Financial Technology (FinTech): Innovations Shaping the Future of Finance

Posted on Jan 18, 2024 at 04:01 PM

We often use financial technology services without realising it in our daily routine. For example, the service of withdrawing cash from an ATM, digital deposits and withdrawals from a bank account, and checking mathematical operations from a computer or mobile phone.

No matter how many financial technology services and products may be a mystery to some, it is still one of the pillars of the economic and banking market whose importance cannot be ignored. 

Therefore, in today's article, we covered everything you are looking for about financial technology, its types, and future directions. 

What Is Financial Technology (Fintech)?

Financial technology is any modern technology that aims to streamline, augment, digitise, or disrupt traditional financial services. This technology is done through software, digital algorithms, and applications that are available on desktop and mobile.

Financial technology tools can be leveraged by bringing technology to the routine of traditional tasks and overcoming challenges. For example, depositing checks, moving money between accounts, paying bills, or applying for a loan. They also facilitate technically intricate concepts, including peer-to-peer lending and cryptocurrency exchanges. This helps to promote innovation and rapid progress.

Businesses rely upon financial technology for payment processing, e-commerce transactions, and accounting. Recently, governments have become dependent on these tools to provide solutions related to the field of protection in the labour market, such as the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). 

Also, by taking Finance Training Courses in Istanbul, you will increase your knowledge about the features offered by financial technology companies.

What are the most popular types of financial technology companies today?

Financial technology companies are mainly categorised based on the industry their clients belong to, which include:

• Lending

Financial technology is based on creating basics to simplify the lending policy to save effort and time. In the past, people turned to banks or credit unions for loans. Today, financial technology services have evolved so that all consumers have to do is apply for a loan online. And because the processes and systems are automated, approval happens quickly.

• Electronic Payments

Financial technology has dramatically simplified the strategy of electronic payments without passing through banks. As such, they no longer need to pay bank fees for each payment.

• International Money Transfers

Today's financial technology companies offer fast digital international transfers in minutes or seconds at the lowest cost.

• Personal Finance

Previously, people would talk to financial advisors at banks to get financial advice about their budgets and plans. 

Today, many commercially available apps can offer advice faster and more efficiently.

• Equity Financing

Financial technology makes it easier for emerging business owners to raise financing for new businesses. 

This happens through crowdfunding models or allowing anyone to invest in a new business.

• Banking services

Banks usually only charge fees for the operations and services they provide. However, through financial technology applications, better options can be delivered to customers with a nominal fee.

• Insurance

Financial technology companies also ventured into the insurance market, but to a limited extent. However, because insurance is a highly regulated sector, organisations in this category usually partner with traditional insurance companies. They use apps and software to reach customers who need insurance coverage. As such, they allow people who want to borrow a car to buy insurance for just a few hours.

What are the top future trends for financial technology?

The rapid development of technology in the world has created a set of modern techniques and trends in money and finance. Here are the top of them:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI):

AI is significantly impacting the finance industry as part of financial technology. AI is used to analyse investment opportunities, mitigate risks, optimise portfolios, and other tasks beyond investment decision-making.

For example, "robo advisors" may help investors provide financial advice efficiently, quickly, and at a lower cost without needing a human advisor.

• Machine Learning:

Machine learning plays a vital role in the expanding use of financial technology throughout the finance industry. Mainly, since machine learning includes a variety of methods that use advanced techniques to determine action strategies by collecting vast amounts of data, these technologies can learn by automatically "observing" how known tasks are performed and applying them to new information without human intervention.

• Blockchain Technology:

Blockchain is a modern technology that allows all participants in a transaction to see the same data at the same time. Blockchain technology boosts trust in the system and improves transparency and innovation in business.

• Big Data:

The emergence of big data and financial technology has led to significant changes in finance management. This term refers to the large amounts of information that can be analysed using intelligent computing technologies, artificial intelligence, and machine learning that provide the opportunity to deal with various types of data (such as images, text, and spoken languages) previously unavailable. Investment managers use big data in their investment operations to gain insights.

In Conclusion,

Financial technology has always existed, meaning it is familiar (credit cards, ATMs, etc.). But recently, it has witnessed rapid development, and in the future, it may see more innovations as well in light of the great digital transformation.