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Why is everyone a bank?

medium.com

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Re: Why is everyone a bank?

#21
Traditional banks have a consumer tech problem. This has led to the rise of Robinhood, Venmo, etc. Partnering with tech players like Apple and Google allows them access to their customers.

Big tech wants access to financial services for a few reasons laid out in the article in addition to FOMO and bypassing regulation.

Re: Why is everyone a bank?

#22

Is the overwhelming debit spending vs credit spending an emotionally charged and risk averse rationale decision by the general populace or just unfortunate financial illiteracy?

Anecdotal reasoning: every middle-class and lower-class person in america probably knows someone with a tragic financial story that ends with piles of credit card debt.

Re: Why is everyone a bank?

#23
When you're a bank you get rent from many economic transactions without providing anything of value except being rich to start. And even better, if you're a real bank, then you can create money out of thin air as debt on your balance sheet via fractional reserve banking. There's effectively a universal basic income for banks. What company wouldn't want to get in on that?

Re: Why is everyone a bank?

#24

When you're a bank you get rent from many economic transactions without providing anything of value except being rich to start. And even better, if you're a real bank, then you can create money out of thin air as debt on your balance sheet via fractional reserve banking. There's effectively a universal basic income for banks. What company wouldn't want to get in on that?

Thin air? What are all the employees doing then?

Re: Why is everyone a bank?

#25
post #2

This article seems to just be an advertisement for the authors new bank account?

its not an advertisement my friend. Just explaining how I see the world as someone who is working in it. Tried to be as unobtrusive as possible!

I'm with you. You're contributing a thought piece and unobtrusively include a link to your bank at the bottom. It's not overtly biased, and it's neat you're getting attention for your banking app by, instead of describing it, simply saying you're doing something "interesting."

I think, by focusing on the $5000 emergency cash proposition, your customer segment will generate more costs and hassles than their debit card fees and whatever interest spread you eek out in today's world. You'need a way for your customers to generate more value-- what have you thought of? Ads?

Re: Why is everyone a bank?

#27
Because it looks easy. And in an age where VC money doesn't care about profits its easy to create a bank. When the fraud, regulatory compliance and low interest rate horsemen come knocking most of these efforts wont last.

Re: Why is everyone a bank?

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another reason is the horrible interest rates. Wealthfront and Robinhood are offering "bank" accounts that have 1.8% APY that is FDIC insured. If your business has a high turnover month-to-month, that money used to pay your bills can accumulate interest.

I bank with a shitty national bank (long story, need access to Zelle/P2P transfers). My emergency fund is 6 months expenses, low 5 figures. 150-200 basis points of interest annually is trivial when 1 or 2 wire fees ($20) to get access to those funds same day blows away all of interest gains over 6-12 months. If interest rate mattered to folks, more would move to providers offering higher rates (you see this sprouting…

If you have 6 months expenses saved, you don't need same day access. You keep 1 month in an immediate access account and 5 in the high yield savings account.

Re: Why is everyone a bank?

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bank with a shitty national bank (long story, need access to Zelle/P2P transfers). My emergency fund is 6 months expenses, low 5 figures. 150-200 basis points of interest annually is trivial when 1 or 2 wire fees ($20) to get access to those funds same day blows away all of interest gains over 6-12 months. If interest rate mattered to folks, more would move to providers offering higher rates (you see this sprouting…

If you have 6 months expenses saved, you don't need same day access. You keep 1 month in an immediate access account and 5 in the high yield savings account.

I have had to come up with a dollar amount worth several months of expenses on very short notice (same day, life is unpredictable). YMMV, but there's no reason I shouldn't be able to get those funds within seconds (if I'm adequately authenticated). With a wire, I can get it same day (if executed by ~3pm eastern). I shouldn't need to pay for a wire, or talk to a human unless a fraud signal was detected. I'm not a hedge fund seeking tens of millions of dollars of liquidity of a cash equivalent in a moment. These dollar amounts are trivial (Financial services users should be able to have access to and be able to move their funds through financial plumbing inexpensively and rapidly. Fix the plumbing, raise the bar with regulations on financial services providers to commodify the offerings.
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