We’re on a roller coaster of emotions…
This week’s bite sized news updates have us wondering if the world is going up, down, sideways or nowhere at all. We never thought we’d be talking about the potential death of CSR, but we’re also pumped about the future of retirement investing. Not to mention the introduction of RegTech, InsurTech and WealthTech (we love our abbreviated techs) and a new cyber advocate! Hop on our roller coaster and see for yourself.
Retirement Investing Chooses to Roll on Instead of Rollback
Even if the much talked about DOL fiduciary rule had never existed, retirement advice and investing would have evolved to reflect a higher standard of consumer care and service. The driver? Those damn convenience-loving, iPhone-addicted, mobile-adapted and future-planning millennials. According to TechCrunch, the largest generation in U.S. history won’t settle for anything less than a service that puts their interest ahead of company bottom lines. Enter the likes of Future Advisor, Betterment, Rebalance RIA and Wealthfront.
From Fintech to Fill-in-the-Blank Tech
As the fintech sector has inflicted immense disruption on the financial services industry, its offspring are now doing the same among healthcare, insurance and beyond. What started as the disruption of purely the fin serve space, has evolved to transform finance within all sectors – introducing RegTech, InsurTech, WealthTech and so on. So what does this mean? According to TheNextWeb, “The real state of play is a three-stream market of firms using new technologies to offer new services in banking and insurance.”
- The first stream creates a whole new financial structure.
- The second stream of fintech is removing friction from financial markets.
- The third stream of fintech firms are focused upon reducing costs and overcoming inefficiencies within banks.
“Screw Good for All. I Want Good for Me.”
Our dear friend Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming less relevant as consumers become more selfish. A new global survey from Weber Shandwick, found that one of the leading drivers of corporate reputation among consumers is how good or healthy a company’s products and services are for them and how happy they make them feel – screw the rest of the world. Adidas’ new CSR initiative with Parley might be looking at sleeping with the fishes if this trend continues.
Grounding America’s Cybersecurity Realities
We sound like a broken record discussing the momentous importance of cybersecurity, but we’re at it again. With Trump’s transition team announcing Rudy Giuliani as a cybersecurity advisor, it’s crucial the administration gets its ducks in a row and narrows its focus to target a few key cyber issues. The Hill Contributor Brett Bruen outlined practical parameters for focusing efforts:
- Recognizing evolving sophistication and the required multifaceted solution
- Developing strategies to mitigate damage after cyber attacks
- Crisis communication – enough said!
- Seamless international cooperation – power in unity people
- Strengthening offensive capabilities
In the News
Construction tech startup Pavia Systems raises $4M to expand national footprint
We’re always proud to see our startup clients flourishing. Seattle-based construction technology startup Pavia Systems has raised $4 million in funding to speed the go-to-market pace of its latest software solution.
5 Tips for Fintech Entrepreneurs
Launching a company is hard work, then insert the added factor of trying to standout in a crowded marketplace you’ve got an uphill climb. KCD PR’s own Kevin Dinino provides 5 simple tips for fintech entrepreneurs to get a leg up.
Events
FinDEVr New York
FinDEVr is returning to New York to showcase the latest tools, platforms and case studies to hundreds of fintech developers, VPs of Engineering, and CTOs.
When: March 21-22, 2017
Where: New York
The Bottom Line Blog
Communication: The Critical Key to Building Trust in Fintech
The financial technology industry is booming, but while adoption of digital money management platforms has been on the rise, trust in fintech firms has lagged. To bridge this gap, strategic communication is key.
