Mortgages and ancient sex positions aren’t two things you’d usually put together (or want to read about at the same time, for that matter). But digital mortgage broker Habito has ripped up the rulebook and created a Mortgage Kamasutra book in its place. And we can’t help but respect them for it.
Around the globe, millions are feeling the pinch as the cost-of-living crisis continues. The biggest fall in living standards since records began is forecast in the UK, while inflation rates are starting to cool after a tumultuous year across the pond.
60% of time spent on the internet in China is on WeChat. For young people, this is their primary gateway to financial services. In fact, in China, more transactions now occur, by volume, through non-banks than through banks. James Lloyd, Asia-Pacific FinTech Leader at EY, talks to us about how tech companies like WeChat are filling market gaps left by the banks.
One of the phrases you often encounter when reading things about mental health is "It's OK to not be OK." Whilst I get the sentiment, as someone who has been there, it really isn't OK. It sucks.
We all employ a user-centred design (UCD) approach to inform what products we build and how they should work, but all that customer insight gives us one oft-overlooked learning: the actual language customers use to speak about their problems.
Did you know that when they’re not dishing up masterly analysis, everyone’s favourite web3 wizards - 11:FS Global Strategy Director, Crypto Mauricio Magaldi and Visa Head of Crypto Cuy Sheffield - like to dabble in a spot of divination? I know, right?!
As I sit here trying to write something strictly about fintech, there’s only one thing on my mind: how important it is to have an employer that truly values pregnant employees.
Tottenham Hotspur are completely cashless (and trophyless) at their new stadium. Lionel Messi has launched the ‘Messiverse’ in partnership with blockchain platform Ethernity. Manchester City and Laybuy have teamed up to offer a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service to fans. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We’ve recently made an amazing hire at 11:FS to be our new Chief of Staff, in the digital era that’s huge news and here’s why.
Despite the global economic climate, a lot of banks and fintechs have dipped their toes into the crypto waters in recent months.
You don’t have to spend much time in retail banking before you come across legacy systems - a catch-all term often used to explain why banks are so slow and unresponsive.
I recently heard someone suggest that ‘insurance is just like gambling.’ Bit of a stretch, but I could see their point. Both are fundamentally risk-based, and it raised an interesting question - do you ever really ‘win’ in insurance?
A couple of weeks ago I went into an overpriced London salad shop for lunch. Before I could part with my hard-earned money for some wilted spinach and avocado, the connection on the iPad I was ordering on went down.
When launching a new product or improving an existing one, it's tempting for product teams to look at competitors as a starting point. But if the goal is to launch a proposition that truly solves your customers' problems, do you even need to look at your competitors in the first place?
This is the second article in a three-part series on how fintech for good (FFG) is helping people and the planet. The first touched on consumer behaviour. If you missed it, check it out here.

David M. Brear, CEO at 11:FS, is joined by our very own CTO Ewan Silver for a fireside chat to unpick what we mean when we say the services have fallen out of financial services.

Ross Gallagher is joined by some great guests to talk about the most interesting stories in financial services over the last 7 days, including: Apple launch open banking service in the UK, Revolut move closer to a banking licence, and Saga launch a savings platform for the over 50s.

David Barton-Grimley is joined by some great guests to unpack the six characteristics of digital commercial banking; real-time, standardised, automated, embedded, contextual, and extendable. We’ll explore what they are and how they can (or can’t) support a more efficient, reliable, and secure industry.

Benjamin Ensor is joined by some great guests to talk about the most interesting stories in financial services over the last 7 days, including: HSBC partner with Nova Credit to offer international credit history checks, Mercedes-Benz roll out in-car payments, and Standard Life launch a pensions dashboard.

Ross Gallagher is joined by some great guests to talk about recruitment in financial services, how today's applicants can stand out, and also what institutions can do to support diversity, equality & inclusion and create a culture for success.

David Brear and Ross Gallagher are joined by some great guests to talk about the most interesting stories in financial services over the last 7 days, including: Monzo's new investment platform, India hit their financial inclusion targets 41 years early, and cash payments are on the rise.

Laura Watkins is joined by some great guests to talk about the most interesting stories in financial services over the last 7 days, including: Adyen get a UK banking licence, Perfios eye UK & US expansion, and a new campaign tackles the gender investment gap.

What is the best metric for measuring the success for fintech? In this rewind show from the archives, Benjamin Ensor is discussing the answer to that question, joined by some great guests, from Allica Bank, Anthemis, and This Week In Fintech.

David Brear is joined by a panel of experts from Cleo, Feedzai and Starling Bank to look at how financial services need to adapt to the changes brought by AI, where it can have the most influence and where the human touch is still needed.

L.F.G. Today we bring you: a super interesting discussion on the current status of stablecoins in the US and beyond and with the launch of PYUSD from PayPal what might the wider impact be? Are stablecoins going mainstream? All this and much more on today's Blockchain Insider!

JP Morgan increases its investment in Brazilian neobank C6, as Goldman Sachs sells its PFM unit, African fintech investment surpasses $2 billion, as M-Pesa enter Ethiopia for the first time. Benjamin Ensor and David Barton-Grimley are joined by some great guests to talk about the most interesting stories in financial services over the last 7 days, including Sarah Kocianski and Samee Zahid from Chipper Cash.

Ramp raises $300M (and that's a down round!), Goldman Sachs plans sale to concentrate on the ultra-wealthy and Monzo is named best bank - Kate Moody and Benjamin Ensor are joined by some great guests from CCG and Lightyear to talk about the most interesting stories in financial services over the last 7 days.

David Brear is joined by some great guests from Fireblocks, DigitalX and Moniflo to talk about how financial services are actually using blockchain technology and how they choose an option that works best for them.

L.F.G. Today we bring you: a super interesting discussion on the impact AI software and AI generated content can have on the world of social media, and where the overlaps with the crypto space live, and how to make this safe for consumers. All this and much more on today's Blockchain Insider!

Mastercard takes minority stake in MTN, rental platform Fronted closes down, and Bank Of Ireland customers go crazy for ATM glitch – Benjamin Ensor is joined by some great guests, from Anthemis, Cornerstone Advisors, and Ebanx, to talk about the most interesting stories in financial services over the last 7 days.
Ever wanted to know what’s going on behind the scenes every time we make a payment?
Regulation is essential. It stops banks from going bust or behaving badly.
The invention of the computer revolutionised banking in the 1950s.
Lending has been around for thousands of years and is one of the cornerstones of banking.
They're down, but they're not certainly not out.
Mastercard and Visa are the two biggest credit card networks in the world.
We kick off our Decoding: Banks series with a look at the banking landscape today and how we got here.

David M. Brear, our 11:FS CEO, takes us through legacy technology within banks - but of course, with a really cool Lightboard.

Fintech Marketing Podcast Season 2: Coming soon

The UK banking battlefield has never been more competitive. Customers expectfinancial apps that are personalised, seamless, and that genuinely make a differenc...


The UK banking battlefield has never been more competitive. Customers expectfinancial apps that are personalised, seamless, and that genuinely make a differenc...

