Thinking Outside the Vault

The technology and techniques your institution relies on to provide excellent account holder service should change with consumer demand. Today's consumers are less and less inclined to come into the branch for service. They want to conduct their financial business using their smartphones and devices — but email only goes so far. When you use 1:1 text messaging to engage account holders in conversation, your messages get read, and their needs get met. It's a win-win for everyone. In this episode, we talk with a special guest, Scott McArthur, Chief Revenue Officer of Statflo. Scott brings a wealth of experience and insight to this developing field. He is also passionate about helping community financial institutions leverage this technology.   In this episode, we discuss:            What is 1:1 SMS (aka “texting”) communication? Consumer demand for this type of communication. How engagement with 1:1 SMS outperforms email by a long shot. How a tool like Statflo can fit into your institution's consumer experience Why true personalization requires a conversation, not just data. What you can do this week to move closer to using 1:1 SMS technology with your consumers. 3 things you should know before you jump into 1:1 SMS communications.   Check out the Kasasa Exchange   Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn   Listen to all the episodes of Thinking Outside the Vault.

They say big changes are coming to the world of digital advertising. For some folks, it feels like the beginning of an earthquake, for others just tremors like we've felt so many times before. Whatever 2022 holds you can bet that the winners will be the marketers who leaned into the change. In this episode, we talk with CW Warwick the VP of Consumer Marketing and Thomas Shields the VP of Marketing Enablement at Kasasa about what changes to expect in 2022 and how to create positive momentum and growth for your community financial institution. In this episode we discuss: Four big changes that will affect how community financial institutions market in 2022. What first- and third-party cookie tracking really means. How to use social media without feeling totally dependent on it. The power of 1:1 messaging. Ways you can use text messaging and direct mail to connect in meaningful ways with consumers. Things you can do this week to upgrade your marketing game. Check out the Kasasa Exchange Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn Listen to all the episodes of Thinking Outside the Vault.

Reaching new borrowers is extremely challenging right now. There are privately funded marketplace lenders who are targeting consumers with sleek digital experiences and competitive rates. In this episode we talk with Chris Cohen, Kasasa's Chief Innovation Officer about ways that community financial institutions can differentiate their retail lending portfolios and win back the consumers in their backyard. You don't need to build everything in-house when there are partners who share your values and passion for helping everyday people.   In this episode we discuss: The challenges that community financial institutions are facing. How creditworthiness has changed. Ways that the pandemic economic situation differs from the financial crisis of 2007/2008. What Kasasa is doing to help our clients compete. How you can level the playing field. Stories from Kasasa Loan borrowers and what makes them raving fans. Action that you can take this week to help your lending team gain an edge.   Check out the Kasasa Exchange   Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn   Listen to all the episodes of Thinking Outside the Vault.

Everybody wants loans, and nobody wants deposits… except for the megabanks and neobanks. What do they know that community financial institutions don’t know? In part two of this two-part episode of Thinking Outside the Vault Kasasa’s Chief Research Analyst Patrick Dickson explains how community banks and credit unions can position themselves to bring in the right kind of accounts and build a very stable balance sheet. It has everything to do with your long-term strategy and your mindset.   Check out the Kasasa Exchange   Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn   Listen to all the episodes of Thinking Outside the Vault.

Everybody wants loans, and nobody wants deposits… except for the megabanks and neobanks. What do they know that community financial institutions don’t know? In part one of this two-part episode of Thinking Outside the Vault Kasasa’s Chief Research Analyst Patrick Dickson explains what the competition is thinking and how community financial institutions can develop a counter-strategy. It all comes down to cultivating relationships with consumers that can lead to significant growth down the road.   Check out the Kasasa Exchange   Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn   Listen to all the episodes of Thinking Outside the Vault.

Lots of financial institutions are sweating their loan-to-deposit ratios right now. Everybody is trying to re-balance their balance sheets in 2021. There are no two ways about it, competition for loans will be fierce in the coming year and the challenges are plentiful. In this episode, Greg Schultz, a Director of Product Management at Kasasa and our resident expert on the world of lending, makes predictions about the coming year and what he thinks the winning strategies will be. Book: The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg Kasasa Care Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn

If you’re frustrated with your institution’s website, there’s hope! In this episode, we talk with two of Kasasa’s experts on digital user experience and website strategy, Gabe Trevino and Anthony Rezendes. COVID-19 has pushed many users into digital channels, particularly the older, more tech-averse demographics. Now that they’ve discovered how convenient and secure it is, they’re never going back. That means the user experience for your website is more important than it’s ever been. Listen to discover the steps you can take right now to get started.Discover FIRSTBranch.Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn

Most people value veterans' service and sacrifice in the armed forces, but it’s far easier to miss the value that veterans bring when they return to civilian life. They represent some of the most dedicated, disciplined, creative employees you could hope to see. If your community financial institution is facing a talent shortage, then recruiting more veterans is a powerful way to strengthen your team's culture and effectiveness.In this episode, I talk with Kasasa’s Chief of Staff Joseph Cabrera about honoring veterans and the lessons of leadership and culture that he learned while serving in the Army.Resources for hiring veterans:https://hireourheroes.org/index.htmlhttps://www.combinedarms.us/ Kasasa LoansKasasa Loan Success Story Book recommendation:Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn

This pandemic and the economic aftermath can be overwhelming. But to succeed, we have to embrace business as unusual. Nothing about what we’re experiencing right now is normal, and very little of it feels comfortable, but buried in that challenge is an amazing opportunity to show up for your community and your account holders. All these new challenges can be distractions, or we can use them to help us focus on what really matters.In this episode, we talk with Kasasa’s Chief Operations Officer Vennesa Van Ameyde about what she learned from steering Kasasa through COVID-19 and how you can leverage those lessons to prepare your financial institution for whatever comes next.Learn about Kasasa CareLattice: https://lattice.com/Slack: https://slack.com/Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn 

In this episode we talk about the true lending rule, coronavirus rollbacks, Reg D, Appendix Q, and James McGuire’s not-so-secret-anymore passion in life. Stick around for the FAQ segment where we answer your burning compliance questions, including why that promotion with your local sports team could land you in hot water. If you care about staying on top of changes in the world of compliance — without falling asleep — this is the podcast episode for you.Resource:FDIC’s FAQ for financial institutions affected by coronavirus Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn

Think complexity equals security? It’s time to turn that paradigm on its head. Your best defense against cyber criminals are security measures that add to a frictionless user experience by remaining all but invisible — not one that makes things more complicated. But achieving that type of security is easier said than done. In our wide-ranging chat with Kasasa’s Chief Information Security Officer, Hung Lee, we explore the idea of transparent security, as well as new threats in the age of coronavirus, social media hacking, vendor relationships, and more. Note: “FI” is an internal acronym we use for “financial institution.” Celebrity and politician Twitter accounts hacked for Bitcoin. Naked Security blog: https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/ Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn

Even though the marketing world has been turned on its head by the global pandemic there is still a window of opportunity in 2020 that you don’t want to miss. Kasasa’s Director of Digital Marketing Star Exton-Raymor and Alyson Daniel, a Senior Marketing Manager with Kasasa join our show to discuss how community banks and credit unions can still attract new account holders and position their brands for growth, despite the tough economic conditions. Whether or not you work with Kasasa, there’s a lot of great insight on how to pivot your marketing strategy for the remainder of 2020. Full disclosure: this episode focuses on a free service (campaign creation) that Kasasa provides to our clients. We work hard to keep the content of the podcast value-based, and in this case we felt like the tie-in between the marketing challenge that community financial institutions face and the service we provide was too close to separate effectively. Regardless of who you use to get your marketing out, there's some great advice in here on why you should start implementing a seasonal strategy now. Look at some samples from the seasonal campaign. Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn

Launching a new product in the fintech space is a massive undertaking, especially in the ultra-competitive lending space. When Kasasa's Director of Product Management, Greg Schultz and Chris Cohen Executive Vice President of Product were launching the Kasasa Loan it was based on the hunch that borrowers wanted and needed a product they had never seen. In reality, the Kasasa Loan has performed in ways that we barely hoped for, especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. It's changing the entire experience of borrowing money and paying it back — helping consumers reduce debt faster and lowering risk of default for institutions. Watch Dan Ariely's TED talk. Request a live demo of the Kasasa Loan. See the Kasasa Loan in action – download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play.Username: PresoPassword: Demo Follow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn

New non-interest income (NII) products often hold the promise of stable, consumer friendly revenue for community financial institutions, but the reality is complex. It can be difficult and time consuming to discover which products your account holders want and which partners can help you offer them (or if you have the resources to build it in-house). Our guest for this episode is Kasasa’s Director of Brand Management Julie Roughton, who is our resident expert on the NII landscape and what you need to know before you wade into it for yourself. In fact, we’re releasing this episode in conjunction with the release of our new online marketplace and referral program called Kasasa Care.Learn all about Kasasa Care.The Kasasa ExchangeFollow Kasasa on Twitter and LinkedIn

There’s a pandemic outside, and it’s pushing community financial institutions to re-examine their operations and pivot to meet account holders where they are: at home. Unfortunately, this turn of events has also caused some people to assume that just because people can’t visit the branch, they don’t want to open a new account. The opposite is true, and our guest, Kasasa Chief Marketing Officer Keith Brannan is here to unpack some surprising marketing metrics and counterintuitive strategies that you don’t want to miss. Resources:Here’s an article from Nielsen that talks about some of the consumer behavior changes that we’re seeing.The Kasasa ExchangeFollow Kasasa on Twitter

We’re kicking off a new series on Thinking Outside the Vault and it’s called Compliance Pagoda. In the Compliance Pagoda, our Compliance Manager James McGuire will reveal why we think compliance rocks and how the latest developments in compliance will affect your institution. We promise a treasure trove of useful information, some relevant insights, and the most interesting podcast on bank and credit union compliance that you’ve EVER listened to.Resources:The Kasasa Exchange Follow Kasasa on Twitter

We place a high value on authenticity here at Kasasa, and by extension Thinking Outside the Vault is no different. That’s why we fell in love with the theme song that our B2B Copywriter Victoria wrote, performed and dropped on our team like an acoustic bolt from the blue. It’s everything our podcast is supposed to be: an accessible, fun, and purposeful. Thinking Outside the Vault is a channel for community financial institutions to explore new ideas and learn practical strategies they can use every day. In this brief episode you can hear the song and discover some of the Kasasa values that Victoria thought about when writing it.  Resources:The Kasasa Exchange Follow Kasasa on Twitter Kasasa’s Patch values

The importance of a national brand remains a controversial topic, especially for community banks and credit unions. You might be shooting yourself in the foot to carry the same brand of product as a nearby institution, or you might be piggy-backing on momentum you couldn’t build otherwise. Craig Raughton, a Senior Vice President with Kasasa helps unpack the issue, based on a real-world case study in greater Nashville area. If you ever heard the term “coopetition” and wondered what it really means, this is the episode for you. Resources:The Kasasa Exchange Follow Kasasa on Twitter Craig’s book recommendations:Love is the Killer App Radical Candor

Strategic planning is in the air and today we’re taking a hard look at the recommendations we made for 2019. Our guest is Josh Bailey, an executive strategist with Kasasa. He is keenly aware of the issues that weigh on the minds of community bank and credit union leaders. Grab your headphones or a speaker and walk down memory lane with us. 2019 had some big changes in it, and a number of things that only grew in importance. Resources:The Kasasa ExchangeFollow Kasasa on Twitter

When you treat data as a resource, it pays to think about how you manage it and what you can do with it in the future. Kasasa’s Chief Technology Officer Pradeep Ittycheria joins us to discuss some key ways that community financial institutions can leverage data more effectively and partner with vendors who open up new possibilities. Resources:The Kasasa ExchangeFollow Kasasa on Twitter

Amy Gililland-Acosta is Kasasa’s Chief Financial Officer and in addition to her passion for numbers, she is an expert at untangling complex back-office systems and creating order from chaos (she also does an amazing Vanilla Ice impression, but shh, you didn’t hear that from me  — nor is it featured in this episode). If you’ve ever felt despair when embarking on a new systems integration, or simply trying to generate a comprehensive report, have no fear, this episode is for you!  Resources:The Kasasa ExchangeFollow Kasasa on Twitter

Two of Kasasa’s Retail Experience Managers give us a peek behind the curtain on three actual Mystery Shop phone calls with community financial institutions. They analyze what’s working, what’s not, and what you can do to help your front-line staff offer a first-class experience to prospects and account holders alike. Before you click “play” on the podcast, we suggest you start with the YouTube link below (it’s a clip from NBC’s The Office).Excerpt from S5:E7 - NBC's The Office: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QQBB3cwNM0Resources:The Kasasa ExchangeFollow Kasasa on Twitter

In part two of our discussion with Kasasa’s Chief Innovation Officer John Waupsh, we examine a fundamental perspective shift that community financial institutions face as well as some specific areas where consumer expectations just aren’t being met. Now is the time to take stock of your data operation and make changes. Resources:The Kasasa Exchange Digital Banking Report Follow Kasasa on TwitterFollow John on Twitter

Kasasa’s Chief Innovation Officer John Waupsh sets out a clear pathway to success for community financial institutions: one that is paved with consumer data. In this two part episode we cover look at how data management is changing the competitive landscape and the practical day-to-day operations of banks and credit unions.  Resources:The Kasasa Exchange Follow Kasasa on TwitterFollow John on Twitter

Although most community financial institutions may not think of reward checking as their first (or best) weapon in the battle for deposits, it probably should be. In part two, Kasasa CCO Greg Wempe unpacks what makes reward checking such a useful tool and how community banks and credit unions can use it to hedge against a volatile market.

Community banks and credit unions are looking for ways to grow their deposits despite the uncertain economic outlook. The conventional approach to deposit growth may still fall short of the true competitive threats. Bank and credit union leadership have options, but they need to start with rethinking how they assess the competition. Kasasa CCO Greg Wempe lays out his recommendations.

Every marketer and CEO wants to know whether their marketing ROI is positive or not. That requires diving into the wild world of attribution and traceability. Kasasa's VP of B2C Marketing, CW Warwick talks about working with community financial institutions to provide the cutting edge technology and data analysis they need.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the new trend in marketing. Learn from companies who have gotten it right — and who have gotten it wrong.

Even in a digital world, service matters. We sat down with Melissa Thinger, our VP of Retail Experience, to discuss the importance of mission statements in a consumer’s experience.

How can your institution succeed in a fluctuating market? We break down the current state of the economy and how you can stabilize your strategy with our Executive Strategist, Patrick Murphy.

Megabanks and neo-banks are hungry for every account holder they can lay their hands on. As an executive strategist Jessica Webb is one of the people that Kasasa sends in to help community banks and credit unions identify their goals and map out a strategy for making it happen.

In this episode we launch our brand new podcast for community banks and credit union leaders.