The arrival of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is less than a week away. However, many businesses are still not prepared for the legislation shake-up that could see huge sanctions imposed for non-compliance. Experts at UK based IT support solutions company, TSG, explain for Finance Monthly what the key considerations are when it comes to the finance sector.

If your business is unprepared for GDPR, you are not alone. A Populus survey conducted only this year revealed that 60% of UK businesses do not consider themselves “GDPR ready”. It’s definitely not too late to put measures in place to ensure compliance with the regulation. Following the introduction of GDPR on 25^th May, complying with GDPR will be a continuous journey.

What are the key areas you should be considering in light of the looming GDPR deadline?

Cyber-security tops the list

In this digital world, we produce, store and disseminate huge amounts of data. And a significant portion of that will be Personally Identifiable Information (PII); this is the data that matters under GDPR.

Even if, as a business, you don’t store customers’ sensitive data, you’ll still store the data of your employees. Therefore, all businesses must put measures in place to safeguard that digitally-stored data.

Encrypt everything

Arguably the most valuable cyber-security tool at your disposal is encryption. Not only is it a robust way to keep your data inaccessible to cyber criminals, it’s the only method that’s explicitly mentioned multiple times in the GDPR. Should any PII data you hold fall into the wrong hands – whether deliberately or accidentally – encryption will render it unintelligible. Encryption can operate at a file, folder, device or even server level, offering the level of protection most suited to your business needs.

Review your policies and processes

The GDPR requires you to implement policies that detail how you intend to process personal data and how you will safeguard that data. It also states that data controllers – that’s your business – must “adopt internal policies and implement measures which meet in particular the principles of data protection by design and data protection by default.” All new policies, whether specifically related to GDPR or not, must be compiled with a ‘privacy by design’ model. Existing policies, including your data protection policy, privacy policy and training policy should also be reviewed in light of GDPR.

Don’t forget subject access requests

Much of the coverage of GDPR has focused on two areas: data breaches and the potentially eye-watering fines. An area that’s arguably been overlooked is complying with subject access requests. Individuals can request access to the data you hold on them, verify that you’re processing it legally and, in some cases,, request erasure of their data – also known as the ‘right to be forgotten’. Under GDPR you’ll have only a month to respond to these requests, otherwise you’ll be at risk of non-compliance. More guidance on this can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) GDPR guide.

Don’t forget your reporting obligations either

Another element that’s received significantly less coverage is your reporting requirements. In the event of a data breach, businesses must report it to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours of discovery. It’s especially important to note this, as failing to meet this obligation could be considered a bigger breach of the GDPR than the data leak itself. Both Uber and Equifax have come under fire in the past year for covering up breaches, reporting them late and keeping the extent of the breaches under wraps.

A good example to follow is Twitter. Following the discovery of a bug that stored users’ passwords in plain text – which is a bigger deal than it sounds – Twitter not only reported on the breach, but immediately informed its users of the bug, what caused it and the potential repercussions, and advised customers on how to keep their data safe. The second element of this is critical to GDPR too – if the breach poses a risk to individuals’ “rights and freedoms”, the victims of the breach must be informed too.

The key takeaway

The GDPR wasn’t created to punish businesses or to catch them out, but rather to empower individuals and consumers. Whilst there has been a lot of confusion around exactly what has been required for businesses, it’s clear that cyber-security is imperative, as is clueing up on your reporting and response obligations. It’s important to note that simply experiencing a cyber-attack or data breach won’t automatically result in financial punishment; the GDPR clearly states that, should you prove you put in place measures to protect your PII data, you won’t be hit with the most severe fines.

The long-awaited General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes legislation in a week, on 25 May 2018. Below Narrinder Taggar, Partner and defendant personal injury insurance litigation specialist at Shakespeare Martineau, sheds light on the extended implications of the regulation on the insurance sector.

With GDPR coming into play, organisations across a wide variety of sectors and industries, including insurance companies, will be forced to adjust and assess their data protection strategies or face fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual turnover, whichever is greater.

The GDPR contains rules protecting individuals when their personal data is processed. This also includes further rights around how this personal data is handled and shared with other parties.

The sensitive nature of personal information used in many insurance claims could cause a serious headache for the industry and is set to cause significant disruption to how all parties involved in the insurance claims process store, manage and process personal data. The risk created when information is shared between claimants/their advisors, brokers; insurers and other parties, such as medical professionals, all of which would be classed as “data controllers”, is great.

A data controller determines the purposes, conditions and means of the processing of personal data. The data processor is the entity that processes data on behalf of the data controller.

But what about accident investigators, who are instructed to process data on behalf of the data controller? They may well be data controllers for the purposes of obtaining and drafting witness statements which would be subject to legal professional privilege until such time the statements are disclosed to any third parties. Of course, it should be noted that a claimant does not have a right to access any data which is subject to legal professional privilege.

With the GDPR placing a greater emphasis on transparency and accountability, the insurance industry will have to be even more careful with the storage of sensitive data. With personal data being intrinsically linked to the claims process and regularly being shared with third parties, the need to be prepared is particularly urgent and parties must rethink exactly how this information is shared during the process.

Hard copy documents such as instructions to barristers may have previously been sent in the post. However, under the new GDPR it remains to be seen whether this way of sharing sensitive documents will still be deemed to be a compliant activity. Instead, encrypting files containing sensitive personal data is set to become the norm.

Under the GDPR all data controllers will be responsible to ensure not only that the receiver, or processor, is GDPR-compliant, but also to find how they intend to store and use data and delete the data once it is no longer required. This can be achieved through the arrangement of a data sharing agreement. This might include a description of the data processing, an assessment of any possible risks and how those risks will be mitigated. Because of the need to ensure compliance throughout all stages of the process, those involved in insurance claims, for example insurers and their solicitors, should set up data sharing agreements with their contacts and suppliers; including other data controllers.

However, duty of compliance also continues after the claims have been settled. The 'right to be forgotten' places a responsibility on the controller to delete any personal data if requested by the subject and not to keep data any longer ‘than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data is processed’. Yet, there are a number of grounds in which data controllers may keep personal data, including if it needs to be retained in case of any further legal proceedings for example appeals. Therefore, organisations may need to set their own retention periods for data depending on the information in question and how it may be used in future. It is worth remembering in this case that any data deemed relevant must be recorded and held securely offline.

Under the new requirements, data controllers will be obliged to report breaches to the relevant authority within the first 72 hours. Should a breach occur under the new legislation, the fault will lie not only with the data controller but could also lie with the data processor who shared the information, making it vital for all parties to be accountable for the information they process.

The GDPR has undoubtedly changed the goal posts for the insurance industry and many questions still remain around the identification of sensitive information and how the usual correspondence between parties will be affected after the new legislation is introduced. With such large penalties coming into play, the worry of doing something wrong has never been greater.

The industry currently awaits further guidance from the UK Information Commissioner on what the legislation will really mean in practice. However, with the deadline fast approaching, doing nothing is no longer an option. The industry must prioritise collaboration and transparency, in order to ensure they are fully prepared for the changes ahead.

Billon and the Polish Credit Office (Biuro Informacji Kredytowej - BIK), the largest credit bureau in Central and Eastern Europe, have announced they will implement blockchain for storage and secure access to sensitive customer information. Billon's blockchain technology will benefit the bureau through superior security, integrity and immutability of data. The fully-GDPR compliant solution guarantees total visibility, trackable history and full data integrity for any client-facing document including banking records, loan agreements, insurance claims, telephone bills and terms & conditions.

BIK, owned by the largest banks in Poland including Pekao, ING, mBank, Santander and Citi, tracks nearly 140 million credit histories of over 1 million businesses and 24 million people. "Our cooperation with Billon is long-term. We believe that blockchain technology will transform client communications in the financial sector. Our solution will soon be expanded to include electronic delivery with active confirmation and remote signing of online agreements. It is also important that the solution meets legal requirements of a durable medium of information, as well as the EU GDPR requirements," said Mariusz Cholewa, President of BIK.

BIK and Billon developed the solution for durable medium of information, defined by EU regulations and directives such as MIFID II and IDD directives. The partnership saw eight Polish banks participating in trials, which established that Billon's scalable blockchain architecture could publish over 150 million documents every month. This would be more than sufficient for even the largest institutions to move to paperless customer service.

The solution has been approved following extensive consultation with the Polish Office of Competition (UOKiK) and Data Protection Regulator (GIODO), making it one of the world's first Regtech compliant blockchain solutions, and the only one with on-chain data storage and a mechanism enabling "the right to erase personal data". Currently, the only major alternatives to this are hardware-based archive solutions such as legacy WORM drives. Compared to them, Billon's solution offers 30% saving in TCO, ensuring minimal upfront costs.

"Our partnership is the start of a true revolution in information management. It is now possible to move away from the constraints of closed central databases to a democratic blockchain-based Internet where every user will be able to control their identity," explained Andrzej Horoszczak, CEO of Billon. "This solution provides the world's first GDPR-compliant blockchain platform that streamlines customer service processes and implements customer rights such as the "right to be forgotten". We're fixing the problem of consumer data control, creating a level playing field between individuals and corporations. The benefits could affect more than the financial sector, and we anticipate it will soon be adopted by industries such as telecommunications, insurance and utilities. Our cooperation is only the first step to introducing mass blockchain technology use for trusted document management."

(Source: Billon)

A rapid ramp-up of European banks' bail-in buffers is critical because the authorities' ability to support failing banks is now heavily constrained, S&P Global Ratings said in a new report, "The Resolution Story For Europe's Banks: The Clock Is Ticking."

"The UK, Switzerland, and Germany aside, European banking systems today typically lack the sizable buffers of subordinated bail-in instruments that could avoid bailing-in senior unsecured instruments if a systemically important bank fails," said S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Giles Edwards.

Three years since bank resolution regimes were created in most European countries, banks in the region continue their long march from bail-out to bail-in—and many will still be on this road for years to come. After all, making large, complex banks truly resolvable is no mean feat, particularly for those that start with minimal bail-in buffers.

Furthermore, the EU's resolution authorities have a tougher task than most--whereas the U.S. and Swiss authorities are acting on only the most systemic banks, their EU counterparts must set MREL (minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities, which is the regulatory bail-in buffer) for all banks and lay the complex groundwork to enable a bail-in resolution for even midsize banks.

In S&P Global Ratings' view, the EU has achieved much in a short time by strengthening its crisis management framework for the financial sector. And the framework has had a positive impact on our ratings on European banks. Under regulatory requirements, European banks that are not global systemically important banks still have plenty of time to build their buffers, though these may start to look less comfortable as we progress through 2019.

Resolvability cannot be achieved overnight, and we do not underestimate the scale and complexity of the task in the European banking union in particular.

"Yet looking back at 2017, we saw more limited progress in some areas than we had expected, notably in the setting of banks' MREL," Mr. Edwards said.

Bail-in buffers aside, we also note that bank resolution actions could still be undermined if solvent banks cannot access sufficient liquidity in resolution--a topic that has become an imperative to address.

(Source: S&P Global)

In force since January, the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), aka Open banking, is a regulation that forces the largest of our banks to open up access to their data; a necessity that could change the way many people and businesses bank. Below Jerry Matthews, Commercial Manager & Head of Bridging at KIS Finance, explains everything you need to know, touching on the risks and opportunities therein, and answering the big question: is it safe?

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has started a revolution which encourages consumers to share their financial data to third-party companies, after years of being told to do the exact opposite.

The Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) was created in response to the UK Government’s request for a fairer, more transparent banking and financial services. Transparent is definitely what they got.

What is Open Banking?

Open Banking is a new system which means customers can allow third party providers, other than their bank, to access their financial information.

These providers can be anything from insurance and mortgage companies to shopping sites, mobile phones and broadband providers.

The main idea is to give consumers more control of their financial information and have access to a wider range of products and services. Customers can allow the company to analyse their spending habits and offer them better deals, tailored to them.

There has been a new change in UK law which means that banks must allow FCA regulated businesses to access a customer’s personal and financial information, but the customer must give their permission first. Customers can give and withdraw permission at any time they choose.

The bank can only prevent the business access, on the customer’s behalf, if they suspect that the company is fraudulent, or not regulated by the FCA.

When will Open Banking Start?

Four of the nine largest UK account providers, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, Allied Irish Bank and Danske are ready to start Opening Banking now.

Six weeks maximum has been given to RBS, HSBC, Barclays and Bank of Ireland by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Santander’s Cater Allen has been given another year to prepare.

In order to integrate the new system smoothly, for the first 6 weeks the banks and companies offering Opening Banking services have been asked to only make it available to a small group of selected customers and to limit the amount of instructions processed.

How Will These Third-Party Providers Gain Access to our Information?

There appears to be two methods as to how your information can be accessed;

API’s: New communication technologies have been developed, Application Programming Interfaces, which are designed with customer security at the forefront. API’s are regularly used by various online tools and mobile apps to provide joined facilities, allowing software from numerous companies to, essentially, ‘talk’ to each other. This way, your information will be securely passed between companies with this technology in place.

Log-In Details: Another method may be that third-party providers will request that you share your online bank log-in details directly with the company. Yes, you read that right. A separate piece of legislation, the Payment Services Directive, will allow some companies to do this.

The company can then log in to your online banking account, like they were you, to access your financial data, such as; transaction history, direct debits and standing orders. This means that the company is likely to be able to access a much larger range of information, so really, the one way to withdraw your permission to this company, for certain, is to change your account password and other security details.

Do you Actually Have to Share your Information?

I am glad to say no, this isn’t mandatory.

The new rules state that banks must allow third-parties access to your information, but you have to explicitly give that company your permission – they can’t just look at your account willy-nilly. There will be an option to either switch on or switch off Open Banking on your account.

Once you have given that company permission, it’s not set in stone either. You can withdraw your permission at any time.

So, there is some security in knowing that this isn’t some sort of new binding contract.

So, what are the Potential Risks with Open Banking?

Current surveys suggest that a majority of consumers are reluctant to hand out personal and financial data. But, with the new system, this behaviour is expected to steadily change over time.

However, this does open up massive risks surrounding data privacy and security.

There are worries concerning the fact that by creating more chains of data access, it will be much harder to prove who was at fault if the customer’s information is stolen, making it harder than it already is to be compensated in these situations.

Not to mention how people handing out personal and financial data is like a gold mine to fraudsters.

To name just one potential scam, fraudsters could easily mimic third-party providers, by copying their choice of contact, to trick people into handing over their data which leaves consumers at risk of losing their money, and potentially, their identity being stolen.

Also, giving a company your bank log-in details with the only secure way of knowing that you have cancelled your permission is by changing your password? This is the main thing that consumers are told to never do, to never hand out your bank log-in details. This leaves your details at huge risk, and something just doesn’t make sense to me.

It is absolutely vital that the industry regulators ensure that consumers are wholly protected from any data breaches if they are to use these services with confidence and trust.

The Positives…

Although I think there is a lot at stake for people who decide to go forwards with Open Banking, I do think, for some people, this could be a way to gain much better control over their finances.

With Open Banking, it could be made easier to assess what type of bank account is best for you by analysing how you actually use it. For example, a lot of people can be unsure of how much their overdraft is costing them, but if a company can see your account, they may be able to provide you with a much clearer perspective and give you cheaper alternatives.

Or, for people who want to save money but are struggling to do so, sharing their data with budgeting companies/apps could help them see where and how they can save money.

Mid-market businesses are bracing themselves for the impact of Brexit and looking beyond Europe to shore up their future success, according to research from Mills & Reeve.

The study, Defying Gravity - based on the opinions of 500 leaders of medium-sized businesses – reveals that mid-market businesses remain confident in their growth prospects despite feeling the fallout of the vote already, and are overhauling their strategies in preparation for Britain’s EU exit.

Over 60% of mid-market business leaders plan to increase investment in exports beyond the EU in response to Brexit.

The research reveals that mid-market businesses are feeling bullish despite the unstable landscape, with 83% planning to increase turnover this financial year (2017/2018) by an average of 22%.

However, mid-market businesses are facing some serious challenges, and many are already feeling the repercussions of the Brexit vote. More than half of businesses report falling demand, and over half have experienced increased issues with late payment following the referendum result in 2016.

But the more substantial hurdles still lie ahead. With 60% of mid-market leaders saying that single market access is ‘critical’, leaders believe that failing to reach a deal with the EU would cause significant damage to their business.

And whatever the outcome, businesses are preparing for tough times ahead: 61% expect the administrative burden of regulatory or legislative change to cost their business significant time and money. There are also fears of increased talent shortages once Britain leaves the EU. Sixty seven percent of technology company leaders believe that the UK’s departure from the EU poses a serious threat to recruitment and retention of specialists.

Claire Clarke, managing partner at Mills & Reeve, comments: “Although Britain has not yet made its exit from the EU, mid-market businesses have been feeling the effects of Brexit since the referendum results were announced. But our research shows that business leaders are finding ways to meet the challenge and actively adjusting their strategies to deal with the fallout.

“Despite current uncertainties surrounding Brexit, it’s encouraging to see leaders remaining buoyant and setting their sights high for the future. This confident but flexible approach will help mid-market businesses keep their position as the driving force of the British economy.”

Tom Pickthorn, Head of International at Mills & Reeve, adds: “The fact that so many mid-market businesses are keen to increase their investments in exports beyond the EU in response to Brexit is very encouraging. Future economic growth will be driven by emerging market economies rather than European countries, so businesses that are willing to look further afield can expect to be rewarded for their efforts.

“Although Brexit is presenting challenges, it may also be prompting an important expansion of horizons. This is good news for the mid-market, and good news for the UK as a whole.”

(Source: Mills & Reeve)

If the UK leaves the EU in 2019 with no deal permitting access to the single market and customs union, it could cost the economy £237,823 every minute of every day in lost economic output by 2020.

It’s not just at home where the pinch will be felt, with the cost to the EU itself £189,307 every 60 seconds. Although this will be shouldered across all the remaining 27 nations.

While the economic picture continues to look bleak for the next two years and further into the future, the current position also makes for difficult reading when viewed as a 60-second economic snapshot.

As we currently stand, the gross Government debt is increasing by £129,566 every minute. However, even the government’s spending commitments look relatively small next to the UK pension deficit, which grows by an eye watering £922,849 every 60 seconds.

It’s not just the Government itself that’s feeling the squeeze. Specifically, every minute the NHS spends £229,284. As the NHS is gripped by another winter crisis, the scale of the financial challenge that needs to be met can be seen starkly when figures are looked at minute by minute.

Most notably, to meet requirements in 2020, the Government will need to pump an extra £57,234 of funds into the NHS every minute of every day just to keep it going. A much higher figure than the additional £7,991 every 60 seconds promised during the Brexit referendum.

Every minute, the UK Government also spends £78,006 on Education, £17,503 on the Police and £66,780 on Defence.

As the government and public services try to make ends meet, the financial situation of many families is also getting harder. The combined expenditure of UK households on food is £152,706 per minute, whilst UK households spend £194,916 collectively per minute on energy and fuel.

Food bill increases come at time when many families are already struggling with significant debts. Per minute across the UK £94,910 is spent repaying personal debts. The need to purchase big ticket items is also driving up financial commitments for families with £60,312 of consumer car credit issued every 60 seconds and mortgage debt increasing by £47,716 each minute.

Amanda Gillam from Solution Loans, the company that compiled the research, said: “When we hear about the economy in the news, sometimes it’s extremely difficult to understand the context and how it actually impacts ordinary people.

“We wanted to break it down into a simple format and look at how much we’ll potentially lose from Brexit, as well as the current position for the Government and ordinary people. The data clearly illustrates the vast sums people and families are spending on essentials such as food, clothing, energy and health and the levels of debt we’re all facing.”

While the average UK household brings in just 5p every minute, a CEO of a FTSE 100 company would earn 170 times more at £8.50. In that same period UK MPs claim £216 in expenses and £91,324 is laundered across the UK.

(Source: Solution Loans)

MiFID II came into force at the start of the month/year, but many businesses are still not compliant. Luckily for them, there’s a six month grace period before they’re actually in trouble. With that in mind, here’s 5 top tips for compliance from Joanne Smith, Group CEO of TCC and Recordsure.

MiFID II, hailed as the key to overhauling the financial markets and implementing the lessons learned following the financial crisis, is finally here. The legislation is designed to drive significant changes around transparency, investor protection and effective governance. It also aims to harmonise the various regulatory regimes that exist across the European Union.

With such broad and wide-reaching goals, the legislation, and the changes firms are required to implement in response, are significant and shouldn’t be underestimated. Yes, MiFID II is already in play, but with so much uncertainty in the build-up to implementation, firms may be less prepared than they might have hoped, or uncertain of how to ensure ongoing compliance.

Here are five top tips to help firms set themselves up for ongoing MiFID II compliance and strengthen their business for ongoing commercial success.

1. Make Culture King

There’s no doubt that culture is one of the most important components of effective governance frameworks. Firms that are focussed on treating customers fairly and delivering the right outcomes are more likely to have greater commercial success and a more positive relationship with the regulator than one with a poor culture, or one which isn’t sufficiently embedded throughout all levels of the organisation. Recent FCA thematic output has identified how firms with objective self-challenge built into their processes are able to more effectively demonstrate that good customer outcomes are central to their business.

Firms should have gained a thorough understanding of their culture prior to making any changes to their business in response to MiFID II. However, culture isn’t static, it evolves over time and so firms will need to continually measure and evidence their culture and the impact it has on consumer outcomes. When assessing this, firms should keep MiFID II’s core aims of transparency and investor protection in mind and assess the extent to which internal practices are aligned.

2. Consider the Impact of MiFID II on Future Strategy

Now that MiFID II is here, firms should keep the requirements front of mind when considering any strategic business changes, as the requirements do impact, whether directly or indirectly, on a significant number of business areas.

In the near future, the industry is likely to see changes in the distribution landscape, with firms exploring direct to client offerings and increased use of digital services to serve clients and offset the increased costs the legislation will bring.

3. Get Reporting Systems in Order

The reporting requirements of MiFID II gives firms and regulators greater insight into the market, enabling them to monitor and identify emerging threats and potential instances of market abuse. Given the FCA’s more proactive regulatory approach in recent years, firms should expect to see the regulator pay close attention to how firms are utilising the information collected as part of their MiFID II compliance programmes and its own work to increase the effectiveness of its supervisory approach.

Firms should review their reporting systems and data infrastructure regularly to ensure that they are meeting regulatory expectations. Making full use of the insights available can also be used to inform strategy and ensure appropriate outcomes are being achieved.

4. Keep on top of staff training and communications

Many employees are facing large scale changes to the way they perform their duties in the wake of MiFID II. It’s important that firms think beyond any initial training requirements and have plans in place to monitor compliance, reinforce expectations and deliver refresher training when issues or knowledge gaps are identified.

It’s also important that employees have a clear understanding of the standards and rules that apply to them and are held accountable for their conduct, particularly as the FCA turns its attention to rolling out the Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR) to the wider industry in the coming months.

5. Explore the wider benefits of the legislation

In the face of such wide-ranging changes, it can be very easy to focus on the changes needed to comply with the regulations and forget to explore the wider benefits those changes could bring to the business and its bottom line.

Take MiFID II’s conversation recording requirements as an example. Having records in a secure and accessible format is key to demonstrating compliance, providing evidence in the event of a complaint and ensuring appropriate oversight of business activity, but the benefits don’t end there.

The data provided by recorded conversations can highlight areas where process efficiencies can be made, provide greater customer insight and can drive staff training and performance management programmes. The management information (MI) from conversation recording can also help firms identify where future risks lie across the business, not just those areas MiFID II impacts.

MiFID II is now in force, but firms shouldn’t relax just yet. In order to maintain compliance and meet regulatory expectations, firms need to be regularly reviewing their arrangements to ensure they continue to meet the appropriate standards and deliver consistent outcomes.

Online research from Equifax, the consumer and business insights expert, reveals that 39% of Brits expect Brexit to negatively affect how they access and manage their finances.

The survey, conducted by YouGov, also highlighted the younger generations’ pessimism about Brexit with over half (56%) of 18-24 year olds believing exiting the EU will make it more difficult to access and manage their finances, compared to 30% of those 55 and over.

Of the overall 39% who think Brexit will make managing and accessing their finances more difficult, 34% believe it will make securing a loan or mortgage more difficult and 15% think it will be more difficult to get a credit card. In contrast, of the 19% of Brits who expect Brexit to have a positive impact on their ability to manage and access their finances, 9% think it will be easier to secure a loan or mortgage, and 8% think it will be easier to get a credit card.

Almost a quarter of Brits currently employed (24%) believe Brexit will worsen their employment situation, with potential job losses, pay cuts or reduced hours; only 5% of people think it will improve their employment situation. Among self-employed respondents, 26% expect Brexit to negatively impact their business, versus 8% who are positive about their business position in a post-Brexit environment.

Jake Ranson, Banking and Financial Institution expert at Equifax Ltd, said, “These findings highlight the very real consumer concerns and confusion about the impact of leaving the EU on finances. With conflicting information circulating on the issues of job security and the level of economic fallout, people are feeling very anxious. Exiting the EU is an incredibly complex process and so it’s important that people take steps to manage their finances in anticipation of unpredictable changes ahead.

“New developments in the banking sector next year, particularly Open Banking, will help people navigate the uncertain environment with new tools to manage their finances and better assess the services available to them. The industry must work together to encourage consumers to engage with these initiatives so that the full benefits are properly understood and realised.”

(Source: Equifax)

There are three core principles for Open Banking. This video explores those three principles and talks about the risks and opportunities involved.

The 3 key principles of Open Banking are:

1. Real time sharing of data, including statements and transactional data

2. Real time initiation pf payments, that allows other organisations to initiate payments for you

3. Information of products and services that allows comparison

Open Banking brings opportunities to work with new organisations and provide consumers new and innovative solutions but also creates new compliance and governance questions to ensure that organisations can protect consumers' privacy and support consumers to get the value out of their data.

Below Felicia Meyerowitz Singh, Co-founder & CEO at Akoni Hub, talks Finance Monthly through the implementation of PSD2 legislation this weekend, with an overview of open banking, what it means for financial services, and what opportunities are in store for banking customers.

It’s been a long time coming but we are entering an era of greater access and better financial services that will finally put the needs of customers first.

The catalyst of achieving this much needed and long overdue result is the culmination of big debate, endless lobbying and necessary government legislation.

For years banks have sat on the most valuable asset to any business: the infinite transactional and financial data of customers that essentially define individual’s tastes, preferences, budgets and - crucially - their requirements for building and planning their lives.

High street banks - reluctant to share their oligarchy of power, held on tightly to this data - unwilling to share it with others - or use it to enrich their consumer experience and put them at the heart of their business model.

With open banking, this power will be wrestled from the big incumbents and data will be available to third parties, SMEs and new digital players. This will lead to a better future for financial services, one that increases competition and creates a greater consumer experience. More businesses will finally have a shot at delivering services that are tailored and relevant to individual customers.

Open Banking will also strengthen the role and influence of FinTech companies that have the agility and open APIs to make data sharing possible and to disrupt the status quo. We have already seen new banks like Starling Bank taking the lead, by creating partnerships with other FinTechs to create a customer rich ‘Amazon of Banking’ experience.

Together with multiple significant other sources of data being made available with consent and through API format, this will finally deliver financial products in a simple and meaningful manner, with automated prompts as companies or market products change, resulting in data innovation and improved financial outcomes, as well as removing the hassle for enterprises, saving time and money.

Key to this is delivering analytics in an easily understandable form without overwhelming businesses - leveraging the rapidly advancing data science technologies, machine learning and AI, as well as outstanding design and user experience is part of the market change we are moving towards. While the UK and EU lead the way, there are early sprigs of global growth for international solutions.

Incumbents are not resting on their laurels. Many banks and financial institutions that make up the global sector are making impressive strides to capitalise on open banking, while also exploring valuable collaborations with new innovators that can help them harness the immense value of their data.

A great example is BBVA, which has embraced the digital movement and has set itself apart from other global offerings and is putting the client front and centre. The Spanish bank has nurtured the development of impressive FinTech firms – such as the digital ID startup Covault- while also making some canny acquisitions to keep it at the forefront of innovation that resonates with a new generation of consumers and keeps them agile and technology focused. This includes the purchase of digital bank Simple.

Open banking also presents some challenges. Exposing large quantities of personal consumer data could increase the risk of cyber-attacks, hacking and identify-theft. The possible reluctance of customers to share their personal data could also derail the initiative. Educating consumers and gaining their trust around data sharing will therefore be crucial to the success of this initiative. So too the need for businesses to share information within a secure platform and for online payment providers to be scrutinised by the rigorous laws in place.

If all goes well, the developments of open banking – and the opportunities they bring to consumers– cannot be overstated. Banks will get another chance at creating better value-added services, while SMEs will finally have the access they need to deliver what their customers truly want and ultimately transform their consumer experience. Additionally, corporates are also now included in the scope of Open banking, increasing pressure on banks to deliver improved services to the neglected business market.

We only hope that customers will see the value of it all to willingly share their data and banks will leverage their relationships of trust to deliver solutions of value to their commercial client base. With their consent, the blueprint for a better future of finance can be mapped out for generations to come.

According to reports, the ‘ridiculous’ bill the UK is to pay out in order to exit the UK, otherwise known as the Brexit bill, stands at around £44 billion. That’s a lot of money, and a lot of cash, but how much cash to be exact?

Finance Monthly has worked out approximately, based on the average size of a £50 bank note, the largest readily available note in the UK, how much space £44 billion in cash takes up? We don’t really have a photo of £44 billion in cash, so we’ll have to try and compare it to something just as big. Is it the size of a football field? The size of the Louvre? The size of the moon?

Well, a classic £50 measures at 156mm x 85mm x 0.113mm and weighs about 1.1g. That’s 1,498.38 mm³ per note. There are 20 million £50s in £1 billion. 20 million £50 notes take up 29,967,600,000 mm^3, therefore 29.9676 m^3. The Brexit cash is 44 times that figure. This brings us to 1,318.5744 m^3, which rounded up is 1,318.6 m^3.

Focusing on London, the capital of British finance, Big Ben is officially marked at around 4,650 m³ for its interior. Therefore realistically, the Brexit bill cash could fill up the inside of Big Ben just over a quarter of the way up! At this point it would likely also fill the floor in the House of Commons.

It’s a stack load of cash to hand over, 10 double decker buses’ worth in fact, in terms of volume that is, not value. A London Routemaster double decker bus is worth around £349,500, so 10 of those is £3,495,000 and well, Brexit is going to cost us a little more than that.

Of course, this is all speculation, and even the figure of £44 billion is an unconfirmed unofficial number. None the less, the prospect of paying the European Union such an amount means that as Brexit has all in all been a sizeable decision from the British public, there will be a sizeable price to pay.