840. News: Visa and Mastercard agree the largest antitrust settlement in US history
Apr 1, 2024
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Jason Mikula, founder of Fintech Business Weekly, and Doug Mackenzie, former Head of Content at FF News, join the hosts to discuss the $30 billion Visa and Mastercard settlement, OakNorth's profit increase, Belong's funding record, UK finfluencers regulation, soaring digital wallet adoption, HSBC Australia's Proxymity Vote Connect, and a Real Housewife's fintech sale to run a castle in South East England.
Visa and Mastercard settled for $30 billion, reducing processing fees and implementing a cap, aiming to benefit merchants by lowering costs and providing control over payment alternatives.
Oak North Bank saw a 23% profit increase, emphasizing lending growth and US expansion, targeting disruption in the US SME market with a focus on profitability.
Belong secured £2.95 million funding, offering boost loans for wealth building, targeting professionally employed millennials to bridge the investing gap and provide accessible financial tools.
Deep dives
Visa and MasterCard Reach $30 Billion Settlement Over Transaction Fees
Visa and MasterCard have settled for $30 billion regarding transaction fees for merchants, agreeing to reduce processing fees and implementing a cap for the next five years. This settlement addresses inflated swipe fees and anti-steering rules, aiming to benefit merchants by lowering costs and providing more control over payment alternatives.
Oak North Bank Reports Profit Increase and US Expansion
Oak North Bank saw a 23% increase in pre-tax profit, emphasizing its lending growth and expansion into the US market, lending $200 million to US banks. Their move signifies potential disruption in the US SME market, differing from other European fintechs' approaches. By strategically focusing on SMEs and profitability, Oak North aims to establish a strong foothold in the competitive US banking landscape.
Belong Launches Wealth Building Platform with Innovative Loan Options
Belong, a wealth building platform, secured the largest European female founding team pre-seed funding of £2.95 million, offering customers optional loans to boost long-term investments. Belong's approach simplifies wealth building for professionally employed millennials, allowing for compound value growth using boost loans. The platform's innovation and focus on accessibility aim to bridge the investing gap and provide unique financial tools previously limited to a select few.
Promoting Financial Literacy Through Fintech Startups
Fintech startups like Yorduno and Elvest are focusing on educating people, especially women, about complex financial products, such as pensions and 401ks. By simplifying and providing educational resources, these startups aim to empower individuals to take control of their investments and financial future.
Influencer Responsibility in Financial Promotions
The podcast highlights the growing influence of social media influencers in promoting financial products and services. The discussion delves into the importance of influencers being transparent about their partnerships and ensuring that their financial recommendations align with responsible practices. The FCA's guidance emphasizes the need for fair, clear, and compliant promotions, urging companies to collaborate with influencers responsibly to maintain balanced and informative financial messaging.
Our expert hosts, Kate Moody and Rachel Pandyan, are joined by some great guests to talk about the most notable fintech, financial services and banking news from the past week, including the $30 billion settlement with Visa and Mastercard that has been nearly 20 years in the making.
This week's guests include:
Jason Mikula, Founder of Fintech Business Weekly
Doug Mackenzie, Journalist and Presenter, formerly Head of Content at FF News
We cover the following stories from the fintech and financial services space:
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