Financial Data and Technology Association of North America Archives - Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA)

April 6, 2021by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Welcomes Three New Members

Contact: Kerrie Rushton, (202) 365-6338, krushton@allonadvocacy.com

April 6, 2021, Washington, DC – The Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA) of North America today announced it has added three new members—BillGO, Codat, and ValidiFI— boosting the organization’s roster of member companies and organizations to 28.

“We’re excited to add BillGO, Codat, and ValidiFI to the growing list of companies united in their belief that that consumers and small businesses should have full control over their own financial data,” said FDATA North America Executive Director Steve Boms. “Financial technology companies are well positioned to help individuals, families, and small businesses improve their financial well-being as they fight their way out of the global economic crisis caused by COVID. Open finance maximizes the potential of fintech to improve financial access and inclusion, and BillGO, Codat, and ValidiFI will be important allies in this effort.”

Boms outlined how consumer-directed finance will improve financial inclusion in a recent Morning Consult op-ed.

The following organizations recently joined FDATA North America:

BillGO is an award-winning real-time bill management and payments platform that serves more than 30 million consumers and thousands of financial institutions, fintechs, and billers. Visit them at https://www.billgo.com.
Codat empowers more small businesses around the globe by ensuring their systems and services are interconnected, allowing them to harness their data to access bespoke products. Visit them at https://www.codat.io.
ValidifI is a technology company that delivers data and payment solutions for companies in the financial services industry and provides insights that help them improve the payment process. Visit them at https://validifi.com.

These firms discussed the importance of FDATA North’s mission to advance data access and open banking in North America:

BillGO: “Because BillGO believes everyone deserves access to a healthy financial future, we’re thrilled to join the FDATA and work alongside other organizations that share that commitment,” said Jay Plueger, SVP Alliances and Corporate Development at BillGO. “We look forward to collaborating with the FDATA and its members to shape standards and principles that advance our industry while protecting the interests of consumers.”
Codat: “At Codat, we are delighted to lend our voice to discussion on the future of open finance in North America. Joining FData North America aligns with our mission to enable all the systems and services that an SMB uses to work together seamlessly and underscores our strategic focus and growth plans in the region.” – Gabriel MacSweeney, Strategic Partnerships & Commercial Strategy
ValidiFI: “Access and insight into the rapidly changing regulatory environment for open banking and finance is crucial,” stated Jesse Berger, ValidiFI President and Chief Operating Officer. “It is vital for the development of innovative financial data and technology products like those offered by ValidiFI and other FDATA members. With FDATA’s support, members are ensuring financial products give consumers and businesses more choices, competitive service offerings, and a better deal.”

Existing FDATA North America members include: air (Alliance for Innovative Regulation), APImetrics, Betterment, Direct ID, Envestnet Yodlee, EQ Bank, Experian, Fiserv, Flinks, Interac, Intuit, Kabbage, Mogo, Morningstsar, M Science, MX, Petal, Plaid, Questrade, Quicken Loans, TransUnion, Trustly, VoPay, Wealthica, Xero, and others.

March 15, 2021by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Sends Letter to Canada’s Department of Finance on Next Steps in Delivery of CDF

March 15, 2021, Washington, DC – Today, the Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA) of North America submitted comments to Canada’s Department of Finance outlining its key recommendations for next steps in the deliver of Customer-Directed Finance (CDF).

Following the conclusion of the second phase of the CDF advisory committee’s consultations at the end of last year, FDATA North America Executive Director Steve Boms encourages the Department to advance the process of implementing a CDF system in Canada this year by:

Appointing a full-time, senior staffer at the Department as soon as possible whose sole responsibility will be to oversee the design and delivery of a CDF regime in Canada; and
Creating a CDF Implementation Entity tasked with the policy design and implementation of open finance in Canada.

Boms noted that FDATA North America and its members “are committed to seeing CDF become a reality for the benefit of Canadian consumers and SMEs. To achieve this goal, and to provide industry with the policy framework under which such a regime can be delivered, we respectfully encourage the Department to begin implementation of a CDF in Canada by appointing a senior staffer within the Department to be responsible for the delivery of CDF and by creating the CDF Implementation Entity as soon as possible.”

FDATA North America Submission to the Department of Finance

ABOUT FDATA NORTH AMERICA
FDATA was heavily involved in the UK Open Banking Working Group in 2015. In 2016, the working group’s output was published by Her Majesty’s Treasury as the Open Banking Standard. FDATA North America was founded in early 2018. Its members collectively provide tens of millions of consumers in Canada, the United States and Mexico with aggregation-based tools to better manage their finances. Existing FDATA North America members include: air (Alliance for Innovative Regulation), API Metrics, Betterment, Codat, Direct ID, Envestnet Yodlee, EQ Bank, Experian, Fiserv, Flinks, Interac, Intuit, Kabbage, Mogo, Morningstsar, M Science, MX, Petal, Plaid, Questrade, Quicken Loans, TransUnion, Trustly, ValidiFI, VoPay, Wealthica, Xero, and others.

February 3, 2021by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Responds to US CFPB ANPR on Consumer Access to Financial Records

February 3, 2021, Washington, DC – Today, FDATA North America submitted comments to the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in response to its Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) regarding consumer access to financial records, or Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

In the submission, FDATA North America Executive Director Steve Boms praised the CFPB for formally beginning the process of crafting a rule in this critically important area following many years of careful examination of the customer-permissioned data access and financial services ecosystems. “FDATA North America strongly supports the authority given to the CFPB by Congress in 2010 to promulgate, by rule, a consumer financial data right that will spur greater financial services innovation and competition and improve consumer financial access and inclusion,” Boms noted.

Boms concluded the association’s submission by encouraging the Bureau “to fully utilize its Section 1033 authority to create a customer financial data right to allow consumers and small businesses to have unrestricted access to technology-based tools that can help them improve their financial wellbeing, along with other important bedrocks of an open finance regime.”

FDATA North America CFPB ANPR Submission

ABOUT FDATA NORTH AMERICA
FDATA was heavily involved in the UK Open Banking Working Group in 2015. In 2016, the working group’s output was published by Her Majesty’s Treasury as the Open Banking Standard. FDATA North America was founded in early 2018. Its members collectively provide tens of millions of consumers in Canada, the United States and Mexico with aggregation-based tools to better manage their finances. Existing FDATA North America members include: air (Alliance for Innovative Regulation), API Metrics, Betterment, Direct ID, Envestnet Yodlee, EQ Bank, Experian, Fintech Growth Syndicate, Fiserv, Flinks, Interac, Intuit, Kabbage, Mogo, Morningstsar, M Science, MX, Petal, Plaid, Questrade, Quicken Loans, TransUnion, Trustly, ValidiFI, VoPay, Wealthica, Xero, and others.

November 17, 2020by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Outlines the Negative Consequences of Mandating a 90-Day Reauthentication Requirement

November 17, 2020, Washington, DC – In response to ongoing discussions by large U.S. financial institutions and some policymakers to impose a mandatory 90-day reauthentication requirement for customers wishing to utilize third-party financial tools, the Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA) of North America today released a paper that outlines the detrimental impact this requirement would have based on the real-world experience of consumers in the European Union and United Kingdom whose access to financial technology tools is hindered by a similar requirement.

FDATA North America provides insight into how a mandatory 90-day reauthentication requirement has had the following impacts in other markets:

Resulted in the percent of customers no longer able to access a financial technology tool spiking from 6.6 percent prior to the implementation of the mandate to 44 percent afterwards;
Forced a frustrating experience upon the customer that can result in them abandoning use of an otherwise valuable tool as their connection to the tool repeatedly breaks; and
Imposed onerous requirements for customers who have accounts with multiple institutions to reauthenticate with each different institution every 90 days to access tools of their choice.

Mandating reauthentication events at least once every 90 days harms customers by aggravating their experience and unnecessarily hindering marketplace competition. The goal of an open finance system is to provide customers with control over their own financial data such that they can choose the products and services that best suit their needs. FDATA North America asserts that full customer control of financial data is the single best way to ensure good stewardship of that data.

FDATA North America Paper on the Negative Consequences of Mandating a 90-Day Reauthentication Requirement

October 22, 2020by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Statement on the CFPB ANPR on Dodd-Frank 1033

Contact: Kerrie Rushton, (202) 365-6338, krushton@allonadvocacy.com

October 22, Washington, DC – Steve Boms, Executive Director of the Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA) of North America released the following statement regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) on Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act:

“This day certainly is a welcome one for consumers and small businesses. Congress gave the CFPB the power a decade ago to ensure Americans have a uniform right to access and use their financial data however they see fit, and today the Bureau is a step closer to asserting that right. If adopted, a rule implementing Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act would be a major building block toward a consumer-centric open finance ecosystem in the United States.

“In any open finance system, consumer protection and security are paramount, which is why every market globally with an open finance framework has a legally binding data right as its centerpiece. We encourage the CFPB to fully utilize its Section 1033 authority to create a consumer financial data right to allow consumers and small businesses to have unrestricted access to technology-based tools that can help them improve their financial wellbeing.”

ABOUT FDATA NORTH AMERICA

FDATA was heavily involved in the UK Open Banking Working Group in 2015. In 2016, the working group’s output was published by Her Majesty’s Treasury as the Open Banking Standard. FDATA North America was founded in early 2018. Its members collectively provide tens of millions of consumers in Canada, the United States and Mexico with aggregation-based tools to better manage their finances. Existing FDATA North America members include: air (Alliance for Innovative Regulation), API Metrics, Betterment, Direct ID, Envestnet Yodlee, EQ Bank, Experian, Fintech Growth Syndicate, Fiserv, Flinks, Interac, Intuit, Kabbage, Mogo, Morningstar, M Science, MX, Petal, Plaid, Questrade, Quicken Loans, TransUnion, Trustly, ValidFi, VoPay, Wealthica, Xero, and others.

September 23, 2020by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Options for Governance of Customer-Directed Finance in Canada

Earlier this year, Canada’s Open Banking Advisory Committee submitted recommendations to the Minister of Finance regarding the need for a customer-directed finance regime in Canada. Quite a lot has happened since then – both globally and in the financial technology sector – but the Department of Finance has continued to consider how to deliver customer-directed finance in Canada.

As the department enters the second phase of its consultative process, FDATA North America provided several suggestions that should act as a guide for the deployment of a successful open finance regime, gleaned from experience in other markets.

FDATA North America’s suggested governance models note that the core of any successful framework is a customer data right – and that only government can implement this open finance tenet, and that it is the foundation of every successful customer-directed finance framework globally. The document warns that a customer-directed finance model that defers decisions around data rights to industry results in an ecosystem in which incumbents are further empowered to determine how much control their customers may have over their data – to the detriment of competition, innovation and financial access.

As such, the document proposes governance models with the strong recommendation that industry alone cannot deliver customer-directed finance but can provide technology solutions that meet the policy standards set by government.

FDATA North America’s suggested governance models

ABOUT FDATA NORTH AMERICA
FDATA was heavily involved in the UK Open Banking Working Group in 2015. In 2016, the working group’s output was published by Her Majesty’s Treasury as the Open Banking Standard. FDATA North America was founded in early 2018. Its members collectively provide tens of millions of consumers in Canada, the United States and Mexico with aggregation-based tools to better manage their finances. Existing FDATA North America members include: air (Alliance for Innovative Regulation), API Metrics, Betterment, Direct ID, Envestnet Yodlee, EQ Bank, Experian, Fintech Growth Syndicate, Fiserv, Flinks, Interac, Intuit, Kabbage, Mogo, Morningstsar, M Science, MX, Petal, Plaid, Questrade, Quicken Loans, TransUnion, Trustly, ValidiFI, VoPay, Wealthica, Xero, and others.

September 22, 2020by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Submits Comments to US FDIC on Standard Setting and Voluntary Certification Models for Third-Party Providers

FDATA North America Submits Comments to US FDIC on its Request for Information on Standard Setting and Voluntary Certification Models and Third-Party Providers of Technology and Other Services

September 21, 2020, Washington, DC – Today, FDATA North America submitted comments to the US Federal Deposit and Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in response to its Request for Information (RFI) on standard setting and voluntary certification models and third-party providers of technology and other services.

In its comments, FDATA North America praises the FDIC for its support of innovative technology and efforts to enable FDIC-supervised banks and savings associations to utilize technology that will provide their customers with tools and services that can be transformative to their financial health. FDATA North America Executive Director Steve Boms noted that “as the trade association representing firms that currently partner with many small and community banks to provide critical financial wellness tools to millions of Americans, we believe that streamlining the ability for banks to partner with third-party providers will be critical to the survival of small and community banks in the United States and to the financial wellness of their customers.”

FDATA North America FDIC RFI Submission

July 29, 2020by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Submits Comments to US OCC in Response to its ANPR on Digital Activities

July 29, 2020, Washington, DC – Today, FDATA North America submitted comments to the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in response to its Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) regarding national bank and federal savings associations digital activities.

In its comments, FDATA North America praises the OCC for recognizing that the US banking system is not “frozen in time” and that innovation and safety and soundness are not mutually exclusive principles. The association also notes that as the OCC attempts to strike the right balance between these principles, it should observe the experiences of other markets around the world and create an open finance ecosystem that has a consumer’s right to access and share their own data as its centerpiece.

FDATA North America OCC ANPR Submission

July 28, 2020by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Welcomes Two New Members

FDATA North America Welcomes Two New Members

Contact: Kerrie Rushton, (202) 365-6338, krushton@allonadvocacy.com

July 28, 2020, Washington, DC – The Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA) of North America today announced it has added two new members, boosting the organization’s roster of member companies and organizations united behind the notion that consumers and small businesses should have full utility over their own financial data.

“Innovation in financial services is powered by consumers and small businesses granting permission for access and use of their data, often in conjunction with cutting edge machine learning and other data analytics technologies that enable better financial access and inclusion,” said FDATA North America Executive Director Steve Boms. “As consumers and businesses continue to face a deteriorating economic landscape because of COVID-19, it is critical to maintain competition in the market for these data-driven financial services. Equitable Bank and Xero are committed to that mission, and we’re excited to welcome them to our growing list of advocates supporting an open finance system in the United States and Canada.”

The following organizations recently joined FDATA North America:

Equitable (EQ) Bank has grown to become Canada’s ninth largest independent Schedule I bank through its proven branchless approach and customer service focus in providing residential lending, commercial lending, and savings solutions. EQ Bank, the digital banking platform offered by Equitable Bank, provides state-of-the-art digital banking services.
Xero is the emerging global leader of online accounting software that connects small businesses to their advisors and other services. Xero provides business owners with real-time visibility of their financial position and performance in a way that’s simple, smart and secure. For accountants, Xero forges a trusted relationship with clients through online collaboration.

These firms discussed the importance of FDATA North’s mission to advance data access and open banking in North America:

Equitable Bank’s Chief Information Officer Dan Dickinson: “In joining FDATA, we’re furthering our commitment to the industry, our customers and consumers more broadly to make banking better for everyone. We have a long-standing focus on the need for robust open banking practices in Canada and this partnership is another way we’re gaining insights and helping to move the needle on greater access to financial data for all.”
Xero Partnerships Manager Jon Bellamy: “Xero is committed to improving the environment for small businesses. Open Banking is a critical aspect of that, aiding their digital transformation. By joining FDATA we will be able to plan for important regulation and have a stronger industry voice as we represent the interests of our customers.”

Existing FDATA North America members include: air (Alliance for Innovative Regulation), API Metrics, Betterment, Direct ID, Envestnet Yodlee, Equifax, Experian, Fintech Growth Syndicate (FGS), Fiserv, Flinks, Interac, Intuit, Kabbage, Mogo, Morningstsar, M Science, MX, Petal, Plaid, Questrade, Quicken Loans, TransUnion, Trustly, VoPay, Wealthica and others.

June 23, 2020by rebecca rebecca No Comments

FDATA North America Statement on Mastercard Acquisition of Finicity

FDATA North America Statement on Mastercard Acquisition of Finicity

Contact: Kerrie Rushton, (202) 365-6338, krushton@allonadvocacy.com

June 23, 2020, Washington, DC: Steve Boms, executive director of the Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA) North America released the following statement regarding Mastercard’s acquisition of Finicity:

“Mastercard’s acquisition of Finicity is the latest sign that open finance is the future of consumer and small business financial services. As we have seen in every other market that has implemented such regimes, establishing a legal right in which consumers and small businesses can access and share their financial data with trusted third parties is paramount to implementing open finance frameworks. FDATA North America continues to urge U.S. policymakers to follow suit.”

ABOUT FDATA NORTH AMERICA
FDATA was heavily involved in the UK Open Banking Working Group in 2015. In 2016, the working group’s output was published by Her Majesty’s Treasury as the Open Banking Standard. FDATA North America was founded in early 2018. Its members collectively provide tens of millions of consumers in Canada, the United States and Mexico with aggregation-based tools to better manage their finances. Existing FDATA North America members include: air (the Alliance for Innovative Regulation), API Metrics, Betterment, Direct ID, Envestnet Yodlee, Experian, FGS, Fiserv, Flinks, Interac, Intuit, Kabbage, Mogo, Morningstsar, M Science, MX, Petal, Plaid, Questrade, Quicken Loans, TransUnion, Trustly, VoPay, Wealthica and others.