Banking Transformed with Jim Marous

To differentiate product and service offerings going forward, legacy financial institutions must focus on building a distribution network that combines the qualities of human interaction with the power of new technologies. The design and utilization of physical branch spaces must also be rethought for a future where the efficiency and effectiveness of branches must be maximized. Our guest on the B...

The X1 credit card harnesses the power of technology to offer higher credit limits, an aggressive rewards program, and unique automated features driven by a mobile app. Created by Twitter alums Deepak Rao and Siddharth Batra, and supported by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin and Instagram’s former head of product, Kevin Weil, the X1 card targets younger consumers who want a tech-savvy, elegantly desi...

The importance of a digital banking platform that is flexible, powerful and affordable has never been more important. Banking organizations of all sizes are partnering with solution providers that can help them catch up with a marketplace that has never moved faster. Financial institutions must find solutions that are built for banking, can be deployed quickly, and can be scaled in a manner that a...

In March of 2021, Square Financial Services officially launched its bank after receiving its Industrial Loan Company license from the FDIC a year prior. The Salt Lake City-based bank, is owned by Square, a fintech worth more than all but four US banks according to the KBW Bank Index. Square Financial Services will offer banking services like deposits and other products, initially to service a nati...

Every financial institution must evaluate how to adapt technology strategies to support business change, operational resiliency and digital response. More than ever, the ability to innovate at speed and scale has become a core competitive requirement. In this year’s Digital Banking Report, 'Innovation in Retail Banking 2021', sponsored by Infosys Finacle and Efma, it was found that innovation is b...

Most core banking operations run on aging platforms that were deployed in the 1980s and 1990s. These platforms are either homegrown or heavily customized since their origination. The needs of the digital consumer and functionality required by banks going forward require solutions that enable and support the digital transformation journey of financial institutions that are endeavoring to become fut...

Recent events have put a spotlight on the urgent need for financial institutions to advance financial inclusion initiatives. Beyond responding to recent regulatory developments to provide economic opportunities to underserved and unserved sectors, there also a strong business case for banks and credit unions to align purpose and profits. That said, is the banking industry doing more than simply ta...

In lending, the best offer usually wins. While some consumers still make the decision based on rate, an increasing number base their borrowing decision on the speed and simplicity of the process. S&P Global Market Intelligence expects U.S. digital lender origination volumes to grow at a compound annual rate of 26% between 2021 and 2025. This is driven mostly by fintech lenders that make borrowing...

The banking industry is in the midst of an exciting revolution in which power has shifted from the financial institution to the consumer. Consumers are impacting the entire customer journey, from the buying process, through customer engagement, and on to loyalty. At the core of this marketing revolution is the use of data, analytics and technology to drive results. One of the most important techno...

With consumers spending an average of 7.5 hours a day on various media platforms, ‘convenience’ in banking must now expand beyond store-centric factors to delivering digital convenience, with speed, simplicity, and empathy. Increasingly. consumers and employees expect a greater value proposition from their financial institution that will instill loyalty and support a broader brand promise. We are...

An important component of digital banking transformation is to be able to improve efficiency and productivity in your organization while also helping employees to serve customers better. With complex customer engagements, you need to ensure that the right people are engaged at the right part of the customer journey, using a scheduling tool that reflects the customer need, expertise required, timin...

The premise of the book, The Rise of Technosocialism, is that mankind is coming to a fork in the road. Climate change, emerging artificial intelligence, social and economic upheaval, and the clash between patriotic nationalism and the inevitability of globalism are coalescing into a crucible. The reality is that technology will be at the center of all of these changes. Our guest today on the Banki...

As a financial institution is preparing to engage in a data-driven strategy, where do they begin? First, it’s important to understand that data transformation is a marathon, not a sprint. Successful financial institutions must align themselves around five critical keys that will lead them through a holistic data-driven strategy roadmap. Our guests today on the Banking Transformed podcast are Jason...

According to a recent Harris Poll, 40% of respondents said they are likely to leave their primary financial institution for digital banking that compares to an online shopping experience. New benchmarks have been set as to what is acceptable regarding digital experiences at financial institutions. While consumers still want to bank with community institutions, these smaller firms must accelerate d...

Capco recently published research offering insights into how banks can modernize their digital banking experience to include the personalization customers expect and prefer. The study finds that regardless of age, over 70% of customers rank personalization as highly important to their banking experience. The study not only delves into how to engage customers initially, but also how to retain custo...

With consumers strapped for cash during these turbulent times, traditional and non-traditional financial firms are expanding financing options to support consumer and merchant needs. One of the newest solutions modernizes the old-school layaway or retail installment loan offering for the digital world. The Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) concept allows consumers to take possession of merchandise before...

Recently, I had the opportunity to join Ron Shevlin in a unique debate on the future of financial services. Refereed by Jason Henrichs, the CEO at Alloy Labs Alliance, this debate was done in the style of championship title fight, complete with silk robes, a debate timer and an enthusiastic audience that attended the MX Money Experience Summit at the Snowbird Resort in Utah. We debated the future...

Marketing is at the center of a massive transformation, driven new technologies, real-time data analytics, and major scientific advances that will power the future of the banking industry. More than ever, we need a new framework for communication, engagement and loyalty. Financial marketers need to understand this new paradigm, and prepare to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead or risk becomi...

What can legacy financial institutions learn from the first online-only bank? Founded in 1999, First Internet Bank reimagined the traditional banking model as the first state-chartered, FDIC-insured institution to operate entirely online. What makes First Internet Bank different than other competitors that were established at about the same time, but were later either shuttered or absorbed by othe...

Inclusive and accessible digital experiences are more important now than ever before. 61 million adults in the US live with a disability and the average American reads to a 7th/8th grade level. Are your digital platforms, content, campaigns and social media posts easily accessed and understood by all? Or are you excluding huge portions of your online audience? We are very fortunate to have James D...

What makes a fintech firm or challenger bank different from a legacy financial institution? Is it the products offered or the digital platform? Or is it deeper than that? In discussions with dozens of fintech organizations as part of this podcast, I believe there is a completely different mindset at most fintech firms. What I have also found is that this ‘challenger mindset’ doesn’t need to exist...

As more companies navigate the return-to-office movement, management teams are faced with an increased urgency of finding, training and retaining quality talent while also creating an inclusive environment for hybrid working. It is increasingly clear that the path to long-term relevance is through leveraging human capital. But, in most cases, this will require cultural changes that will banks and...

Historically, the banking industry viewed innovation as a way to add more to a product or service. The focus was often on technology, competitive offerings and ecosystems and not often enough about the customer. The world has changed … in an instant. More than ever, consumers want ways to transact and engage in a way that is easy, intuitive and emotional. Simplicity has taken center stage in the i...

Embedded finance enables businesses to seamlessly integrate financial services into their business models, providing banking, credit, payments, or other services — efficiently and at the consumer’s point of need. According to Accenture, 47% of non-financial companies said their companies have already invested in embedded finance offerings. The vast majority of these firms also stated that embedded...

Bitcoin is taking another step toward mainstream adoption, as customers of some U.S. banks will soon be able to buy, hold and sell bitcoin through their existing accounts. According to research by Cornerstone Advisors, 60% of crypto owners would use their bank to invest in cryptocurrencies. Even though interest from traditional banking firms is still rather low, could Bitcoin represent a missed op...