Latest long reads: Finextra Research

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is AI bias?

The term ‘AI bias’ refers to situations whereby an artificial intelligence (AI) system produces prejudiced results, as a consequence of flaws in its machine learning process. Often, AI bias mirrors society’s inequalities, be they around race, gender, class, nationality, and so on. In this instalment of Finextra’s Explainer series, we ask where bia...

19 mins /ai

How fintech firms can champion real LGBTQ+ inclusion

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

How fintech firms can champion real LGBTQ+ inclusion

This Finextra long read series will focus on moving beyond performative allyship to explore structural inclusion during and after Pride Month - a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and commemoration of the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer culture. By adopting inclusive policies, promoting visible role models, and...

18 hours /inclusion

Win-win banking: Unlocking value through advanced product, pricing, and billing

Tushar Chitra Vice President, Product Strategy and Management at Oracle Financial Services

Win-win banking: Unlocking value through advanced product, pricing, and billing

In today’s fast-moving and hyper-competitive retail banking ecosystem, product and pricing agility is no longer a luxury for financial institutions: it is now a necessity. Innovation-first challengers, evolving customer expectations, and regulatory pressures have forced banks to rethink how they design, price, and deliver products. Advanced produc...

30 May 2025 /retail

A crisis of trust: European and global verification brings safety to payments

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

A crisis of trust: European and global verification brings safety to payments

Verification of Payee (VoP) has rapidly become an essential aspect of banking and payments, ensuring security and safety in payments transactions. By October 2025, all European Payments Service Providers (PSPs) using SEPA instant and non-instant transfers will need to verify payee account details before processing payments. As the EPC’s deadline is...

29 May 2025 /security

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is quantum computing?

Developments in quantum computing are edging the technology ever closer to real world, industrial application. So what is quantum computing exactly, and how might it be applied to financial services? The journey to quantum theory The history of physics can be characterised by successive scientific revolutions that deepen humanity’s understanding o...

27 May 2025 /devops

The UK needs to embrace ecosystem collaboration to boost fintech

Heather Xiao Founder and CEO at Horizon Zero Ltd

The UK needs to embrace ecosystem collaboration to boost fintech

At recent Innovate Finance Global Summit in London, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a powerful message that underscored the country’s position as a global fintech leader, and the critical role of innovation in shaping its economic future. It was both a celebration of progress and a call to action. As she noted, the UK attracted $3.6 billion ...

27 May 2025 /markets

Branches transformed: Scaling engagement into sales growth

Unmesh Pai Vice President, Product Management & Development at Oracle

Branches transformed: Scaling engagement into sales growth

While the evolution of the bank branch as a powerful touchpoint for assisted service and seamless digital integration is not new, the true game-changer lies in transforming every branch into a point of engagement and sales. Scaling this reinvention, providing personalised guidance and complex problem-solving at every physical touchpoint is what wi...

23 May 2025 /retail

Lynn Housecroft Professional Support Lawyer at Squire Patton Boggs & SPP member

The quiet revolution of AI in pensions

A quiet revolution is happening in the pensions industry, as it starts to embrace the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for more than number crunching. AI has been used in pensions for several decades, but this has largely been for back office work, such as analysing large data sets associated with pension schemes, which have thousands of members...

22 May 2025 /ai

How AML and fraud teams are collaborating to lower risk and fight financial crime

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

How AML and fraud teams are collaborating to lower risk and fight financial crime

Financial institution (FI) fraud and anti-money laundering (AML) teams are finally starting to work together! 80% of them, in fact. Plus, 53% of institutions' AML and financial crime departments share part or all of the systems they use, and 100% of the FIs surveyed use artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their arsenal across many different u...

21 May 2025 /crime

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is deep learning?

Artificial intelligence (AI), a concept once confined to the realms of science fiction, has in the last several years entered the mainstream – with the release of OpenAI’s inaugural ChatGPT model, and other competitor engines subsequently, transforming innumerable industries. Often uttered in conjunction with ‘AI’ is the term ‘deep learning’, thou...

20 May 2025 /ai

What Shackleton’s strategic expansion means for UK wealth management

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

What Shackleton’s strategic expansion means for UK wealth management

As reported by Financial News this week, a document seen by the publication revealed that Shackleton explored a takeover deal that could have tripled the amount of money it manages. The wealth manager, that oversees a portfolio of £5.5 billion, had discussions with a larger rival that managed £10 billion at the time and a smaller firm with £2 bil...

19 May 2025 /wealth

Will the Property (Digital Assets) Bill place the UK as a leader in cryptoassets?

Chris Holmes Peer at House of Lords

Will the Property (Digital Assets) Bill place the UK as a leader in cryptoassets?

The Property (Digital Assets etc.) Bill passed 3rd Reading in the House of Lords on 8 May 2025 and will now move to the House of Commons to go through its legislative stages there. It has been a privilege to serve on the Special Public Bill Committee for this important legal change developed by the Law Commission of England and Wales. This legal c...

19 May 2025 /regulation

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