Fintech has grown in recent years and has now evolved into something of a household name and service. It answered the call to simplify financial issues and conundrums, and provided an accessible, digital gateway for people to more intricately and conveniently engage with their finances.
People always had somewhere to go when they needed expert help in managing their finances.That guidance has always been there, but it’s the handiness and availability factors that have been turned up a notch here.
Consequently, here’s a quick overview of Fintech in 2018.
Popularity and Growth
It was only in 2017 that prominent figures in the Fintech industry were questioning its survival in cities such as London, owing to the Brexit uncertainty. While little has changed on that front, Fintech has been recognised as a fast expanding industry that needs a robust economy to sufficiently support its growth. Banks are pouring their money into them, and investors are seeing opportunity with every startup formed.
In 2018, the world has witnessed Fintech move away from the two tentpole things it’s primarily associated it with, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and instead engage with a more marketable audience; everyone. It’s no longer interested in serving tech savvy investors alone, but the common man and woman too. Fintech has utilised revolutionary AI technologies to make all financial responsibilities simple and efficient; from online banking to fuelling online investment platforms.
Gamification
Of course, it’s all too simple to say that something has become more popular. The real question is why! Well, a big influence in this arena is gamification, the process of fusing gaming principles into the core of non-gaming services; avatars, point scoring, emojis, rewards etc. Many people find the process of managing their money at worst stressful and at best laborious, but Fintech has introduced ways that, bizarrely, inject fun into the proceedings.
Still, this heightens the level of interaction consumers have with Fintech products, gaining long term interest from their users. People will feel compelled to delve into their financial situations, rather than bury their heads in the sand and ignore their issues. The whole experience of managing money becomes less isolating and miserable, and more social and lighter hearted. Additionally, it will likely change the behaviour of younger generations too, educating them on the perks and values of managing money sensibly. In the end, this is a win-win for all concerned.
Personalised Service
In the end, if you combine all the factors drawn on so far, you get the biggest stride Fintech has made in 2018; a deeply personalised service. There was a time where the world of banking was reserved for straight talking city folk in fancy suits, but now it’s an arena that is sculpted to each individual user thanks to Fintech. People needed to adapt to the world of banking, but now the world of banking adapts to them instead.