Banking Transformed with Jim Marous

Leveraging modern technology, data, analytics and digital distribution, market leaders can use innovation to support new business models and create improved experiences. Despite these opportunities, new research by the Digital Banking Report has found that most organizations consider themselves to be behind the curve with both digital transformation and innovation. Part of the challenge is the lac...

Research shows that the biggest banks and fintech firms are doing best at delivering digital experiences, while smaller banks and credit unions often struggle. How can mid-tier organizations keep pace with consumer and small business expectations? Where should an organization start? How can you prioritize initiatives and partner with third-party solutions providers and fintech firms to innovate an...

According to a recent study from Ernst & Young, 37% of consumers now say a FinTech firm is their most-trusted financial services brand, compared with 33% who name a bank as their most-trusted brand. More concerning is that Among U.S. consumers, 31% name a FinTech as their primary financial relationship (PFR), up from just 6% in 2019. Much of this shift has been caused by the shift to digital provi...

Consumers have grown to expect personalized digital experiences across all channels and throughout the entire customer journey. Much more than just good targeting for offers, organizations need to engage contextually, in real time, helping consumers reach their financial goals. Achieving personalization at scale is a daunting task for the majority of banks and credit unions. This is where the powe...

In February of this year, LendingClub closed the acquisition of Radius Bank, becoming a full-spectrum fintech marketplace bank and among the first fintech companies to buy a bank. LendingClub’s long-term vision is to pursue a platform strategy expanding the use of a variety of financial products and services by their 3 million members, while providing transaction integration and processing capabil...

Founded in 1935, Alliant Credit Union was created to serve the employees of United Airlines. With most members traveling across the globe, the top 10 credit union had far fewer branches than other firms its size. Today, it has transformed itself into a digital-first financial institution with no branches and a nationwide presence. To cement its leadership position, Alliant named Dennis Devine as t...

More than ever in the past, data and applied analytics is being used to transform business models and create more personalized, streamlined experiences tailored to the needs and preferences of consumers and businesses alike. To compete in the future, banks and credit unions must be at the center of a good data ecosphere, serving as trusted data custodians, proving real-time value to customers. Mor...

Data is the foundation for the entire digital transformation process, allowing organizations to make better real-time decisions and enable the movement from being product-led to being experience-led organizations. Firms that have invested in data transformation have seen tangible results through improved business models. But, data transformation is challenging because of the structure of current d...

At a time when the competitiveness in the banking industry is more intense than ever, and the need for digital transformation has never been greater, is the viability of smaller community organizations at risk? Is there a way for community banks and credit unions to stand out in a world of digital giants? To dive deeper into the viability of community banking organizations, we have Gabe Krajicek,...

McKinsey found that 90% of executives “believe that the COVID-19 crisis will fundamentally change the way they do business over the next five years.” Unfortunately, only 21% “feel confident that they are prepared to capture new growth opportunities.” At a time when technology solutions are abundant, an innovation culture is required more than ever in banking. This is because status quo is not an o...

The pandemic disrupted the entire planet, changing consumer behavior, altering business and government assumptions, and dramatically impacting business plans. The future is still unclear, but the opportunities (and risks) are immense. What lies ahead will define winners and losers. From adoption of new technologies to a redefined future of work, and new innovation culture, digital banking transfor...

The way people and businesses shop for and buy financial services has been altered dramatically since the pandemic. No longer needing to go to a physical location, consumers can do their research, purchasing and ongoing engagement on their phone. But just because banks and credit unions have enabled consumers to open and use accounts digitally doesn’t mean they will. Growth is not a given ... and...

Modern technology is providing institutions with opportunities that expand well beyond traditional financial services. As part of digital banking transformation, financial institutions can process data and engage with consumers in ways never before possible. Tools such as open banking, cloud computing, AI and Platformification have become table stakes for remaining competitive. The question is, ho...

The pandemic has caused many banks to rethink their branch network strategy. For banks to be positioned for a future that includes greater reliance on digital delivery, organizations must explore ways that technology can enable stronger human interactions as well. It is clear that the role of the branch has changed dramatically over the past decade, but the importance of human connection still rem...

What is the foundation used to drive growth in an financial institution? If it's not data - it should be. Banks and credit unions have a wealth of insights that live within their account holder data. But, managing all of this data, and the accelerated speed at which it flows into the ecosystem can cripple an institution. Now more than ever, organizations must focus on leveraging both internal and...

Before the rise of PayPal, Venmo, and dozens of other new payment solutions, banks didn't look at the payments function as an epicenter for innovation. Times have changed. Digitization of front, middle, and back office processes, plus an explosion of fintech experimentation around the world, have turned the payments function into a competitive weapon rather than a cost center. In parallel, the ris...

Despite increased investment in digital initiatives, financial institutions continue to be concerned that they are falling behind with digital transformation efforts that are needed to build real, long-term competitive advantages. Enabling digital engagement is not enough. Banks and credit unions must re-imagining banking from the inside out, changing both how banking is done, as well as what will...

In 2009, Shamir Karkal and several colleagues created the first digital-only bank of its kind in the U.S. Struggling to describe the benefits of a bank without branches, getting funding was a difficult process. As it turned out, Simple not only grew, but was one of the first neobanks to be acquired by a legacy financial institution. When Shamir tried to generate interest for his new financial tech...

Competition in the financial services sector has never been more intense. Banking boundaries, that once were defined geographically, have expanded globally as a result of digital functionality. While neighborhood financial institutions built their businesses on domestic transactions, today’s consumer and small businesses are sending and receiving funds from all around the world more frequently tha...

In order to survive in an increasingly competitive market, financial organizations must be able to correctly identify consumers to streamline the account opening and credit application processes. This includes those with limited profiles, which has long been a shortcoming of the banking industry. It’s important that organizations use new sources of data to combat fraud and improve the customer exp...

Some experts predict the demise of community banking organizations, that are challenged by changed consumer behavior, outdated infrastructure, an evolving competitive landscape, and the high cost of digital transformation. Is there a viable niche for community banks and credit unions in an industry that is increasingly dominated by huge mega-banks, or are we entering an era of ‘too small to succee...

The marketplace is being disrupted by firms that were built on digital platforms. Their agility, foundation of data, analytics and modern technology position these firms advantageously in a world that wants personalization, speed and simplicity of engagement. Which companies will thrive and which will get crushed by the powerful forces in the global business landscape now at work? How can legacy o...

More than at any time in the past, the largest banks in the U.S. have capitalized on their customers’ increased willingness to use digital financial services. U.S. Bank, the sixth largest bank in the country, has been one of the leaders in going beyond the basics in digital banking transformation. From streamlining new account opening and onboarding processes, to creating new ways to manage financ...

Consumers are shopping for products and services, opening accounts, and building relationships using the channels they prefer. More than ever before, this is done on a mobile phone or online. The only way to support new account opening and deepen existing relationships is by seamlessly aligning your branches, call centers, and digital channels with a modern account opening and onboarding process....

Companies that use disruption as an opportunity for innovation emerge from it stronger, while companies that merely attempt to 'weather the storm' until things go back to normal miss an opportunity to thrive. Transformation is not a project or a destination, but a continuous process of adapting to a volatile and uncertain environment. But where does a financial institution begin? On this episode,...