What Makes SPACs So Special?

Glen chats with Wall Street veteran and Forbes contributor Jeff Gapusan about the meteoric rise of SPACs and the sudden appeal of this obscure (until recently) investment vehicle. Als
The Future (and Past) of Cash

Like virtually every aspect of life, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our relationship with cash- perhaps permanently in some aspects, but temporarily in others. This makes it an intriguing time for an industry conference titled The Future of Cash. I’m sure some snarky folks will quip that cash has no future.
Hacking a Tesla? Or a Credit Union?

“Recovering hacker” Alissa Knight shares her frightening first-hand experience breaching dozens of mobile banking apps and other Internet of Things embedded systems. Also- Ant Financials’ lower valuation and the UK’s Buy Now Pay Later reckoning.
The GameStop Aftermath- What to Watch For

If I gave you a tip in early January on a stock that proceeded to triple in price in less than a month you’d be pretty happy, right? That’s hardly the prevailing attitude about GameStop, however. Of course, this is because the until-recently disregarded stock was briefly up more than twenty-fold in the interim.
Car Buyers and Rule Makers

Credit Union Journal editor Aaron Passman discusses the trends he’s watching in the credit union space- including unexpected car shopping, states revamping regulation, and the ongoing hunt for scale. Plus the latest twists in the GameStop/Reddit saga.
Placing WallStreetBets on GameStop

John and Glen have very different views on the causes and impacts behind the investment activity roiling GameStop, AMC, and other stocks. Their spirited debate considers whether Robinhood is really robbing the rich and if there are any good guys in this battle, among other issues.
Plaid Direct Deposit- Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

You’ve probably seen the bumper stick that reads, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” Based on recent news I’m offering a new spin for leaders of credit unions and community banks: If you’re not terrified, you’re not paying attention.
Where Will the SolarWinds Blow Next?

For a few weeks in December the SolarWinds software breach was big news. Like so many events these days, however, it was soon crowded out of the headlines- which I suspect is just fine with security experts, who prefer to combat these threats outside the glare of attention.
Consumers Want Digital- But What Does That Mean?

Glen speaks with Karl Dahlgren about BAI’s annual Banking Outlook and some potential disconnects between consumer and industry focus areas. Also, the latest on Affirm, Plaid, Walmart’s fintech foray, and changes at the CFPB and OCC.
Predicting Bitcoin’s Price- and Other Fool’s Errands

lready feels trivial to revisit 2020’s twists and turns, but we at BIG believe it’s important to hold ourselves to account. Our last blog assessed the accuracy of several of the fintech predictions we made as the curtain raised on 2020, including Big Tech incursions, strategic acquisitions and security breaches.