RBC has upped its retention game with a new mobile renewal experience that vows "choice, convenience, and security." For a general helicopter overview, here's my consumer story about it in the Post.

Just as interesting as the consumer angle, however, are the competitive implications of this app and how it symbolizes banks evolving from stodgy institutions to tech-savvy hustlers.

Seemingly every year, it's like Groundhog Day in Canada's mortgage industry. New mortgage finance companies (MFCs) pop up like furry marmots, each one hoping to burrow into the insured mortgage market.

Meanwhile, only 1 in 6 new mortgages are insured, and there are already 20+ MFCs in a battle royale for that business.

Every new entrant sings the same song, "We're high tech, we shower you with service, our underwriters are wunderkinds, we have 'competitive rates,'" yada, yada. But, if you cut back the fluff, scaling an MFC comes down to one vital factor: strong uninsured funding...

...which brings us to Highclere Capital, a new MFC that'll debut in April.