Data-Driven Finance: The Financial Intelligence Podcast

Our guest on this episode of Data Driven Finance is Jeff Cain, VP Fintech Research at Fidelity Investments. Before that he was Head of Partnerships at Brightside and spent eight years at Yodlee. Jeff got his Bachelor's Degree in Economics at Stanford and a Masters from Harvard. We're not really talking about Fidelity; we're going bigger picture and getting Jeff's personal take on wealth building and tech's role in that. Topics covered include: How customers can be segmented to track behaviors, demographics, and goals. Are behaviors driving technology or are tech innovations changing what consumers want? How are finserv businesses doing at keeping up with consumer demands and innovating around those? What are the big trends in financial consumer behavior? And likewise, what are the coming trends in fintech? When it comes to the third-party apps and players, what's going to separate the winners from the losers? Why should banks and financial institutions fully embrace APIs, data sharing, and open banking? What to look forward to and what to be cautious about as we move through 2025.   Helpful Links: Fidelity Center for Applied Technology Jeff Cain on LI

Our guest on this episode of Data Driven Finance is Gretchen Rodriguez, Head of Product for Payments at TD Bank. She approaches products with an entrepreneur's mindset and has designed and launched products in fintech, e-commerce, cybersecurity, and identity & trust. Gretchen spent time as Product Owner at eBay, serves on a couple of boards, and is a product adviser to Med Fem Wellness. We talk about emerging payments and the ecosystems that support it. Topics covered include: The way we pay for products and services is changing. Consumer behaviors around how they make and want to make online payments. The ideal end game for payments from a consumer's point of view. The obstacles still in the way of seamless, superior payment systems. How can we accomplish the interconnectivity required for improved payment experiences? The opportunities open banking offers for opening and funding accounts. Additional benefits of connectivity for business account holders. The payment enhancements that are being explored today. A warning for the banks allowing themselves to fall behind.

Our guests on this episode of Data Driven Finance are Stephen Fishman and Matt McLarty, authors of the book “Unbundling the Enterprise – APIs, Optionality, and the Science of Happy Accidents.” Stephen is North America Field CTO at Boomi and a Strategic Advisor at Revenium, while Matt is Boomi's Chief Technology Officer. There's a lot in the book about APIs, what they can power, and how they can be leveraged to create the experiences we'll be experiencing ahead. Topics covered include: What finance businesses should know about what APIs can do that tech experts already know? Why companies who leveraged APIs early rapidly became some of the biggest in the world. Did you know Google Maps never intended to make their API available to third party developers? Hear why they did. Who are the financial businesses that gave themselves an advantage years ago? What does it mean to “unbundle the enterprise”? How are financial institutions doing in terms of awareness and adoption of API opportunities? What is capability capitalization? Why it's better for finserv companies to go on offense with optionality than to engage in “reluctant compliance” with regulations. The three methodologies financial businesses need for an effective API strategy. The value in data being non-fungible, non-rivalrous, and experience-dependent. What are the risks of this kind of API-driven digital transformation? Helpful Links Stephen Fiscman Matt McLarty Unbundling the Enterprise book Boomi Yodlee 

Our guest on this episode of Data Driven Finance is Steve Szpytek, SVP and Head of Consumer Product Development at Axos Bank. Axos Bank is a diversified technology-driven financial services company with a well-balanced portfolio of verticals within the bank. Topics discussed include: How technology is moving so fast, there's always a new product out there to help you service or enhance your platform that needs to be vetted. Balancing what's available vs. what really going to move the need for customers. The importance of mobile and why 70-75% of Axos Bank's customers interact with the bank on the mobile app. How connecting accounts provides a better, fuller picture of the customer than the traditional small deposit verification method. The enormous advantages of account linking for personalization and more targeted customer offers. The four pillars that comprise Axos Bank's strategy: customer/user experience, tracking, training, and communication. The move toward better, easier, faster, simpler loan applications and processing. The vital nature of transparency for trust building. What's most on the minds these days of those tasked with creating financial customer products. Are physical banks on their way out? Some Helpful Links Steve Szpytek on LinkedIn Axos Bank Envestnet Yodlee

Our guest on this episode of Data Driven Finance is Kat Cloud, Principal Director of Open Banking Compliance at Yodlee. Kat is also a Board member at the Financial Data Exchange, and prior to her time at Yodlee was head of UK Public Policy for Plaid. We discuss open banking compliance, specifically touching on the new CFPB 1033 regulations, which are important for all financial institutions to be aware of. Topics covered include: What is open banking? How does it differ from how financial institutions operate today? What has to happen for open banking to reach its full promise? API as the “plumbing” behind financial data connections. What is the CFPB Section 1033 rule? What kind of data is and isn't included under the 1033 rule. What happens if banks don't meet the 1033 rule deadlines? What all this means for innovation in finserv and fintech. How are banks responding to both the rule and the timeline for it? How are all these stakeholders going to achieve true standardization? What does a new administration mean for the 1033 rule?   Helpful Links CFPB website New Yodlee open banking page FDX (Financial Data Exchange)

Our guest this episode is Larry Rosenberger, Research Fellow at FICO and formerly CEO and VP of R&D at FICO. The views Larry expresses in this episode are his and not necessarily those of FICO. He's also an advisor and serves on multiple Boards of Directors for early-stage startups. Larry came out of MIT and the UC Berkeley College of Engineering. We talk about predictive and behavior analytics for decision-making, covering such topics as: How the FICO Score got started. What FICO brings to the financial system beyond the score. What is the Champion/Challengers approach to analytics with a learning element attached? The 3-step method for evaluating where you stand in your career. An overview of predictive analytics. The evolution from predictive only analytics to prescriptive analytics. The four pillars of behavior analytics. Creating conversations that actually work. Some helpful links: Fico.com Larry Rosenberger on LinkedIn Envestnet Yodlee    

Our guest this episode is Avery Miller, VP and Head of Digital Consumer Product and the Avion Rewards Platform at RBC. Avery got his MBA at the University of Richmond and spent time before going to RBC at Capital One and PayPal. We talk about how connected finance impacts shopping and card use and loyalty programs. Topics include: How are financial services organizations doing at keeping up with modern shopper expectations, wants, and needs? How consumer expectations are changing generation to generation. Where the data that powers purchasing and rewards programs comes from. How interconnectivity is being achieved to facilitate shopping and payments. Implicitly and explicitly given data and the proper way to use that data for better consumer experiences. Is the current infrastructure enough to build the connected finance ecosystem of tomorrow? The impact cloud, AI, and quantum computing will have on verifiable sources of trust. What are the odds we can ever get to open banking on a global scale? Helpful Links: Avion Rewards Avery Miller on LinkedIn Envestnet Yodlee

Our guest today is Chris Gifford, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at USAA Bank. We talk about data strategies, building with a mobile-first mentality and why people remain at the heart of innovation, covering such topics as: Working for a mission-driven organization and how this shapes USAA's approach to data and analytics. The value of Advice as a product – and how data drives better outcomes for the consumer. How institutions can embrace innovation in a measured approach, while still moving at the speed of change. Near- and longer-term applications for AI in banking. Where and how the banking industry is finding innovation outside of AI. What data and analytics capabilities does a major bank in 2024 need to thrive? Helpful Links: USAA Bank Chris Gifford on LinkedIn Envestnet Yodlee  

Our guest this episode is Justin Zeidman, VP of Digital Strategy at Navy Federal Credit Union. We talk about how credit unions are approaching and adopting digital transformation and leveraging digital financial data. Topics covered include:  How the credit union membership model differs from other banking institutions. Balancing tech with maintaining the human touch value proposition of credit unions. How credit unions are approaching open banking and connected finance. The security concerns around connected finance. How the regulatory environment affects credit unions. Executing digital transformation in legacy financial institutions How a more open flow of data might change the lending process for borrowers. Helpful Links Navy Federal Credit Union Envestnet Yodlee

Bruce Schilder, North American Open Banking and Fintech Lead at Accenture. Bruce comes out of Syracuse's Whitman School of Management, and before Accenture spent time at JPMorgan Chase and Sterling National Bank. We talk about open banking and digital transformation in banking from a consulting perspective. Topics covered include: How far we've already come in open banking. Achieving the balance of all the conveniences data can provide while reassuring consumers their data is used properly. Can existing infrastructures accommodate the connected finance future? How is the US set up compared to other countries and regions in establishing finance frameworks and standards? The factors challenging financial institutions from enacting digital transformations. What the competitive environment looks like in terms of speed of technology adoption. The new norm of data being shared beyond the four walls of a financial institution. Advice for financial organizations from a big picture perspective. Helpful Links Bruce Schilder on LinkedIn Accenture Envestnet Yodlee 

In this episode, we talk with Dustin De Vincentis, Global Head of Financial Services at Alumni Services. Dustin comes out of Columbia business school and has spent time at JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley before joining Alumni Services. Dustin comments about the often rocky world of digital transformation in financial services, with topics such as: What was learned at places like JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley that you carried into the FS startup world? If change, including digital transformation harder to accomplish in financial services vs. other verticals? How do you integrate business strategies with new technologies? Which of those things tends to drive the other? What is the best and most effective ways to go about implementing change in a highly risk-averse industry and organization? Who makes a good B2B partner for a finserv company? What are the characteristics of a good, mutually beneficial relationship? Helpful Links: Alumniserv.com Dustin De Vincentis LinkedIn Resources.yodlee.com/podcasts

Our guest this episode is Steve Boms, Founder and President at Allon Advocacy and also Executive Director of the Financial Data & Technology Association. Steve comes out of Penn State and has worked at Capital One, the International Securities Exchange, and the US House of Representatives assisting a senior member of the Financial Services Committee. We talk about regulations and government relations in financial services. Topics include: Who needs a lobbyist? How do the countries stack up against each other in terms of regulation readiness for open banking? Dodd Frank passed into law in 2010 but we're only talking about the regulations going into place at the end of 2024. Why? What are the metrics we should be looking at that will indicate we're moving toward connected finance in the right way and at the right speed? What must the consumer be reassured of when it comes to asking them to offer up their data? Why financial services is one of the first verticals being looked at for the application of data regulation. How data access will bring more competition which will bring more benefits to consumers. Helpful Links: Allon Advocacy Financial Data & Technology Association Steve Boms on LinkedIn Envestnet Yodlee

Our guest this episode is Jose Tagunicar, Product Strategy, Analytics, and Risk Management at Stratyfy. Jose was previously with FICO and Equifax. We talk about the latest takeaways from the FICO World 2024 gathering in San Diego, as well as how AI is being planned for and applied, particularly in the credit and lending space of finserv. Topics covered include: Why do smaller lenders tend to struggle against the big banks? Striking the right balance between tech/algorithms and human judgment in lending. Personalization and hyper-personalization in lending. What is a healthy approach to risk-aversion? The benefits of accelerated evaluation. What AI can and cannot do in lending. How are we making sure the data being used to make lending decisions is sound? What it takes for alternative forms of credit to be competitive. Transparency = table stakes. Top takeaways from FICO World 2024. Helpful Links: Stratyfy.com FICO Jose Tagunicar LinkedIn Envestnet Yodlee

In this episode, we speak with David Snitkof, entrepreneur and SVP of Growth at Ocrolus about bringing lending institutions the data they need to make more efficient and effective assessments of potential borrowers while also evening the lending playing field for those borrowers. In our discussion we cover things like: Why it's so important to have a credit system that is fair, active, and efficient. The ingredients for getting buy-in for internal innovations. Is online lending some kind of threat to traditional lenders or the data they use? What's the right kind of data to use for making loans and where do you get it? What can happen if lending institutions can't access reliable data on applicants. How uncertainty and asymmetry play into vetting and making loans. The affect AI is having and is likely to have on online lending. What is a “superhuman underwriter”? Useful Links: Fintechaireview.com Ocrolus.com Envestnet Yodlee

In this episode we talk with Jean-Paul LaClair, Senior Director of Product and Financial Data Exchange about the best ways to pursue open finance through adoption of systems and standards. Jean-Paul came out of Cornell University with a BA in Economics and Sociology, and prior to landing at Financial Data Exchange worked at USAA and M&T Bank. We cover topics like: What's lacking in our conventional approaches to lending? How do we build a financial ecosystem that serves everyone? What exactly is open finance? How exactly does open finance benefit consumers and customers? How do you get so many players in finance to coalesce around one standard? What are the security concerns around open finance and data-sharing? Who are the member organizations that would participate in open finance? Useful Links: Financialdataexchange.org

In this episode we speak with Michael Whitt, President and Co-founder of ApexEdge, about subscription-based products and services and how financial institutions can offer superior customer experiences related to subscriptions. In our discussion we cover things like: The disparities between consumers and providers. Why are so many businesses moving to subscription instead of ownership business models? Why subscriptions cancellation may soon be table stakes for financial companies. What is “friendly fraud”? How this affects the relationship between banks and subscription providers. Useful links: ApexEdge Michael Whitt on LinkedIn Envestnet Yodlee

In the debut episode of our podcast, we speak with Farouk Ferchichi, Group President of Envestnet | Yodlee and Global Head of Envestnet Data & Analytics about his fintech entrepreneurial background and how what he's learned along the way is being applied now in his work at Envestnet. Our chat covers things like: Effective ways to sell transformation internally Data democratization in the age of drowning in data and data command & control. What is “financial wellness” and is it the same for everyone? The different services financial customers need at every stage of their financial journey. What's the best role for AI to play right now in financial management and advisement? Useful links: Yodlee.com Farouk Ferchichi on LinkedIn