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Financial data APIs have become an important part of the financial technology landscape. They link internal data sources and external access to financial data, depending on the type of API and the use case stipulations governing its use. Financial data APIs are helping to fuel the development of financial products as well as streamline operational data-involved processes internally.
Key Benefits of Financial Data APIs
Financial data APIs are useful for a variety of reasons. They can improve internal data sharing and operational efficiency, provide an additional source of revenue by charging for external use by partners, and fuel fintech development. Depending on the parameters set regarding developer use of the API in question, the financial institution may benefit handsomely from allowing API access to external developers. Internal developers with API access can provide the institution with new product offerings as well as insights that may inform product development and organizational strategy.
Internal Data Sharing — One of the primary reasons to use financial data APIs is for internal sharing of financial data. In a large financial institution, data can become very siloed and difficult to access for those not working directly with it on a daily basis. Financial APIs open up access to those data sources, helping to improve transparency and allow easier internal data sharing.
Partner Integrations — Another reason to use financial data APIs is to strengthen partner integrations with a financial institution. Giving partners access to valuable data sources strengthens the connection between products.
Internal Product Development — Financial data APIs can help fuel internal product teams’ development processes. They can leverage the data accessed via the API to drive the creation of new products.
Financial services institutions of all shapes and sizes use financial data APIs.
Fintech Companies — Fintechs make good use of financial data APIs. They are increasingly leveraging access to these valuable data sets to inform product decisions.
Financial Institutions — Traditional financial companies are using financial data APIs to create products, share data internally, and fuel partner integrations. As the institutions with the largest financial datasets, the opening of those datasets to the world at large (with obvious privacy and data sharing restrictions in place) is key to enhancing the fintech product landscape.
There are three types of APIs in the finance industry: internal APIs, private APIs, and open APIs.
Internal APIs — Internal APIs are used by individuals, usually developers, within an organization. These APIs are designed to share various internal data sources across the organization. The goal of leveraging these APIs is to increase operational efficiency and improve processes by streamlining internal data access.
Private APIs — Private APIs are limited-use APIs for financial institutions’ business partners to tighten up partner integrations. Financial institutions can monetize the use of these APIs and often leverage their use to enhance security across partnerships.
Open APIs — Open APIs are used to share financial data with a wide range of potential users. These APIs often limit the amount and type of information that is accessible, and the API creator often vets users prior to granting them access. However, these APIs drive product and application creation by developers who use the data accessed by the API to shape their product.
Financial data APIs often include, but are not limited to, the following features:
Data Syncing — Syncs data across multiple applications.
Live Feed — Provides live data input from source to application.
Open Interface — Allows external connections once properly vetted.
Security — Data security is paramount these days. API creators have to ensure there are strong security features built in and that the right data is only accessible to the right people.
Data Sharing Policy — APIs must navigate the constantly shifting regulatory landscape that governs data sharing. As more personal data than ever before is housed by the various companies we provide with that data, developers have to ensure that the data they are sharing is legally and properly shared. Privacy is a large concern, so financial data APIs must be designed with that in mind.