Financial technology and financial capacity

Within the Digital banking and finance research area, the Financial technology and financial capability theme considers financial behaviour, financial well-being and financial stress.

Of particular interest is whether financial technologies, such as digital payment tools, can enhance financial capability and support responsible financial behaviour.

A concern related to this theme is that access to financial technology does not automatically translate into improved financial capability. Instead, the research considers the conditions under which financial technology can reduce financial vulnerability and support financial resilience. It also highlights the importance of institutional and policy-related aspects in shaping financial decision-making.

The discussion of financial capability also includes financial professionals. This provides a broader view of financial capability as a consumer and professional issue within digital banking and finance.

The aim is to analyse the influence of financial technology on financial capability, behaviour, well-being, and vulnerability, while assessing the conditions under which digital financial tools can support resilient and inclusive financial decision-making.

Journal articles

Öhman, P., Nourallah, M., & El Kalak, I. (2025). Guest editorial: Navigating contemporary FinTech solutions: Revealing potential and challenges.
Financial Services Review, 33(3), i-v.

Diab, S., Nourallah, M., & Öhman, P. (2025). Borrowing from family and friends: Study of the European Union. Financial Services Review, 33(3), 48-60.

Nourallah, M., Chan, H. R., Chien, C. L., & Öhman, P. (2025). Financial capability, behavior, well‐being, and stress among financial advisors.
Financial Planning Review, 8(2), e70002.

Nourallah, M., Öhman, P., & Hamati, S. (2024). Financial technology and financial capability: Study of the European Union.
Global Finance Journal, 62, 101008.

Webinar

The rapid development of financial technology (FinTech) has captured the attention of individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses, and governments. Globalization and advanced technologies paved the way for FinTech to offer innovative business models which will most likely change the financial sector landscape. This webinar highlights the latest and notable FinTech business models such as Robo-financial advisor and Blockchain.

Panel discussion with experts from Oulu Business School (Finland), HSBC (UK), and Nordea Bank (Sweden), on 21 Jun 2021. The record was posted at the Almedalen Week, during summer of 2001.

The participants in the webinar were: CER researcher Mustafa Nourallah, Cora Pettipas. Ph.D. Global Senior Manager Financial Planning at HSBC, Teck Ming Tan. Ph.D. Assistant Professor at Oulu Business School and External Advisor at Helsinki Blockchain Center, and Anders Stenkrona. Ph.D. Behavioral Insights Expert at Nordea Growth and CEO of Stenkrona. The webinar was moderated by Dr. Christina Grandien, Media and Communication Science (MKV) at Mid Sweden University.

Link to the webinar: How and why FinTech changes the rules of the game