Journal

N26 or Revolut? Plan prices, the foreign-currency fees most comparisons get wrong, and who actually holds your deposit at Europe's two biggest neobanks.

Chime review 2026: Chime is not a bank. How its partner-bank model and FDIC cover work, what it gets right, its regulatory record and where it falls short.

How banks use AI in 2026, from fraud detection to credit decisions, customer service and money tools, and what it can cost you in privacy and errors.

Nubank review 2026: 135.2 million customers at 31 March 2026 per Nu Holdings. What it offers, the change in Mexico, its limits and who can join.

The best banks in Europe for 2026: N26, bunq, Monzo and Revolut online, HSBC and BNP Paribas for complex needs — and which deposit scheme protects each.

How neobanks make money: interchange, interest margin, lending, subscriptions and commissions - with US and EU fee caps and Chime and Monzo's figures.

Wise vs Revolut for international transfers: two pricing models, speed and cost transparency compared, plus a two-minute test to price your own transfer.

Mercury, Qonto and Tide compared for startups and small businesses: who each suits, which market it serves, and four checks before you switch.

What a crypto bank really is, why most are not banks, what MiCA and FDIC do and do not cover, and how Revolut, Coinbase, Nexo and Sygnum differ.

Monzo review 2026: plan prices, Pot savings rates, fees abroad, FSCS cover to £120,000 and the FCA's 2025 fine - with worked examples of what Monzo costs.

SoFi bundles banking, investing, loans, and insurance. Is the all-in-one approach worth it?

The best banks in Asia-Pacific for 2026, from ICBC and DBS to digital banks like KakaoBank, and the deposit protection that applies in each country.

What open banking is, what an app can and cannot do with your permission, the latest UK usage figures, variable recurring payments and where PSD3 stands.

Starling Bank review 2026: the business account's fees from Starling's own page, FSCS protection up to £120,000, the 2024 FCA fine, and who it suits.

Step-by-step: how to switch banks, port your direct debits, and avoid the common pitfalls.

The best high-yield savings accounts of 2026: the top accounts, how to get the most from them, and what to check before you move your savings.

Ally Bank review 2026: 3.10% APY on savings and money market (29 Sept 2026), no monthly fees, FDIC-insured — and the cash-deposit catch.

FDIC, FSCS, deposit protection — we explain exactly how safe your money is in a neobank.

Is DBS a good bank? Singapore's largest bank reviewed on its audited 2025 figures, credit ratings, MAS outage record, SDIC cover and published fees.

Overdraft fees, ATM charges, FX markups — we show you exactly where banks make money off you.

KakaoBank review 2026: 27.27 million customers in Q1 2026, how its KakaoTalk integration works, its key features and its limitations.

Islamic banking explained: how riba-free contracts work, worked murabaha and home-finance examples, profit rates, FSCS protection and the main banks.

Africa's mobile-first banking revolution: from M-PESA to Kuda, here's who to know.

Payday loans vs credit lines vs neobank advances — what's actually cheapest when you're short.

Is Mercury a real bank? No — it is a fintech using partner banks. How its $5M FDIC sweep works, the OCC charter status, and what startups should check.

Digital euros, e-kroner, digital yuan — which CBDCs are live and what do they mean for banking?

What embedded finance is, how platform, middleware and bank split the job, and what protects your money: FDIC pass-through and UK safeguarding.

bunq review 2026: what the Dutch bank actually is, its plans, the green features stated accurately, the banking features that matter, and who it suits.

Best international bank accounts for expats in 2026: Wise, Revolut, N26, bunq, Monzo and HSBC Expat compared, plus four problems to solve before you move.

Neobank is a marketing word, not a licence. The three legal models behind the apps - and what each one means if your provider fails. Sourced 1 August 2026.

Revolut vs Wise in 2026: exchange limits and fees from each provider's own pages, how your money is protected, and which suits spending, transfers or both.

Best UK current accounts 2026: Monzo, Starling, Chase and Revolut compared on overdraft rates, fees abroad, savings, cashback and joint-account protection.

Savings rates and deposit protection compared across the US, UK, Germany and the Nordics, plus easy-access vs notice vs fixed. Sourced 1 August 2026.

Compare international money transfers the right way: how Wise, Revolut, Airwallex, OFX, Western Union, PayPal and banks price a transfer, and hidden costs.

UK and German business accounts compared on price, protection and who is actually a bank - with monthly costs for Starling, Tide, Qonto, Vivid and more.

Banking apps that let you buy, hold or earn on crypto — Revolut, Coinbase, Nexo and Bybit — what each is for, and why only the cash side is ever protected.

Is Airwallex a bank, and is it safe? Licences by market, fees from its own pricing pages, what safeguarding protects, and which businesses it suits.

A review of Nexo, the crypto lending and yield platform: earning interest, borrowing against crypto, and the risks of a non-bank platform.

How to choose a bank account: decide its job, then check protection, real yearly cost, interest, currencies, fit and support - with worked cost examples.

Wise vs Airwallex compared on fees, exchange rates, supported currencies and who each multi-currency account is actually built for.

The best multi-currency accounts in 2026 for individuals and businesses: Wise, Airwallex and Revolut compared on fees, currencies, cards and safeguarding.

A look at Coinbase in 2026 — fees, security, supported assets and the risks every buyer should understand before opening an account.

Neobank or high-street bank? We compare fees, safety, features and service to help you decide which suits your money in 2026.

Geschäftskonten in Deutschland 2026 im Vergleich: Grundgebühren, Transaktionskosten, DATEV-Anbindung — und was die Einlagensicherung wirklich abdeckt.

Folketrygden, tjenestepensjon, pensjonskonto og IPS forklart: hva kostnadene gjør over 30 år og hvordan du sammenligner leverandører. Ikke rådgivning.

Nuri, formerly Bitwala, went insolvent in 2022. What happened to euro and crypto balances, where customers went, and what to check in a replacement.

FINMA withdrew FlowBank's banking licence in March 2024 and opened bankruptcy proceedings in June. The full sequence, and what it says about broker-banks.

Bankera offers European IBANs, SEPA and SWIFT transfers and a Visa debit card, but no bank deposit guarantee: it operates through an e-money institution.

Two real failures, two very different outcomes for customers, decided by one thing: a banking licence or an e-money licence. How to tell which yours holds.

Every regulator publishes a free, searchable register. How to find the right one, what to search for, and the four things to read in the entry.

DBS is Singapore's largest universal bank; Bank of Singapore is OCBC's private bank. Compare them once you know which one you qualify for.

Why people look for an N26 alternative, what BaFin has actually found, and which licensed banks and money apps replace it — with the protection for each.

Residency rules, what an IBAN does and does not prove, and the licence distinction that decides whether your money is covered if the provider fails.

A virtual IBAN is a routing label, not a separate pot of money. What that means for reconciliation, for compliance, and if the issuer fails.

Almost no US neobank is a bank. Understanding the partner-bank model tells you where FDIC cover comes from — and where it stops.

Asia's digital banks are licensed nationally and rarely serve non-residents. What that means, and how the major markets actually differ.

Gulf digital banking is licensed nationally, often bank-backed rather than independent, and shaped by Sharia compliance. How to read the market.

Bank of America vs Airwallex for business: a universal US bank against a cross-border payments platform. Which you need, and when to use both.

Startups get sold on onboarding speed and get hurt by concentration risk, unsupported structures and accounts that cannot survive a funding round.

Monthly fees are the smallest number in business banking. A method for comparing the ones that are not published on the pricing page.

Both give you an IBAN, a card and an app. Only one gives you a deposit. What safeguarding actually is, and when each model is the right call.

Nubank vs Monzo: different markets, regulators and problems — and with both gated on local residency, you almost certainly cannot choose between them.

When can a bank close your account? UK rules from 28 April 2026: 90 days' notice and a real reason, plus how long it takes and costs to close your own.

In the UK the refund is due by the end of the next business day and your liability is capped at £35 — unless you were fraudulent or grossly negligent.

An employer or utility that insists on a local IBAN is usually in the wrong: a payer or payee may not dictate the account's country, with conditions.

'Neobank' is a marketing word for three legal structures with different protections. The app looks identical; knowing which you use is the whole skill.

Almost nothing sold as a crypto bank is a bank. Euro and crypto sides sit with different entities under different rules; only one is protected.

Euro transfers in ten seconds at no extra cost and a payee name check: what the EU Instant Payments Regulation changed, the dates, and what it does not cover.

Legal EU residents have a right to a basic payment account, even in another EU country: what it must include, what it may cost, the 10-day deadline, refusals.

Why some European banks turn US citizens away, the $10,000 FBAR test and Form 8938 thresholds for foreign accounts, and the EU rule that helps if you live there.