And so it begins. April 6, 2015 is a day that few in the retirement industry had predicted, as individuals are handed unprecedented freedom to access their defined contribution (DC) pensions. The biggest pension revolution we’ve seen in our lifetime, it gives those over the age of 55 greater choice in how they manage their retirement savings.
 

 Jumio, Inc., the fast growing online and mobile credentials management company, today announced that Optimal Payments, a leading global online payment solutions provider, has integrated Jumio’s Netverify® online and mobile ID document authentication service into its NETELLER® stored value service.

Allowance for Loans and Lease Losses (ALLL) is one of the most critical calculations for a bank and ALLL adequacy will continue to be an area of debate, inspection and elucidation.

 Cogency Software, a leading provider of software and services for institutional investors, today announced that Aurora Investment Management L.L.C. selected Cogency for its partnership accounting and portfolio management platform.

 Convergex, an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider, today announced the appointment of Ann Neidenbach as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO). Ms. Neidenbach is a well-known technology expert with more than twenty-five years of experience in the global financial services industry. 
 

The Swiss bank is planning to open an innovation lab in Level39's high growth space, HighGrowth:42, to explore the role of blockchain technology in financial services.
The project marks the first time a global bank has focused its efforts on the blockchain, so publicly. UBS states it will also look into distributed ledger and smart contract technologies. 

UBS states that  the dedicated lab will enable the bank’s team to work alongside other experts managing complex data and risk assessment in volatile markets.

Ingenico Group and Intel Corporation announced a collaboration to combine Intel technology and Ingenico Group secure payment acceptance for the Internet of Things. The companies will jointly develop a mobile tablet that supports EMV and NFC payment functionalities, a standard required by banks to help prevent credit card fraud.