asia, rich in history, diversity, challenges and opportunities. It has a strong international presence and the World Bank describes it as “one of the most dynamic economies in the East Asia Pacific region,” while its household consumption drives about 70 percent of the entire economy as of 2020 according to a report from Bloomberg. Continue reading Philippines Economic Outlook for Consumer Lending Investors

Nearly everyone throughout the world needs to interact with money in some way or another for them to survive. We work to earn and then pay to maintain our way of life. How we manage that way of life is often what we have most control over.
To that end, the smart or responsible way of managing your personal finances in your daily life is based on how well informed you are about the subject matter. This is known as being financially literate and being able to apply your knowledge thereof often determines or measures just how well versed or financially literate you really are. Continue reading Is Europe Financially Literate?

Cash has always been the king, but consumers have grown weary of digging in their pockets for spare change for fare or carrying a cash horde around with them. Now that people can make an online purchase with the click of a button, they are looking for the same type of convenience when shopping at the till in a brick-and-mortar store. Having to enter a PIN invites germs, slows the process down, and makes the line move slower, all of which are frowned upon now that mobile and contactless payments have come on the scene. Continue reading The Rise of the Contactless Payments Era

Everyone should manage their personal finances in line with what they earn so that they can effectively balance their needs (and wants). Circumstances for everyone are different and everyone must spend their money wisely to ensure they do not spend more than what they have. Continue reading What You Need to Know about Budgeting