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How Can Banks Use Hyper-Personalization as a Strategy to Drive Growth?

Anusree Bhattacharya | April 29, 2022 | 180 views

How_Can_Banks
Digitalization is a high-priority initiative that has uplifted the banking industry by exploring new profitable areas. However, the strategies for becoming digital must rely on efforts to focus on making a bank’s administration and internal operations more efficient. Digitalization refers to a wide range of tools that can create personalized and hyper-personalized experiences for people.


How Banks Have Evolved with Technology Implementation

The banking industry has been consistently embracing technological advancements. Since 2020, banks globally are making heavy investments in digitalization and are focusing on efficient banking operations. With the help of digitalization, the banking and financial sectors are going through a paradigm shift and are progressively offering personal touches to their operations, services, and products.  

Most banks now offer digital features that allow customers to conduct basic banking activities remotely using a browser or a mobile app. This development has resulted in less traffic at bank branches and has assisted banks in optimizing costs and capital expenditures fairly. Hyper-personalization in banking is becoming increasingly important. As a result, the use of technology in banks has equally surged, mainly in operations and customer services.

Hyper-personalization has become an essential part of banks and other financial services providers. With this, banks are now focusing on core customer experiences to provide unique services to their customers. Today, new-age customers need hyper-personalization in banking.

In 2020 ‘The Future of Retail Banking,’ A Deloitte report has stressed that hyper-personalization is crucial for banks and enables them to respond to customers’ basic needs.

While this approach is widely accepted in the banking system, let’s understand a brief difference between hyper-personalization and personalization and which method is more enticing to customers.


Personalization vs. Hyper-Personalization

Personalization focuses on promoting a customer’s name, location, purchase history, buying behavior, and others. The most common example is including the first name of a customer in an email or promotion asset.

The hyper-personalization approach uses a customer’s browsing habits and then reveals real-time behavioral data to determine customer needs. The entire activity builds contextualized communication and encourages more incredible conversions driven by AI and aligned data. For example, they send push notifications to customers, adding high-engagement sections on the website—chatbots.

Therefore, it is evident that personalization banking will be further enhanced and become more personal with hyper-personalization. According to a study by Deloitte, banks are ready to embrace digital opportunities, which would be advantageous for over a trillion dollars. The movement will continue until 2025 and beyond.


Growing Expectations from Customers

Since 2020, banks worldwide have been striving to improve their customer experience and business operations. The digital transformation of the banking sector has changed consumer banking trends. This gives rise to one of the main concerns — what are the top priorities for customers regarding banking services? According to a survey by Wipro, 80% of customers expect their banks to provide upgraded services with improved products and easily accessible apps and websites. At the same time, 20% of customers hope banks have valuable services to benefit them. In addition, 5% of them expect improved communication channels for distributing products and services.

On the other hand, according to a recent Salesforce survey, two-thirds of today's customers expect their banks to understand their unique needs and expectations. Moreover, up until 2021, 52% of customers found hyper-personalized offerings from their banks. Therefore, banks must extensively use customer data to anticipate customers’ banking needs.

Gartner estimated that approximately 48% of customers want value-added services, making hyper-personalization engagements of strategic relevance. This was followed by personalization in banking with products and services.

When it comes to using hyper-personalization in banking, Capital One, a U.S.-based company, stands out. It is one of the finest examples of digital marketing. It usually sends notifications to clients, assists them with simple tasks, sends new offers, and efficiently manages personal finances. In addition, they are currently using geolocation technology by partnering with several retailers. With this, they can reach customers and provide them with purchasing offers.


The Marketers’ Complications

What were the practical problems or challenges for marketers approaching their customers right away?

Markets face several roadblocks to achieving the desired level of personalized customer engagement. Some of these challenges include:

  • Profile: Marketers usually face challenges in categorizing, compiling, and saving online and offline customers’ data.
  • Identity: Marketers must deal with the fragmentation of customers' identities and how they see them across devices and channels.
  • Relevant Communication: Marketers often fail to reach people at scale across different channels with relevant information.
  • Measurement: Marketers often complicate the accuracy of measuring customer behavior, buying habits, and needs.

Therefore, marketers need to sort out these parameters and then proceed strategically to deliver hyper-personalized engagement to customers. Now let’s find out how to do it.


Solutions

Emerging technologies, mainly AI, data analysis, automation, and blockchain, give an insight into customers’ needs, behavior, and activities like transactions, money transfers, deposits, availing insurance, and other banking activities. Marketers can leverage these technologies, crack code, use hyper-personalization in strategies, and work to meet customers’ needs.

There are a series of interconnected strategies following technology in banking that will enhance the use of hyper-personalization in banking in the future. It will enable customers' digital requirements according to products and services and identify intent-based customers in the banking system.


Series of Interconnected Strategies


Customer Segmentation

Having an accurate identification of customer profiles and details determines how to proceed with hyper-personalization. First, you must build a digital identity solution that links customer data across devices and locations. After this, study and get profound customer insights with the help of a third-party customer database to obtain accurate customer information such as:

  • Demographics
  • Online and offline purchases
  • Digital consumption
  • Online interactions
  • Cross-device information according to the usage of personal devices

By identifying these parameters, marketers can effortlessly create a community for their highly engaged customers. In this way, marketers can include value-proof hyper-personalization methods to reach out to customers and fulfil their expectations in banking.


Lead Generation & Nurturing

For lead generation and nurturing, marketers should activate paid search, paid/owned social media, and affiliate sites using intelligent and real-time customer data. This will help understand the effectiveness of the platforms in generating potential leads and nurturing them in the best ways.


A Data-Driven Path

Banks using customer data can monetize it by differentiating between actionable and non-actionable customers. Even so, they can conduct data-driven optimization (DDO), a measurable approach when banks interact with their customers. This approach includes monetizing and identifying customers’ behavior patterns and optimizing their decision-making processes faster and more accurately.

In addition, data-driven optimizations range in different types and sizes—for example, new features, CTAs, pricing, page flow, navigation, and templates. With the help of these, marketers can get a lot of data and use hyper-personalization strategies accordingly.


A Hybrid Environment

Given the current situation, banks should prioritize intelligence by implementing a security-rich hybrid cloud for their hyper-personalization in their banking processes. With this in place, banks can efficiently, inexpensively, and rapidly deliver hyper-personalized services to customers under a hybrid setup. For this, banks should have a robust data analytic infrastructure that can filter the most operational customer data. 


Prominent Examples of Hyper-Personalization in Banking


American Express Sends Videos to Increase Engagement

American Express’s business model includes hyper-personalization of its customers globally. 

We’re delegating much deeper hyper-personalization at a company level.”

Harry Mole, Director of Marketing at American Express

American Express demonstrates its commitment to hyper-personalization by creating videos for its customers. For example, it makes videos accompanying a customer's monthly credit card statements. The video helps customers explore and learn new ways of managing their credit shares. It also helps them learn about account creation for new customers, share financial tips and tricks, and introduce new rewards. These activities further help consumers maximize the benefits of their American Express account.

Since using a hyper-personalization strategy, American Express has seen a threefold increase in marketing conversations and a considerable decrease in the cost of acquiring new customers.


Edward Jones Uses Personalization to Increase App Downloads

Edward Jones, a financial services firm, offers a mobile app that allows customers to easily access their accounts and investment options. The app effectively conveys the benefits of security and convenience and is equally friendly. Edward Jones initiated an email campaign to encourage customers to download and engage with the entire app. It added a messaging section for app users and highlighted services such as tracking investments, depositing checks, transferring funds, and more without visiting a branch.


Frequently Asked Question


What do customers expect from their bank?

Customers need assistance and want their needs to be understood by their banks. They do not prefer a generic approach to services. They prefer a more customized and solution-driven approach.


How is the hyper-personalization approach implemented in banks?

Hyper-personalization in banks can be implemented in the following ways:

  • Compile essential customer data and utilize it to create strategies
  • Create hyper-personalized content according to the customer base
  • Distribute the content across channels to reach customers


Why is personalization important in banking?

According to a study by Gartner, 67% of customers are unaware of the services and products their banks offer. So, with the help of personalization, they can easily connect to banks’ offers, benefits, and services. This is where personalization comes into play.

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Future Aspects of Digital Banking Solutions As technology continues to advance, the traditional banking system is expected to undergo significant changes in the coming decades, with neobanks rapidly gaining popularity among tech-savvy customers for their personalized services. These digital fintech companies, often referred to as 'challenger banks', operate without physical branches and offer a range of attractive services, blurring the line between traditional banking and financial systems. As a result, retail banks may adopt an omnichannel approach and leverage the robust infrastructure of fintech enterprises to enhance the customer experience.

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Contents 1. Introduction 2. Maximizing Revenue: Cross-Selling and Upselling Strategies 3. Optimizing B2B Operations: Multichannel Banking and Cash Management Solutions 3.1 Digitizing Cash Management in Multichannel Banking: Key Imperatives 4. Leveraging Data Analytics for Multichannel Banking Optimization 5. Striking Balance between Convenience and Security 6. Multichannel Banking Evolution: Trends and Insights 7. Future Scope 1. Introduction Integrating multichannel banking solutions for a seamless customer experience remains a challenge in today’s digital era as financial institutions and banks are expected to provide services through ATMs, online banking, mobile, and in-branch. To boost efficiency and profitability, adopting multichannel payment processing is crucial. Technology enables merchants to process payments from all channels using a single account, thus, eliminating the need for multiple merchant IDs. Consolidating online sales into one location streamlines business processes, reduces card network fees, and leads to significant cost savings. 2. Maximizing Revenue: Cross-selling and Upselling Strategies Banks and financial institutions can effectively promote their multiple products and services to customers based on their needs, behavior, or demographics. Cross-selling and upselling techniques can encourage customers to hold multiple products, which can lead to business growth, new client acquisition, and increased customer lifetime value. Cross-selling involves offering related products or services to existing customers, such as promoting credit cards and internet banking to savings or current account holders. On the other hand, upselling involves increasing the amount invested in an existing or additional product. Both techniques can significantly boost sales, and revenue, and help achieve business objectives. 3. Optimizing B2B Operations: Multichannel Banking and Cash Management Solutions The evolving demands of corporate clients, rising competition from fintech companies, and the emergence of cutting-edge technologies are providing banks with a distinct prospect to revamp their cash management services and capabilities. 3.1 Digitizing Cash Management in Multichannel Banking: Key Imperatives Unlocking the Benefits of Collaboration Fintechs are becoming highly sought-after collaborators due to their product innovation, which enables banks to offer new and compelling services, solutions, and products that aid in attracting and retaining cash management clients. Tech & Alliances for Dynamic Cash Ecosystem Using innovative technologies and services, a cash management approach focuses on delivering cash efficiency and effectiveness to clients. New alliances and data-driven insights create a thriving ecosystem. Omnichannel Architecture In an omnichannel world, architecture plays a crucial role in delivering a seamless customer experience. While the traditional multichannel approach offers diverse touchpoints, it can also lead to a sub-optimal customer experience. Harnessing Real-time and Predictive Analytics In the realm of cash management, banks are increasingly relying on predictive analytics to mitigate risks, underwrite loans, and detect fraud. However, the potential advantages of real-time analytics for both cash management customers and the banks that cater to them are even more extensive. Integrate Cloud Services Compared to conventional decentralized cash management systems, cloud-based systems offer a greater degree of process and control uniformity in all scenarios, bolstering their resilience against potential capacity limitations stemming from factors such as remote work setups, cyber threats, and sudden surges in transaction volume. 4. Leveraging Data Analytics for Multichannel Banking Optimization Data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers, 6 times more likely to retain those customers, and 19 times more likely to be profitable (Source: McKinsey Global) Using data analytics, banks can gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and patterns across channels. This helps identify customer needs, optimize channel usage, and personalize the banking experience. Predictive analytics can proactively offer relevant solutions to customers through their preferred channels, improving satisfaction. Banks can also optimize channel offerings by identifying the most effective channels for different customer segments, such as mobile banking for younger customers and branches for older customers. 5. Striking Balance between Convenience and Security Multichannel banking has revolutionized the way customers interact with their banks. With the advent of digital banking, customers can now carry out a wide range of transactions using multiple channels such as mobile apps, online banking, ATMs, and branches. While this has made banking more convenient, it has also created new security challenges for banks. Here are some key considerations that banks should keep in mind when implementing a multichannel banking strategy: Multi-factor Authentication: Multi-factor authentication is a crucial security measure that can help prevent unauthorized access to customer accounts. Banks can implement multi-factor authentication by requiring customers to provide two or more authentication factors such as a password, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Fraud Detection and Prevention: Banks should have robust fraud detection and prevention systems in place to identify and prevent fraudulent transactions. These systems should be designed to detect suspicious activities such as large withdrawals, multiple failed login attempts, and transactions from unusual locations. Encryption: Encryption is a critical security measure that can protect sensitive data such as customer account information and transaction details. Banks should ensure that all customer data transmitted through their multichannel banking platforms is encrypted to prevent interception by hackers. Training and Education: Banks should provide regular training and education to customers on how to use their multichannel banking platforms securely. This can include educating customers on how to create strong passwords, recognizing and reporting phishing scams, and using public Wi-Fi safely. Customer Support: Banks should have robust customer support systems in place to help customers with any issues related to their multichannel banking platforms. This can include providing support through multiple channels such as phone, email, and live chat. 6. Multichannel Banking Evolution: Trends and Insights As financial institutions continue to adjust to the ever-changing needs and preferences of their customers, it is imperative to remain informed about the latest trends and insights in multichannel banking. These critical trends and insights have played a pivotal role in shaping its evolution: Rise of Mobile Banking: The use of mobile banking apps has surged in recent years, with many customers preferring to use their smartphones for banking transactions. As a result, banks are investing in the development of robust mobile banking apps to cater to this demand. Integration of AI and Automation: Banks are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to streamline their operations and improve the customer experience. Chatbots and virtual assistants, for example, can provide customers with quick and personalized responses to their queries. Greater Emphasis on Data Analytics: Banks are using data analytics to gain insights into customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing customer data, banks can develop targeted marketing campaigns and offer personalized recommendations to customers. Expansion of Digital Payment Options: The growth of digital payment options such as mobile wallets and peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps is driving the evolution of multichannel banking. Banks are partnering with fintech companies to offer these services and stay competitive in the market. Adoption of Blockchain Technology: Banks are exploring the use of blockchain technology to improve security, transparency, and efficiency in their operations. For example, blockchain can be used to facilitate cross-border payments and reduce the need for intermediaries. 7. Future Scope With advancements in technology, financial institutions can continue to offer new and innovative channels to improve the customer experience. The use of artificial intelligence and chatbots is expected to increase, allowing customers to interact with their bank through voice and text commands. The integration of internet of things (IoT) devices with banking channels is another area of potential growth. For instance, customers could use their smartwatches to make payments or check account balances. Additionally, blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the way banks handle transactions, reducing the risk of fraud and improving the speed and efficiency of transactions. As financial institutions continue to adapt to the changing needs and preferences of their customers, multichannel banking will play a crucial role in delivering a seamless and personalized customer experience.

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CORE BANKING, MOBILE BANKING

Future of Banking: Examining Components of Digital Banking

Article | March 20, 2023

Contents 1. Evolution of Banking: From Brick-and-mortar to Digital 2. Multichannel Banking and Self-service Solutions 3. Demystifying Retail, Business and Corporate Banking 4. Mobile Banking: Payment Processing Overhaul 4.1 Overview of Fintech Companies in Banking Industry 5. Technology Trends in Digital Banking 6. Digital Transformation in Banking 6.1 Authentic User Experience 6.2 Blockchain Technology 6.3 Personalized Technology Services 7. Digital Banking Platforms Reaching out to SMBs 8. Future Aspects of Digital Banking Solutions 1. Evolution of Banking: From Brick-and-mortar to Digital Digital banking has transformed the traditional banking landscape and brought about a paradigm shift in the way individuals and businesses manage their finances. The cumbersome and time-consuming nature of financial transactions that involved physical visits to bank branches and long queues for basic tasks like account opening and money transfers is now a thing of the past. Between 2017 and 2021, 9% of all branch locations closed down, a loss of around 7,500 branches, according to the non-profit National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). (Source: Bankrate) With the digitization of banking, there has been a shift toward a cashless economy, with net and mobile banking gaining popularity over physical cash. With digital banking solutions like UPI, internet banking, and mobile banking, customers can access global transaction banking services directly from their own platforms, enabling seamless transactions anytime, anywhere. 2. Multichannel Banking and Self-Service Solutions The shift from traditional brick-and-mortar banking to digital banking has become ubiquitous, making self-service approaches in digital banking solutions vital for customers. These options allow customers to access banking solutions using software resources without human intervention, enabling them to conduct transactions such as checking account balances, making online transfers and withdrawals, paying bills, loan installments, exchanging currencies, and overall managing wealth with ease. Such solutions can be accessed through FAQs, chatbots, customer support portals, and other similar resources. The scope of self-service technology also encompasses internet banking and online shopping. Although the first and most successful self-service solution introduced by banks worldwide was the automated teller machine (ATM), the concept has now been extended to include a variety of digital banking platforms and applications. 3. Demystifying Retail, Business and Corporate Banking Digital banking services and products consist of three main sub-categories: Retail banking, Business banking, and Corporate banking. Retail banking, also referred to as consumer banking or personal banking, is a form of banking that offers financial services specifically to individual customers instead of businesses. It enables customers to effectively manage their finances, access credit facilities, and securely deposit their funds. Business banking refers to a company's financial transactions with a specialized institution that offers tailored financial services such as business loans, credit, savings accounts, and checking accounts, exclusively designed for corporate entities rather than individuals. This type of banking is conducted by a dedicated business banking division within a bank, which solely caters to the financial needs of commercial organizations. Corporate banking entails the provision of financial services to sizable corporations and multinational enterprises, which includes an array of offerings such as cash management, trade finance, corporate lending, and treasury services. With the advent of digital corporate banking, businesses can now effectively manage their financial transactions, process payments, and gain access to various financial tools and resources via digital platforms, ensuring improved efficiency and convenience. 4.Mobile Banking: Payment Processing Overhaul Mobile banking allows remote access to a wide range of banking services. Mobile app simplifies our lives by letting bank and other financial institution users check account balances, pay bills, transfer money, manage investments, and apply for loans with just a few clicks. Mobile banking alerts promote smart financial management, provide customization options, and enable easy monitoring for suspicious activity. A Chase Bank study revealed that 87% of consumers use their bank's mobile app monthly. Some features of a digital banking platform: Transfer money to friends and family within minutes via the ‘Manage Payee’ option on mobile banking apps. Clear utility bills via banks linked with UPI-enabled apps on your phone instead of standing in long queues outside gas stations with cash. Open Demat accounts online via the KYC process and manage all investments, deposits, and stocks in one place. Open bank accounts by uploading documents online; skip visiting banks and filling out forms. Get online assistance from banks 24/7 through chatbots and support systems. Mobile banking enables smooth functioning and boosts transparency in accessing financial data. Check account balances anytime without the need for passbook slips. Mobile banking apps provide customers with innumerable loan options, with banks deducting loan amounts from accounts on a fixed date via the ‘AutoPay’ option. 4.1 Overview of Fintech Companies in Banking Industry Here are some leading digital banking platforms catering to the needs of financial institutions: Alkami Technology: It is a major developer of cloud-based digital banking solutions for financial institutions in the United States. Its solutions enable users to clients their businesses with confidence, react to changing circumstances swiftly, and build vibrant digital communities. The company provides a range of services, including retail banking and business banking, digital account opening, loan origination, and multi-payment fraud protection solutions to assist clients in their transformation. It is dedicated to empowering its clients and supporting them in achieving their goals. Numerated: It is a fast-growing fintech that streamlines the origination process for business banking products. Over 400,000 businesses and 30,000 financial institution associates have processed $50 billion in lending using Numerated. The platform is used by financial institutions with a combined $1 trillion in assets, including Bremer Bank, Dollar Bank, Eastern Bank, MidFirst Bank, People's United Bank, Seacoast Bank, and others. The company has been recognized for its work as one of 2020's Top 250 FinTechs by CB Insights and 2021's Best Overall Business Lending Company by FinTech Breakthrough. Zoot Enterprises: It is a global leader in providing advanced origination, acquisition, and decision management solutions to financial institutions. Its cloud-based platforms offer flexibility for specific business needs, including loan origination, fraud detection, and data acquisition. Zoot enables clients to access hundreds of cutting-edge data sources in real time, delivering decisions in milliseconds. Its origination solution streamlines loan processing, providing powerful tools and robust integrations that reduce data entry, accelerate loan processing times, and avoid costly errors. Geezeo: The company delivers enriched digital banking experiences, processing, and augmenting transactions for over 500 financial institutions. Its insights enhance the overall customer experience, seamlessly integrating within online and mobile banking environments while allowing financial institutions to maintain ownership of their personal financial management (PFM) brand. It focuses on technology solutions that engage audiences with enriched data and offers expertise in digital banking, marketing, and technology. TurnKey Lender: It is a global leader in Unified Lending Management (ULM). Its intelligent software products automate the entire lending process, including traditional and alternative lending, SME financing, grant management, money lending, leasing, trade finance, in-house financing, and more. With customers in over 50 countries, TurnKey Lender is gaining traction as a pioneer in AI software development for lenders in regions like the United States, APAC, and the EU. The company’s solutions are used by all types of lenders, including large/mid-size banks, digital lenders, multi-finance companies, trade finance operators, traditional and non-traditional lenders, and telecoms. 5. Technology Trends in Digital Banking Banking technology is rapidly evolving. Advanced technologies like AI and ML will enable banks to analyze large data sets in real time and offer personalized solutions to customers. The market size of the global digital banking platform was valued at USD 20.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 20.5% from 2022 to 2030. (Source: Grand View Research) The increasing digital savviness of the global population is prompting the adoption of technological advancements. However, some individuals are still in an adaptive mode due to a lack of time and knowledge. AI and ML technologies enable banks to analyze large amounts of data, make informed decisions through predictive analysis, and improve lending patterns by analyzing consumer spending patterns. 6.Digital Transformation in Banking Financial institutions must leverage big data to automate business processes and reduce costs in light of falling interest rates and banking fees coupled with rising consumer demands. Adopting artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and automation in modernizing their applications could enable banks to develop omnichannel products, services, and capabilities, ultimately improving the user experience. Now, let's examine digital transformation in the banking industry: 6.1 Authentic User Experience (UX) Banks must share genuine customer experiences to retain loyalty. To achieve this, they must embrace the latest trends, technologies, and well-designed UX. 6.2Blockchain Technology To improve customer satisfaction, banks must reduce the intermediaries between them and their customers. This can be accomplished through increased transparency using blockchain technology, enabling untrusted parties to agree on a shared database and eliminating the need for transaction intermediaries. 6.3 Personalized Technical Services Key points about the benefits of personalized services such as automation, AI, and cloud computing in the banking industry: Automation minimizes human intervention and reduces errors, resulting in faster and more efficient service. AI helps banks predict outcomes based on past data, such as identifying fraud and making customer recommendations. Cloud computing enables banks to adopt new business models and create secure applications that meet regulatory requirements. About 27% of Americans use an online-only bank. Of those at online-only banks, 88% reported they are satisfied with the bank’s services. Meanwhile, only 66% of consumers using traditional banks report being satisfied with them. (Source: Bankrate) 7. Digital Banking Platforms Reaching Out to SMBs Digital banking platforms have revolutionized business operations by providing enhanced convenience and adaptability. Fintech firms have customized their platforms to meet the unique needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), offering mobile apps that facilitate financial management, transaction processing, and access to a range of financial tools and services at all times and from any location. The following is a list of notable digital banking applications that have garnered significant popularity over time: Betterment: It is an online financial advisor that offers personalized, fiduciary advice for retirement planning, building wealth, and achieving financial goals. By utilizing advanced algorithms and technology, it offers automated investment services that are tailored to each client's unique investment objectives and risk tolerance. The platform offers a diverse range of investment options, low fees, tax-efficient investing, and access to financial advisors. Betterment's mission is to make investing accessible and affordable to everyone, with a user-friendly online platform that is easy to use and offers high-quality investment advice. Mercury: It is a startup-focused banking platform that provides a comprehensive range of financial services tailored to companies of any size or stage. The platform offers free checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, domestic and international wire transfers, treasury and venture debt, and other essential financial products, all with an intuitive user experience. In addition to its suite of banking services, Mercury also provides vibrant community programs that offer founders the resources, advice, and connections needed to build successful companies. Bluevine: It is a financial technology company that specializes in providing working capital financing solutions tailored to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States. With a suite of financing products, including invoice factoring, lines of credit, and term loans, Bluevine enables SMBs to secure the necessary funding to drive growth and expansion. The company's platform is designed to facilitate a seamless lending experience, with streamlined applications and fast approvals that can be completed in as little as 10 minutes. Novo: New York-based fintech firm, Novo offers digital banking services to small businesses in the United States. Its suite of products includes mobile check deposit, online bill pay, and debit card issuance for employees. The company has also integrated with popular small business software tools such as QuickBooks and Xero, providing businesses with greater financial management capabilities. Relay: Relay is an online banking and money management platform dedicated to giving America's small businesses the tools they need to grow and gain visibility into their finances. The company recognizes that traditional banking services often underserve small businesses. As a result, it has built a platform that gives entrepreneurs the power to control their cash flow by giving them a clear picture of their income and expenses. 8. Future Aspects of Digital Banking Solutions As technology continues to advance, the traditional banking system is expected to undergo significant changes in the coming decades, with neobanks rapidly gaining popularity among tech-savvy customers for their personalized services. These digital fintech companies, often referred to as 'challenger banks', operate without physical branches and offer a range of attractive services, blurring the line between traditional banking and financial systems. As a result, retail banks may adopt an omnichannel approach and leverage the robust infrastructure of fintech enterprises to enhance the customer experience.

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SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE

Protecting Modern Consumers from Banking Fraud

Article | August 4, 2022

The pace of change within the global payment’s technology space is still at full speed with no sign of slowing down. While traditional incumbents have until recently taken comfort in their size and decades of dominance, new digital-only challenger banks are ramping up and making a huge impact on the global financial landscape.

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BIG TECH IN FINANCE: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE FUTURE OF FINTECH

Article | February 10, 2020

The following article looks at Big Tech and its impact on the financial services sector. Whilst competition from small fintech startups will certainly take away some market share from traditional banks, the impact of “GAFA” could be huge. The fintech movement did more than unbundle banking and its core services — it spurred financial inclusion across Asia, increased overall economic growth, and made significant inroads into the finance value chain. The born-digital companies brought technology to the forefront, attacking the traditional risk-averse sector from various points — digital payments, insurance, P2P lending, and investment management, among other avenues.

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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

Broadridge and Apex Silver Team Up to Launch New Integrated Cost Basis and Tax Reporting Offering

PRnewswire | March 27, 2023

To provide the financial services industry with seamlessly integrated cost basis processing and tax information reporting, global Fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR), has teamed with Apex Silver (formerly Silver Management Group of Companies), a trusted provider of enterprise-class SaaS solutions and a subsidiary of Apex Fintech Solutions, Inc. This new comprehensive solution will provide wealth managers with a more tightly coupled offering, thus reducing the overall cost of ownership and improving the overall tax experience for clients. This alliance introduces a common data sourcing and management model making integrations seamless while providing greater flexibility and scale. "This collaboration provides a complete reporting solution for complex transaction processing addressing both cost basis and tax treatment," commented Thomas Burke, President, Broadridge Tax Services. "Broadridge has long provided tax data and information reporting solutions. What's new is that by working with Apex Silver, we are bringing to market an integrated one-stop reporting solution; that supports compliance with changing tax regulations, new asset classes such as crypto, and which scales rapidly in line with higher transaction volumes." "Apex Silver offers state-of-the-art cost basis reporting solutions with a focus on delivering industry-leading operational efficiencies and superior client experiences," commented Blake Henry, Chief Executive Officer, Apex Silver. "Our cloud-based, API-driven cost basis offering supports tens of millions of investment accounts and multiple Tier 1 financial institutions, including several firms that are also Broadridge tax information reporting clients. We look forward to working on this exciting initiative together." This collaboration of leading financial technology providers enables banks, broker-dealers and custodians to contract with a single vendor, Broadridge, for a truly integrated cost basis and tax information reporting solution delivered and supported by Broadridge's world class customer service team. About Apex Silver Apex Silver, formerly Silver Management Group of Companies, was acquired and became part of the Apex Fintech Solutions platform in August 2021. With a 30 year history, Apex Silver is a leading SaaS provider of business and technology solutions for the investment services industry. The team applies decades of securities industry and software development experience, along with a passion for solving real-world problems, to deliver cost-effective brokerage operations and wealth management solutions for clients. Apex Silver's SaaS solutions are currently used by some of the world's most respected financial institutions to accurately and securely process tens of millions of investment accounts and trillions in assets. About Apex Fintech Solutions Apex Fintech Solutions is a fintech powerhouse enabling seamless access, frictionless investing, and investor education for all. Apex's omni-suite of scalable solutions fuel innovation and evolution for hundreds of today's market leaders, challengers, change makers, and visionaries. The Company's digital ecosystem creates an environment where clients with the biggest ideas are empowered to change the world. Apex works to ensure their partners succeed on the frontlines of the industry via bespoke solutions through its Apex Clearing™, Apex Advisor Solutions™, Apex Silver™, and Apex CODA Markets™ brands. About Broadridge Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader with more than $5 billion in revenues, provides the critical infrastructure that powers investing, corporate governance and communications to enable better financial lives. We deliver technology-driven solutions that drive business transformation for banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and public companies. Broadridge's infrastructure serves as a global communications hub enabling corporate governance by linking thousands of public companies and mutual funds to tens of millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. Our technology and operations platforms underpin the daily trading of more than U.S. $9 trillion of equities, fixed income and other securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500® Index, employing over 14,000 associates in 21 countries.

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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

Abrigo partners with Charm Solutions to launch AI-powered engine that accelerates SMB lending decisions

PRnewswire | March 24, 2023

Abrigo, the leading technology provider of compliance, credit risk, and lending solutions for financial institutions, today announced the launch of Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence. This lending decision and monitoring engine is powered by Charm Solutions, a provider of AI technology that helps financial institutions unlock the full potential of their data, identify growth opportunities, optimize operations, and improve financial decisions. According to FFIEC call report data, small business (SMB) loans made by banks in the U.S. grew to nearly 27 million in 2022. Many institutions have indicated that SMB is a continued, targeted area for growth in 2023, following the successful Paycheck Protection Program during COVID-19, which led many lenders to build or deepen relationships with SMBs in their communities. A barrier to growth for many institutions is efficiency. In a recent Abrigo survey, nearly 60% of financial institutions indicated that efficiency was the top challenge in small business lending. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence is embedded into the Abrigo loan origination platform and provides real-time scorecards that include a loan risk rating score, probability of default, and details of how the score was calculated. Using Charm's dynamic models along with existing processes, institutions can improve their decision-making by incorporating an array of data sources and leveraging analytics to gain actionable insights. The engine leverages self-learning AI to continuously monitor a wide range of current and historical data, loan performance, accounting, and macroeconomic data from more than 1,200 institutions. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence is transparent, providing institutions insight into the data and processes used for its scoring model. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence also provides an early warning system alerting banks to changes that may impact an institution's entire loan portfolio before they become an issue. "By leveraging the power of automation and AI, financial institutions can provide the small businesses in their communities with the funds they need faster while ensuring they have the right risk management controls in place for their lending processes," said Ravi Nemalikanti, CTO of Abrigo. "We are very pleased to partner with Charm to develop this innovative solution that advances our mission to help communities thrive." "We are proud to power the Abrigo Small Business Intelligence platform with our proprietary AI-technology and help thousands of financial institutions make faster and better decisions to grow their SMB loan portfolio profitably and move the economy forward," said Jacob Malmborg, CEO of Charm Solutions. About Charm Solutions Charm Solutions is an AI software platform used by leading lending institutions to quickly and transparently analyze, decision, and monitor SMB loans, and by SMBs to gain insights into their financial health and use Charm's proprietary SMB Score™ report to receive actionable recommendations and efficiently secure the best financing alternatives to grow their business. Learn more at www.charmsolutions.ai About Abrigo Abrigo is a leading provider of compliance, credit risk, lending, and asset/liability management solutions and services that help financial institutions thrive. Abrigo accelerates growth, increases client efficiency, and improves customer experience with an easy-to-use and expansive platform. We ensure customer success with our award-winning client service team, advisory expertise, and innovative technology. With a network of 2,400+ FIs, Abrigo offers unique opportunities for insightful peer benchmarks and best practices. Visit abrigo.com to learn more. Follow Abrigo on social media using @WeAreAbrigo.

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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, PAYMENTS

Cross River and Pay.com Partner to Create All-Inclusive Payments Platform for Businesses

Businesswire | March 23, 2023

Cross River Bank (“Cross River”), a leading technology infrastructure provider that offers embedded financial solutions, today announced a new partnership with U.K. based Pay.com. This partnership will enhance and expand Pay.com’s automated payment platform into the U.S. and drive additional growth opportunities. “Cross River’s comprehensive compliance, payments and technology infrastructure increases the safety, efficiency and scalability that our partners have come to expect,” said Gilles Gade, Founder, President and CEO of Cross River. “Our partnership with Pay.com enables them to scale and reach new markets.” The partnership enables Pay.com’s current and future merchants to accept multiple payment methods, such as credit and debit cards, as well as alternative payment methods such as digital wallets, ACH transfers and more, all via Cross River’s one-stop-shop. Cross River’s API infrastructure provides Pay.com the ability to streamline and provide customer-centric payments capabilities, facilitating closed loop embedded financial solutions for merchants and businesses. "Our partnership with Cross River is a testament to our commitment to providing merchants with a comprehensive payment solution,” said Assaf Cohen, CEO of Pay.com. “With their regulatory infrastructure and expertise in embedded finance, we can scale our business and offer merchants access to the latest payment technologies." According to Verified Market Research, the embedded finance market size is expected to grow to $6.943 trillion by 2030, and fintechs are in need of simplified embedded finance systems that deliver exceptional customer experiences. Cross River and Pay.com lead with a solution-driven approach and have been partners since July 2022. Cross River’s expertise, technology and regulatory infrastructure will help build and scale Pay.com’s business in the U.S., providing increased capabilities for businesses. About Cross River Cross River provides technology infrastructure powering the future of financial services. Leveraging its proprietary real-time banking core, Cross River delivers innovative and scalable embedded payments, cards and lending solutions to millions of consumers and businesses. Cross River is backed by leading investors and serves the world’s most essential fintech and technology companies. Together with its partners, Cross River is reshaping global finance and financial inclusion. Member FDIC. Find out more at www.crossriver.com. About Pay.com Pay.com is an innovative payment service provider, providing flexible, customizable, and scalable solutions. Pay.com enables enterprise leaders to effortlessly manage large payments and achieve their boldest visions, while empowering smaller merchants to reach new heights of success through seamless, fast, and user-friendly payment solutions. Pay.com’s commitment to inclusivity drives the company to bring unparalleled ease, simplicity, and speed to the global payment space.

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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

Broadridge and Apex Silver Team Up to Launch New Integrated Cost Basis and Tax Reporting Offering

PRnewswire | March 27, 2023

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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

Abrigo partners with Charm Solutions to launch AI-powered engine that accelerates SMB lending decisions

PRnewswire | March 24, 2023

Abrigo, the leading technology provider of compliance, credit risk, and lending solutions for financial institutions, today announced the launch of Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence. This lending decision and monitoring engine is powered by Charm Solutions, a provider of AI technology that helps financial institutions unlock the full potential of their data, identify growth opportunities, optimize operations, and improve financial decisions. According to FFIEC call report data, small business (SMB) loans made by banks in the U.S. grew to nearly 27 million in 2022. Many institutions have indicated that SMB is a continued, targeted area for growth in 2023, following the successful Paycheck Protection Program during COVID-19, which led many lenders to build or deepen relationships with SMBs in their communities. A barrier to growth for many institutions is efficiency. In a recent Abrigo survey, nearly 60% of financial institutions indicated that efficiency was the top challenge in small business lending. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence is embedded into the Abrigo loan origination platform and provides real-time scorecards that include a loan risk rating score, probability of default, and details of how the score was calculated. Using Charm's dynamic models along with existing processes, institutions can improve their decision-making by incorporating an array of data sources and leveraging analytics to gain actionable insights. The engine leverages self-learning AI to continuously monitor a wide range of current and historical data, loan performance, accounting, and macroeconomic data from more than 1,200 institutions. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence is transparent, providing institutions insight into the data and processes used for its scoring model. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence also provides an early warning system alerting banks to changes that may impact an institution's entire loan portfolio before they become an issue. "By leveraging the power of automation and AI, financial institutions can provide the small businesses in their communities with the funds they need faster while ensuring they have the right risk management controls in place for their lending processes," said Ravi Nemalikanti, CTO of Abrigo. "We are very pleased to partner with Charm to develop this innovative solution that advances our mission to help communities thrive." "We are proud to power the Abrigo Small Business Intelligence platform with our proprietary AI-technology and help thousands of financial institutions make faster and better decisions to grow their SMB loan portfolio profitably and move the economy forward," said Jacob Malmborg, CEO of Charm Solutions. About Charm Solutions Charm Solutions is an AI software platform used by leading lending institutions to quickly and transparently analyze, decision, and monitor SMB loans, and by SMBs to gain insights into their financial health and use Charm's proprietary SMB Score™ report to receive actionable recommendations and efficiently secure the best financing alternatives to grow their business. Learn more at www.charmsolutions.ai About Abrigo Abrigo is a leading provider of compliance, credit risk, lending, and asset/liability management solutions and services that help financial institutions thrive. Abrigo accelerates growth, increases client efficiency, and improves customer experience with an easy-to-use and expansive platform. We ensure customer success with our award-winning client service team, advisory expertise, and innovative technology. With a network of 2,400+ FIs, Abrigo offers unique opportunities for insightful peer benchmarks and best practices. Visit abrigo.com to learn more. Follow Abrigo on social media using @WeAreAbrigo.

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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, PAYMENTS

Cross River and Pay.com Partner to Create All-Inclusive Payments Platform for Businesses

Businesswire | March 23, 2023

Cross River Bank (“Cross River”), a leading technology infrastructure provider that offers embedded financial solutions, today announced a new partnership with U.K. based Pay.com. This partnership will enhance and expand Pay.com’s automated payment platform into the U.S. and drive additional growth opportunities. “Cross River’s comprehensive compliance, payments and technology infrastructure increases the safety, efficiency and scalability that our partners have come to expect,” said Gilles Gade, Founder, President and CEO of Cross River. “Our partnership with Pay.com enables them to scale and reach new markets.” The partnership enables Pay.com’s current and future merchants to accept multiple payment methods, such as credit and debit cards, as well as alternative payment methods such as digital wallets, ACH transfers and more, all via Cross River’s one-stop-shop. Cross River’s API infrastructure provides Pay.com the ability to streamline and provide customer-centric payments capabilities, facilitating closed loop embedded financial solutions for merchants and businesses. "Our partnership with Cross River is a testament to our commitment to providing merchants with a comprehensive payment solution,” said Assaf Cohen, CEO of Pay.com. “With their regulatory infrastructure and expertise in embedded finance, we can scale our business and offer merchants access to the latest payment technologies." According to Verified Market Research, the embedded finance market size is expected to grow to $6.943 trillion by 2030, and fintechs are in need of simplified embedded finance systems that deliver exceptional customer experiences. Cross River and Pay.com lead with a solution-driven approach and have been partners since July 2022. Cross River’s expertise, technology and regulatory infrastructure will help build and scale Pay.com’s business in the U.S., providing increased capabilities for businesses. About Cross River Cross River provides technology infrastructure powering the future of financial services. Leveraging its proprietary real-time banking core, Cross River delivers innovative and scalable embedded payments, cards and lending solutions to millions of consumers and businesses. Cross River is backed by leading investors and serves the world’s most essential fintech and technology companies. Together with its partners, Cross River is reshaping global finance and financial inclusion. Member FDIC. Find out more at www.crossriver.com. About Pay.com Pay.com is an innovative payment service provider, providing flexible, customizable, and scalable solutions. Pay.com enables enterprise leaders to effortlessly manage large payments and achieve their boldest visions, while empowering smaller merchants to reach new heights of success through seamless, fast, and user-friendly payment solutions. Pay.com’s commitment to inclusivity drives the company to bring unparalleled ease, simplicity, and speed to the global payment space.

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