Strong Singapore Dollar Sparks Travel Boom and Economic Shifts
The Singapore dollar has reached its highest level in over a decade, boosting outbound travel and curbing inflation, but also putting pressure on exporters and local businesses. While sectors like logistics and finance benefit, retail, hospitality, and exports face challenges from the strong currency.
Will the US dollar remain strong?
The dollar has risen by nearly 20% against most currencies compared to this time last year.
SWIFT Trials Real-Time Transfers in Europe; GPI Network an Answer to Ripple
The operator of the world’s largest financial messaging system, SWIFT, has said it will trial real-time "gpi" cross-border payments using the European Central Bank's TIPS platform. SWIFT gpi has been developed as an answer to distributed ledger payment technologies, most notably Ripple.
Fintechs vs. Banks: Remittance War Rages On as FX Costs Slashed for Millions
For many currency routes, FX costs have been slashed in recent years by a number of industry-disrupting fintechs, allowing such firms to slice great chunks from the banking sector’s lucrative remittance markets. Banks are fighting back, though, by developing low-cost, digital offerings of their own.
Consumers Throwing Away Billions on FX Fees (TransferWise Study)
As in the rest of the world, consumers in Singapore are being fleeced when it comes to foreign exchange costs, a study by TransferWise has revealed. Individuals in Singapore are being charged 15 times more on international payments than companies are, with S$2 billion lost in hidden FX fees annually.