Precious metals are often considered a safe investment during times of financial uncertainty. However, most people look to gold and platinum rather than other assets. Even so, demand for silver is soaring in Pakistan and India, with the rest of the world likely to follow. 

Silver Demand In India & Pakistan

It has been an exciting month for fans of precious metals. Both gold and silver saw tremendous market performance recently. That is primarily due to the soaring silver demand in Pakistan and India. Investors in Pakistan are concerned over the weakening rupee – in USD terms – and want to focus on assets capable of retaining value. Unfortunately, Fiat currencies are a notoriously bad option for maintaining value or purchasing power. 

Following the increasing silver demand in Pakistan – and higher appetite for gold – prices rose accordingly. Gold hit all-time highs in the countries, whereas silver prices increased significantly. Further price increases are expected to materialize in the coming weeks. Market analysts see no immediate change in the rupee/USD position and will continue to push for safer assets. Moreover, the country’s weak economic prospects will drive further demand for precious metals. 

Similar things happen in India, although for different reasons. Soaring silver demand throughout 202 has turned the market on its head. So much even that traditional silver shipments by sea have been replaced by air cargo trips. Demand continues to rise, and suppliers struggle to keep up. As such, precious metals are being taken out of foreign vaults at a record pace to keep customers satisfied. New investment demand – primarily from poorer and younger Indians – will continue to ramp up. 

Early estimates predicted India would impost roughly 5,900 tonnes of silver in 2022. A notable increase compared to the 4,500 tonnes in 2021. However, by late November, the country imported over 8,000 tonnes. Silver demand is on track to double that of 2021, which is remarkable. Interestingly, the West remains rather bearish on silver as there is no increased demand. 

Record Levels Were Expected

The increasing demand for exposure to silver and gold isn’t entirely unexpected. The Silver Institute expected things to improve for silver. Moreover, it recently predicted the “biggest deficit” for the popular precious metal. Silver availability dwindles thanks to its applications in industry, jewelry, silverware, and investor demand. For instance, the amount of silver in vehicles continues to increase, and demand for solar panels has remained strong. 

Moreover, the popular metal saw a value downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That enables investors to buy up silver in bulk at discounted prices, although those lower values are nowhere to be found today. As silver demand rises, discounts will be much harder to find. That won’t deter manufacturers and investors from diversifying their portfolios, though. 

Banking is a business that has been around since ancient civilizations. Banking has evolved to keep up with the changing needs of people and companies, but it’s still essentially the same as it was thousands of years ago. Banks store their customers’ money and make loans to borrowers in exchange for interest payments. 

While some may think banks are only interested in profits, this isn’t true. They also want to provide excellent services so that customers will be happy with them and keep using their products.

Easy Access to Financial Services

One of the most significant benefits of fintech is that it’s more accessible than traditional banking. Fintech allows you to access financial services from any device, including your computer or smartphone. You can also use it at home or on the go, which makes it more convenient than going into a bank branch.

While banks are struggling to compete with fintech companies offering low-cost alternatives to their services, they’re also trying to keep up with technology by introducing new apps and features designed for mobile users.

Fintech can be used by people with lower incomes who may not have access to or cannot afford traditional banking services. However, it is a benefit that banks have yet to tap into as they grapple with rising costs and declining profits.

Increased Efficiency and Cost Reduction with Fintech

You might not think that fintechs and banks can work together to reduce costs, but they can! Banks already have a lot of data on their customers, and they can do some things with it that would be impossible for a single fintech company. 

Fintechs can help banks improve efficiency by supporting them with innovative technology, saving time and money in ways that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. 

That is one of the most significant benefits for both parties. When banks use fintech tools to make their operations more efficient and cost-efficient, they can spend less money on maintaining their systems while still offering excellent customer service.

Improved Customer Service

Customer service is one of the most critical aspects of banking. It’s typically the first contact between a bank and its customers, and it can make or break a relationship.

It’s no secret that customers are becoming more demanding regarding their experience with financial institutions. They want quick answers, streamlined processes, and personal attention from their banks—and rightfully so! 

In fact, according to Gartner Inc., “75% of consumers say they will switch banks for better customer service alone.” By integrating fintech into your business model, you can give your customers exactly what they’re looking for by improving how you deliver services and interact with them daily. 

When people are happy with their financial institution’s service levels (or lack thereof), they’re much more likely to stick around. According to research from The Financial Brand, “84 percent of customers who feel loyalty toward their bank remain loyal after five years while only one-third do at other brands.” 

The key here is building relationships with clients over time—which fintech offers plenty of opportunities for through its innovative use cases.

Higher Security and Data Protection With Fintech

• Data Security

A significant benefit of fintech is the ability to provide higher security and data protection for your customers. The data security measures that fintech companies take are usually more advanced than those offered by traditional banks. Additionally, they ensure that any sensitive information stays safe from hackers or malicious attacks.

• Security of Customer Data

With fintech, you can rest assured that your customer’s personal information is being handled correctly and kept secure at all times. That means no chance of hacking or malicious attacks on users’ accounts or private data—a common problem in the banking world today!

Better Compliance Capabilities

One essential benefit of fintech is that it can help you with compliance. Compliance is an integral part of the banking industry, requiring banks to meet many regulatory requirements, such as AML, KYC, and CTF. 

Banks must ensure they follow regulations and stay in line with government bodies’ changes.

Moreover, banks can use fintech to reduce costs associated with compliance efforts. For example, Fintechs provide software solutions for complying with regulations at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional methods. In addition, it removes the need for hiring new staff or outsourcing staff from another company charging significantly more for their services.

Fintech delivers personalized solutions to banking customers

Fintech is a broad term that covers all aspects of financial technology. 

The definition is changing as the industry evolves, but one can use fintech to deliver personalized solutions to banking customers. Solutions are based on their individual needs. Plus, fintech can improve security and compliance, reduce costs, and more.

Conclusion

Fintech is revolutionizing the banking industry, and it will only get better. Fintech opens up new possibilities for banking customers around the world. As we’ve seen, it has led to greater access to financial services, improved customer service, and higher security and data protection capabilities at lower costs. Moreover, there’s also easier compliance with regulations across borders. 

When you look at these benefits and the fact that fintech can also help banks save money by automating processes and reducing expenses like human capital costs, it becomes clear just how transformative this technology could be for banks in the future.