Financial technology companies, or FinTechs, have been rising out of the ashes of the economic meltdown of 2007. These are Silicon Valley technology companies taking on the financial industry with a lot of heavy-hitting finance from hedge funds and venture capitals. The CEO of Chase Bank sighted them as the number one threat to banking in the future.

The single best source for comprehensive information on FinTechs is The EconomistLinks to an external site.. Begin by searching the Internet for FinTechs, and this should direct you to the appropriate sources.

Please address the following points:

Define the background of FinTechs and what they are, how they came into existence, and their current scope of operations.

Explain the impact that FinTechs have had on the financial services.

Why are FinTechs perceived as a future threat to traditional banking?

Identify three different types of FinTech companies.

Explain how they started

Product/service offered

Niche focus

Level of success

Potential future impact on banking