Love Finance: exciting tech and next-gen advice

Eyes bigger than your wallet?

Fujitsu have launched the first ever smartphone which allows you to pay with those lovely eyes of yours. You can make payments in around 150 milliseconds, so the blink of an eye! And this is yet another innovation in the ever moving payments market.

Fujitsu aren’t the only company exploring how biometrics can be used to enhance our mobile experience, Mobile device maker ZTE announced at MWC that its upcoming Grand S3 will use EyeVerify, a security software that reads the veins of a person’s eye. Qualcomm’s Sense ID uses ultrasound to see identify the ridges and sweat pores of fingerprints and check blood flow.

We love that Fujitsu are aiming to ensure this technology totally inclusive so even those who need to wear specs should be able to make the most of the functionality.

Customers at the core

Apples: Mum’s apple crumble, the apple of my eye, a good pint of cider, the most acclaimed technology company in the world – apples have done well as a fruit despite the minor Adam and Eve blip, and Simon Rogerson of Octopus Investments agrees too.

His article about the need for an “Apple” of the Financial Services industry to build trust and establish real differentiation isn’t stuff we don’t know as the love Finance Agency but the way he presents the argument is honest and highlights the huge importance of being different and focused on customers.

We love the need for FS firms to be radical and truly different. It's something we hold dear, and it’s great to hear it echoed, echoed, echoed!

A new age for financial advisers?

The Financial Advice sector has undergone huge changes over the past decade and a recent survey reported in Citywire shows that the industry is facing a serious shortage of new blood.

This is despite the growing need for advice, especially for those approaching or at retirement but also for those who really need help to start saving or save more. A good perspective on one of our key audiences and Citywire are actively capturing Adviser data to analyse the demographics of the profession even more – one to look out for.

We love that this reflects a simple fact: knowing your key audiences better is one of the most important things ever. It'll be a big challenge to help change the face of professional financial advice to more youthful and valued sector. Are you up for it?

Focusing on consumer needs and dilemmas

Focusing on consumer need and also the dilemmas they face is where we should always start. This article looks how people are wasting money on subscriptions they don’t use or have forgotten about after a pushy sales call or short lived epiphany that they need to tighten those abs.

The research shows that around 3.6 million Brits are paying unnecessary bills, with the average victim forking out £70 a month through forgotten direct debits. Imagine if we could help our pension clients connect with these people to save the £70 for their retirement!

We love that looking wider and deeper at customer dilemmas means we can come up with meaningful ideas that change people’s lives and how they feel about brands.