Direct bank: Difference between revisions
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One of the world's first fully functional direct banks was [[First Direct]], which launched telephone banking in the [[United Kingdom]] on 1 October 1989. A subsidiary of the then [[Midland Bank]], it pioneered the concepts of no branches and 24-hour service through a call center. The commercialization of the [[Internet]] in the early 1990s was the biggest driver in the creation of full direct banking models. As the Internet became more widely accessible, traditional banks sought to reduce operational costs by offering [[internet banking]] services. |
One of the world's first fully functional direct banks was [[First Direct]], which launched telephone banking in the [[United Kingdom]] on 1 October 1989. A subsidiary of the then [[Midland Bank]], it pioneered the concepts of no branches and 24-hour service through a call center. The commercialization of the [[Internet]] in the early 1990s was the biggest driver in the creation of full direct banking models. As the Internet became more widely accessible, traditional banks sought to reduce operational costs by offering [[internet banking]] services. |
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At the same time internet-only banks or "virtual banks" appeared. These banks did not have a traditional banking infrastructure, such as |
At the same time, internet-only banks or "virtual banks" appeared. These banks did not have a traditional banking infrastructure, such as a branch network, a cost-saving feature that allowed many of them to offer [[savings account]]s with higher interest rates and [[loan]]s with lower interest rates than most traditional banks. Virtual banks could operate virtually from a single PC and server administration without a substantial infrastructure. However, there was an initial consumer hesitation in conducting monetary transactions over the Internet, especially with an entity that they could not deal with face-to-face. |
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One of the first fully functional direct banks in the [[United States]] was the [[Security First Network Bank]] (SFNB), which was launched on 18 October 1995.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} Based in [[Atlanta]], it was the first direct bank to be insured by the [[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation]]. After three years of operation, it was acquired by the [[Royal Bank of Canada]]. Though SFNB did not make much profit in its initial years, it demonstrated that the concept of direct banking could work. |
One of the first fully functional direct banks in the [[United States]] was the [[Security First Network Bank]] (SFNB), which was launched on 18 October 1995.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} Based in [[Atlanta]], it was the first direct bank to be insured by the [[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation]]. After three years of operation, it was acquired by the [[Royal Bank of Canada]]. Though SFNB did not make much profit in its initial years, it demonstrated that the concept of direct banking could work. |
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Revision as of 04:55, 20 June 2014
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2009) |
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A direct bank is a bank without any branch network that offers its services remotely via online banking and telephone banking and may also provides access via ATMs (often through interbank network alliances), mail and mobile. By eliminating the costs associated with bank branches, direct banks can make significant savings which they may pass on to clients via higher interest rates or lower service charges.
The concept of a direct bank gained prominence with the advent of online banking technology in the early 1990s which led to a number of direct banks being created, although many were owned by traditional banks. A number of direct banks offer only online savings account and these banks typically offer higher interest rates that their traditional competitors as these banks can be very cost efficient to operate. Since mid-2000s online and telephone banking has become a mainstay of retail banking and most banks have incorporated these into their core services and transforming or reducing their branch network to mirror the advantages that direct banks have.
History
One of the world's first fully functional direct banks was First Direct, which launched telephone banking in the United Kingdom on 1 October 1989. A subsidiary of the then Midland Bank, it pioneered the concepts of no branches and 24-hour service through a call center. The commercialization of the Internet in the early 1990s was the biggest driver in the creation of full direct banking models. As the Internet became more widely accessible, traditional banks sought to reduce operational costs by offering internet banking services.
At the same time, internet-only banks or "virtual banks" appeared. These banks did not have a traditional banking infrastructure, such as a branch network, a cost-saving feature that allowed many of them to offer savings accounts with higher interest rates and loans with lower interest rates than most traditional banks. Virtual banks could operate virtually from a single PC and server administration without a substantial infrastructure. However, there was an initial consumer hesitation in conducting monetary transactions over the Internet, especially with an entity that they could not deal with face-to-face.
One of the first fully functional direct banks in the United States was the Security First Network Bank (SFNB), which was launched on 18 October 1995.[citation needed] Based in Atlanta, it was the first direct bank to be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. After three years of operation, it was acquired by the Royal Bank of Canada. Though SFNB did not make much profit in its initial years, it demonstrated that the concept of direct banking could work.
One of Europe's first full-service direct banks was First-e, launched by ENBA, a Dublin-based internet incubator company under the banking license of French bank, Banque d'Escompte. First launched in the UK in late September 1999, it garnered appreciable attention, resulting in more such ventures all over Europe. After about two years of operations, it shut down its operations during the dot-com bubble bust.[1] Although Egg Bank, launched earlier in October 1998 by Prudential plc, was touted to be a direct bank, it was not a full-service direct bank initially.
Asia's first direct bank was finatiQ, a division of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) of Singapore, launched in April 2000. It was shut down in 2011 when its parent OCBC said that "Internet Banking has since become a core part of OCBC Bank’s multi-channel strategy – which also encompasses branches, ATMs and Mobile Banking" and so they saw no need for a separate direct bank any longer.[2]
Noteworthy direct banks around the world
- Ally Bank, part of Ally Financial
- Capital One 360, part of Capital One Financial (originally ING Direct US division)
- First Direct, part of HSBC
- ING Direct, part of ING Group
- RaboDirect, part of Rabobank
- Tangerine Bank, part of Scotiabank (originally ING Direct Canadian division)
- UBank, part of National Australia Bank
- ZUNO Bank, part of Raiffeisen Zentralbank or Raiffeisen International Bank
See also
References
- ^ "Irish Internet Bank Shuts Its Doors". Tax News. September 7, 2001.
- ^ "FinatiQ to cease operations". Asia Banking and Finance. May 8, 2011.