With UK consumer confidence increasing, competition among banks is stronger than ever. Austerity has left consumers cautious, while 24/7 banking has given more access and control over personal finance. But what do people want, and how can banks entice them to switch?

Attitudes to PINs and passwords are pretty lax; 25% of people use the same code for every card. Intelligent Environments is hoping to reinvent passwords, replacing numbers with a combination of four emojis. Can the fastest growing language come to dominate our PIN codes as they do our texts?

Are Gen Yers splurging their cash when they should be saving? Are they really saying no to home ownership? Do they actually have no use for brick-and-mortar bank branches? Canvas8 sat down with British men and women between the ages of 18 and 35 to find out where their cash really goes.

Whether pinging your colleague a PDF or sending a mate an mp3, email attachments are the norm. And Google Wallet now allows UK users to attach cash to their emails, too. But in a financial landscape rife with privacy concerns, do people really want bank transfers to be as easy as sending an email?

Fashionistas rejoice – payment options are no longer limited to uninspiring bank cards or plain old cash. Topshop has teamed up with bPay to launch a range of contactless accessories that'll complement your outfit. But is Gen Z really that bothered by fintech? Can payments really be fun?

Retail investment is changing, with algorithms set to replace personal advisors as Wall Street is ‘Uber-ified’. Aiming to give Gen Yers more control over their cash, Motif Investing lets users build their portfolios by theme, from gay-friendly to fossil-free. Can it give the robots a run for their money?

In the centre of New York, an 11,000 square foot open-plan space accommodates a plethora of young professionals who talk, laugh and work with their heads together over laptops. This is Rise, the latest space Barclays has opened in which to incubate the most innovative of fintech start-ups.

For a generation of young Australians, traditional banking models are losing their lustre, and the financial sector is getting a digital shakedown. Whether you need a loan to buy livestock or help through medical school, peer-to-peer lender SocietyOne is offering a different solution.