It's obviously welcome to see savings rates go up. Albeit from a low enough base. Several new providers such as Moco, Monzo, and Bankinter are all now quite active in the savings space in Ireland, so this is perhaps a response to increased competition.
Launching a fund used to be a real test of endurance, with timelines often stretching across many months. The process demanded patience that many ambitious founders found difficult to sustain.
I grew up at a time where we got loans for everything. We wanted to go on holiday, we booked the holiday, and then we'd go to the credit union. You'd get one of the little small loans, and then credit cards were so accessible.
Many people successfully purchase homes while still carrying student debt. What matters most isn't whether you have debt, it's how well you manage it.
Revenue-based finance allows repayments to fluctuate with takings, offering businesses greater flexibility during quieter trading periods. This model is increasingly favored by high street businesses facing financial pressures.
"This is a system shock," says Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group. "You have a material energy supply disruption and a structural shift toward fragmentation."
Leading US banks are not just going digital; they are realizing that digital savings and loans alone do not ensure sustained engagement or profitability. These services must connect to the banks' core strengths: trust, scale, and long-term financial relationships.
There was a time when banks and fintechs competed mostly on bells and whistles: smoother apps, faster checkout, appealing rewards. But in the world of public markets and quarterly earnings, functionality gives way to fundamentals.
