Insights

Market volatility isn’t just a headline—it’s a real risk for any business moving money across borders. When FX rates swing, interest rates spike, or trade policy shifts overnight, your international payment costs, timing, and compliance risks can all change in a matter of hours. In this guide, ...

One of the biggest frustrations with international wire payments is losing visibility the moment funds are sent. This one-pager explains how Ascendant’s Payment Tracking, powered by SWIFT gpi, gives you real-time insight into every stage of your payment’s journey. From correspondent banks used, to ...

International wires matter most to the clients who depend on them. This one-pager outlines how Ascendant’s aPay integration within Q2 helps financial institutions elevate the digital banking experience while simplifying global payments. Clients can send and manage international wires directly ...

There’s no turning back now, and the rest of the world knows it. The reciprocal tariffs set to be announced on Wednesday, April 2nd, won’t resolve uncertainty—they will merely mark the beginning. Whatever is unveiled will serve as the opening salvo of President Trump’s trade war. These tariffs will ...

The Evolving Landscape of Cross-Border Payments Cross-border payments are entering a new era. For businesses of every size, sending money internationally isn’t just about wiring funds—it’s about speed, accuracy, compliance, and keeping costs in check. In 2025, innovations like real-time rails, ...

The Japanese yen was the top-performing currency in February, appreciating by 3.05% due to a combination of rising Japanese interest rates and a decline in U.S. 10-year interest rates. As illustrated in the chart above, the USD weakened against the yen, dropping from approximately 159 in early ...

New 2025 tariffs are shaking up global trade and, with it, the cost and complexity of international payments. Businesses can’t afford to wait and see. Here’s what’s changed, what it means for your bottom line, and what you can do right now to protect margins and keep payments flowing. What’s ...

The CAD was the weakest performer in January, pressured by a rate cut from the Bank of Canada and renewed tariff threats from President Trump. In contrast, Japan saw the opposite trend—the Bank of Japan raised interest rates, and the absence of U.S. tariff threats helped the yen strengthen 1.45% ...

At the start of 2024, market consensus widely predicted that the U.S. Federal Reserve would slash interest rates six times, with speculation rising to as many as seven cuts by mid-January. A recession, deemed imminent, was expected to drive this aggressive monetary easing. However, as 2025 begins, ...

Building a modern global payments ecosystem takes more than technology. It takes the right partnerships.

Most businesses rely on traditional banks for international payments, but that often means high fees, slow processing, limited transparency, and manual rekeying. This one-pager breaks down the real differences between Ascendant and traditional banks, from payment execution and FX pricing to ...

The long-anticipated move has finally happened— the Federal Reserve kicked off the monetary easing cycle with a larger-than-expected 50 basis point rate cut, instead of the predicted 25 bps. But that’s just the beginning. The updated Dot Plot now projects eight more rate cuts by the end of 2025, up ...