Madhvi Sonia - Community Author: Finextra Research

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons: Can AI and quantum computing turn the tide?

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons: Can AI and quantum computing turn the tide?

Marked on 30 July, International Human Trafficking Day, otherwise known as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, was established in response to a request for the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to host a meeting to counter the buying and selling of fellow humans in 2006. Fast forward to 2015, the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda...

30 July 2025 /crime

How AI is reshaping portfolio construction

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

How AI is reshaping portfolio construction

Portfolio construction has long been a careful balancing act between risk, return, and investor psychology. Traditionally, it has been siloed, relying on historical data, human judgment, and static models. Classic portfolio construction follows a linear path: where risk tolerance and investment goals are assessed first, assets across predefined ca...

24 July 2025 /wealth

11 ways fintech can help postpone Earth Overshoot Day

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

11 ways fintech can help postpone Earth Overshoot Day

In 2025, Earth Overshoot Day is yet again being marked too early on 24th July. According to the Global Footprint Network, this date is “when humanity’s demand on nature surpasses Earth’s capacity to replenish nature during the entire year.” In 2024, this day fell on 1st August, meaning that humanity is persistently overusing the planet’s resources...

24 July 2025 /sustainable

From advisors to algorithms: The shift in wealth guidance

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

From advisors to algorithms: The shift in wealth guidance

For decades, wealth management was a relationship business. Clients used to meet their financial advisors in offices, discuss life goals, and trust human judgment to guide their financial futures. However, over the last decade, a quiet revolution has taken place: one that’s replacing handshakes with algorithms and intuition with machine learning. ...

21 July 2025 /wealth

UK’s Leeds Reforms set stage for global fintech leadership by 2035

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

UK’s Leeds Reforms set stage for global fintech leadership by 2035

Last week UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled the first-ever Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness sector plan and her aim to make the UK “the number one destination for financial services businesses by 2035, attracting inward investment and creating good skilled jobs across the UK.” Fueling fintech innovation, talent and scale-up support...

21 July 2025 /markets

What Australia’s Confirmation of Payee means for the future of fraud prevention

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

What Australia’s Confirmation of Payee means for the future of fraud prevention

July 2025 saw Australian banks unveil their version of scam fighting technology Confirmation of Payee, allowing names to be matched to accounts and preventing customers from being tricked into sending funds to fraudsters. Forming part of the Scam-Safe Accord – a joint initiative of the Australian Banking Association (ABA) and the Customer Owned Ba...

17 July 2025 /crime

The LGBTQ wealth gap: What financial services must do next

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

The LGBTQ wealth gap: What financial services must do next

April 2025 numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the median weekly wage of a typical employee in the United States is $1,001. The Human Rights Campaign analysed this data and found that on average, for LGBTQ+ workers, earnings were around $900 a week. This wage gap equates to LGBTQ+ employees earning 90 cents on the do...

16 June 2025 /retail

Beyond the binary: Fixing KYC for the LGBTQ+ economy

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

Beyond the binary: Fixing KYC for the LGBTQ+ economy

This Finextra long read series will focus on how the fintech industry can serve underrepresented LGBTQ+ customers during and after Pride Month – a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer culture. By recognising that many individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, particul...

09 June 2025 /identity

How do we regulate a future not yet written?

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

How do we regulate a future not yet written?

This is an excerpt from The Future of European Fintech 2025: A Money20/20 Special Edition. According to the European Fintech Association, the fintech industry has attracted the largest share of all VC funding over the last five years, worth around $85 billion. This showcases the strong potential of fintech in Europe, and how the sector will be a d...

06 June 2025 /regulation

How fintech firms can champion real LGBTQ+ inclusion

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

How fintech firms can champion real LGBTQ+ inclusion

This Finextra long read series will focus on moving beyond performative allyship to explore structural inclusion during and after Pride Month - a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and commemoration of the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer culture. By adopting inclusive policies, promoting visible role models, and...

02 June 2025 /inclusion

What Shackleton’s strategic expansion means for UK wealth management

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

What Shackleton’s strategic expansion means for UK wealth management

As reported by Financial News this week, a document seen by the publication revealed that Shackleton explored a takeover deal that could have tripled the amount of money it manages. The wealth manager, that oversees a portfolio of £5.5 billion, had discussions with a larger rival that managed £10 billion at the time and a smaller firm with £2 bil...

19 May 2025 /wealth

Confronting cyber-fraud and risk strategies in US payments

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

Confronting cyber-fraud and risk strategies in US payments

This is an excerpt from The Future of US Digital Payments 2025: ACH & Beyond. Kinexys by J.P. Morgan’s Gloria Wan referenced the Trustpair US Fraud Survey Report in conversation with Finextra, and mentioned that 90% of US companies experienced cyber fraud in 2024. Nearly half (47%) of US companies also suffered a loss of over $10 million. Wan ...

12 May 2025 /payments

Long reads