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I have seen fintech businesses expand rapidly in the financial realm as a financial journalist and capitalist. Many customers prefer them to conventional financial institutions because to their innovative technology and user-friendly interfaces.

Traditional banks need not worry. They may exist and prosper alongside financial businesses. Simply adapting and recognising market changes is enough. I will discuss how conventional financial institutions may remain competitive in the ever-changing finance industry in this blog.

Traditional financial institutions must first understand why customers choose fintech firms. Fintech businesses provide ease, transparency, and speed in addition to technology. In today’s fast-paced, time-sensitive environment, these elements are vital to client retention. Traditional financial organisations must combine these components into their offerings.

A talk with my buddy, a longtime conventional banker, who just tried a fintech firm, illustrates this idea. She was impressed at how easily she could register an account and make transactions on her phone with a few taps. This convenience prompted her to join the finance startup. Traditional financial institutions must become more user-friendly to stay competitive after realising that even committed clients might change their habits for ease.

Traditional financial organisations must also understand their target market and evolving tastes. Millennials, tech-savvy and on the move, are a top target for financial institutions. Studies suggest that 71% of millennials prefer dental visits to bank communications. As funny as it sounds, it enlightens established banking institutions.

Due to their easy online experience and new financial solutions, millennials have adopted fintech services quickly. Traditional institutions must rethink their strategy and use new technology to attract this market. Traditional financial institutions may maintain and attract new clients by prioritising this generation’s demands and preferences, surviving fintech upstart competition.

In addition to technology, conventional financial institutions must provide personalised services. As humans, we want to be regarded as people, not numbers. Data analytics and AI have helped fintech businesses personalise financial services to match individual requirements.

AI-powered chatbots that quickly resolve customer issues are an example of personalised service. This boosts client happiness and saves conventional banks time and money. Thus, investing in technology that can give customised financial solutions will help companies stand out in a market full of fintech firms’ cookie-cutter offerings.

Traditional financial firms may also use consumer trust. Fintech services are still new and growing, raising security and dependability issues. Many clients favour established financial institutions’ old-school methods. Traditional banking institutions must preserve this trust to be competitive.

This may be done via transparency. Transparent terms, conditions, fees, and charges are essential for traditional financial institutions. This will boost client satisfaction and confidence in these organisations. Promote customer interaction and collaborations to develop trust and connections with consumers, helping to retain them despite fintech companies’ expanding popularity.

Last but not least, established financial institutions should collaborate and engage with fintech companies rather than fear them. Traditional financial institutions may gain from fintech expansion. Traditional financial institutions may leverage new technology and provide personalised services by partnering with fintech firms.

To illustrate, I met a local bank manager who worked with a fintech business to provide enhanced mobile banking to consumers. This boosted client happiness and helped the bank reach new consumers, increasing earnings. These partnerships help conventional financial institutions adapt to shifting client tastes and improve service.

Fintech firms may be the latest financial technology, but they can be defeated. Technology, understanding their target market, providing personalised services, maintaining trust, and embracing collaboration can help traditional financial institutions adapt and compete with fintech startups, proving they still matter in finance. We shouldn’t rule them out yet. The survival of the fittest applies to conventional financial institutions, which may prosper in modern capitalist society with the correct mentality and methods.

I wrote for years about money and the market’s ups and downs because I believe in capitalism. While capitalism has produced economic progress and wealth, it has also caused financial bubbles and market disasters.

What causes these bubbles to rise and collapse, causing a market crash? As a veteran financial writer, I shall examine the causes of these unanticipated occurrences that shock our capitalist system in the following lines.

Greed fuels financial bubbles. We all want to make rapid gains, and “behavioural contagion spreads faster than a wildfire.” Speculation raises asset values, causing excessive exuberance and bubbles. While everyone enjoys the highs of a great venture, unbridled greed will eventually bring down the economy.

Anecdotes from the late 1990s dot-com bubble show this. Institutions and individuals bought IT stocks with dazzling business ideas and promises of millions back then. Investors’ greed for quick money led to inflated values of many firms, many of which had no profitability. Like a house of cards, the bubble burst and the market crashed, leaving investors with huge losses and broken dreams.

Herd mentality contributes to financial booms and market collapses. Humans crave approval and follow the herd, and money is no exception. When others make significant gains in an asset class, they believe it’s a solid investment and hop on board without performing their own research.

The mid-2000s housing market illustrates this. Due to rising property prices, many believed investing in real estate would boost their wealth. This widespread perception and cheap borrowing drove up housing prices due to high demand. This frenzy among purchasers, even those who couldn’t afford the hefty mortgages, caused the 2008 housing market crisis and a worldwide economic domino effect.

Financial bubbles are also caused by unreasonable expectations, speculative investments, and leveraged purchases. People obsessively collected rare tulip bulbs in the 17th century, pushing up their values and selling them for excessive profits. With false hopes for additional price rises, the bubble inflated, and when reality hit, the market fell, leaving consumers with useless tulip bulbs.

Leveraged buying—borrowing money to acquire an asset—has also been linked to asset bubbles. Investors typically borrow a lot to buy stocks or real estate in hopes of making a rapid profit. This excessive leverage might cause a market crisis when investors can’t pay their obligations and the bubble bursts.

Financial booms and market collapses can also caused by government involvement and loose rules. Governments may artificially boost the economy, creating bubbles. They create housing bubbles like the 2008 one by keeping interest rates artificially low, encouraging individuals to take on more debt and mortgages. When the government raises interest rates to curb inflation, the bubble bursts and the market crashes.

Regulations may fail owing to regulatory bodies’ ineptitude or complicity with companies. In the Enron crisis, authorities missed false accounting techniques, causing investors massive losses when the boom burst.

Stock market volatility and crashes are hallmarks of capitalism. Policymakers and financial institutions must prevent these crises from destroying the economy and society. How may financial booms and market collapses be avoided?

First, governments must regulate and supervise markets to avoid excessive speculation. Instead of artificially promoting economic development, they should adopt solid, long-term policy.

Investor education and prevention against speculative investments are also important for financial institutions. They should do due diligence before lending and not encourage high-risk ventures.

As a capitalist, I think the market will always have highs and lows, but we must identify and solve the causes of these bubbles. It’s important to recognise that greed and herd mentality may lead to bad outcomes for oneself and society.

In conclusion, capitalism has made great strides, but it is not flawless. These are some of the causes of financial booms and market collapses. We must address these concerns as a society to create a secure and healthy economy for future generations. I will continue to raise awareness and foster meaningful discourse on these vital problems as a financial writer to strengthen capitalist society.