Fintech Takes

Simon Taylor, a fintech thinker and author of FinTech Brain Food, joins to delve into intriguing topics. They discuss Cardamon, an AI tool simplifying compliance, challenging expensive law firms. Sprive emerges as a clever app redirecting funds to speed up mortgage payments, though its real value may lie beyond just mortgages. Taylor also highlights Figg Wealth's comprehensive dashboard that tracks net worth, suggesting AI-driven insights could revolutionize wealth management. The conversation is a captivating mix of innovation and industry challenges.

Rob Blackwell, Chief Content Officer at IntraFi and host of the Banking With Interest podcast, delves into the chaotic world of bank regulation and stablecoins. He discusses Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant's bold moves that could alter the regulatory landscape. The conversation turns to stablecoins, exploring how political tensions are impacting bipartisan progress and the risks of major companies like Amazon entering banking. Lastly, they tackle the future of open banking and the potential rollback of critical regulations, wrapping up with a fun debate that touches on both policy and pop culture.

Explore the ambitious move by Increase to acquire a bank for a robust BaaS future! California’s surprising regulatory actions raise questions about state vs. federal control. Dive into the retro vibes of Ryan Breslow's revamped super app with its flashy new features. And don’t miss the bizarre legal drama unfolding over trademark claims between TomoCredit and Prism, revealing some shifty tactics in the fintech world. With rants and insights, this discussion covers it all!

Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m your host, Alex Johnson, and today, one of our favorite guests is making a triumphant return visit—Frank Rotman, founding partner and CIO at QED Investors. Frank has a theory: in his words, the game of life is getting “harder to win.” Debt is piling up, wages are stagnant, and folks are being told they’re the only ones to blame for their financial struggles. His observation is that more people see themselves as playing PvE (Player vs. Everyone), prioritizing personal survival over collective outcomes. In a world where following the rules doesn’t pay off, so-called "irrational" moves like crypto gambles start making a lot more sense. We unpack what this shift means for finance, behavior, and the economy. Then, we take on a big question: is traditional financial theory broken? The old "work hard, save, invest in a 60/40 portfolio" model no longer delivers retirement security, and that's because rising costs, debt, and economic shifts have eroded its effectiveness. So, what might replace it? And how can avoiding financial mistakes be just as important as making smart investments? And finally, we explore how AI is rewriting the future of finance. Instead of generic, one-size-fits-all advice, AI-powered financial guidance could be real-time, scenario-based, and deeply personalized (aka imagine a 150-IQ financial strategist that can help you make smarter decisions on the fly...by actually talking to it? That future’s not so far away). Instead of shopping for financial products, what happens when AI can custom-build financial products to fit our specific needs? Would that create a system that works for everyone—or just make it even more complex? Join us for a deep, challenging, and necessary conversation about the future of money, markets, and human behavior. 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 Frank: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-rotman/ X: https://x.com/fintechjunkie   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—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.   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: 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

Dive into the world of fintech as the hosts discuss Ubyx's ambitious vision for stablecoins, aiming for mass adoption like Visa. Codex is making waves with its specialized blockchain for stablecoin payments, promising to streamline liquidity. Meanwhile, Agent AV emerges as a game changer in e-commerce, allowing AI bots to shop for us, raising questions about good versus bad bots. Finally, insights on Experian's innovative cash flow score reveal shifts in credit scoring and financial inclusion, paving the way for a new era in finance.

Klarna has officially gone public, raising questions about its profitability and looming credit losses. The hosts debate the project's impact on the BNPL landscape and its strategic moves, including a partnership with Walmart. Meanwhile, tensions between Mercury and Evolv highlight issues in fintech partnerships. The conversation also tackles the often painful lessons learned in lending, illustrating the risks involved. Lastly, the growing concern over gamified investments reflects on the industry's responsibility towards consumer well-being.

James Wester, co-head of payments research at Javelin Strategy & Research and former PayPal strategist, dives into the world of stablecoins. He discusses their potential to disrupt traditional payment systems, like cards and ACH, and how companies like Stripe are driving innovation. The conversation highlights exciting applications in ecosystems like Starbucks and Disney, while addressing usability challenges that must be overcome. The need for familiar user experiences and real-world incentives is stressed, pointing to a future where stablecoins enhance retail transactions.

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 - Payman00:17:13 - Shibboleth00:30:22 - Stablecore00:43:51 - Astrada00:52:20 - 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/videosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnsonTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_JohnsonCompanies featured:https://www.paymanai.com/https://shiboleth.ai/https://stablecore.com/https://astrada.co/

Michael Hsu, former Acting Comptroller of the Currency, joins the discussion, blending his regulatory expertise with a playful 'Would You Rather' game. They tackle key questions like the trade-offs between high-risk bank formations versus Banking as a Service. The conversation also delves into the necessity of either robust industry standards or direct oversight for consumer protection. Lastly, they explore the potential impact of stablecoins and the relevance of the Community Reinvestment Act in today's banking landscape. Tune in for a fun yet informative ride through fintech regulation!