The world’s Internet denizens are increasingly embracing mobile computing. It’s not hype. A growing body of evidence supports the notion that the mobile Web will free us from the constraints of the desktop.
As more of our everyday online experiences—email, banking, shopping, networking—happen on mobile devices, it’s becoming second nature to take care of our financial business while we’re on the go. With that in mind, here are five mobile finance trends that will continue to grow this year.
Cashless Payments
Though paper cash and coinage will not disappear anytime soon, the idea of living in a cashless society is gaining momentum. It’ll be a slow creep, but people are creatures of habit and they like convenience and security. Consider the 2012 Summer Olympics in the U.K. It was a beta test and a springboard for VISA’s contactless payment technology. The push to encourage attendees to make routine payments with their mobile phones went over swimmingly.
Social Media for Investors
Mobile technologies and social media are birds of a feather, which is driving flocks of developers to create apps for investors. StockTwits, for example, is a Twitter-inspired financial communications platform where investors can follow traders and markets that interest them while getting a personalized stream of news, charts and ideas. The platform continues to attract users and content partners such as CNN Money, Oanda and Yahoo! Finance.
