This month’s session featured remarks from longtime industry thought leader Brian Bodell- including an update on the evolution of digital marketing/embedded finance platform Digital Storefront into Movemint, where he is now CEO. Also, John gives us a little sneak peak of the newly unveiled "unconference" -- CU Unplugged -- Hosted by Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) + Best Innovation Group at Visa’s Market Support Center in San Francisco on March 30th-April 2nd, 2026, including an Exclusive Discount Code only for CU Town Hall attendees and viewers. Make sure to watch the recording to grab your discount code! Register soon, the discount code is only valid through February 28th- https://www.cu-unplugged.com/
February 18, 2026
February 18, 2026
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Media
Glen shares his takeaways from Finovate Europe, including interviews with two standout demoing companies- Tweezr and Keyless. Also- $15 billion becomes the new $10 billion, and Illinois’ interchange glass looks less than half full.
America’s Credit Unions CEO Scott Simpson reflects on his first 90 days in the role and offers a preview of March’s Government Affairs Conference. Barlow Research Managing Partner Sandy Hanson shares new and unexpected insights on how SMBs prefer to engage with financial providers. Also- PayPal’s plunge brings another of our 2025 BIGgo squares back into play, and an insider’s uncommon take on FTX.
TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 10, 2026 — As fraud grows more coordinated and technologically sophisticated, credit unions and community banks face an urgent challenge: defending against networked threats with isolated tools.
Glen connects with Randy Salser to discuss his initial takeaways as NACUSO’s new CEO, and why this April’s Reimagine conference is a must-attend for credit unions as well as CUSOs. Also- Playing 3-D Chess with Trump Accounts, and a deep-pocketed twist on a de novo CU.
Glen speaks with Karen Houghton, Co-Founder/CEO of Infinite Giving, about how to narrow the financial services gap facing nonprofit entities. Also- the latest on the Credit Card Competition Act and proposed 10% rate cap, and a new forum for tackling the real-time issues facing credit unions.
It was our first episode of the year, and the BIGCast Gang got together once more for a CU Town Hall encore edition of their 2026 Credit Union Predictions conversation! In this interactive session, we explored what the year ahead might hold, unpacking uncertainty, opportunity, and the latest breaking news that’s surfaced since the original predictions podcast episode was recorded.
John and Glen connect with Defense Credit Union Council CEO Tony Hernandez to discuss CU Unplugged, the interactive credit union “un-conference” debuting in late March in San Francisco. Also, Glen surveys the chaos and mixed messaging stemming from the proposed 10% cap on credit card interest.
The BIGCast Gang ventures into the highly turbulent waters of 2026 fintech and credit union predictions- assessing the bright and dark sides of AI, vibe coding, the outlook for mergers, interest rates and of course, Bitcoin. Glen throws in a Rob Reiner/Stephen King reference for good measure.
The BIGCast Gang convenes for its annual roundup of the biggest stories impacting credit unions and fintechs (zero points awarded for guessing #1 on the list). Some Q1 headlines seem like ancient history, while others are gifts that just keep on giving. Bitcoin delivered its usual wild ride- but in 2025 it had plenty of company.
It’s our final episode of the year, and we closed it out with a special wrap-up of our 2025 Predictions BIGgo game! We revisited all the moments that had us wondering who would be the first to shout “BIG-GO!” and snag a free admission to any America’s Credit Union Council event in 2026. Grab your cards and jump in to this recording as we dive into the biggest stories and hottest trends that shaped the fintech and credit union industry in 2025. We celebrated the predictions we nailed, laughed about the ones we whiffed, and ran through every last bingo call in a fun, interactive finale.
We have a winner! John and Glen sort through the squares of our 2025 Bingo (or BIG-Go) cards to assess the “gimme” events, items that occurred but differently than expected, and a few things that didn’t wind up happening… yet.
Meet The BIGcast Network
The fintech industry is evolving rapidly, and the BIGcast is here to delve into its impact on the credit union industry. Our esteemed guests from across the financial, technology and security sectors will provide thrilling perspectives on the latest fintech innovations that are poised to revolutionize the way we handle our finances. Each week join thought-leader, John Best and subject matter expert, Glen Sarvady as they take a quick dive into the financial industry’s current breakthroughs and latest hot topics.
John Best
CEO, Best Innovation Group
Glen Sarvady
Managing Principal, 154 Advisors