Bai Banking Strategies

Growing customer base and income are priorities for banks, but that comes amidst an insidious form of growth: cyberthreats from determined bad actors. That creates a balancing act between keeping customers happy and secure. David Vergara, director of security and product marketing at OneSpan, discusses how financial institutions can mount a strong front to fight cybercriminals without disturbing customer experience.

In terms of how people save, invest and use credit, you could call it a moving target, based largely on economic conditions--and how they perceive those conditions. Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, talks about the ways behavioral economics can help financial institutions understand and better serve consumers, while helping them clear up misconceptions about how to best use their money.

Financial institutions—and rightly so—put much emphasis on making consumers happy. But to that end, employees on the front and back end hold the keys to success. Jamie Frogale, director of learning and development at Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, discusses how managers and leaders can motivate their charges and nurture their growth.

Especially in the wake of relaxed regulation, community banks have leverage to make their customer experiences better. Joe Salesky, the CEO at CRMNEXT Inc., discusses how the marriage of technology and proactivity can help banks deliver frictionless experiences.

In advance of moderating the BAI Global Innovation Awards sessions at BAI Beacon, JP Nicols of FinTech Forge talks about how this year's finalists exemplify first-class innovation across categories from data analytics to community impact. He also gives a sneak peek of the takeaways Beacon attendees will garner in service of a crucial goal: to drive powerful innovation in their banks and financial institutions.

A technology focus in the modern banking world means more than chasing new gadgets. Banks truly must adopt an overarching high-tech mindset that embraces innovation to give customers maximum value and satisfaction, in and outside the branch. This week's podcast features leading edge technology insights of Sonny Singh, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Financial Services global business unit.

The drive for stellar customer service has been a constant in banking for generations. But the explosion of new digital technologies means a host of new ways to reach that goal—and a good share of confusion as well. Titi Cole, executive vice president, head of operations at Wells Fargo, discusses these issues in advance of her presentation at BAI Beacon 2018. By equipping employees the right way—and satisfying their desire to make a difference—banks can realize quantum leaps in meeting the financial needs of consumers.

Levels of credit have historically been based on the FICO score. But what if there was a way to expand beyond that metric and take other factors into account? That's exactly what a new breed of fintechs are doing by leveraging alternative data to reach underserved consumers. Poulomi Damany, vice president of data products for Credit Karma, explains how her company uses data points such as on-time bill payment and spending patterns to build a more comprehensive picture of the consumer.

The digital movement of money from consumer to merchant to bank and back again—all in the blink of an eye—is upon us. Call it the dawn of cybermoney. Al DeBonnett, co-founder and chief operating officer of CyberBanque Ltd., talks about moving towards a cashless society, and how this will impact the future of financial sovereignty in the U.S. and worldwide.

Stellar service doesn't stop at meeting basic customer needs: It means anticipating them to build the foundation of a strong relationship and a more "human" experience. That also means leveraging technology to free up valuable time so bankers and clients can interact on issues that matter. John Maniscalco, senior vice president, head of customer experience and retail productivity at TD Bank, outlines the elements of peerless customer treatment and interaction in advance of his appearance at BAI Beacon in October.

Deposits and interest rates are rising and that's good news for big banks. But questions remain as to how smaller banks will land their market share—and how potential disruptors such as Amazon could change the picture for all. Betty Cowell, senior advisor at Simon-Kucher & Partners, shares what banks can expect in the second half of 2018.

Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, or are in a situation where one financial emergency could create financial chaos. Banks can help these people by encouraging and building financial literacy, which in time can foster lasting customer loyalty. Luvleen Sidhu, co-founder, president and chief strategy officer of BankMobile, discusses breakthrough practices that can help make a difference.

The banking industry knows by now that it’s missing major opportunities to tap the small business lending market. But between paperwork hassles for borrowers and return-on-investment fears from lenders, it’s left a void for fintechs to exploit. Sam Taussig, head of global policy at Kabbage, explains how online platforms are taking the friction and guesswork out of small business loans.

In 10 years, the banking landscape has accelerated to digital warp speed, bringing with it mobile apps, remote deposit capture, chatbots, upstart startups and the first stirrings of artificial intelligence. But is the temptation to keep up a trap that compels financial institutions to try being all things to all people? Julien Courbe, who leads PwC's U.S. Financial Services Advisory, weighs in on how banks can gain focus and renewed perspective through picking the right projects—and leveraging the never-ending endgame of stellar customer experience.

Small businesses are healthy, and the fundamentals are strong. But bankruptcies are up, and small businesses with good credit have big decisions to make in terms of investing back into equipment and hiring. Are owners finally ready to take their growth, enthusiasm and investment to the next level? And how can banks help? Gavin Harding, senior business consultant with Experian, surveys the landscape and discusses a range of topics from the march of digital technology to regulatory risk—all in the context of a financial services world that's moving faster than ever.

With artificial intelligence taking off, banks find themselves in an unprecedented position to meet and anticipate customer needs. But on the payments side of the equation, there's still a struggle to connect the dots of consumer experience. Can financial institutions play the role of catalyst? Fran Duggan, CEO of Payrailz, shares how banks can indeed make it happen—though he stresses that there's still a long way to go.

The conversation surrounding bank branches, and their future, continues to dominate conversation in financial services. Variables run the gamut from staffing levels to overall customer usage, and how the latter will drive quality and quantity in the former. David Kerstein, president and founder of Peak Performance Consulting Group, reveals how the common assumptions about branches aren't always spot on, while offering precise insights on the road ahead—including what needs to change and how.

In her time at Netflix, Patty McCord help create a much-acclaimed slide deck on talent management that has been seen by millions. In McCord’s podcast, this BAI Beacon keynote speaker and author of the new book “Powerful” talks about why banks should do away with both performance reviews and the notion of the “empowered” employee.

Cybersecurity at banks, to quote BAI managing director Karl Dahlgren, is a constant game of Whac-A-Mole as institutions struggle to stay a step ahead of resourceful, relentless malefactors. Yet for all the concerns, banks are only as strong as their weakest link—which in some cases might be an anemic office password such as “1234.” David Bryan, the self-described “Breaker of Things” for IBM’s X-Force Red, reveals how white hat hackers test (and often defeat) the cybersecurity measures businesses have in place, while offering practical advice for keeping bank data secure.

Today’s fintech industry covers such a wide swath of innovation and invention, it’s harder than ever to identify specific pockets of major forward movement. Even the concept of artificial intelligence too often lacks clarity as it pertains to banking breakthroughs. On thing’s for sure: Competition between banks and high-techs is evolving into cooperation. Meanwhile, the revolution continues as tech traction in payments couldn’t come at a better time. Lamia Pardo, Senior Vice President of growth and operation at Pangea Money Transfer, offers her insight on the most exciting changes on the financial technology front.