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<ul><li>The government has warned about a new way <keyword id="19962622" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scammers" source="keywords">scammers</keyword> are trying to obtain <keyword id="20189059" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="personal-information" source="keywords">personal information</keyword>.</li><li>Users have reportedly received an SMS asking them to update their PAN to unblock their <keyword id="20417750" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bank-account" source="keywords">bank account</keyword>.</li><li>Here's everything you need to know about the <keyword id="22918614" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="fake-PAN-SMS" source="keywords">fake PAN SMS</keyword> and how to stay safe.</li></ul>Increased usage of the internet has also resulted in an increase in <keyword id="20025584" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-fraud" source="keywords">online fraud</keyword>. Scammers are finding new ways to fool people and steal from them. A new method has now been revealed, which preys on users with an account in <keyword id="19985316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Post-Payments-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="India Post Payments Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="India Post Payments Bank">India Post Payments Bank</keyword>. According to a post by PIB Fact Check, several users have received an SMS which claims to be from India Post Payments Bank. However, the message is fake and is an attempt to steal user data. “This claim is #Fake. @IndiaPostOffice never sends any such messages. Never share your personal &amp; bank details with anyone,” PIB Fact Check said in its post on X. <div type="twitter" handle="PIBFactCheck" handlename="PIBFactCheck" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1825494609881170290"></div> <h2>What is the fake PAN SMS?</h2> In the SMS, the user is warned that their India Post Payments Bank account has been blocked. It then asks the users to update their PAN to get their account unblocked. The user is then given a link, asking them to click on the link to update their PAN. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111512587" title="Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The link then redirects the user to a <keyword id="20182216" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="phishing" source="keywords">phishing</keyword> page, aimed at stealing user data such as their bank account login details to gain access to their account. Once you enter your bank account login details, they will be sent to the scammer. <h2>What is phishing?</h2>Phishing is a cyber-attack where attackers impersonate legitimate organisations or individuals to trick people into revealing sensitive information like passwords or credit card details. This is usually done through deceptive emails, messages, or fake websites. <h2>How to stay safe from phishing attacks?</h2>Here are some ways you can identify phishing attacks and stay safe: <ul><li>Verify the sender: Check the sender’s email address or phone number carefully. Phishers often use addresses that look similar to legitimate ones but have small differences.</li><li>Look for red flags: Be wary of unexpected messages, especially those requesting sensitive information or containing urgent or threatening language.</li><li>Verify before opening: Only open attachments from trusted sources. Phishing emails often contain malware disguised as legitimate files.</li><li>Add two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication on your accounts. This adds an additional layer of security even if your password is compromised.</li><li>Contact directly: If you receive a request for sensitive information, verify the request by contacting the organisation directly through known and trusted channels.</li><li>Report phishing attempts: Report phishing emails to your email provider or the relevant authorities. This helps in tracking and stopping phishing schemes.</li></ul>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-add-music-to-instagram-profile/articleshow/112732934.cms">You can now add music to your Instagram profile – here's how</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/2024-tvs-jupiter-vs-honda-activa-6g-which-110cc-scooter-should-you-buy/slidelist/112730069.cms">2024 TVS Jupiter vs Honda Activa 6G – which 110cc scooter should you buy?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/iqoo-z9s-pro-vs-moto-edge-50-fusion-which-is-the-best-smartphone-under-25000/slidelist/112703633.cms">iQOO Z9s Pro vs Moto Edge 50 Fusion – which is the best smartphone under ₹25,000?</a>

Govt warns about fake SMS asking users to update their PAN – what it is and how to stay safe

<div type="image" title="Are Indians depositing less money in banks, or more in mutual funds? Turns out, it&amp;#39;s neither of those." msid="113663806" hostid="261" sizebytes="1121785"></div> Over the past few months, there’s been a lot of brouhaha about the lagging pace of <keyword id="20202062" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bank-deposits" source="keywords">bank deposits</keyword> in India. Simply put, the rate at which Indians are depositing their hard-earned money in banks has been falling constantly, and some blame the increasing financialisation of <keyword id="20751315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-savings" source="keywords">household savings</keyword> in the country or the rising preference of Indians towards <keyword id="19929240" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-funds" source="keywords">mutual funds</keyword> and shares. So, the hypothesis is that people are choosing to invest more in mutual funds and the Indian <keyword id="19949641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-markets" source="keywords">equity markets</keyword> through direct investments, IPOs, or NFOs, the money flowing into Indian banks in the form of deposits is slowing down. But is that really the case? <h2>A crisis or a phase?</h2><keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="RBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="RBI">RBI</keyword> data suggested that for the quarter ended June 2024, bank deposits grew at 11.7%. On the other hand, credit growth has outpaced this at 15%. This means that the outflow from banks as loans is far greater than the inflow into them in the form of deposits in Q1 of FY 2024-25. The situation largely saw cut-copy-paste in the first week of September as well, with loans registering a 13.3% YoY growth during the period, while deposits rose only 11.1%. This gap has only been widening for the last 3 years. Since deposits are how banks gather assets to further lend and earn interest income as a consequence, even a slight dip could set the alarm bells ringing for banks, and rightfully so. And truth be told, mutual funds are indeed taking on bank deposits in a big way. Per a report by Franklin Templeton, in August 2024, the AUM (assets under management) of Indian mutual funds, or the total funds managed by them, stood at 31.3% of total bank deposits in the country, up from 24.20% during the year-ago period. As of August 2024, the AUM of mutual funds stood at Rs 66.17 lakh crore, an all-time high. But all said and done, is this really the reason why the rate of bank deposits is falling behind? SBI has dismissed this to be a “statistical myth”, and experts point out that since equity and fund houses also keep the cash in their respective bank accounts, there’s no cause for concern. So, is financialization really to be blamed for the trailing tempo of deposits? Or is something else happening behind the scenes? We take a closer look: <h2>First, are household deposits really slowing down? And is that a cause of concern?</h2>Data from Motilal Oswal suggests the contrary. Deposits grew by around 10.4% between March 2020 and August 2024. Data from RBI also highlights that as of August 9, 2024, bank deposits witnessed a YoY growth of 10.8%. The loan-to-deposit ratio for the retail segment, which indicates what percentage of its total deposits the banks lend out as loans, has stayed at 77.5%, above the 77% mark for the tenth straight month. <div type="image" title="Yes, household deposits (as % of total deposits) have dipped, but the drop is far from significant" msid="113663882" hostid="261" sizebytes="306706"></div> Also, we can’t forego the fact that the share of Indian households in bank deposits has indeed slowed down. However, data from Axis AMC shows that the dip is marginal—from 63% in 2022 to 62% in 2023 and 61% in 2024. What has slowed down even more considerably is the share of government deposits in the aggregate bank deposits, which has dipped from 14% in 2018 to 9% in 2024. So, it's not just household deposits, you see. Moreover, as of March 2024, the collective CASA ratio (current and <keyword id="114757" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings-account" source="Orion">savings account</keyword> deposits) of all commercial banks in India stood at 41.00%, down from 43.1% in March 2023 and 45.2% in March 2022, marking a nearly 5% point decline over the past year, while still staying over the 10-year average of 39.2%. This implies that Indian banks are relying more on higher-cost funds (savings accounts), which can limit their profitability. <h2>What is this financialisation of savings we are talking about?</h2>Then again, there is no doubt about the growing affinity of Indians towards mutual funds and stock markets. Recent data from CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) highlights that India’s net direct tax collection surged by around 22%, driven exclusively by the significant uptick in the collection of Securities Transaction Tax (STT), which doubled to Rs 26,154 crore, from Rs 13,352 crore in the year-ago period. Why does this matter? STT is levied when you buy or sell equity shares on stock exchanges, sell <keyword id="6361918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-mutual-funds" source="Orion">equity mutual funds</keyword>, and trade in futures and options in the equity segment. Such taxes, including the multiple other taxes in equity market investments, are considered as leakages as the money moves out of the economy into government coffers. Data from a ValueQuest report explains that over the last 20 years, the markets have handsomely rewarded the investors, generating over $900 billion in incremental value for them. This is the major driver behind the dramatic rise in investment flowing towards the equity markets. There’s further proof of this budding romance, if you check the demat pudding. The number of demat accounts, which are a primary requisite for participating in the stock markets, also burgeoned by 42.3 lakh in August 2024, taking India’s total tally of demat accounts beyond 17 crore. To put this in perspective, this is almost equivalent to the population of just 8 nations in the world, including China, the US, Brazil and more. Vivek Iyer, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat thinks it's rather important, as well. “Financialisation of household savings in India is an indication of deepening capital markets in the market, especially from a retail investor standpoint. Bank deposits with a modest rate of return are no longer the only option for savings for investors. Investors today have more avenues for wealth creation in the form of public capital markets, which have democratized wealth creation and provided equality of opportunity to retail investors”, he says. Yes, Indians are investing more and more in the markets, and in mutual funds. But is it a sin to look out for inflation-beating returns, which the stock markets offer, and vanilla bank deposits don't? After all, the allure of 12-13% annual returns offered by <keyword id="45369" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equities" source="Orion">equities</keyword> can certainly pale the stability offered by good old deposits, which generally do not go beyond 9% when it comes to annual returns. But all of this is not what is behind the slowdown. India is still a toddler in the school of savings financialization, with less than 10% of the population holding a demat account, and less than 5% of us saving in equities. That's a drop in the ocean of deposits, far inadequate to trigger a tsunami. <h2>Tell me why lagging deposits have nothing to do with Indians investing more in mutual funds!</h2>Says Shweta Rajani, Head - Mutual Funds, Anand Rathi Wealth Limited, “Households' equity holdings composition grew from 11.1% in FY 23 to 14.7% in FY 24. This trend reflects a growing awareness of investment options, empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures. Despite this transition towards equities, banks still hold a significant share of household financial savings—33.5% in FY24 compared to 34.9% in FY23”. Also, household savings and their subsequent financialization do not have much to do with deposit creation, which is entirely made by banks. What actually drives increased deposits is credit growth or increased lending. When interest rates are eased, people tend to borrow more and spend more, which circulates more money in the economy. For the past 4 years, RBI has been tightening the screws on interest rates, which raises the cost of borrowings, and makes it more expensive to take loans, putting a dampener on credit growth, but effectively curbing inflationary pressures. The last time RBI cut the repo rate by 40 basis points was back in May 2020, 4 years ago. The lag in <keyword id="19998084" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="deposit-growth" source="keywords">deposit growth</keyword> we’re witnessing is almost 3 years old. Coincidence much, or just good old economics at work? But with the Fed recently setting a rate cut precedent by slashing 50 bps off its interest rate, RBI is expected to follow suit in the next MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) meeting, scheduled for November 2024. A rate cut would ease the aforementioned high cost of borrowing, and increase loan-taking for corporates and institutional investors, thereby stoking consumption in the economy. And then, deposit creation in banks is likely to return to its former glory. If not, then that would be a curious case to unravel! But that worry is for another day. Do you have insights or personal experience to share on your personal finances or money? Contact us at <a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="mailto:businessinsider@timesinternet.in">businessinsider@timesinternet.in</a>.

Simply Put: A Deposit Dilemma — What's the fuss about a crisis in Indian bank deposits? Are mutual fund investments to blame?

<div type="image" title="For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire" height="900" width="1200" msid="114064202" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Once upon a time, there thrived a wild, wild land. Here, it was all about super high monetary stakes, lightning-fast trade deals, and bucketloads of money shifting hands every single second. This wilderness lured millions of individuals with the promise of super duper high returns. But, at what cost? Welcome to the unforgiving, ultra-risky wild west of <keyword id="19991165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-equity-markets" source="keywords">Indian equity markets</keyword> called the <keyword id="145718" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futures-and-Options" source="Orion">futures and options</keyword>. Here, everyone seems to just fly right through the bright red-flagged warnings of financial risks to earn even a fraction of these promised returns. Most burn themselves in the process, but carry on nevertheless, as if nothing ever happened. <h2>Chasing the cloudy profits</h2>The data conclusively proves that every 9 out of 10 individuals only lost their hard-earned money in this land. But hey, what do the numbers know? Some hide their losses out of shame, some out of fear. The proponents, meanwhile, proudly boast unusually high returns on their investments, some open social media channels while others encourage their friends and family to take the plunge. Naturally, news of this unstoppable and humongous en-masse migration to the F&amp;O (futures and options) town has reached sheriff <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, galvanising them into action. After all, it was time to put a leash on this madness and save the common man. The inhabitants of this town doubled in the last 2 years, from 51 lakh in FY22 to 96 lakh in FY24—99.8% of whom were small and mid-income traders. But profits? Well, that's a different, rather completely absent story. <h2>Que Sera Sera, much?</h2>A recent report by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) that studied profits and losses made by traders in the equity derivatives segment between FY22-24 exposed the mad mania of futures and options trading in India, especially since the pandemic. Per the report, 91.1% of individual traders, or about 73 lakh traders had only lost money trading in futures and options in FY24. Between FY 22-24, over 1 crore traders, or about 92.8% of individual traders, had lost Rs 2 lakh each. But once bitten, twice shy? Well, not in this case. More than 75% of individuals, who had only made losses trading in F&amp;O in FY22 and FY23, continued to trade vigorously in FY24 as well, without any changes in the bottom line, which remained deep in red and negative. So, then all these traders must be uber-rich, with tons of cash and not much care to spare? Nope. 76% of traders in the F&amp;O space in FY24 had an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh. 2 years ago, their share stood at 71%. And their choice of poison? Options! In FY24, 60% of traders made losses trading in futures, but a whopping 91.5% burnt their funds trading in options. Mind you, futures are riskier than options. With futures, which require significant capital investment, the buyer and seller both are contractually bound to adhere to the pre-determined strike price of the futures or options contract, irrespective of whether the prevailing prices are higher or lower (and thus, resulting in losses for either the buyer or seller). With options, since this adherence ain't necessary, individuals end up taking debt to take highly leveraged positions while trading here. <h2>Scale of the explosion</h2>Anyone who trades even infrequently will tell you that a demat account is the mitochondria or powerhouse of the trading cell. As of August 2024, India had over 17.1 crore <keyword id="20957284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat-accounts" source="keywords">demat accounts</keyword>, which are a prerequisite for trading in the markets. India is the 9th biggest country in the world, in terms of total demat accounts. Did you know that our demat accounts are at par with the entire population of Bangladesh? Talk about scale! Just 4 years ago, in March 2020, this number was a mere 4 crore. Naturally, the total F&amp;O turnover on both <keyword id="20004725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NSE">NSE</keyword> and BSE has hit the roof, and also broken it. As of October 4, 2024, the total futures and options turnover on NSE stood at a massive Rs 4,78,27,27,750.30 crore. Good luck counting the thousands! <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total Turnover (Both Futures and Options) (In Rs Crore) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2020-21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64,36,03,951.51 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2021-22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,69,52,33,134.47 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2022-23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3,82,23,26,468.06 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2023-24 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,99,27,67,152.43 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source : NSE Another metric that underlines the meteoric growth of trading in India is the collection of STT or <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword>. As of September 2024, India's STT mop-up had gone past Rs 26,000 crore. Traders have to pay STT whenever they buy or sell any security in the market. So, more trading brings in more STT, and hence, more revenue for the government, so they're not really complaining. After all, this is certainly what they'd call enviable growth. As of August 2023, our STT collection stood at about Rs 21,599 crores. And in FY20-21, India's STT collection had been Rs 16,000 crore. If only our salaries also managed to grow at this rate! <h2>So, what's happening?</h2>Two things. One, it's the big bulls who are raking in all the moolah. And it's the younger lot (those aged under 30) who are propping them up for this. In FY24, 43% of individual traders in the market were less than 30 years of age. In just one year, this number has swelled by 12 percentage points from just 31% of individual traders. But who says ageing is bad? Wrinkles and silver hair seemingly have a propensity of incurring lesser losses in the market. In FY24, only 79% of traders aged above 60 years made losses, as compared to 93% of those aged below 30. Small and mid-income traders, which make up 98% of the total trader base, witnessed average losses per person of Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh in FY24 in futures and options, respectively. The winner here? Clearly, the big bulls, who declared an annual income of over Rs 1 crore, ended up with average profits of Rs 96,000 per person this year. <h2>What’s the sheriff up to?</h2>The government has finally swung into action, hiking the STT rate for F&amp;O during this year’s budget. Effective October 1, 2024, the STT on futures stands at 0.02%, up from 0.0125%. For options, it was upped to 0.1% versus 0.0625% previously. Small margins, but huge impact oncoming. Says Puneet Sharma- CEO and Fund Manager at Whitespace Alpha, “SEBI aims to enhance market stability while safeguarding investor interests, reflecting the regulator's intent to balance risk management with market participation”. But this might come with its own share of challenges, too. “Stricter norms around leverage, transparency, and capital adequacy could limit the ability of investors to determine their own risk appetite, thereby stifling innovation in trading strategies. Over-regulation in an environment that thrives on strategic flexibility and creativity could dampen the market’s dynamism, affecting India's competitiveness in the global derivatives landscape”, he observes. SEBI recently came out with a set of guidelines that aim to thwart <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>' participation in futures and options and hinder them from taking undue risks. Here's a quick recap of what's to come for the residents of the F&amp;O town Margin Requirements: To battle the high volatility and chaos which is generally seen on expiry days(i.e the last mandated date, post which an option becomes invalid), SEBI will put in place an extreme loss margin (ELM) of 2% for all open short options on the day of expiry. Translation? Traders will need to pony up more cash upfront, leaving them with fewer funds to take on risky bets. It ain't a choice: No more of one expiry every single day! Going ahead, an exchange like BSE or NSE will just be able to offer weekly expiries, that too, only on one benchmark index, as opposed to an entire buffet it currently offers. At present, NSE offers weekly options contracts for its financial index, bank and midcap indices. But say goodbye to this, and hello to derivatives on only 1 index per exchange. Raising the bar: Effective November 30, 2024, the minimum contract value for index derivatives will be upped to Rs 15 lakh, from the present Rs 5-10 lakh. The hope is that by making it ultra-expensive to enter these trades, investors will be dissuaded from taking on risky trades. Pay upfront: Starting February 2025, those trading in options will have to pay the entire options premium upfront, even before their trades are executed. This is because options generally carry very high leverage, and paying a significant sum upfront can force traders to think twice. Invigilation Pro Max: Starting April 1 2025, to make sure that the number of positions for equity index derivatives does not slyly slip over the mandated limit, especially on expiry days when trade volumes are huge, the exchanges will have to take a minimum of 4 position snapshots randomly. The question is, will these injections of sobriety be enough to calm down the steroid-fed bull of the futures and options market in India? Well, only time and market turnover will tell! For more insights into the financial markets and business news, stay tuned to our site and social media handles. And don’t forget to subscribe to Business Insider India’s newsletters for your weekly dose of Simply Put! Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

SIMPLY PUT: SEBI is on a mission to take on the wild, wild west of futures and options in India. Here’s why, what, and how

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/chase-bank-review">Chase Bank's</a> boss warned that new federal fee caps could make everyday banking more expensive.</li><li>Marianne Lake said the bank is planning to pass the pain of their lost profits on to customers.</li></ul>Everyday banking might be about to get more expensive for consumers.Marianne Lake, the CEO of consumer and community banking at Chase Bank, said federal regulations to cap overdraft and late fees would take a bite out of the company's bottom line.And she warned that making up that loss would be passed on to consumers, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/jpmorgan-financial-regulations-charge-customers-d86ca9e4">according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.</a>Lake said the changes would be "broad, sweeping, and significant," the report said.Some of those costs would be tacked onto services that have been free so far, like checking accounts and financial planning tools, the report said.Business Insider reviewed a Chase presentation that covered the expected impact of proposed regulations. The presentation estimated that two out of three consumers would have to pay a fee for checking accounts if the cap went through.Lake also said those impacted will be the ones "who can least afford to be" and credit access will also be more challenging.Some of the regulations include a proposed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lower-credit-card-late-fees-limits-savings-us-economy-impact-2024-3">$8 cap on late credit card payment fees</a> and a $3 cap for overdrafting bank accounts. The limit is part of President Joe Biden's crackdown on hidden fees.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-banks-profit-overdraft-fees-surprise-biden-administration-wants-curb-2024-1">The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimated</a> that about 45 million people are charged credit card late fees annually, and the change could save those people up to $220 a year.Other changes include limiting debit-card fees and how much banks can charge apps like Venmo and CashApp for accessing customer data, the report said.New regulations would also make it more difficult for banks to lend money by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/commercial-real-estate-lending-basel-distress-refinancing-bank-regulation-2024-2">requiring banks to set aside more money as reserves</a>. That could make it more complicated for borrowers to qualify for loans in the future.Chase is the biggest bank in the US and it's also one of the largest issuers of credit cards in the country. But other banks are expected to follow the same path — and several have already issues warnings.According to the Merchants Payments Coalition, Mastercard announced in April it was <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/mastercard-still-raising-some-fees-on-retailers-after-settlement">planning to increase</a> certain credit-card fees.Citi's chief financial officer, Mark Mason, said in a January earnings call that the bank planned to make up lost revenue with "offsets and mitigants" that he didn't specify.Capital One CEO Rich Fairbank also said in January that the new regulation would impact its profits and it would implement "mitigating actions" to counteract it.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/credit-card-late-fees-cap-swipe-mastercard-visa-jpmorgan-rewards-2024-4">Analysts at UBS wrote in a note</a> to investors in April that capping credit-card late fees and swipe fees in addition to lowering debit-card swipe fees, would push companies like JPMorgan Chase and American Express looking to make up the revenue elsewhere.It's not the first time banks have threatened to take out the cost of new regulations on consumers.After the financial crisis in 2008, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-banks-threaten-debit-card-cap-2011-7">banks threatened to put caps on card charges</a> if Congress approved rules limiting swipe fees. However, the threats were a bluff; few institutions followed through after customers themselves said they'd just switch banks.But now, with Biden's crackdown on credit card companies, banks may keep to their word — especially if the banks all decide to add new costs for consumers, giving them no place to turn.

Why your checking account may no longer be free 

<div type="image" title="The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books." agency="ANI" msid="114778648" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Imagine this. You have a younger sibling you’re mighty envious of. And why not? Unlike you, they seem to enjoy all the freedom and money in the world. They party like there’s no tomorrow, and here you are, stuck in a boring, ultra-disciplined but responsible routine that feels completely devoid of any independence, and mostly, funds. But of late, things are changing. This sibling is in massive trouble and just cannot escape the parent’s wrath anymore. Long story short, the party is over, and it is time to go back home. The rising defaults on this sibling’s part have now begun pulling the entire house down, thereby attracting the regulator’s ire. <h2>The Wild West of <keyword id="113684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microfinance" source="Orion">microfinance</keyword> and unsecured loans</h2>It's hard to ignore the issues with microfinance and unsecured loans in India. Many saw them as a small gamble and ignored the rising defaults much like the younger siblings’ tantrums, and now they find themselves in hot waters. The skyrocketing instances of non-payments aren't a micro-issue anymore and are threatening the stability of the entire banking system. In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, 5 of India’s 8 largest private sector <keyword id="19934118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banks" source="keywords">banks</keyword> reported a steep rise in their bad loan book, mostly thanks to microfinance loans. Some banks, in a bid to strengthen their fortress against these <keyword id="142154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bad-loans" source="Orion">bad loans</keyword>, have significantly upped their provisions. For instance, IndusInd Bank set aside Rs 525 crore during July and September 2024 to battle the menace of defaults on microfinance loans, which make up about 9% of its total loan book. See, banks rely heavily on their interest income, which they earn from advancing loans. Any loan where the borrower has not paid interest to the bank or defaulted for 90 days or more becomes bad, i.e. an NPA, or non-performing asset for the bank. And who likes things going bad? Simply put, there has been a steep rise in three areas, much to the dislike of banks and MFIs (micro-finance institutions). But hey, it's mostly their doing! <ol><li>GNPA ratio (gross net performing assets): The quantum of non-performing assets a bank has in proportion to its total assets.</li><li>Provision: The amount banks set aside to take care of such NPAs.</li><li>Slippage ratio: The rate at which good girls go bad, or the speed at which good loans turn into NPAs</li></ol>But how are these plaguing the Indian banking sector? And what does the road ahead look like? We decode it for you. <h2> Microfinance: A not-so-micro-menace</h2>Microfinance loans were initially brought forth for low-income households and individuals i.e. for those who might not generally have access to traditional ways of credit, like bank loans and more. They don’t require collateral or an asset to be pledged in lieu of the loan, making it a tad bit easier for borrowers. As of June 2024, the amount of outstanding loans in the microfinance industry stood at a staggering Rs 4,20,256 crore. Of this, NBFC-MFIs accounted for 40% and banks made for 33% of these. In 2022, RBI, in a bid to inspire some competition in this space, did something radical-they did away with the ceiling on how much interest MFIs could charge their customers. Previously, MFIs could add up to 12% to their cost of acquiring funds to determine the final interest rate chargeable to the consumer. So, assuming that Bank A incurs a 5% cost to acquire funds for further loaning, A could charge up to 17% interest from the end consumer. So, interest rates were in the hands of MFIs, and boy, did they have a gala time with it. Instead of spurring some healthy competition, as RBI expected, MFIs and banks went rogue and all guns blazing, competing for the title of “Who will charge the highest interest?” Recently, RBI banned 4 microfinance institutions (MFIs), namely Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Arohan Financial Services Limited, DMI Finance Private Limited, and <keyword id="20117932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="navi-finserv" source="keywords">Navi Finserv</keyword> from disbursing loans effective October 21, 2024. Why? Because they were charging 14% extra interest over their original cost of funds. To maintain their loan books (and pockets), banks and NBFCs resorted to shady practices like netting off loans, which RBI has now advised MFIs against. Here, lenders allow borrowers to settle a previous outstanding loan by issuing them a new loan! As crazy as it sounds, it helped banks to report less of their total assets as NPAs, since the new credit would cover pending instalments of the borrower’s previous loan. Then there was the issue of borrowers overleveraging, i.e. taking multiple loans using different IDs from various lenders and then failing to honour any of them. The consequence? Banks and NBFCs end up with massive NPAs. Data from credit bureaus suggests that over the last quarter, there was a 17.2% rise in the number of borrowers who had 5 or more active loans at the same time. <h2>Growth &gt; Caution</h2>It's an age-old tale unfolding yet again in India’s banking sector- Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually, fell to its death. Between April and June 2024, NBFCs microfinance portfolio jumped by 2.7%. If you see this in terms of loan sources, microfinance loans issued by banks grew by 11.2% in Q1FY25. But the same portfolio in NBFCs swelled by almost double-23.9%. While most of these loans had an average ticket size between Rs 30,000-50,000, there was a sharp spike in the number of loans that had a ticket size of Rs 80,000 or more. Data suggests that as of March 2024, more than 12% of all microfinance borrowers had over 4 or more active loans. In dating parlance, this is a classic case of borrowers going polyamorous, minus the honesty and transparency. Not the best of situations, you'd agree! <h2>Will banks and NBFCs stand up to this stress?</h2>If their results for Q2FY25 are to be believed, NBFCs are not handling the pressure all that well. Or even slightly well. Only a few banks like Bank of Baroda (BoB), ICICI, and Indian Bank were up for the battle, even witnessing a decline in their loan delinquencies. Some others, like IndusInd Bank, saw their stock dip by a massive 16.2% over the last 5 days. Its slippages in the previous quarter burgeoned from Rs 15.3 billion in Q1FY25 to Rs 17.9 billion in Q2. As a result, the bank pushed a staggeringly high amount of money to create an NPA cushion for itself. While its management has highlighted its preference for secured lending, that was hardly reflected in its actions during the quarter, where growth in unsecured personal loans remained exceptionally high at over 7% on a QoQ basis. Turns out, only 44% of customers in IndusInd Banks’ microfinance loan portfolio were exclusive to it. The rest 47% were, you guessed it right-polyamorous! 27% had borrowed from another lender as well, apart from IndusInd Bank, while 20% were those who had outstanding loans with two other lenders, apart from IndusInd Bank. IndusInd Bank’s credit card segment did not miss the NPA bus and accounted for 7-8% of its GNPAs. Canara Bank’s total slippages during the previous quarter jumped to Rs 11.1 billion, up by 24.7% QoQ, and making up for 3.6% of its total loans. As for Bandhan Bank, its gross NPA for Q2FY25 inched up on a QoQ basis, up from 4.23% in Q1, to 4.68% in the second quarter. IDFC Bank’s heavy provisioning for its NPAs marred its profits significantly, causing its PAT (profit after tax) to dip by 73% on a YoY basis. Data from ICRA Analytics suggest that the AUM (asset under management) growth in microfinance loans and unsecured (personal and business) loans by the NBFCs will moderate to 10-12% and 19-21%, respectively, in FY2025 compared to 30% and 38%, in FY2024. Says A M Karthik, Senior Vice President &amp; Co-Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, “As bank funds constitute a larger share in the overall funding of NBFCs, a slower credit flow from banks to the NBFCs will compress their AUM growth. The NBFCs in unsecured and digital lending businesses shall face a higher squeeze in funding compared to others, and the unsecured lending space will continue to be a source of stress in the near term.” There has been uninhibited growth in <keyword id="6051027" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unsecured-loan" source="Orion">unsecured loan</keyword>s, apart from just the microfinance segment. For instance, Axis Bank’s gross slippages jumped by Rs 4,443 crore, largely thanks to its unsecured business. The same is the case with Yes Bank, which saw 35–40% of its retail slippages emerging from the unsecured loan portfolio. <keyword id="6376194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra" source="Orion">Kotak Mahindra</keyword> Bank was also quick to follow Yes Bank’s suit, with around 35%-40% of its slippages coming from credit cards. <h2>How is the road ahead?</h2>While RBI has just cracked its whip and served a warning at the moment, experts at Morgan Stanley believe that more changes (read regulatory lashes) are underway. Moreover, with both festive and wedding seasons underway in our country, unsecured lending might pick up momentum, much to the disdain of the calibrated approach banks have been taking towards it so far. But if the situation doesn't improve, RBI will not waste any time in becoming the typical tyrannical <keyword id="19897820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bollywood" source="keywords">Bollywood</keyword> headmaster who runs his dominion with an iron fist. However, that's a story for another day. Do you have a topic in mind you'd want a simpler explanation for, or insights or personal experience to share on personal finance and more? Contact us at businessinsider@timesinternet.in.

Simply Put: Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

In a bid to bolster the safety and security of <keyword id="19989657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-payments" source="keywords">digital payments</keyword> and enhance regulatory frameworks, the Reserve Bank of India (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) unveiled a series of proposals aimed at fostering innovation, inclusivity, and efficiency in the financial ecosystem. These initiatives, announced by RBI Governor <keyword id="19913110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="keywords">Shaktikanta Das</keyword>, signify the central bank's commitment to fortifying India's digital infrastructure and promoting a conducive environment for financial transactions. One of the key announcements made by Governor Das pertained to the establishment of a Digital Payments <keyword id="21971766" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="intelligence-platform" source="keywords">Intelligence Platform</keyword>. This platform, leveraging advanced technologies, aims to mitigate payment <keyword id="19898489" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fraud" source="keywords">fraud</keyword> risks and enhance the safety of digital transactions. According to the annual report released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on May 30, there was a significant surge in the number of financial frauds reported by banks, increasing by 166 per cent year-on-year in the financial year 2023-24 to reach 36,075 cases. This figure starkly contrasts with the 13,564 cases reported in the previous fiscal year, FY23. Despite the notable rise in the number of fraud cases, there was a substantial decrease in the total amount involved in these incidents. The amount of money associated with total bank frauds plummeted by 46.7 per cent year-on-year in the financial year 2023-24, totaling Rs 13,930 crore. In comparison, the amount recorded in FY23 stood at Rs 26,127 crore. RBI has proposed a revision of the limit of bulk deposits for Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) and Small Finance Banks (SFBs). This move, aimed at enhancing flexibility and aligning with evolving market dynamics, underscores the RBI's commitment to fostering a conducive environment for the banking sector. Currently, banks have the discretion to offer differential rates of interest on bulk deposits based on their requirements and Asset-Liability Management (ALM) projections. The existing bulk deposit limit for SCBs (excluding Regional Rural Banks) and SFBs, set at 'Single Rupee term deposits of Rs 2 crore and above,' was established in 2019. However, following a comprehensive review, the RBI has proposed to revise this definition to 'Single Rupee term deposits of Rs 3 crore and above' for SCBs and SFBs. In addition to the proposed revision for SCBs and SFBs, the RBI has also suggested defining the bulk deposit limit for Local Area Banks (LABs) as 'Single Rupee term deposits of Rs 1 crore and above,' mirroring the criteria applicable to Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). RBI has also unveiled plans to rationalize export and import regulations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999. This initiative, driven by the imperative of progressive liberalization and operational flexibility, underscores the RBI's commitment to fostering a conducive environment for international trade and investment. By eliminating redundancies, enhancing clarity, and reducing procedural complexities, the RBI aims to promote ease of doing business for all stakeholders involved in cross-border trade. The RBI aims to streamline and simplify operational procedures related to export and import transactions, thereby reducing administrative burdens and enhancing efficiency for businesses and authorized dealer banks. By aligning regulations with international best practices and market realities, the RBI seeks to create a business-friendly environment conducive to fostering trade and investment growth. Simplified regulations will facilitate smoother trade transactions, encouraging businesses to explore new markets and expand their global footprint. While promoting ease of doing business, the RBI remains committed to ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and safeguarding the integrity of the financial system. The proposed rationalization will uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and risk management in cross-border transactions. As part of the process, the RBI plans to publish draft regulations and directions on its official website by the end of June 2024. In a bid to enhance the convenience and efficiency of digital payments, RBI has unveiled plans to expand the e-mandate framework to include recurring payments for Fastag, National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), and similar services. This initiative, aimed at modernizing payment systems and promoting financial inclusion, underscores the RBI's commitment to fostering innovation and leveraging technology to meet evolving consumer needs. The current UPI Lite service permits customers to load their UPI Lite wallets with up to Rs 2000/- and conduct transactions of up to Rs 500 from the wallet. To enhance the seamless usage of UPI Lite for customers, and in response to feedback from various stakeholders, it is suggested to integrate UPI Lite into the e-mandate framework. This integration would introduce an auto-replenishment feature for UPI Lite wallets, automatically refilling the wallet balance when it falls below a predetermined threshold set by the customer. Since the funds remain under the customer's control (transferring from their account to the wallet), it is proposed to eliminate the need for additional authentication or pre-debit notifications. Relevant guidelines pertaining to this proposal will be issued shortly. RBI has embarked on a mission to foster innovation and transformation in the financial sector with the launch of its third edition of the global hackathon, "HARBINGER 2024 - Innovation for Transformation." It would feature two primary themes: 'Zero Financial Frauds' and 'Being Divyang Friendly.' Solutions aimed at bolstering the safety and security of digital transactions, with a specific emphasis on identifying, preventing, and combating financial frauds, will be solicited. Additionally, there will be a focus on fostering inclusivity for individuals with physical disabilities. Further details regarding the hackathon will be unveiled shortly. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-smartwatch-shipments-remain-flat-in-q1-2024-the-year-expected-to-end-in-a-decline/articleshow/110789121.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-smartwatch-shipments-remain-flat-in-q1-2024-the-year-expected-to-end-in-a-decline/articleshow/110789121.cms" target="_blank">Indian smartwatch shipments remain flat in Q1 2024, the year expected to end in a decline</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/computex-2024-intel-debuts-lunar-lake-chips-with-focus-on-microsofts-ai-ambitions-for-pcs/articleshow/110745670.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/computex-2024-intel-debuts-lunar-lake-chips-with-focus-on-microsofts-ai-ambitions-for-pcs/articleshow/110745670.cms" target="_blank">Computex 2024: Intel Debuts Lunar Lake Chips With Focus On Microsoft’s AI Ambitions For PCs</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/may-auto-sales-tata-motors-and-hyundai-continue-to-fight-for-the-second-spot-as-car-sales-grow-by-4/articleshow/110649713.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/may-auto-sales-tata-motors-and-hyundai-continue-to-fight-for-the-second-spot-as-car-sales-grow-by-4/articleshow/110649713.cms" target="_blank">May Auto Sales – Tata Motors and Hyundai continue to fight for the second spot as car sales grow by 4%</a>

RBI announces digital payments intelligence platform to check online frauds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Welcome back to our Sunday edition. Maybe it's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-imposter-syndrome-versus-bad-at-job-2024-9">imposter syndrome</a>, or maybe you're bad at your job. Microsoft's former vice president of HR shares <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-hr-performance-signs-bad-at-job-2024-10">three signs it's the latter</a>.On the agenda today:<ul><li>Meet the exec tasked with Citi's biggest challenge: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-anand-selva-transformation-consent-orders-fines-2024-10">getting the bank's house in order</a>.</li><li>Amazon's growing cash mountain has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-big-tech-cash-king-wall-street-wants-a-piece-2024-10">Wall Street licking its lips</a>.</li><li>Millennials are about to be crushed by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-gen-x-boomer-inheritance-stuff-house-collectibles-2024-10">all the junk their parents accumulated</a>.</li><li>A writer finally caved and got solar panels. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-industry-collapse-my-roof-nightmare-2024-10">It turned out to be a huge mistake</a>.</li></ul>But first: Elon Musk's robotaxi got lost on the way to Wall Street.If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today-sunday-edition">sign up here</a>. Download Insider's app <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/app">here.</a><h3 id="58506b3b-b008-4ead-9e90-71439c9e98dd">This week's dispatch</h3><h2 id="445f5814-a55f-4878-a10e-9b6683bfa158">Robotaxi dreams meet Wall Street reality</h2>Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-robotaxi-event-cybercab-elon-musk-2024-10">robotaxi</a>, along with a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-we-know-about-teslas-new-robovan-so-far-2024-10">robovan</a> and updates to its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-event-optimus-robot-serves-drinks-dances-2024-10">humanoid</a> robot, at a flashy event in Los Angeles this week. Wall Street wasn't buying it.The billionaire took a ride in Tesla's new Cybercab around Warner Bros. Discovery's movie studio in Burbank, later saying it would be in production before 2027 and could sell for less than $30,000.Investors didn't seem convinced. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-cybercar-analysts-self-driving-fleet-ai-2024-10">Tesla's stock</a> finished Friday down almost 9%, leaving shares down 17% over the past year.Musk has long promised a robotaxi, saying in 2019 that Tesla would have a million of them on the road by 2020. That prediction was later revised to 2023. Five years on from that first prediction, Tesla remains <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-safety-regulation-2024-10">some distance away from fully autonomous driving</a>, and doesn't yet have permission to let driverless cars loose on open streets.In the meantime, tech startups and old-guard Detroit automakers have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robotaxi-ridesharing-tesla-waymo-uber-2024-10">developed their own versions of self-driving tech</a> that can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-robotaxi-elon-musk-ride-hailing-uber-lyft-waymo-rivals-2024-10">more or less match Tesla</a>. You can already <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/waymo-robot-taxis-weird-san-francisco-traffic-parking-cars-2024-9">order a driverless Waymo</a> in three major cities today.It's tough to bet against Elon Musk, as many on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-short-sellers-bleed-billions-elon-musk-threatens-obliteration-2024-7">Wall Street</a> have discovered. If Tesla does crack fully autonomous driving, it could herald a new era for the company. But for now, investors are skeptical about Tesla's self-driving dreams.<h2 id="8de1f093-db58-438e-a296-ab09ff92ad5c">Save our Citi</h2><div type="image" title="&quot;Photo collage featuring Anand Selva, chief operating officer, with Citibank's logo in the background" height="1500" width="2000" msid="114190225" hostid="261" sizebytes="179366"></div>Last year, Anand Selva was named Citigroup's COO. His mandate: oversee an unsexy yet crucial initiative to regain compliance with regulators. He's been tasked with overseeing the "Transformation," an aptly named initiative to overhaul the bank's technology.BI spoke with 14 current and former Citi employees who've worked under Selva to get a picture of the challenge facing him — and why he was put in charge of the bank's No. 1 priority.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-anand-selva-transformation-consent-orders-fines-2024-10">Inside Selva's tenure so far</a>.<h2 id="8d221ec2-a40e-4d73-80e7-638d6c30f428">Big Tech's cash king</h2><div type="image" title="Andy Jassy" height="1000" width="2000" msid="114190226" hostid="261" sizebytes="205428"></div>Amazon has long been famous for running on thin margins, reinvesting most of its profits, and holding relatively little cash compared with peers. By 2027, that's expected to change, with the company's cash balance estimated to hit $400 billion.That number puts it on track to far outpace rivals Alphabet and Microsoft. Wall Street is taking note, and Amazon could soon face pressure to return some of its cash with buybacks or dividends.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-big-tech-cash-king-wall-street-wants-a-piece-2024-10">Wall Street wants in on the action</a>.<h2 id="69bad2e5-a5bf-4ba9-b958-e3eff00ffc5b">The boomer stuff avalanche</h2><div type="image" title="A mountain of antique items with a cutout in the shape of a person with their arms on their hips in the center of the pile" height="1500" width="2000" msid="114190227" hostid="261" sizebytes="591740"></div>An old boomer habit is raining down on their children: There's too much stuff, and not enough space.Boomers have spent lifetimes acquiring things, and their Gen X, millennial, and Gen Z progeny are figuring out what to do with everything. Family dynamics can make it hard to say no, even if there's no use or space for all that junk.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-gen-x-boomer-inheritance-stuff-house-collectibles-2024-10">The "great stuff transfer."</a><h2 id="dc96d953-8312-4bf5-8432-dfb9ba5779e5">A solar panel fiasco</h2><div type="image" title="a house with solar panels burns down." height="1000" width="1334" msid="114190228" hostid="261" sizebytes="173944"></div>Business Insider's Vishal Persaud spent months getting his solar panels installed and inspected. All that was left was to switch them on, but the solar panel company needed final approval from its partner, SunPower, to do so. Then, SunPower filed for bankruptcy protection.Despite the ongoing climate crisis, much of the solar panel industry is cooling. Over the years, it's faced high interest rates that have decimated demand, questionable financial engineering, and more than 100 bankruptcies across America in 2024 alone.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-industry-collapse-my-roof-nightmare-2024-10">Now some customers are stuck in solar purgatory</a>.This week's quote:"When you move fast and break things in healthcare, you go to jail."— 27-year-old startup founder Ibrahim Rashid on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-tech-founder-gap-zuckerberg-bezos-holmes-2024-10">the lessons learned from intrepid tech founders</a>.More of this week's top reads:<ul><li>The hidden upside of a college degree: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/college-graduates-more-likely-have-friends-participate-community-civil-engagement-2024-10">Having more friends</a>.</li><li>The housing market's Ice Age is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-market-ice-age-homebuyers-mortgage-rates-spring-real-estate-2024-10">finally starting to thaw</a>.</li><li>Dell's sudden five-day RTO order left parents <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dell-staff-return-office-order-sparks-panic-parents-childcare-wfh-2024-10">scrambling to find childcare</a>.</li><li>Five things to include in your résumé, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cant-get-job-what-to-never-always-include-resume-hiring-2024-10">eight things to leave out</a>.</li><li>Welcome to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/job-market-outlook-claudia-sahm-layoffs-hiring-economy-twilight-zone-2024-10">job market "Twilight Zone."</a></li><li>How politicians' fundraising appeals got to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/politicians-desperate-fundraising-appeals-2024-10">sound so desperate</a>.</li><li>Want to get into the AI industry? <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abu-dhabi-uae-ai-powerhouse-mgx-openai-investment-2024-10">Head to Abu Dhabi</a>.The Insider Today team: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dan-defrancesco">Dan DeFrancesco</a>, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jordan-parker-erb">Jordan Parker Erb</a>, editor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/amanda-yen">Amanda Yen</a>, fellow, in New York.</li></ul>

Insider Today: Robotaxi reality check

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mastercard, an international card-payment-services company, interacts with banks worldwide.</li><li>The company has used AI to try to identify when customers may be about to be defrauded.</li></ul>For "CXO AI Playbook," Business Insider takes a look at mini case studies about AI adoption across industries, company sizes, and technology DNA. We've asked each of the featured companies to tell us about the problems they're trying to solve with AI, who's making these decisions internally, and their vision for using AI in the future.Since 1966, Mastercard has been a provider of payment-card services to the world's biggest banks and millions of consumers. The company is adapting to the constantly evolving threats scammers and criminals pose to its customers.<h2 id="ec04abf8-6dc5-4015-93f4-02f9ad5ed95c">Situation analysis: What problem was the company trying to solve?</h2>"For decades, payment fraud used to be people using your card details that they'd either bought, found, or counterfeited, either in person or online," Chris Reid, the executive vice president of identity solutions at Mastercard, told Business Insider.But trends in payment fraud have changed — and banks and card providers have to keep up. One of the key new trends in fraud, Reid said, is what's known as authorized-push-payment fraud, where a scammer persuades someone to send them money by pretending to be a reliable figure, such as a bank, public authority, or romantic partner.Understanding when a card user is about to send a lot of money — and lose it — to a scammer is tricky, Reid said. "How can we detect you are a victim or about to be a victim of crime?" he asked. The company believes artificial intelligence can help identify when that fraud is about to occur.<h2 id="b3cf2d12-27c1-409c-b92f-616d9a187a34">Key staff and partners</h2>The development of an AI fraud-detection system began as a pilot program in the UK. At Mastercard, the teams working on the project included Reid's identity group, the security and cyberinnovation team, and the open-banking team, which works on connecting competing banks with one another.<div type="image" title="chris reid headshot" height="1463" width="1951" msid="111691425" hostid="261" sizebytes="75034"></div>Reid said he believed the work couldn't have been done without buy-in from banks in the UK, including Lloyds Bank, NatWest, and TSB Bank, which put aside their rivalries to work together."This only works when we all come together," Reid said. "The nice thing we see around fraud and security is, every day, the banks are competing to win. On fraud and security, we're all competing to beat fraudsters."<h2 id="6fd30701-463a-4b66-b855-30c65acda283">AI in action</h2>With the support of those banks, the teams at Mastercard began developing an AI system to identify signs in the accounts of both victims and scammers that someone was about to be defrauded."We give our bank customers a three-dimensional view of the two accounts in question," Reid said.Mastercard's AI system is trained on data from both legitimate and fraudulent payment activities. Using this information, it monitors and identifies suspicious transaction behaviors and looks at data, such as payee names, to identify suspect transactions.It can also look at secondary and tertiary relationships linked to a fraudster's bank account."Crime needs to find a way out of the legitimate financial ecosystem," Reid said. "You tend to find funds flow out into various mule or drop accounts."The system provides an AI-powered risk score for transactions and accounts in real time, alerting the banks if Mastercard suspects a payment is being made to a known fraudster.<h2 id="0de6e3ad-c6e8-47ff-8ec6-6585acb0a367">Did it work, and how did leaders know?</h2>Reid said TSB "has been really transparent in helping us understand the efficacy of the solution."Based on the scale of the fraud prevented among TSB's customers, if it was extrapolated across the UK banking sector, "everything else being equal," the AI system would save an estimated £100 million, or $126 million, in the UK alone, Reid told BI.He added that Mastercard's tech was "really good" at identifying "impersonation scams, romance scams, and purchase scams."<h2 id="4b10d7e8-3d1f-4e76-a240-334aa7a6ce4a">What's next?</h2>Mastercard needs to keep up with scammers, Reid said."Fraud is an incredibly successful industry," he added. "Fraudsters are investing in product development and their own efficiency."For that reason, Mastercard plans to expand its AI systems. Currently, the system provides an AI-identified risk score for the potential victim's account. By the end of 2024, Mastercard wants to provide a risk score for scamming suspects to try to raise awareness among banks about their customers."That doubles the ability for us to stop the money getting to the criminals," he said. "We can tell the scammer's bank, 'This is a high-risk transaction; you might want to delay releasing the funds."Mastercard is also working to create more practical applications for the risk score, which is useful to banks at a high level but perhaps not for rank-and-file bank employees tasked with supporting victims."Contact-center agents, in this case, are trained and knowledgeable in fraud, but we need to be able to turn the score into something that's useful," he said. "We're working to be able to ultimately stop that crime."We want to hear from you. If you are interested in sharing your company's AI journey, email <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jhood@businessinsider.com">jhood@businessinsider.com</a>.

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