Bitcoin (BTC) is the first decentralized peer-to-peer payment network that is powered by its users with no central authority or middlemen. This digital currency, designed by Satoshi Nakamoto, has seen a huge rise in trading volume since 2013. This rise can be attributed to different types of merchants that use Bitcoin like online marketplaces, payment and funding services worldwide, social services, media sources and travel companies. Besides merchants, Wall Street players and investors are also using BTC wallets.

To know more, read the following article by Jamie Tolentino (Digital Marketer at a Global Asset Management firm), which talks about the advantages and disadvantages of using Bitcoin:

http://thenextweb.com/future-of-communications/2015/04/13/how-safe-are-your-bitcoins/

On 8^th April, 2015, Snapdeal announced that it has acquired FreeCharge, an online recharge platform, for an estimated $400 million. This is one of the biggest acquisitions in the history of the internet industry in India and sets up Snapdeal to build the most impactful digital commerce ecosystem in India. According to Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal Bahl, “The joint entity would create the country's largest mobile commerce platform with over 40 million customers.”

To know more about this deal, read the following Times of India article:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Snapdeal-buys-Freecharge-for-400m/articleshow/46857876.cms

Snapdeal (E-commerce online marketer), on 31^st March, 2015, announced its entry into the online financial services segment by acquiring a majority stake in RupeePower, a leading digital financial products distribution platform. Snapdeal will now offer a wide range of financial services like personal loans, educational loans, credit cards (co-brand–B2B & B2C), auto loans, home loans and extended warranties among others.                                                                                                .
To know more, read the following Forbes article:

http://forbesindia.com/article/special/snapdeal-acquires-rupeepower-enters-financial-services-business/39939/1

Various industries grow due to Indian Premier League (IPL). This year, insurance industry has benefited a lot from it. The BCCI has purchased an insurance coverage of around rupees 1,200 crore, which will make up for the loss of revenues from sale of broadcast and other rights if any of the IPL matches fail to take off. Also, Multi Screen Media (MSM), the official broadcaster of this tournament, has bought an insurance coverage of around rupees 800 crore to cover for the loss of revenue from advertisement if a game is called off after 10 or 20 overs, or the number of overs is reduced.

These deals have come in time when 49% FDI has also been allowed for insurance industry after a long wait of 6 years. Both the events indicate a growth year for insurance industry.

Read more at:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/insurance-industry-rides-the-ipl-wave-115040700436_1.html

On Wednesday, April 8, 2015, the Reserve Bank of India issued a notification of Government’s decision to raise the bar of FDI limit in insurance sector to 49%. This move has been welcomed by the insurance industry of India as it will entice global insurance companies to set up units in India and the existing firms to increase their investment. The ability to absorb more foreign capital will also spur some insurance companies to list on the local stock exchanges via initial public offerings. As per the DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) guidelines, FDI of up to 26 per cent come under automatic route and beyond 26 per cent and up to 49 per cent government approval is needed. 

To know more, read the following Economic Times article:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/rbi-notifies-hike-in-fdi-cap-in-insurance-sector-to-49/articleshow/46852551.cms

The main goal of business is earning profit. Companies should find ways to maximize efficiency and service without facing any cost reduction. One such way is by implementing Dynamic Scheduling System which will use the Geo-location information and track activities of your field service men. With the help of such information, a company will be able to know what your workforce is actually doing with their work time and can design a management strategy. Helen T Dellomes (Freelance Writer), writes in his article about how Dynamic Scheduling System can help you to boost your company's productivity. To know more, follow: http://ezinearticles.com/?Maximize-Your-Business-Profit-Through-Dynamic-Scheduling&id=8739980

According to David Bannister (editor at Banking Technology magazine), there has been a change in retail banking in the UK in recent years. A steady change has been noticed in the type of organizations that provide banking services and the way that both these new and incumbent providers transact with customers. However, change may be driven by the non-financial organizations as well. In many cases, these organizations are well known consumer brands with collections of customer loyalty. One such category is UK supermarkets which enjoy positive perceptions among their customers, thus suggesting that they are providing better customer satisfaction than banks. So, banks must retain focus on improving customer sentiment and make sure that people do not switch. Read more at: http://www.bankingtech.com/248682/the-rise-of-the-challenger-banks/

According to Bjorn Cumps (digital banking professor and director of the Centre for Financial Services at Vlerick Business School), retail banks would find it very challenging to increase net bank income because of the recent financial crisis. So, the only way these banks can look for possible future growth is via technology. Retail banks have been testing with new technology like mobile banking apps, prepaid cards, QR-code based payments, digital advisors, social media analytics tools and location-based services etc. The true winners in retail banking will not be the ones who approve new technology but is the one with new financial ecosystem, including tech companies, energy companies, retailers, real estate agents, notaries, lawyers and many other service providers, offering integrated services that create genuine customer value. Read more at: http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/oct/07/retail-banks-growth-hopes-technology-value-customer-apple-pay

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are a major consideration for any fixed income portfolio and offer a wide diversification and higher returns. There are many types of REITs available but we will have a look here at some of them. Approximately 24% of REIT investments are in shopping malls and freestanding retail. This represents the single biggest investment by type in America and is known as Retail REITs. REITs that own and operate multi-family rental apartment buildings as well as manufactured housing or the residential REITs are mostly urban centered. Healthcare REITs invest in the real estate of hospitals, medical centers, nursing facilities and retirement homes. The success of this real estate is directly tied to the healthcare system. Office REITs invest in office buildings and they receive rental income from tenants who have usually signed long-term leases. Approximately 10% of REIT investments are in mortgages. Here investing in mortgages instead of equity does not imply that they are risk free. The bottom line is REITs, like every other investment in 2008, suffered greatly. But despite this, they continue to be an excellent addition to any diversified portfolio. Read more at: : http://www.investopedia.com/articles/mortgages-real-estate/10/real-estate-investment-trust-reit.asp

One may think how anyone can make a profit by issuing credit cards. Lending money to people up front, so they can buy what they want to with it, then 30 days to pay it back without interest. But the contradiction is with a market valuation of about $133 billion and profit margins at 42%, Visa has proven that extending credit to consumers and assuming they'll be irresponsible is as gainful an industry as any. The process involved in the Visa model is: Bank X distributes its Bank X Visa cards to accountholders, who now have the convenience of not having to carry wads of bills for every commercial transaction. Now the banks start charging 14% or 19% or 24% interest which keeps adding to its total revenue. Visa, in the form which it is today would not have existed if people bought only what they could afford and saved for their large purchases. If you pay your Visa bill entirety every month, it costs your financial institution to accommodate you. They'll lose money on the deal. On the other side if you incur a balance and add to it with each pay period, you'll be contributing to a scenario whereby Visa's stock price has not only tripled over the past three years, but remains well shy of an ambitious one-year target estimate. Read more at: : http://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/080714/how-visa-counts-your-credit-card-balance.asp

Many companies have a huge capacity for making money though they have a small clientele. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is unusual among the largest companies in the United States ranked by market capitalization. Their profit margins are small, but their stocks are expensive. It is one of those companies which tries to do something novel and thinks of its impact on finances later on. So, the answer to the question on how Amazon makes money is simple. Revenue is only a part of profit and Amazon's most profitable endeavor to date is something blessedly low-tech - the one-price shipping of Amazon Prime. Amazon has redefined commerce for the whole world and has leveraged itself to a position of market dominance. With unparalleled convenience and receptive customer service, Amazon seems bound to continue its prosperous growth in its third decade of existence and beyond. Read more at: : http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/060914/how-well-all-be-amazoncom-customers-eventually.asp

Most of us do not think too much about retirement though we change our jobs and careers many times. But when we reach our midlife it is the time for us to get organized. The first step is to locate what you have and search for all assets scattered as they might add to the retirement funds. Also, locate your lost records especially if you have moved a lot. For any policy purchased earlier find out how much cash value is in the policy, if any, and the amount of its death benefit; whether it is still in force or how much it will cost to reinstate it if it has lapsed. Find your misplaced saving bonds, bank accounts and safe deposit boxes. It's worth checking with Social Security to make sure earnings from all your jobs are factored into your benefits. Then determine your objectives, organize your assets and future plan is ready. To know more, follow Mark P. Cussen (financial author)'s article link: http://www.investopedia.com/university/consolidating-your-retirement-money/

Research shows that fraud against bank deposit accounts cost the industry $1.744 billion in losses in 2012. Debit card fraud accounted for more than half of 2012 losses (54 percent), followed by check fraud (37 percent). According to Prakash Santhana, a director in the Advanced Analytics practice for Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics LLP, there has been a significant increase in the number of cyber-criminal groups who are trying to get their hands on customer lists, personal identification data, and anything else that could be of economic value. Some strategies for fighting fraud are listed below: Continuous tracking of online and face-to-face transactions to avoid any unauthorized ones. Development of “chip and PIN” technologies. The implementation of additional controls within ERP platforms that require dual approval on all payments to vendors. Read more at: http://deloitte.wsj.com/cio/2014/07/30/fraud-trends-in-the-banking-industry

According to Larry Fink, if you want to be a better investor than stop worrying about daily fluctuations and think of long term investing goals. Also, three major changes worth noticing have happened in past years which have long term implication on the economy. The developed world’s aging population is the first changing picture as the proportion of developed market population is expected to double (30%) by 2025. As a result labour force will shrink and greater people will take advantage of entitlement programs. It will be a challenge to all government to maintain the spending with such a rise. The phasing out of financial repression by U.S., i.e. financing its debt on own will benefit shareholders through capital structure arbitrage, while not appreciably hurting debt holders. These conditions will create a framework for equity optimization that allows risk asset prices to grind higher even in the face of what some believe are extended valuations. The rapid change in technology has displaced a lot from employment in many sectors. As such structural unemployment is expected to rise there will be a check on core inflation ( because inflation in real economy is generally due to wage increase). All these shifts matter a lot while deciding upon investment and also encourage corporations to engage in aggressive stock buybacks at the expense of capital reinvestment. Read more at: http://www.investopedia.com/partner/blackrock/articles/investing/072514/three-big-picture-shifts-worth-paying-attention.asp

Over the last few years, stocks have climbed to lofty heights. Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ index all have gained new heights. It is the great time to own stocks but at the same time, it is hard to please investors. For rational investors the continuous rise might seem to be a bubble and they can start getting defensive. Many companies that have recently released earning reports have either missed expectations or relied on cost cutting measures rather than revenue growth to bolster their results. While the ride can continue stocks can also go sideways. The bottom line is though it has not yet happened, but the stocks can be frothy and correction could be near. So, investors getting defensive will make sense. Read more at: http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/073114/it-finally-time-get-defensive-def-usmv-idlv-hdge.aspx

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Big business is asked to solve social and environmental evils. As a result, a rising number of important companies are accepting the confront of sustainability gravely, not only to diminish their environmental footstep and reinforce their reputations but also to progress operations and financial performance. Many ecosystem challenges cross limitations and need changes beyond the capability of person companies or even of an manufacturing. In these cases, the best loom for commerce can be to associate up-with governments, shareholders, local society, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Such partnerships often go through good, bad, and sometimes unattractive.The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a company that sets principles for the fishing industry, move violently in its initial few time with high staff proceeds and unstable support. To understand how to make these collaborations work, Mckinsey had meeting  with many business, administration, and NGO leaders . Read more at:

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/sustainability/creating_partnerships_for_sustainability

Risk analytics is increasingly important for banks as they cope with a complex regulatory and competitive environment. Important technologies and calculation engines are now available that are critically important to the future of banks and the entire industry. At the same time, it is possible to develop an over-reliance on analytics, so a balance needs to be found.

Developing more comprehensive and integrated capabilities is increasingly important. Integrated stress-testing, for example, is an important means by which the science of risk management can be turned into more of an art, such that it can be communicated and appreciated by a wider audience. An effective stress-testing framework encompasses a wider spectrum of macro-economic, social, political and environmental considerations and forecasts and so can help banks avoid the tunnel vision that can prevent them from making good decisions and taking timely action.

Companies are investing in risk analytics and intend to increase those investments, yet the potential return is often stifled by inconsistent or incomplete data. This prevents organizations from generating the insights needed to support a more predictive approach to risk management. To read more: http://www.baselinemag.com/analytics-big-data/banking-on-big-data-and-analytics.html

In financial markets, the ability to take risk while investing indicates risk profile. This is an important variable considered by a financial planner before advancing a product to an investor. Risk profile classifies the individuals in conservative, moderate or aggressive. Wealth management services suppliers use psychometric surveys to estimates the risk profile of a customer. Generally, the individual taking the test is asked to choose that option that best describes his response to the position out of the many options provided. The responses help the financial planners and wealth managers to insight how the person will react in a given situation. That is the basis of the individual's capacity to take risks. The survey minimizes the probability of wealth managers from being biased in the financial-planning process. An individual taking the test should be honest enough to select that option which best explains him.Read more about this aspect at: 

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-04-21/news/29459327_1_wealth-managers-risk-profile-financial-planner

It will take several years for banks to implement the necessary changes to become customer-centric. They need to assess their operations, identify what needs to change, and then implement the changes and the systems to support them. After the 2008 crisis, customers have eschewed “too big to fail” institutions in favor of local banks. Customers realize they have multiple banking options, often selecting different institutions for different services. A customer with a credit card from a multinational may keep savings and checking accounts locally. Attracted by competitive interest rates, the same customer may apply for a loan or mortgage with a regional bank – or even an online institution.To increase their share of wallet with customers, banks must address three fundamental areas: organization, processes and technology. However, once they crack the code on how to deliver a better experience to customers, they will position themselves to seize phenomenal opportunities to engage with customers. Ultimately, that translates to higher revenues. To know more on why banks should embrace a customer-centric model go to:

http://www.banktech.com/business-intelligence/banks-must-embrace-a-customer-centric-mo/240166955 .

When it comes to businesses and increasing their profitability, it is of no doubt that Big Data has brought in revolutionary changes. With proper handling of Big Data and data management, companies are trying to increase customer satisfaction and increase customer retention. Now, let's take a different look. 

Consider trading - capital market is one industry, where millions and millions of data float around. Regulatory bodies, banks, financial institutions store and analyze all these data that range over a large time horizon. They also need to study risk management practices and create new trading strategies. In capital market where focus has shifted from high frequency trading to discovering patterns and insights from financial data that can be used as case studies, big data can be made to its use. Financial services organizations are needed to invest in data management software that can harness the power of big data technology and extract hidden information.

How can they do so? Read them at: http://www.bankingtech.com/221932/big-data-and-data-management-in-capital-markets/ .