Bitcoin drifts lower after technical milestone
The virtual currency bitcoin made it through a closely watched technical milestone with a 2 per cent decline. The price of the alternative currency, measured in dollars, dipped on Saturday in light trading by about 4 per cent, but then recovered some ground to trade only about 2 per cent lower than it did early in the day, according to bitcoin tracker Coindesk. In recent months, a run-up in the price of bitcoin was attributed in part to the “halving” that arrived Saturday. That effectively cuts by 50 per cent the rate of production of new bitcoins. In theory, that makes existing bitcoins more valuable. The pre-programmed “halving” that took […]
ChimpChange new revenue generating product goes live
ChimpChange Limited (ASX: CCA) (“ChimpChange” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce it has launched into the market its photo cheque load tool. The photo cheque load tool is the first in a line of new product offerings being rolled out by the Company to complement its existing transactional banking account and debit MasterCard. While cheques are becoming rarer in the Australian banking environment the US banking system is still a cheque based economy. According to the World Payment Report, in 2013 cheques account for approximately 13% of all non-cash payments in North America (US$17 billion). The product allows customers the ability to take a photo of a cheque using […]
Fintech startup CurrencyVue levelling the playing field for small businesses
Aiming to shake up the global foreign exchange industry, local fintech startup CurrencyVue officially launched their innovative foreign exchange risk management platform today. The startup is backed by a private investor group including ex-SAP CEO Les Hayman and Head of Group Treasury at Tatts Group Limited Cale Bennett and is led by its founder and CEO, former foreign exchange and hedging solutions specialist Matt Tyrrell. The cloud software as a service (SaaS) platform is targeting small and medium sized businesses (SME’s) enabling them to quickly and easily identify foreign exchange risk through a visual representation of their exposure. Mr Tryrell said the devaluation of the Pound following Brexit was a significant recent example […]
Row emerges over digital advice regulations
A row is developing in the financial planning sector with so-called robo-advisers claiming that regulatory measures proposed by the Financial Planning Association would make the provision of digital advice unworkable. In a submission to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which is in the midst of consulting industry on how digital advice should be regulated, the FPA proposed that robo-advisers be required to appoint independent actuaries to monitor the algorithms used in the provision of automated advice. “If ASIC is after visibility of these results, an obligation to provide independent review results should be included in the regulatory guidance,” the FPA said in the submission.Robo-advisers argued that a need for […]
What a peer-to-peer business loan looks like
RateSetter’s most recent release of its loan book data reveals the new age of business lending. In the one month since the launch of its business lending arm, peer-to-peer (P2P) lender RateSetter has funded nearly 100 business loans. The latest release of its loan book data, which includes every loan originated through RateSetter since its launch in later 2014, includes these business loans, and provides us with a snapshot of what alternative business finance looks like in Australia. Business owners have been embracing lenders outside of the Big Four and other more traditional lenders. According to a recent survey by eBroker, more than $1.1 billion worth of loan applications has […]
Infocus enters Robo-Advice Market with earnie.com.au
Infocus Wealth Management (Infocus) today announced the launch of earnie.com.au, the group’s direct-to-consumer financial advice solution. earnie.com.au is available at no cost for consumers, providing simple smart investing for Australians from all walks of life. Launching earnie.com.au delivers Infocus access to the rapidly emerging market in direct to consumer advice. In combination with national operations spanning face-to-face financial advice, funds management and wealth technology, this makes Infocus an exciting prospect. Rod Bristow, Managing Director and CEO of Infocus, said “Around 80 per cent of the Australian population don’t currently receive financial advice. We are really excited to be launching earnie.com.au today to help bridge this gap. Those who sign up […]
SocietyOne, Australia’s leading marketplace lender, appoints new board director
SocietyOne, Australia’s leading marketplace lender, today announced the appointment of Brett Clegg to its board as a non-executive director. Mr Clegg is Managing Director of News Corp Australia’s Community Publishing division. Among his responsibilities are its community titles in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, SMB digital marketing services provider newsXtend, and the company’s investments in a range of disruptive technology companies including hipages and Sports Technology Group. Prior to spells with News Corp’s The Australian newspaper where he was deputy chief executive and later Fairfax Media’s CEO and Publisher of the Financial Review Group, Mr Clegg was a journalist, columnist and senior editor on the Australian Financial Review. He […]
New online platform ESIC Hub to accelerate benefits for early-stage companies and investors
A new online platform – ESIC Hub – is the first in Australia for high net worth investors and early-stage companies seeking to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tax relief and funding. From this month, high net worth and sophisticated investors, including SMSFs, are eligible for new tax incentives of up to $200,000 a year when they invest in an early-stage investment. However, under new legislation, the company seeking the funding must qualify as an “ESIC” or “Early Stage Innovation Company”, or the investor will miss out. ESIC Hub founder Stephen Crowe, who has advised multi-national and Australian firms for more than 30 years, […]
