The Board of Governors of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has been criticized for approving a $50 million rebate to FINRA members rather than distributing the windfall to investors who have won arbitration awards against members of the self-regulatory organization (SRO) but have not been paid. The organization crying foul is the Public Investors… Read More >>
Raymond James Ltd. to Hasten Digital Transformation via FNZ
Raymond James Ltd., the Canadian subsidiary of the North American investment firm Raymond James Financial, is investing in and collaborating with FNZ, a wealth management platform provider, to deliver a wealth management system intended to strengthen Raymond James Ltd.’s value proposition, officials say. The strategic investment in FNZ is intended to strengthen Raymond James Ltd.’s… Read More >>
A.I. Is a Force Multiplier for Ops Teams: SS&C
(Applying artificial intelligence (A.I.) to securities operations is “definitely a force multiplier,” says Rob Stone, senior vice president and general manager of intelligent automation and analytics at SS&C Technologies, in this FTF News Q&A. For the past two years, Stone has been getting to know all that SS&C Blue Prism can do for A.I.-powered automation,… Read More >>
Fundhost Outsources Key Services to SS&C
Fundhost Ltd., a boutique fund services provider to investment managers in Australia, will be outsourcing its unit registry and fund administration operations to SS&C Technologies, officials say. By turning to SS&C and its proprietary platform, FundHost will be streamlining its unit registry and fund administration operations. Fundhost provides “entity, trustee, fund administration, registry, compliance, operations… Read More >>
ProCap Readies Custody for 3 Digital Asset Securities
With the addition of Uniswap (UNI) and Arbitrum (ARB) to its custodial platform, Prometheum Ember Capital will offer custodian support for three digital asset securities, as the firm previously announced custody services for Ethereum’s ether (ETH) token. Prometheum Capital officials say the firm intends to fully launch its custodial services to institutional investors later this… Read More >>
E.U.’s Buy Side Wants T+1 to Happen Sooner
The German buy side is advocating for the earlier adoption of shorter T+1 settlement, amid growing calls for harmonization with the U.K. and Switzerland. The German Investment Funds Association (BVI), which represents 115 fund companies and asset managers with €4 trillion ($4.4 trillion) in assets under management (AUM), is pushing for the European Union to… Read More >>
FINRA Explores Remote Inspections via Pilot Program
Nearly one-quarter or 22 percent of FINRA member firms have volunteered to participate in a pilot program that would allow them to complete their inspection obligations “without an on-site visit” from a FINRA official, according to the self-regulatory organization (SRO) for U.S. broker-dealers. FINRA notes that 741 firms are participating in the initial pilot, and… Read More >>
SS&C Leverages A.I. for ‘Contact Center’ Platform
Asset managers and other financial services firms working in the life, pensions, and retirement sectors need optimal customer service and to help them SS&C Technologies has launched its Contact Center platform, which leverages artificial intelligence (A.I.) to deliver “personalized customer experiences 24/7,” officials say. The SS&C Contact Center is the next-generation platform that builds upon… Read More >>
T+1: No Victory Until Affirmations Reach 100%
As many teams in North America canceled their weekly T+1 transition meetings, Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler has called on the U.K. to trigger its own implementation. Top of the list of lessons to learn from North America’s transition, Gensler said, is setting a date. “Until you do that, it is a lot… Read More >>
FTF Reveals the Winners of the 2024 FTF Awards
Financial Technologies Forum (FTF) proudly announces the 2024 FTF News Technology Innovation Awards competition winners. The awards effort shines the spotlight on the winners of the FTF Awards competition — now in its 13th year — for their accomplishments in 2023 and on individuals who have made great contributions to their profession and those who… Read More >>