Podcasts about fintech takes

Welcome back to Bank Nerd Corner, featuring yours truly and—plot twist—not Kiah Haslett. Today we're flying without our usual co-pilot, but in her place we've got Jason Henrichs: CEO of Alloy Labs, Breaking Banks host, and longtime Fintech Takes favorite, first time BNC co-host. Jason knows he can't out-nerd Kiah (who among us can?), so instead we're flying full black-box mode: no segments, just rants.  First rant: VCs have no business chasing board seats if they're not ready to govern!  We still don't know what the Synapse board discussed, if anything, as customers lost access to their funds. Then there's Frank, the fintech that sold a fantasy to JPMorgan. The founder's taking the heat (rightfully so), but not a word from the investors who stood to benefit most. Shouldn't they share the blame? How do we build governance into the capital stack…before the next meltdown makes it everyone's problem? Second rant: Financial infrastructure isn't a policy tool, so stop treating it like one!  Credit bureaus are built to assess risk, not engineer outcomes. But during the pandemic, we paused student loan delinquencies, wiped medical debt, and blocked BNPL data to improve scores, which sounds (and is!) very compassionate…but also encouraged lenders to stop trusting the data. It gets worse! The SSA quietly added living immigrants to the Death Master File used to prevent fraud, flagging them as “dead” and freezing them out of the financial system. You want to change immigration law, fine, but weaponizing infrastructure is sabotage! So, how do we restore trust in the rails before we lose it all? Third rant: Everyone cheered deregulation, but no one told the examiners!  Banks are facing some of the harshest exams in years, and it's because the regulators with institutional knowledge are gone. What's left are thinly staffed teams defaulting to “no” because they don't understand “yes.” And fintechs that pursued charters expecting clarity? They're running into delays, confusion, and examiners who just don't understand the model. But for most, the charter hasn't reduced risk…it's just introduced new kinds.  Fourth and final rant: This isn't deregulation; it's deregulation theater!  The CFPB says it won't enforce parts of the payday lending rule…but doesn't repeal it. FHFA reverses housing initiatives by tweet. Executive orders bypass public comment with a shrug: “because I said so.” The result is total ambiguity (good actors stay quiet; bad actors run wild). Uncertainty is the new policy…and it's expensive! Not just for banks and fintechs, but for the trust that holds the whole system together.   Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Jason: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonhenrichs/ Twitter: https://x.com/jasonhenrichs Breaking Banks podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-banks/id641357669   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I talk about fintech companies that we're definitely not giving investment advice on! The theme of this episode is infrastructure galore. We kick things off with Ubyx, who are essentially building the Visa for stablecoins–a network of merchants, issuers, and acquirers with a standardized incentive and legal structure that could help stablecoins finally qualify as cash equivalents. We're not yet at the Visa moment of mass merchant adoption and real interoperability pain (all pain points are still mostly theoretical), but Ubyx is betting that moment's coming fast. They're one to watch, especially if you love good nerdy whitepaper... Next up, Codex. They recently raised a seed round (with participation from Coinbase and Circle, among others) to build a layer 2 blockchain network specifically for stablecoins. Codex wants to be the sleek payments rail for stablecoins, and while “just another blockchain” fatigue is real, there's logic in going vertical. They're also pitching themselves as a liquidity hub, which, if it works, could be a major edge in reducing fragmentation. Then, there's Agent AV, which is basically Shopify for AI agents. They're tackling the wild west of agentic commerce, where bots now shop on our behalf. E-commerce was built to keep bots out—but now, humans are deploying bots on their behalf. The challenge, then, is separating the good bots (authorized agents) from the bad. That's why a two-sided mode, building for both agents and merchants, makes a lot of sense. It's early days, but they might be laying rails for a whole new kind of shopping experience. And finally, the dark horse of the episode: Experian. Yes, that Experian. They just launched a new cashflow-based credit score and, in a twist, are skipping the bottom of the data stack to go full-FICO. In an open banking world, they don't want to be the bureau—they want to be the scorer. No end-of-show manifestations on this go-around; Simon already manifested the biggest fintech nerd gathering ever, Fintech NerdCon, so Alex is manifesting an excellent inaugural NerdCon in Miami come November.  00:02:36 - UBYX 00:16:25 - Codex 00:30:05 - Agent AV 00:41:14 - Experian Newline™ by Fifth Third is an innovative, API-first platform that enables fintechs to launch embedded payment, card and deposit solutions directly with Fifth Third Bank. Visit Newline53.com to see how Newline can elevate your business. The world needs MoR. With Paddle as your Merchant of Record (MoR), the global growth is yours. The risk, compliance and accountability are ours. Simple. Paddle offers all the benefits of an enterprise-grade billing system but with MoR flexibility, MoR control, and MoR focus on your core product. Visit paddle.com to learn more. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://www.ubyx.xyz/ https://www.codex.xyz/ https://www.experian.com/

Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I'm Alex Johnson, and as always, I'm joined by my partner-in-crime, Jason Mikula. Today, we're unpacking Klarna's public debut, the growing rift between Mercury and Evolv, and why getting wrecked might just be the best education in lending First up, the BNPL giant Klarna has finally gone public, filing an F1 as a foreign entity. Now as a public company, we'll get to see their actual numbers. With 93M active consumers, Klarna isn't small, but its path to profitability is still a question mark. The key stat? Transaction margins. Klarna's European banking license gives it an advantage in low-interest rate markets, but as it pushes deeper into the U.S., credit losses are an issue. The big question: can Klarna mature fast enough to bring those losses down? Next, we're diving into the fallout between Mercury and Evolv. Mercury has stopped onboarding customers through Evolv and is actively shifting accounts elsewhere—publicly, at that. Meanwhile, Evolv seems caught off guard for Mercury's departure, with mixed signals on whether this was a surprise or a slow-moving train wreck. So, what really happened? And what does it say about the state of fintech-banking relationships?  And finally, is taking a beating the only way to master lending? We think so. The right order? Start with lending, get punched in the face by risk, and then consider a bank charter. Doing it the other way around? Painful. Avoidable. And yet...it keeps happening. Please stop! Newline™ by Fifth Third is an innovative, API-first platform that enables fintechs to launch embedded payment, card and deposit solutions directly with Fifth Third Bank. Visit Newline53.com to see how Newline can elevate your business. The world needs MoR. With Paddle as your Merchant of Record (MoR), the global growth is yours. The risk, compliance and accountability are ours. Simple.Paddle offers all the benefits of an enterprise-grade billing system but with MoR flexibility, MoR control, and MoR focus on your core product. Visit paddle.com to learn more. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to Fintech Takes! I'm Alex Johnson, and today we're unpacking stablecoins with James Wester, co-head of payments research at Javelin Strategy & Research.  James isn't new to the space—he's led strategic communications for blockchain, crypto, and digital currencies at PayPal (highly relevant to our conversation!) and has been a market research analyst at IDC. First up, we dive into whether stablecoins can disrupt traditional payment systems like cards and ACH. Merchants loathe interchange fees, but replacing cards with "cheaper" stablecoin solutions overlooks the added value of cards (fraud protection, rewards, and consumer trust). As for ACH, it's already a low-cost option, so what makes stablecoins stand out? Then, we dive into how Stripe's $1.1B investment in Bridge made even the skeptics rethink stablecoins. While they may not replace traditional payment rails, stablecoins have huge potential in closed ecosystems like Starbucks or Disney (imagine paying for your coffee with “Starbucks Coins” or skipping the line with “Mickey Bucks”—seriously, picture it!). Next, we tackle the UX hurdles of stablecoins. Right now with crypto, if you send funds to the wrong address, poof! They're gone. For stablecoins to really take off, they need to be as smooth as the Starbucks app, making payments simple and rewarding users without them even noticing the tech behind it. Stablecoins need that same familiarity, aka dollar-backed balances and real-world incentives, to drive adoption. In the end, stablecoins could outpace prepaid and pay-by-bank systems with their flexibility, liquidity, and potential for ecosystem-wide adoption (which comes with major advantages), although regulatory hurdles loom. They won't topple cards overnight, but in the long run? They could really reshape retail ecosystems. It's a slow burn, but the potential is huge. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow James: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswester/ X: https://x.com/jameswester   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson X: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

In This Episode Banking executives, your business customers aren't leaving you for another bank—they're leaving banking altogether— at least partially. For now. As a part of our “Unbreak the Bank” series we dissect the most significant existential threat to community financial institutions since the 2008 crisis: the systematic extraction of business banking services into everyday business software. Community banks are hemorrhaging 12-18% of operational deposits annually to companies that don't even consider themselves “banks”, and they're moving upmarket. The competitive battlefield has shifted, and “relationship banking” is not enough to compete. Customers are integrating business solutions into their daily workflow, and banks risks being shut out altogether. Discover why the future isn't about being the best business bank – it's about being a relevant layer in the best business experience. Fintech Takes founder Alex Johnson and Velocita founder Barb MacLean join host JP Nicols to reveal how embedded lending is systematically dismantling banking relationships as Quickbooks, Square, Toast, and others integrate financial services directly into business workflows, and explore some options for how banks can respond.  https://youtu.be/FV5wUyhng6c?si=KpsHDtG0V4rRXSWt

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice! I'm Alex Johnson, creator of Fintech Takes, recording live (!) at Fintech Meetup with my co-host, Simon Taylor—the genius behind Fintech Brain Food—sitting right across from me. How lucky are we?! Wait... how lucky are you?!? First up, Payman AI's agentic payments API lets AI initiate transactions under human oversight in a monitored, auditable environment. Backed by Visa, Coinbase, and Circle, they're blending wallet control with agent intelligence in stablecoins. Can we hold AI accountable without a chatbot fiasco (looking at you, Air Canada)? AI can go rogue, but so can humans—card controls and approvals manage it. So, how much autonomy are we willing to give AI agents? Next, staying on theme, Shiboleth is taking a fresh spin on BaaS with continuous, AI-driven verification. Gone are the days of “trust but verify”—now it's all about constant verification. Shiboleth scans everything from customer complaints to service calls, helping banks detect red flags in real-time. With fraud losses at an all-time high, can Shiboleth's solution scale? And can AI really spot subtle compliance risks without getting bogged down? Now, let's talk about Stablecore (i.e. stablecoins, but with a twist). This hybrid platform helps financial institutions use stablecoins alongside legacy systems.The short-term play is integrating with orchestration partners like Zero Hash. But as for long-term vision, are we ready for a world where deposits flow through stablecoins? Next, Estrada unbundles corporate cards, letting any Visa or MasterCard plug into spend management, ERPs, and even consumers' wallets—without needing to issue their own cards. It's “Bring Your Own Card” as a service; Estrada lets businesses tap into corporate card data without reinventing the wheel. Finally, we explore fintech "franchising" to help distribute products through banks and credit unions. Innovation's ahead of customer acquisition, but what if we could rethink distribution? 00:02:15 - Payman 00:17:13 - Shiboleth 00:30:22 - Stablecore 00:43:51 - Astrada 00:52:20 - Manifesting Fintech Ideas  Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://www.paymanai.com/ https://shiboleth.ai/ https://stablecore.com/ https://astrada.co/

This week on Bank Nerd Corner, Kiah and Alex welcome a special guest (arguably the MOST special?), former Acting Comptroller of the Currency, Michael Hsu. Together, they explore the fascinating crossroads where financial tradition, innovation, and regulation collide. From the challenges of de novo bank formation post-Great Recession to the rise of Banking as a Service (BaaS), we unpack the risks and rewards of each path. And we're turning it into a fun,  “Would You Rather” game, tackling burning questions like: Would you rather see a banking system with higher risk tolerance for new bank formations OR fintechs operating through BaaS? Would you prefer robust fintech industry standards OR direct regulatory oversight of fintechs? Can fintech thrive without bank charters? Plus, we tackle the core issue of fintech regulation: should we lean on industry standards, or is direct regulatory oversight the only way to protect consumers and avoid future crises?  Tune in for a thought-provoking “Would you Rather?” roulette and a super fun dive into the future of financial services—straight from one of the industry's key players. Roll the dice, hit the gas, and let's see where the game takes us! Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Read more about Michael here: https://www.occ.gov/about/who-we-are/history/previous-comptrollers/previous-acting-comptrollers/bio-michael-hsu.html Follow Kiah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I'm Alex Johnson, and as always, I'm joined by my partner-in-crime, Jason Mikula. Today, we're unpacking the chaos around regulatory shifts, fintech's shifting landscape, and the not-so-rosy reality of BNPL. First up, we're diving into the latest news coming from D.C. The Trump administration is considering consolidating bank supervision under the OCC, with reports of employee transfers from the FDIC and CFPB in the works. The possible gutting of agencies and the shifting regulatory approach isn't exactly a surprise, but we're seeing this transition go from theoretical to action. What's at stake for banks and fintechs? Next, we dive into Varo's challenges as the first fintech to snag a de novo bank charter during fintech 1.0's big promises. Once a leader, Varo is now facing financial losses and a shrinking customer base, while rivals like Chime scale quickly. Varo's struggles highlight the tension between building responsible products for underserved communities and navigating complex regulatory oversight. Its de novo charter has tied its hands, making it harder to compete in a fast-moving market where flexibility is key. The January CFPB report on Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) brings eye-opening insights. Despite its claim to help those without credit, 45% of BNPL loans go to deep subprime borrowers, not credit newbies. The data also shows users stacking loans across providers, with rising credit card default rates. The takeaway: BNPL's shiny promises don't align with its impact. Plus, we're keeping the BNPL convo going with a rapid-fire round of updates. Finally, we wrap up with a few rants you won't want to miss—like the transparency crisis in financial services and crypto. Powell's vague responses to Synapse's failures highlight a deeper issue: accountability. Meanwhile, crypto's obsession with meme coins is sinking to new lows. Where have all serious players gone? We're diving in. 00:04:50 - Washingtonian Recap 00:26:41 - Varo's Charter Conundrum 00:40:59 - BNPL News, Grab Bag Style 01:07:45 - Can't Let It Go Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome to Fintech Takes! I'm Alex Johnson, and today we're heading straight into the belly of the beast—Washington, D.C.—where regulators, banks, and fintechs are jockeying for position. Joining me is Rob Blackwell, a 20-year American Banker veteran, Intrafi's Chief Content Officer, and host of the Banking with Interest pod. Today, we're diving into the big four: CFPB, OCC, FDIC, and the Fed. Regulatory shifts are moving fast, so by the time this airs, this could all be outdated—but hey, c'est la vie! First up, the push to gut the CFPB is gaining ground in some circles, but even banks and credit unions see value in maintaining a referee. Will the CFPB be sidelined (to, ahem, crypto's benefit) or bounce back with a vengeance? Rob's take is that it'll be weakened, not wiped out—it's too useful politically. Next, the FDIC's tailored supervision shouldn't mean loosening oversight, especially where fintech partnerships are involved. Small banks aren't JPMorgan, but they still need scrutiny. Same goes for the OCC, where new leadership is prioritizing collaboration with banks while pushing for targeted regulation to keep things fair. No wild cards here; Trump's picks are pragmatic, not radical. Finally, the FDIC and Fed are pushing for clearer rules and more transparency, aiming to rein in overreach without forcing banks into unwanted partnerships. The challenge: giving banks discretion while preventing regulators from nudging them into silent exclusions. Bottom line? The rules are changing, but power plays never do. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Rob: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-blackwell-63884826/ X: https://x.com/robblackwellab   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson X: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to Bank Nerd Corner, featuring yours truly and #1 among all bank nerds, Kiah Haslett, Banking and Fintech Editor at Bank Director. By the time you're reading this, we've had ~3 weeks of “fun” updates from the CFPB, and we have a lot to unpack! First up, who actually wants the CFPB gone? Gutting the CFPB won't end consumer protection; it just shifts the burden. Funny how the loudest CFPB critics are the ones who profit most from consumer confusion. Even some bank execs admit the CFPB keeps markets fair. Referees are annoying, but you don't want a game without them. Next, it seems like regulators care again about de novo banks (a topic we touched on 18 months ago but hey, who's counting?). Post-crisis regulations, slow approvals, and a weaker market for bank sales have made starting a new bank a very tough sell. Plus, new banks are facing VC-style growth pressure, often relying on risky funding just to stay afloat. But it's not just community banks pushing for change—fintechs want in, too. So, why are fintechs suddenly advocating for more de novo charters? And did fintech and BaaS make them obsolete by offering a faster, more efficient path to scaling and returns? Switching gears: debanking raises serious questions about how reputation factors into bank risk evaluations. If reputation matters, can't it be weaponized? Crypto wasn't changing the world, but regulators fumbled debanking. Transparency is key—if it's a “no,” just say it, don't dodge FOIA requests. Kiah nails it with this analogy: Crypto is like BaaS. Both used middleware to scale quickly, but while crypto's risks were obvious, BaaS flew under the radar—until Synapse and cease-and-desists made it impossible to ignore. And finally, the unanswerable question of the week: what's FinCEN actually doing? Banks still can't warn each other about fraud. FinCEN hoards data for law enforcement but isn't required to use it. So, what's the point? Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Kiah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where instead of doling out investment advice (we're not doing that), we spotlight interesting, new fintechs and share our perspectives. I'm Alex Johnson, creator of Fintech Takes, joined (as always) by my esteemed cohost Simon Taylor. First up: Rail, aka stablecoin APIs for B2B money movement across borders. Though not a new concept (hello, Bridge and BVNK), Rail has 12 partner banks across 12 countries. If you know anything about cross-border banking, you know that's a big deal. With $11B in processed volume last year, Rail isn't Stripe, but it's not small potatoes either. So, can stablecoins finally knock out legacy systems in B2B payments? Next up is Anchor, an all-in-one platform for service-based small businesses that streamlines proposals, agreements, invoicing, and payments. Granted we've seen this model before, but Anchor integrates everything—plus, their $5 flat fee per transaction challenges subscription models as the pricing norm. Is this the future of financial automation? Over in the UK, Sencillo is helping parents unlock home equity to cover rising childcare and private school fees. With education costs now rivaling mortgage payments, fintech is stepping in where banks hesitate. But can this scale, especially as tax hikes loom? And what happens when borrowing against your house to afford tuition becomes the norm? Last and least (for this episode anyway!), ClosingLock tackles real estate wire fraud with a secure payments platform. Identity verification, document uploads, insured transactions—real estate needs this. But why hasn't this level of security been the standard all along? And could this model expand to high-value sectors like luxury goods or auto sales? Plus, how do we change the center of gravity in lending, so pricing can be smarter, more personalized, and fairer to the consumer? 00:02:34 - Rail 00:13:57 - Anchor 00:31:20 - Sencillo 00:43:35 - ClosingLock 00:54:16 - Manifesting Fintech Ideas  Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://rail.io/ https://www.sayanchor.com/ https://www.sencillo.finance/ https://www.closinglock.com/

Hey all, Jason here.Alex Johnson, creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap, where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto.We recorded this ~very special episode~ live during the Fintech XChange event in Salt Lake City, Utah, late last month — and were joined by Alloy Labs Alliance CEO Jason Henrichs (the more Jasons the merrier!). We had the chance to talk about:* Revelations that the Department of Justice is investigating the Synapse catastrophe* Patriot Bank's BaaS-related enforcement action* Ramp's launch of Ramp Treasury* Rohit Chopra's land stand at the CFPB* And, as always, what Alex and Jason just can't let go of…If you enjoy listening to this podcast and find value in it, please consider supporting me (and finhealth non-profits!) by signing up for a paid subscription. It wouldn't be possible to do what I do without the support of listeners like you! Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to a special live edition of Fintech Recap! For the first time in 2025, your host Alex Johnson is joined IRL by Jason Mikula (Fintech Business Weekly) and Jason Henrichs (CEO of Alloy Labs and host of Breaking Banks). One Alex, two Jasons, diving into the latest fintech stories from the past month, without further ado. First up, the Synapse saga drags on—now with a former employee seeking D&O insurance to cover legal fees from a DOJ subpoena. Are criminal charges coming? And why is the DOJ moving so slowly? Given how much money has been unaccounted for this long, it's hard to believe there wasn't an effort to obscure it. Meanwhile, another fintech partnership, another small bank in trouble. Patriot Bank in Connecticut is facing serious regulatory problems with the OCC plus a rare “troubled condition” classification over BSA/AML failures. The bigger issue? Fintechs partnering with banks that can't handle risk; if you can't manage compliance, stay out of the game. In a positive turn, Ramp just launched Ramp Treasury. It's fintech's take on Chase treasury, but for startups and SMBs. With, by the way, limits on deposits, external transfers, and payments outside Ramp (very Apple-esque in its closed ecosystem approach). This FDIC-insured, high-yield account is making waves, but can fintechs really be able to crack the code in small business banking? Plus, we consider Chopra at the CFPB. He was supposed to be out on Day 1, but instead, he's suing Experian, pushing open banking, and cracking down on BNPL like a player taking last shots before the buzzer. At 12 years old, the CFPB is still finding its rhythm. Will it become a regulatory powerhouse, or remain caught in the shifting political tides? And yep, we rant about meme coins and gambling's grip on society (looking at you, PolyMarket betting on Zuckerberg's divorce). Join us! 00:01:18 - Return to BaaS Island 2.0 00:11:42 - Welcoming Ramp Treasury 00:16:49 - Chopra at the CFPB 00:23:10 - Can't Let It Go Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Jason (Mikula) #1: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/ Follow Jason (Henrichs) #2: Podcast: https://provoke.fm/show/breaking-banks/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonhenrichs/ Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

In this episode, Alex chats with Tim Bates, Principal at Efficient Frontier Risk Strategies, about his groundbreaking (forthcoming) report on cash flow underwriting—“Credit Risk Underwriting: A Practical Credit Risk Implementation Guide for Lenders”—which Alex is excited to announce is the first episode in a new Fintech Takes series featuring research reports by experts in the broader FT network.  Here's the big question: can traditional credit underwriting, built on static snapshots of income and assets, actually keep up with shifting cash flow today? Can a single point-in-time really predict someone's ability to repay debt, or is it time for a rethink? Open banking and real-time cash flow data promises to transform lending by offering a more accurate, dynamic view of a borrower's financial health. But what does that mean for risk management, financial inclusion, and the future of credit? And, will this innovation mark the dawn of a new era in lending…or get stuck in the “wait-and-see” limbo?  Tune in for a lively chat about the future of lending and why cash flow underwriting might just be the stray puzzle piece we've been waiting for. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Tim: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timbates2/ Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I bounce through fintech companies that have recently caught our eye. We're kicking off with Dakota, a Brex-Wise hybrid for SMBs, offering 24/7 global payments with a stablecoin twist. Deposits, stored as stablecoins, earn up to 4% yield and are issued by Dakota, raising questions about custody, resolution, and well…what happens if Dakota goes belly up? Instant, global payments without banking hours are perfect for cross-border businesses, but proceed with curiosity and caution when it comes to deposit safety. Next up: ampersand, a post-SVB startup transforming deposit management. They optimize large cash deposits across banks for safety, rates, and values (focusing on FDIC insurance, top rates, and ethical alignment). Unlike, say, IntraFi, ampersand targets companies directly–not just banks–especially mid-sized ones lacking treasury teams. But post-SVB, why do uninsured deposits even exist? Banks may hesitate, but company demand is there; ampersand's timing couldn't be better. Then there's Auquan, which automates deep work in financial services—think credit memos, deal screening, and investment committee prep—in minutes. They're not just making flashy demos; they're delivering real results as vouched for by clients like MetLife and UBS. While most Gen AI tools overpromise, it seems like Auquan actually delivers consistent and quality results. And in capital markets—where grunt work once built expertise—AI like Auquan could be a real disruptor. And finally, TymeBank is shaking things up for emerging-market neobanking. With 15M+ customers in South Africa and the Philippines, they've snagged a $250M Series D led by Nubank, securing a 10% stake. Think franchise neobanking—proven model, local twist. Nubank expands strategically, while TymeBank taps into its scaling expertise. This is modern fintech, not the old HSBC playbook. Plus, who's stepping up to lead supervisory tech? Let's fix government inefficiency—no need to cut agencies, just make them work smarter (not smaller) to break up our banking bottleneck. 00:02:45 - Dakota 00:18:11 - ampersand 00:30:25 - Auquan 00:41:34 - TymeBank 00:52:21 - Manifesting Fintech Ideas  Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://dakota.xyz/ https://trustampersand.com/ https://www.auquan.com/ https://www.tymebank.co.za/

Hello, and welcome back to Bank Nerd Corner, the first Bank Nerd Corner of 2025. I'm Alex Johnson, joined as always by the brilliant Kiah Haslett, Banking and Fintech Editor at Bank Director.  Here's what we're unpacking this week. First up, the CFPB has sued the biggest names in banking—Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase—along with Early Warning Services (EWS), the backbone of Zelle, for allegedly dropping the ball on fraud protections. With over $870M lost to scams since 2017, we're asking: Are banks scapegoats for a bigger mess involving social media and telecoms? Ultimately, how much consumer protection is enough—and who pays the price? Next up, two cases—Loper Bright (aka Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo) and Jarkesy (aka SEC v. Jarkesy)—are shaking up regulatory agencies like the Fed and FDIC. Are we going to see a power shift or a regulatory takedown? If the Fed blinks first, do banks get to rewrite the rules—and does "too big to fail" become DIY? Then there's the disclosure debate. Can companies like Zelle or the FDIC "warn away" liability with fine print? If streamlined experiences make users vulnerable, will regulators demand clearer disclosures? Is it the end of seamless user experience...and trust as we know it? Finally, don't miss our 2025 predictions. Could Capital One acquiring Discover signal a regulatory shift favoring big bank M&A? Will a fintech actually grab a bank charter this year?  Oh hello, New Year; you're going to be wild!

Welcome to the first Fintech Recap of 2025. As always, I'm joined by Jason Mikula, publisher of Fintech Business Weekly and author of the shiny new book Banking as a Service (which I'm loving, by the way), as we catch up post-holiday to dive into the fintech buzz. First pit stop: BaaS Island and the CBW Bank saga. This small player with a big history—partnering with pioneers Moven and Ripple—just got slapped with a major $20M penalty from the FDIC. But CBW is fighting back, challenging the FDIC in court. As fintech blurs the line between community banks and fintech giants, can a community bank charter truly handle nationwide payments and high-stakes BaaS?  Next up, get ready for the IPO tidal wave in 2025. It's shaping up to be a big one for fintech, and Chime is at the forefront, gearing up for its big debut. While there's chatter about their customer count—anywhere from 7M to 38M—one thing's undeniable: Chime boasts a solid customer base with impressive direct deposit adoption. Things are about to get interesting. Moving on, Walmart and Branch are in hot water with the CFPB for allegedly opening accounts for Walmart Spark drivers without consent, forcing them to use Branch or risk termination. This raises huge questions about employers embedding financial services in their workers' lives. Not to mention, the urgent need for tighter oversight on employer-sponsored fintech in 2025. Plus, we rant about Vivek Ramaswamy's unhinged tweet blaming the 90s pop culture—like Boy Meets World and Friends reruns—for America's software engineer shortage. Yep, seriously.  It's  Whiplash reruns or nothing for the "Department of Government Efficiency.” Here's looking at you, 2025. 00:04:19 - Return to BaaS Island 00:23:59 - IPO Watch: Chime 00:40:59 - Walmart x Branch 00:56:35 - Can't Let It Go Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

  In today's podcast episode, we're joined by Alex Johnson, Founder of Fintech Takes, and Paige Paridon, Senior Vice President, Senior Associate General Counsel & Co-Head of Regulatory Affairs at Bank Policy Institute, to take a deep dive into the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Open Banking Rule. The CFPB has issued a groundbreaking final rule implementing Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, significantly expanding consumer access to their financial data. This new Open Banking Rule will have far-reaching implications for financial institutions, fintech companies, and consumers alike. In this episode, we'll explore the key aspects of this landmark regulation, such as: 1. The scope, rule requirements, and compliance deadlines 2. Complexities of implementing new interfaces and data security measures 3. Potential pitfalls and best practices to mitigate risks, including a lawsuit challenging the legality of the rule 4. How the rule can foster innovation and enhanced consumer experiences 5. The impact of presidential election and presumed appointment of new Acting Director of CFPB Alan Kaplinsky, former Practice Leader and Senior Counsel in Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services Group, moderates today's episode, and is joined by Gregory Szewczyk and Hilary Lane, Partners in Ballard's Privacy and Data Security Group.

Financial advice: is it a human job or a tech problem?  On this special episode of FinTech Takes, Alex sits down with Amias Gerety, partner at QED Investors (and like-minded fintech and bank policy nerd), to unpack this very question.  Drawing on Amias's compelling op-ed for Open Banking (“Freeing Financial Advice from Financial Advisors”), they dive into the challenges of scaling personalized advice. Is the real bottleneck the high cost of advisors, or the industry's sales-driven incentives? Could automation be the key to scaling advice—without sacrificing fiduciary standards? Join us for an honest conversation about the tools and methods currently available in fintech to tackle these issues.  From the promise of robo-advisors 2.0 to the metaphor of self-driving money, can LLMs finally deliver accessible, unbiased financial guidance for all? While we're not yet at a place where AI can fully replicate the nuanced judgments of a seasoned advisor, we're getting closer—and Amias has some sharp insights on how the future could unfold. Tune in to hear how the system might be shifting under our feet—and where the big opportunities for change could be. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Amias: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amias-gerety/ Amias's original op-ed: https://openbanker.beehiiv.com/p/amiasgerety Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Alex Johnson, the founder and publisher of Fintech Takes, tackles several hot-button topics, including how the crypto industry's election victories will influence the next Trump administration, and why hype around stablecoins as a replacement for banks may be misplaced. He also discusses whether banks are really engaging in debanking as a prominent venture capitalist recently claimed. 

Welcome to Bank Nerd Corner! This week, we're making history. Our first-ever returning guest, Julie Hill—now Dean of the University of Wyoming College of Law—is back with Kiah and Alex to tackle a hot topic: reputation risk. Is it the boogeyman of compliance, or a real force shaping banking decisions? Here's the puzzle we're unknotting: • When regulators say "reputation risk," do they mean actual threats to a bank's stability—or is it a way of saying, “Don't do anything dumb”? • Can bad press really sink a bank, or are customers too sticky to care? (Looking at you, Wells Fargo.) • And why is the Supreme Court questioning whether this so-called "risk" even exists? Plus, we explore debanking—the practice where banks cut ties with customers. Is it actually about managing risk or…just controlling the narrative? Join us as we dig into the data, decode the headlines, and ask the uncomfortable questions regulators and banks wish we wouldn't

Hello and welcome back to our limited series podcast, Fintech in 2025, recorded live in Las Vegas during Money 20/20. Sponsored by Marqeta, today's final episode ties it all together—with bold predictions and spicy takes! In prior episodes, we've talked about regulation and interest rates and new infrastructure. We've done deep dives into credit cards, BNPL, and the various ways those products are becoming fused together. But where is the industry as a whole going in 2025?  What trends and technologies for the next year should we be most excited about? Which should we be most dubious of? What ideas in fintech are we still not talking enough about?  From AI-powered workflows to rethinking customer support, it's a no-holds-barred dive into what's next for fintech.  Join Jenny Johnston (OpenAI), Fouzi Husaini (Marqeta), Simon Taylor (Fintech Brain Food), Lucinda Shen (Axios), and Tony Tom (TBD) for strong opinions and surprising insights.  Transform your business with Marqeta's modern card issuing platform. Our open API platform allows businesses to instantly issue cards and process payments. Integrate end to end credit and payment solutions into your business processes using our modern card issuing platform. Learn more at marqueta.com Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Jenny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycolgate/ Follow Fouzi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fouzihusaini/ Follow Simon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Follow Lucinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindashen/ Follow Tony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-tom-17b7073/ Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Alex Johnson, creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap. This month we had the chance to talk about:* Our time in Washington, DC, to attend the American Fintech Council Policy Summit, FinRegLab's AI Symposium, and a variety of other meetings* What's been happening on “BaaS Island,” with the Synapse bankruptcy moving into its next phase as depositors are left wondering when — or if — they'll ever be made whole* The CFPB's rule defining larger participant in the digital wallet space* …and, as always, what Alex and Jason just can't let go of Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

In this week's episode of Fintech Recap, Jason Mikula and Alex Johnson unpack the latest in banking, fintech, and regulation after a trip to the American Fintech Council's policy forum in D.C. With Trump back in the White House, the landscape is shifting again. From open banking to the CFPB's enforcement, we dive into what the next four years could mean for fintech and why regulatory stability might just be the innovation everyone needs. Next, it's back to BaaS Island, where Evolve's promise of clarity on depositors' balances falls flat. Instead of transparency, depositors are left with more questions than answers—and mere pennies on the dollar. Then, we break down the CFPB's finalized Larger Participant Rule, which puts payment giants like Apple Pay and Venmo under new scrutiny. Critics argue the rule misses the real risks, focusing on well-regulated players while leaving smaller, riskier firms untouched. Is this a move to protect consumers or a misplaced flex? Finally, we delve into the unsettling world of crypto with Pump.fun's dystopian meme coin chaos and Mark Andreessen's wild claims about “Elizabeth Warren's” fintech regulation, which sparked outrage across the board.  Tune in for the full breakdown. 00:14:22 - Fintech in the Next Four Years 00:26:04 - Return to BaaS Island 00:42:58 - The CFPB's Larger Participant Rule 00:54:49 - Can't Let It Go Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome to a live recording of the Fintech Takes podcast, coming to you from Money20/20. In this limited series with Marqeta, we're diving into the aspects of fintech and financial services that we're most optimistic about heading into 2025. In episode 3, we tackle one of my favorite topics: Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). Joining me are Rahul Shah, who leads core product at Marqeta, and Ahmed Siddiqui, who leads product and payments at Branch. I've called the demise of BNPL way too many times—my bad. The twist? BNPL isn't just surviving; it's thriving in both low and high-interest environments, proving it's no ZIRP-era fluke. Younger consumers aren't treating BNPL as a trend—they see it as standard. And it's not just for sneakers or makeup anymore—BNPL is expanding to all kinds of purchases. Why? Millions of Americans still lack access to traditional credit, and BNPL fills that gap. It's made small-dollar lending possible, scaling micro-transactions in ways we couldn't have imagined 50 years ago. Could BNPL push traditional credit to rethink its structure? As BNPL grows, will it promote financial health or push consumers toward overextension?  Tune in to hear why BNPL isn't replacing credit but pushing the ecosystem to adapt and innovate.  Transform your business with Marqeta's modern card issuing platform. Our open API platform allows businesses to instantly issue cards and process payments. Integrate end to end credit and payment solutions into your business processes using our modern card issuing platform. Learn more at marqueta.com Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Rahul: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-shah-a8415a/ Follow Ahmed: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddiquiahmed/ Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where we spotlight new and exciting fintechs. I'm Alex Johnson, creator of Fintech Takes, joined by Simon Taylor who's gracing us stateside in Washington, DC.  It's been a wild week—imagine the former FDIC chair on stage as news broke that the *current* FDIC chair, Marty Gruenberg, had resigned, all in a room packed with regulators and sponsor banks…and the two of us. Talk about a vibe shift. Big shoutout to the American Fintech Council for putting on a wonderful event. First up, Paydock is flipping the script on merchant acquiring—think "bank direct," but for acquiring, not issuing. They're upgrading bank tech without the messy, painful internal overhaul. This way, banks can woo new customers with modern features they couldn't offer before while staying price-competitive.  Next, Bluespine is automating self-insurance for large employers with an AI-powered platform tailored to each company's plan. Self-insurance works for big companies, but being the insurer is costly. A recent Money 20/20 report highlights a clash: AI companies pushing for productivity gains VS others focus on cutting costs. How these forces play out will be key. Then, Astrada is reimagining embedded finance with “bring your own card” (BYOC) as a service, allowing platforms to offer financial perks without issuing cards. Given that Navan's BYOC pivot unlocked partnerships with Citibank and Brex, and Visa and Mastercard are adapting, too, this trend raises a key question: Will Ramp stick to their proprietary system, or will BYOC become the new norm? And lastly, Rise is using stablecoins to solve the nightmare of paying global contractors. Could this decentralized approach be the future of seamless cross-border payments? Let's dive in and find out. Plus, we dive into the future of fintech innovation, from building regulatory visibility to exploring how a "call report" for fintechs could reshape market transparency and regulatory oversight. 00:03:28 - Paydock  00:14:35 - Bluespine 00:25:18 - Astrada 00:37:59 - Rise 00:50:38 - Manifesting Fintech Ideas Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://paydock.com/ https://www.bluespine.io/ https://astrada.co/ https://www.riseworks.io/

Welcome to the Fintech Takes Podcast, live from Money 2020. Today, we're diving into the state of credit—a topic I'm passionate about—but I've brought in two experts to lead the way. Joining me are Matthew Goldman, publisher of Cards for the Win and founder of Totavii, a consultancy for building fintech products, and Todd Pollak, CRO at Marqeta. We'll unpack insights from Marqeta's latest U.S. credit report and explore why credit cards are so weird–and why even satisfied customers are quick to switch on a dime. With 3,000 credit cards on the market, differentiation is tough. So, who's got the right formula for success? As fintechs chase profitability, credit cards are being reimagined with embedded finance, but is convenience the key, or is there a hidden danger lurking in the drive for seamlessness? From the "unsexy" stuff (loan servicing, collections) to the sexy innovations (virtual cards, digital wallets), we explore what's next for credit and whether it's time to rethink how credit works. Teaser: The real value of credit cards isn't the money…it's something else.  Tune in to find out! Transform your business with Marqeta's modern card issuing platform. Our open API platform allows businesses to instantly issue cards and process payments. Integrate end to end credit and payment solutions into your business processes using our modern card issuing platform. Learn more at marqueta.com Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Matthew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgoldman/ Follow Todd: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-pollak-991b6/ Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome to Fintech Takes, the podcast breaking down the latest in fintech news and trends. I'm Alex Johnson, your self-proclaimed Fintech nerd and creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter. We're shaking up our regular schedule with a special solo episode of my

Alright, folks—let's ditch the doom and gloom.  In this episode, recorded live from Money 2020 with the CEO of Marqeta, Simon Khalaf, we're breaking down why there's actually plenty to be optimistic about in the world of fintech as we head into 2025. Regulators catching up to fintech might seem like a buzzkill, but here's the twist: it's a sign the industry has finally made it.  We dive deep into why regulatory clarity, infrastructure upgrades, and smart AI adoption are setting the stage for the next wave of fintech innovation.  Plus, Simon shares why now is the perfect time to align incentives and leverage tech for sustainable growth. If you're tired of all the negativity around fintech's future, tune in for a refreshing take on why the best is yet to come. Transform your business with Marqeta's modern card issuing platform. Our open API platform allows businesses to instantly issue cards and process payments. Integrate end to end credit and payment solutions into your business processes using our modern card issuing platform. Learn more at marqueta.com Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonkhalaf/ Twitter: https://x.com/simonkhalaf   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Recording the day after the election, vibes are strange, and the future's a question mark—but fintech regulation? Still full steam ahead. This week on Bank Nerd Corner, Kiah and Alex welcome special guest Evan Weinberger, Bloomberg Law's banking and fintech regulatory correspondent, to break down the latest from the CFPB. Together, they dig into comment letters from banks and fintechs alike (Kiah takes the bank letters; Alex, the fintech ones), shedding light on why traditional banks are pushing for tighter fintech regulations as fintechs like Mercury make their case. Both banks and consumer advocates agree that regulators *can* police fintechs under the Bank Service Company Act, but there's a catch: the Act is vague, resources are thin, and regulators are swamped. It's a tug-of-war over control of your deposits.  Not to mention, they tackle recent CFPB orders exposing cracks in fintech-bank partnerships—from Goldman-Apple's costly fumbles to VyStar's tech mess with Nimbus.  And to wrap it up, Kiah, Alex, and Evan play "Bank Nerd Draft," sharing their all-time favorite moments in CFPB history. Ah, fintech regulation—here's lookin' at you, kid. Raising the standard of quality for embedded finance infrastructure, Newline™ by Fifth Third is an API platform that enables enterprises to launch and scale payment, card and deposit products directly with Fifth Third Bank.   Learn more at newline53.com Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Evan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-weinberger-3746aa4/   Follow Kiah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

In This Episode We kick off with a crossover segment featuring Fintech Takes host and fintech insider Alex Johnson, who joins Jason to break down major themes from Money20/20 2024. Together, they explore the hot topics shaping fintech right now: bank-fintech partnerships, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), open banking (1033), and the evolving role of AI. Alex shares highlights from his on-stage interview with CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, where they discussed the finalized 1033 rule, the ongoing legal pushback from big banks, third-party risk management, and new BaaS standards aimed at creating more balanced partnerships. The duo also dives into the rapid-fire world of AI. Is it all just hype, or are we approaching real innovation? With regulation on the rise, there's a lot for the industry to figure out—standards, safeguards, and perhaps even a looming digital divide. Finally, Jason wraps things up with a lively chat with Mary Wisniewski, Editor-at-Large for Cornerstone Advisors. They discuss financial therapy, Mary's perspective on the latest 1033 updates, and even squeeze in a bit of Texas Hill Country fun. Hit play and join us for a packed episode!

Welcome to another special Fintech Takes episode.  I'm Alex Johnson, just back from four intense days at Money20/20 in Las Vegas, and here to unpack it all with me is my friend Jason Henrichs, CEO of Alloy Labs and co-host of the Breaking Banks podcast.  In this crossover, we're breaking down the major topics of Money20/20, 2024 edition. This year, it was all about major topics: bank-fintech partnerships, banking as a service, open banking (1033, anyone?), and, of course, AI. First up, open banking stole the show. Just last week, the CFPB finalized the 1033 rule, igniting some serious debates. I even interviewed Director of the CFPB, Rohit Chopra, on stage, where he tackled the ongoing lawsuit from big banks trying to block the Personal Financial Data Rights Rule (AKA open banking

Welcome to a special edition of Fintech Takes, recorded live from MX's Money Experience Summit in beautiful Park City, Utah.  Big shout-out to MX for letting me squeeze in some live podcasting–my favorite thing to do! First up, I chat with Ashwin Vasan, senior advisor at FS Vector, and Kelvin Chen, head of policy at the Consumer Bankers Association—two ex-CFPB experts who help untangle the knots of financial services regulation. We dive into policy talk (recorded before the CFPB's open banking rule dropped), and the messy middle ground of banking and fintech. Plus, we explore how banks are scrambling to stay relevant as embedded finance and BaaS dominate, and why seamless customer experience is the new battleground. Next, I sit down with Jesse Mecham, founder of YNAB, to unpack his philosophy of mindful money management. We chat about how YNAB encourages users to think intentionally about managing their money, challenging the usual fintech rush for speed and convenience that leaves users out of the loop on their own financial decisions. And last but not least, MX founder and freshly returned CEO, Ryan Caldwell, joins to chat about MX's real secret sauce: its culture. And his passion for culture is contagious. Ryan highlights how leadership, values, and intentional culture is the driver for team dynamics *and* customer outcomes: culture drives results, leadership makes the difference, and in fintech, both are non-negotiable. 00:01:34: Ashwin Vasan, FS Vector + Kelvin Chen, Consumer Bankers Association 00:28:01 Jesse Mecham, YNAB 00:53:45 Ryan Caldwell, MX  Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://fsvector.com/ https://consumerbankers.com/ https://www.ynab.com/ https://www.mx.com/

In this special guest episode, Alex catches up with founder and CEO of Bloom Money, Nina Mohanty, about a pressing yet overlooked issue: first-party fraud.  They kick off by exploring the viral "infinite money glitch" trend on TikTok—yep, it's first-party fraud, whether people know it, admit it, or not…and it's on the rise. During the pandemic, neobanks like Chime, PayPal, and Cash App saw explosive growth, but that came with an explosive surge in fraud and disputes, too. In their quest for top-line numbers, many overlooked rising first-party fraud, exploiting gaps like the ACH settlement window. While traditional banks clamped down on this behavior, fintechs allowed it to thrive. This shift in consumer behavior poses major concerns. How do we balance protecting consumers while holding them accountable? What impact does this have on product development, customer communication, and overall trust in fintech?  What does it mean for the wider ecosystem when people are being encouraged to engage in first party fraud?  Tune in for a candid discussion on fraud and its broader implications for financial services. Raising the standard of quality for embedded finance infrastructure, Newline™ by Fifth Third is an API platform that enables enterprises to launch and scale payment, card and deposit products directly with Fifth Third Bank.   Learn more at newline53.com 00:07:29 – Chase ATMs meet the infinite money “glitch” trend  00:20:01 – The explosion of disputed credit card transactions  00:35:31 – Authorized Push Payment (APP) fraud in the UK   00:45:23 – Who bears responsibility: financial services or consumers? Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Nina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninamohanty/ Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I spotlight new and exciting fintechs.  This time, we're diving into how AI is shaking up customer service, banking, homeownership, and procurement—and where to draw the line. Because knowing when NOT to use AI in financial services? That's *the* real art. First up: KatoHQ. Their AI-powered voice agents decode customer intent and cut through the IVR hell. No more “Press 1 for misery”—just state your issue, and you're directed to the fix, no shouting required. It's an idea that could even revolutionize collections by reaching pre-delinquent customers before they spiral. Next up: FlowX.AI, automating digital transformation for banks. Their AI agents streamline workflows and build the infrastructure banks need to compete with fintech disruptors like Nubank. After pouring billions into modernization and cloud migration, FlowX.AI might be the boost banks need to fix unit economics and crank up feature velocity. Then there's Mesa, targeting homeowners with a credit card that rewards essential payments like mortgages and utilities. It's like Bilt for homeowners—but can Mesa pull off Bilt's pandemic-era success without the same tailwinds? Homeownership is our biggest asset, yet there's no “operating system” to manage it all. And finally, Cavela: slashing procurement costs with AI-driven sourcing and price negotiation, saving businesses 40% on wholesale goods. An AI agent that finds and seals the deal—no human needed? Yes, please! Plus, how do we ensure AI-driven consumer agents serve user interests while enhancing fairness and explainability? Could Australia's "action initiation" model redefine trust in financial services? Raising the standard of quality for embedded finance infrastructure, Newline™ by Fifth Third is an API platform that enables enterprises to launch and scale payment, card and deposit products directly with Fifth Third Bank.   Learn more at newline53.com 00:02:28 - KatoHQ 00:14:02 - FlowX AI 00:24:33 - Mesa 00:37:58 - Cavela 00:46:21 - Manifesting Fintech Ideas  Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://katohq.com/ https://www.flowx.ai/ https://www.mesamember.com/ https://www.cavela.com/

Welcome back to the grand finale of What Customers Want, a limited 4-part series from the Fintech Takes podcast, hosted by me and Corey Besaw, President of APAC and co-founder of Ubiquity. In Episode 4, Corey and I are joined by Aditi Shekar and Mike Forsyth at Zeta, a company that's building a "multiplayer" financial experience for families, offering adaptable joint banking. Their mission, in other words? Exceptional customer service. We've added complexity with each episode, but this time we're diving into the juiciest layer of all: how AI, especially generative AI, is reshaping customer experience and where it's headed next. Highlights include: Exploring Zeta's concierge model—a compelling blend of generative AI and human support that dials down customer anxiety. Gone are the frustrating “We're closed until Monday” moments! Here, AI serves not only as a stand-in, but as your savvy financial coach, ready to unravel transaction data and fine-tune your spending strategy. By leveraging generative AI like ChatGPT, fintechs such as Zeta can handle 30-40% of basic inquiries, freeing human agents to tackle more complex issues. But this balancing act brings challenges; compliance and security are crucial in financial services. How do we find the right mix between constant availability and necessary filtering? The pivotal role data infrastructure plays in this equation. While LLMs excel in the “last mile” of communication, they rely on robust systems for accuracy. Given the exorbitant computational costs of snapshotting an insane number data points per customer, how can organizations ensure effective AI deployment? Imagining a future with micro-models that tailor interactions to individual behaviors. Can AI juggle basic requests while knowing when to tap a human agent? Will generative AI step up as your personal financial coach, or will we hit a plateau like the one Tesla faced with its self-driving promises—remember 2015, when they said fully autonomous cars would hit in...two years? In short, early AI models were a chaotic free-for-all, drawing from the wild west of the internet. Now, we're refining that data for smarter models, but AGI remains an open question. What's clear is that with innovations like GPT driving the bus, fintech is poised for explosive growth. In customer support, cutting-edge tech could be the silver bullet that transforms how customers get what they want in financial services. Enjoyed this series? Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Corey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-besaw-8004182/ Follow Aditi: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditishekar/ Follow Mike: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mf11/ Learn more about Ubiquity here: https://www.ubiquity.com/

Welcome back to Bank Nerd Corner, featuring yours truly and #1 among all bank nerds, Kiah Haslett, Banking and Fintech Editor at Bank Director. First up, we're breaking down the FDIC's latest proposed rule, which tightens the screws on custodial accounts. Spoiler alert: Kiah's got some strong opinions on whether smaller banks should be held to different standards in the Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) space—and trust me, she's not buying it. In BaaS, complexity is part of the deal—size doesn't matter. Just look at SVB's crash when it tried to level up its asset thresholds.  Next, we're diving into the flood of fintech “ecosystem standards” cropping up everywhere. Are these self-policed initiatives legit or just smoke and mirrors?  And don't miss Kiah's spicy rant about Mercury joining the Coalition for Financial Ecosystem Standards (CFES) and claiming they "take compliance seriously." Instead of owning up to their growth obsession, they should be saying, "We messed up, but now we get it—compliance matters!" It's time for fintechs to be accountable for their remediation efforts. Compliance isn't just lip service—step up and pay up. We'll round it off with two burning questions: What exactly qualifies as a “bank service company,” and do fintech innovations like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and Earned Wage Access (EWA) count as loans?  The answers might surprise you, but one thing's for sure—getting your paycheck faster shouldn't come with a price tag. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Kiah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Alex Johnson, creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap, where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto.This month we had the chance to talk about:* A return to BaaS Island: the FDIC's proposed “Synapse Rule,” Five Star Bank quits BaaS, and the evolving (ha) economics of partner banks* The CFPB accepts comments on FDX as standard-setting organization for 1033 open banking* Department of Justice sues Visa, alleging it has used anticompetitive business practices to maintain an illegal monopoly on the US debit processing market* …and, as always, what Alex and Jason just can't let go ofAre you attending Money2020? Alex and I will be joining Simon Taylor for an invite-only session on “How to Win At Embedded Finance,” sponsored by Sardine, Sonar, LoanPro, and Visa — more info here.If you enjoy listening to this podcast and find value in it, please consider supporting me (and finhealth non-profits!) by signing up for a paid subscription. It wouldn't be possible to do what I do without the support of listeners like you! Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back What Customers Want, a limited 4-part series from the Fintech Takes podcast, hosted by me and Corey Besaw, President of APAC and co-founder of Ubiquity. In Episode 3, Corey and I are joined by Ahon Sarkar, SVP & GM at Helix, to dive into the natural tension points between fintechs, banks, and those ever-evolving customer expectations.  Financial services are leaning hard on self-service automation, but fintech moves at lightning speed—constantly innovating to craft the perfect solution. So, what happens when customer expectations and fintech's rapid pace don't quite sync up? Highlights include: When fintechs, banks, and platforms first come together, discussions around customer service can be a mixed bag. Banks want to know if the fintech understands support systems or if they're building from scratch. How do you scale a lean team while delivering an exceptional experience? Choosing a sponsor bank is like setting the stage for long term success. Alignment is key. Do they have experience managing the complexities of third-party models like BaaS? Can they handle the risks that come with fintech partnerships? As fintechs scale, banks must strike a balance between fostering innovation and keeping control. It's a bit like managing a kid on a trampoline—gradually handing over trust while ensuring the right safeguards are in place (or so we'd hope!). As Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) matures, customer service is becoming a competitive edge—but only if fintechs and banks can align on expectations and regulatory standards. What happens when customer support or fraud spirals out of control? In the tug-of-war between innovation and regulation, tune in to hear how these growing pains may create a brighter future for customer experience in financial services. And don't forget to subscribe and catch more insights on what customers want in upcoming episodes. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Corey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-besaw-8004182/ Follow Ahon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahonsarkar/ Learn more about Ubiquity here: https://www.ubiquity.com/

Alex teams up with Jason Mikula, now Head of Industry Strategy for Banking & Fintech at Taktile (ooh la la!) to unpack the latest in fintech. The FDIC has proposed a new rule on custodial deposits—the "Synapse Rule." It requires banks to meticulously track custodial account owners and transactions, aiming for crisis prevention, but does it truly plug the gaps exposed by past failures? Will regulators enforce compliance if the rule passes, especially given Evolve's shaky history? As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) nears finalizing a personal financial data rights rule, the industry braces for a shift from screen scraping to APIs. But can we trust the big banks to play fair? Plus, don't miss the latest installment in the Visa antitrust suit, and don't be fooled: this isn't just a Visa problem. It turns out notions of good vs. evil in the payments space aren't all that black and white. And to top it off? A rant about the CFPB's consent order against TD Bank, a perfect example of “how not to” furnish credit. Plus, a friendly headline tip for Forbes from Alex! What could it be?  Tune in to find out. Raising the standard of quality for embedded finance infrastructure, Newline™ by Fifth Third is an API platform that enables enterprises to launch and scale payment, card and deposit products directly with Fifth Third Bank.   Learn more at newline53.com 00:03:14 - FDIC's New “Synapse” Rule 00:09:04 - Compliance Conundrums  00:22:13 - Open Banking in the End Zone 00:39:32 - The Visa Antitrust Suit: A “3?-Minute Overview” 00:45:59 - Can't Let It Go Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome to What Customers Want, a limited 4-part series from the Fintech Takes podcast, hosted by me and Corey Besaw, President of APAC and co-founder of Ubiquity. In Episode 2, Corey and I venture back into fintech's overlooked frontier–customer service–as we sit down with Chime's first full-time fraud manager, Marcus Vinson. Join us behind the scenes to discover how, as an early-stage fintech, Chime navigated explosive growth while prioritizing a customer-first approach. Highlights include: When Marcus joined Chime as their first FT fraud manager in 2017, customer support was a blend of outsourced and in-house. Fast forward 3-4 years, and their customer base grew by nearly 4,000% or more. What happens when your support system is suddenly under that kind of pressure? The delicate balancing act between in-house teams and outsourced partners (and how BPO partnerships are crucial for scalability). How can fintechs leverage both as they scale without sacrificing quality, consistency, and their strategic partnerships? The importance of investing early in data-driven fraud detection (and aligning proactively with bank sponsors from the get-go). With first-party fraud on the rise, staying ahead of fraud prevention is all about scaling, standardizing, and automating processes. Discover the power of building structured systems amid constant change. What metrics should fintechs focus on to define success as they grow? Tune in as we unpack these big questions and more, exploring how fintechs can scale their customer support without losing the human touch. And don't forget to subscribe and catch more insights on what customers want in upcoming episodes. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Corey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-besaw-8004182/ Learn more about Ubiquity here: https://www.ubiquity.com/

Welcome to a special edition of the Fintech Takes podcast. I'm Alex Johnson, here with Colton Pond, Chief Marketing Officer at LoanPro. We're recording live from the Salt Flats outside of Salt Lake City during LoanPro's customer advisory board meeting. I'm excited to dive into one of my favorite topics—loan servicing—and co-interview a few attendees with Colton. In this episode, we'll consider what happens after a customer says “yes.” First up, we speak to Jeff Yim, CFO at Borrowell, one of Canada's largest fintechs, helping 3.5M members navigate credit. In a landscape shaped by rising mortgage rates, Jeff speaks to how stellar onboarding and customer service are essential for a competitive edge. Next, we chat with Jared Jones from Moov, a payment platform that's evolved into both an acquiring and issuing processor. As ACH payments decline, they offer competitive fixed interchange rates for debt repayment, focusing on user-first innovations. Then Nick Pesce from Happy Money, dedicated to unsecured personal loans in partnership with credit unions, shares how they're scaling to meet demand for flexible loans, leveraging personalized approaches and credit union partnerships as credit card debt hits record highs. That's followed by Kamal Rajan and Anthony Navarro, who are building business banking at Golden 1 Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the U.S. They reveal how they're overcoming legacy challenges as they prep to launch ten new products. Raising the standard of quality for embedded finance infrastructure, Newline™ by Fifth Third is an API platform that enables enterprises to launch and scale payment, card and deposit products directly with Fifth Third Bank.   Learn more at newline53.com 00:10:34 - Jeff Yim, Borrowell 00:24:42 - Jared Jones, Moov 00:41:43 - Nick Pesce, Happy Money 01:00:00 - Kamal Rajan and Anthony Navarro, Golden 1 Credit Union 01:15:54 - Greg [undisclosed] Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Colton Pond: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colton-pond-469b11ba/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://www.loanpro.io/ https://borrowell.com/ https://moov.io/ https://www.golden1.com/

In This Episode Warning: Extra spice added -- new sauces and participants! The stream of consent orders against banks that offer BaaS continues. Fintech partner banks drew 1/3 of all formal enforcement orders by federal banking agencies in the 4th quarter of 2023, that's quite a bit when you consider that fintech partner banks only account for roughly 3% of all U.S. banks. BaaS is here to stay -- it's a great way for community banks to grow, big banks are already on board and will do more, and entrepreneurs will want to continue to create better banking experiences which means they'll need to partner with banks. Jason Henrichs brings you our latest Hot Takes with regulars Kiah Haslett, Bank Director; Alex Johnson, Fintech Takes; and Jason Mikula, Fintech Business Weekly, as they are joined by Barb MacLean, SVP, Head of Tech Operations & Implementation, Coastal Community Bank and Allen Denson, Partner, Litigation, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP.  The flaming hot panel discusses why BaaS is facing regulatory headwinds, what banks should do, and how the North Star needs to be a BaaS solution that provides the optimal blend of technology and compliance, all while having some fun. From the stage of FinovateFall we bring you this episode of Breaking Banks. https://youtu.be/Fk01H61HlJc

Welcome to What Customers Want, a limited series from the Fintech Takes podcast, hosted by yours truly. In this 4-part series, I'll be cracking open one of fintech's most puzzling topics: customer service. And I'll be joined by Corey Besaw, President of APAC and one of the founders of Ubiquity, a company that knows a thing or two about scaling up a customer service operation.  While fintechs are famously customer-obsessed —- from early paycheck access to compliance emails so spectacular they can move regulators —- that obsession hasn't always extended to customer service. Fintechs love to "engineer around" customer service, but as they compete more directly with banks, this will shift. FAQs and chatbots can't solve everything. Sometimes, people need to talk about their money, and that builds trust.  So, what's the sweet spot between automation and human touch for fintechs? This series dives into what works and what doesn't.  Over the next four episodes, we'll explore customer service challenges, from BaaS and Reg E to generative AI, all while keeping in mind the human side of money. In this episode, episode 1, Alex and Corey explore how fintechs and traditional banks approach customer service and what customers actually want when they pick up their phone and try to solve a problem. Highlights include: The hidden costs of customer service and why "cost per contact" metrics can be misleading. The challenges fintechs face as they scale—managing fragmented tech stacks and organizational silos. How fintechs can differentiate by embracing human connection, using tools like generative AI to enhance (not replace) service. Is tech convenience enough, or is the reassuring voice of a real person still king? Tune in to find out. And don't forget to subscribe and catch more insights on what customers want in upcoming episodes! Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Corey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-besaw-8004182/ Learn more about Ubiquity here: https://www.ubiquity.com/

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I spotlight new and exciting fintechs, minus the stock tips. First up is Agree. If DocuSign and Stripe had a Gen AI-powered baby, it'd be the e-signature platform Agree.  It blends free agreement software with paid invoicing and payments (merging 2 trends: AI-driven law tech with AI-driven finance workflows). Why juggle invoices and contracts when you can reconcile both in one platform? Is this the next big thing in regtech? Next, they dive into Revenew, an all-in-one payment optimization platform for platforms and marketplaces. The platform consolidates payments from various PSPs, tracks metrics and multiple providers to help ramp up profitability. As startups gravitate towards all-in-one solutions and larger firms go modular, where will the future of payment orchestration take us? Simon, fresh from the Saudi desert, spotlights Barq, a Saudi digital wallet that achieved 1M customers in just 21 days, making it the fastest-growing neobank outside China (sorry, Revolut). It's easy to dismiss Barq as a government white elephant, but Simon challenges that notion. Lastly, they mourn Tally (RIP), a fintech that helped users pay down credit card debt—a problem still surging in the US, and now at an all-time high. Was Tally's pivot from B2C to B2B before shutting down too little, too late, or was distribution the real issue? Plus, they're manifesting a fintech future where data infrastructure is collaborative. Why is it single-player by default for companies like Plaid or MX, and how might a multiplayer model transform the landscape? Raising the standard of quality for embedded finance infrastructure, Newline™ by Fifth Third is an API platform that enables enterprises to launch and scale payment, card and deposit products directly with Fifth Third Bank.   Learn more at newline53.com 00:01:38 - Agree 00:10:09 - Revenew   00:21:12 - Barq 00:30:11 - Tally 00:43:18 - Manifesting Fintech Ideas  Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://agree.com/ https://revenew.co/ https://barq.com/ https://www.meettally.com/ [in memoriam]

Welcome back to Bank Nerd Corner, featuring yours truly and the brilliant Kiah Haslett, Banking and Fintech Editor at Bank Director. First up: Kiah breaks down why "FBO" accounts need a rebrand as "Fintech Custody Accounts" (FCA) to better reflect today's BaaS landscape. Could this shift in lingo actually improve transparency in managing fintech partnerships? Next, they dive into the Federal Open Market Committee's looming rate cut decision, the first since 2020. With excitement brewing over potential mortgage rate dips, what will the impact be on commercial real estate and shrinking bank margins? How will the rate cut reshape the lending landscape?  Finally, courtesy of the Synapse-Evolve Case,they dive into the FDIC's new rule on tighter fintech ledger controls—arguably the most exciting regulatory shakeup you didn't know you cared about. Plus, how the OCC's shift toward prioritizing financial health over traditional safety metrics could reshape banking. Are banks ready to monitor financial well-being like doctors track vital signs?  Tune in to find out! 00:01:03: Call FBOs By Their Name: FCAs 00:07:49: Fed Rate Cuts: Central Bank Showdown 00:28:06 The FDIC's New Rule 00:49:04 Why Is The OCC So Focused On Financial Health? Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Kiah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Alex Johnson, creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap, where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto.This month we had the chance to talk about:* The launch of Klarna's bank account gift card* Affirm's killer earnings* Are niche neobanks back?* Apple opening up NFC (sort of)* And, as always, what Alex and Jason just can't let go ofAlso, if you're attending Finovate next week, keep your eye out for us!I'll be taking the stage with some of my favorite industry colleagues, Alex, Jason Henrichs, and Kiah, to discuss the perennial topic in US fintech, banking-as-a-service. I imagine the brokered deposits topic may make a cameo.I'll also be attending Alloy Labs happy hour on the This Week In Fintech happy hour on Tuesday — hope to see you there!If you enjoy listening to this podcast and find value in it, please consider supporting me (and finhealth non-profits!) by signing up for a paid subscription. It wouldn't be possible to do what I do without the support of listeners like you! Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

In this week's episode of Fintech Recap, Alex is joined by Jason Mikula to dive into the latest on fintech. With BaaS Island quiet, the guys head over to BNPL for some fresh juice. First up, Klarna's U.S. launch and its new “Balance” feature — despite the hype, it's not quite banking. In the U.S., “Balance” is more of a wallet within Klarna's app, far from their European banking model. Klarna's shooting for global banking glory, but the fine print reveals a different tale — more shopping convenience than banking breakthrough. Next, they break down Affirm's Q4 earnings. Looks like Affirm isn't just riding the BNPL wave — they're hanging ten. The big question: is success in BNPL about flashy growth or building a resilient model? The answer might surprise you. Plus, they dig into broader fintech shifts: Comune's standout $21.5M raise targeting underserved immigrants alongside Apple's decision to allow third-party access to its NFC chip. Will these moves change the game or just tweak the status quo? Tune in to find out! 00:06:58 Klarna Buzz vs Klarna Reality  00:19:55 Affirm Affirms Steady, Cautious Growth 00:32:54 Niche Neobanks: The Next Big Thing, Again? 00:41:36 Apple “Kinda” Opens Up NFC 00:51:42 Can't Let It Go Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page.   Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Alex Johnson, creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap, where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto.This month we had the chance to talk about:* Mercury, which partners with Evolve Bank & Trust and Choice Bank, informed users based in or with ties to certain countries, including Ukraine and Nigeria, that it would close their accounts — what's happening and how Mercury is handling it* Bank regulators' request for information on bank-fintech partnerships offers clues about what the they may be worried about* CFPB drops interpretive guidance saying earned wage access may be considered “credit” for certain purposes under TILA* FDIC votes on rule to effectively reverse 2020's brokered deposits rule* And, as always, what Alex and Jason just can't let go ofIf you enjoy listening to this podcast and find value in it, please consider supporting me (and finhealth non-profits!) by signing up for a paid subscription. It wouldn't be possible to do what I do without the support of listeners like you! Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Alex Johnson, founder of Fintech Takes, discusses the CFPB's race to complete as many regulatory initiatives – on earned wage access products, open data, privacy and more – ahead of the November election. And he talks about why banking as a service has turned into a “high-wire act without a safety net” in the wake of the Synapse bankruptcy.