Things we’re reading today include … Brazilian woman arrested after taking corpse to sign bank loan: ‘She knew he was dead’ | Brazil | The Guardian Blair Institute sets out ‘progressive vision’ for fintech (finextra.com) What Is the World Bank, and What Does It Do? (investopedia.com) What is the Bank of England and why does……

Spend management startup Ramp has raised another $150 million at a post-money valuation of $7.65 billion, the company confirmed to TechCrunch today. New investor Khosla Ventures and existing backer Founders Fund co-led the raise, which also included participation from new backers Sequoia Capital, Greylock and 8VC. Other existing investors Thrive Capital, General Catalyst, Sands Capital,…

BNY Mellon has selected technology services provider Accenture to enhance the bank’s data and analytics services.  The bank will use Accenture’s AI and data expertise to introduce new services and create new client experiences, according to an April 15 release. BNY Mellon’s Data and Analytics business provides software and data management to more than 800…

Things we’re reading today include … HSBC’s Zing has less than 20% of Wise’s monthly downloads – but CEO insists it’s ‘bang on plan’ | Sifted Bank of America profits plunge 18% due to rise in customer credit card delinquencies | Daily Mail The Bank used inflation forecast based on pencil drawing, says Andy Haldane……

Bank of America’s digital offerings continue to be a draw, as its virtual assistant Erica reached 2 billion user interactions in the first quarter.  “Erica continues to drive increased digital engagement, in part because it gives us the ability to deliver important information to clients and answer their questions in real-time,” Jorge Camargo, managing direct…

Morgan Stanley is looking to the strong merger and acquisition market as an opportunity to launch tech-driven tools that help its bankers and advisers make decisions.  The wealth management company wants to use tech to help its bankers take advantage of the M&A wave, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Yeshaya said during the bank’s first-quarter earnings…

PNC Financial worked to expand to new markets and grow its digital platforms in the first quarter.  The bank listed three long-term efforts in its 2023 annual report:  Expand the bank’s franchise and digital channels;  Leverage technology to create efficiencies that help better serve customers; and  Deepen customer relationships by offering superior banking experiences and…

U.S. Bank’s investment in payments technology contributed to growth and higher payments revenue in the first quarter.  “We are maintaining our through-the-cycle underwriting discipline and seeing the benefits of our multiyear investments in [the] digital, technology and payments ecosystem in the form of strong fee growth across our business lines,” Chief Executive Andrew Cecere said…

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon makes no secret that his firm is all-in on artificial intelligence. Now, the head of the world’s biggest bank is laying out his vision for the future of money in an AI world. Will you be able to turn to the bank’s future chatbot—let’s call it ChatJPM—and…

Business banking startup Mercury, founded in 2017, is now launching a consumer banking product. Mercury today serves more than 100,000 businesses, many of which are startups, via its B2B practice. The expansion is a natural move for the company and one that has been in the works for a couple of years, according to Immad…