Finovate Fall- Best of Show, Key Themes, and Cool Ideas
The always intriguing Finovate conference followed the rest of society into the digital sphere last week, adapting its tried-and true model of seven-minute demos of cutting edge financial technology just slightly for the new format. While the buzz of a packed auditorium devouring live demos was missing, the ideas being pitched were as compelling as ever.
The Curious World of Checks and Coins
Of all the havoc the coronavirus has wreaked on daily life, disruptions to payments behavior hardly tops the average consumer’s list. Nonetheless these impacts are real, and they matter quite a bit to leaders of credit unions and other financial services firms.
Digital Transformation and Consumer Psychology
Fintech thought leaders Brett King and Ron Shevlin share perspectives on taking transformation beyond buzzword status, pushing the right buttons to influence consumer financial health, and the disconnect between the stock market and the Main Street economy.
The Debate Continues- How Many Apps Should a Credit Unioan Offer?
A few weeks back John and Kevin initiated a spirited debate over the multiple tradeoffs baked into a credit union’s app strategy- user friendliness, functionality, ease of ongoing updates, etc. Check out our prior post for the first half of this conversation, particularly on whether it’s best to offer a single all-inclusive app addressing every banking need, or a compact ”everyday” app along with a series of others suited for less frequent needs like mortgage applications.
The Way We Pay- Before and After COVID
Glen chats with the Atlanta Fed’s Claire Greene about the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, including new data on behavior at the height of the pandemic. Also- PPP lending leaders, good and bad news for checks, and a caution flag on the payroll tax.
Seizing the Growth Opportunity for Mid-Sized Credit Unions
Last month I wrote about how credit unions’ stagnant market share of 7% of US consumer deposits should not be acceptable to industry leaders. Our member growth stats have been decent, but what really matters at the end of the day is Primary Financial Institution (PFI) status- the goal is for a bank or credit union to establish itself as the centerpiece of daily financial life, the first place a consumer turns when financial help is needed.
FedNOW… in 2023? The Allure of Instant Payments
The Federal Reserve stirred the pot in 2018 when it requested comments on its offering a real-time payments network, since branded as FedNOW. Credit unions and community banks encouraged the Fed’s entry into the real-time market as a way to ensure widespread access to this important new capability.
How Many Apps Does a Credit Union Need?
Financial technology can be complicated stuff- and anyone who claims there are easy answers to the challenges facing credit unions probably hasn’t analyzed the issues closely enough. Faced with complex problems, well-informed people can reach different conclusions. A great example of this came recently when BIG’s leaders traded thoughts on how credit unions should approach their mobile app strategy.
COVID’s Impacts Illustrate the Value of MemberPass in our New Normal
One of the most bizarre byproducts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been its effect on credit union branch protocol. As recently as this winter, the idea of a masked man walking up to a teller window would have been unheard of, if not downright illegal. Four months later, many credit unions have enacted policies requiring masks for entry.
You Can’t Fake Digital
Digital Banking Report’s Jim Marous joins our Credit Union Digital Town Hall to discuss the need to offer even greater online convenience in a post-COVID world. Also- Glen wonders whether the recent trade press merger could present a Kumbaya moment.