Is West Africa about to get its very own euro?
The introduction of the euro in 1999 streamlined business between member states, and, after an initial drop in value, the currency strengthened rapidly against the dollar. But the recent financial ...
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Oil's influence: the currencies ruled by black gold
As the second-largest oil-producing nation in the world, Saudi Arabia's power and strong economy are a result of this valuable resource. So when the influential Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi recently announced ...
How financial institutions fight hackers
Last year, a group of hackers claimed to have stolen 100TB of data from Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was by no means the first, but arguably the most high-profile breach ...
The truth about TTIP: what it means for your money
Since late 2014, the controversy surrounding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has been building, with protests taking place across Europe and the US. Opponents say its negative effects will be ...
Data as pseudo currency: its past, present and future
Julie Meyer, the prolific tech entrepreneur and investor, recently raised an intriguing proposition: should our data constitute a legal asset? On the surface, this seems like a profitable solution to ...
How could the EU referendum affect international money transfer?
Having promised a referendum on EU membership by 2017, David Cameron's recently announced that he's planning to bring the vote forward to 2016. That means those with financial interests in the ...
What happens when politics meets international money transfer
The uncertainty of elections often shows up in the value of a nation's currency. During the recent British general election the pollsters' prediction of a tie between the two main ...
Are we ready for the mobile payment boom?
Although mobile payment technology has proven hugely popular in Asian and African countries, entrenched habits and outdated concerns have left Europe and the US falling behind. But that could all ...
What does BRICS' new currency reserve mean for you?
Emerging powerhouses Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, otherwise known as BRICS, form an increasingly influential economic bloc. Reforming global finance is high on their agenda, and in April ...
Why your Apple Watch costs £30 more in the UK than in China
Apple aficionados are happy to pay a little extra for their favourite gadgets, but depending on where you live, there's an additional cost you may not be so happy about. ...
Does the US dollar's strength have to depend on the weakness of others?
A strong dollar means you get less for your pounds, euros or yen when transferring money to the USA. But the issue of why this happens, and whether the dollar relies on ...
The five main factors that shift a currency's value
The value of currencies is usually far from stable, often shifting by pretty significant amounts from day to day. There are plenty of factors that influence these movements, and getting ...
The rise of renminbi explained
It's the currency everybody's talking about, and with good reason; a recent survey of central banks predicted that renminbi (RMB) will make up 10% of the world's currency reserves by 2025. ...
Regulation meets fintech: the key to customer empowerment?
This month, a revolutionary new regulator has been introduced in the UK. It's called the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), and some commentators are speculating that it could mean the end ...
Facial recognition technology: fintech's final frontier?
The first online purchase, a Sting CD album, was made in 1994. Since then, things have changed – nobody's buying CDs anymore, for one thing – but online payments haven't really ...