Fintech South’s Got Something to Say
Recapping last week’s Fintech South conference, Glen interviews founders of the three startups selected as Innovation Challenge finalists- Hussain Punjani of Agentix, Nyah Chapman of LUXE AI and John Patton of Street Charity- then asks you to guess which the judges chose for the grand prize. Also- Rich & Regular hosts Julien and Kiersten Saunders get real about everyday finances, and Spirit Airlines’ data is worth how much to AI developers?!
The New Oil Fueling the Fintech Sandbox
Glen connects with Fintech Sandbox Executive Director Lucas Timberlake to discuss the state of fintech investing- with and without AI- and to learn about his nonprofit’s mission to bring critical financial data access to early stage fintechs. Also- friends say that PayPal and Stripe are… “talking,” and JD Power’s credit card rankings have a K-shaped tilt- and an asterisk for Navy Federal.
Christmas in July- The Fed Delivers New (2024) Payments Data
The Federal Reserve has a quirky pattern of sharing results of its flagship payments research over major holidays. Usually that holiday is the Christmas/New Years window, with initial findings from the Fed’s triennial Payments Study shooting down the chimney. For whatever reason this cycle’s initial results were delayed until the eve of America’s 250th birthday.
Is Trust Now the Most Precious Metal?
Glen meets with Edelman Smithfield Managing Director Deidre Campbell to break down the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, the public’s “retreat into insularity,” and the resulting action items for banks and credit unions. Also- Illinois turns its focus to BNPL while JD Power highlights an FI opportunity, X Money broadens its reach, and the murky NCUA waters begin to clear.
Fighting Amsterdam Fintech FOMO
Laura Gibson-Lamothe, the Georgia Fintech Academy’s Executive Director, provides firsthand coverage of the key takeaways from Money 20/20 Europe. Laura and Glen also discuss broader trends in talent development/demand and regional differences in banking (and smoking! ) regulation. Plus- process reflections spurred by the passing of longtime Fed Chair Alan Greenspan, and the Bank of England sets a new stablecoin standard.
A Remarkable Month for Interchange – But What Has Really Changed?
The interchange debate has been a perpetual moving target for the past few years. With the dust having apparently settled momentarily, let’s dive into some remarkable events that have occurred over May and June alone.
Financial Health, No Matter the Mission
Our second batch of interviews stemming from the Financial Health Network’s EMERGE conference, both with founders of compelling fintech startups: ROX CEO Lara Hodgson (breaking down barriers to SMB credit/liquidity) and Poncho CEO John Brown (financial wellness for military families). Also- the sudden twist in Fiserv’s turnaround story.
Join John Best at the next CU Town Hall Wednesday, July 15th, 2026 at 3 PM ET
Recorded live for the first time ever at ACU’s Strategic Growth Conference, this CU Town Hall took on a lively “Pardon the Interruption” format as John Best, Joe Keller (Visions), Karen Bejarano (TruWest), and Glen Sarvady (154 Advisors) tackled today’s most pressing industry issues. From the CFPB, open banking, stablecoins, AI & quantum, branch strategy, next-gen members/wealth transfer, fraud, and fintech partnerships—this fast-paced session delivered candid insights, audience interaction, and plenty of laughs.
Authentic Intelligence in Financial Health
Glen shares highlights from the Financial Health Network’s EMERGE conference, including interviews with a pair of trailblazing co-founders: Debbie Rewards’ Frida Leibowitz and Prosprous.ai’s Ted Leung. Also- Illinois kicks the interchange can down the road (again), Pope Leo pleads for humanity in AI, and a campaign to repurpose dopamine hits for financial wellness.
Are We Approaching an AI Trough of Disillusionment?
Glen and John dissect a recent online airing of grievances regarding AI’s perceived shortcomings. To Glen’s surprise, John finds validity to some of these criticisms. Also- the Pope weighs in, robots close the human gap, the term “neuro-symbolic AI” emerges, and the green shoots of a “slow tech” movement may be emerging.