It's not uncommon for people to bank with more than one provider. Add into the mix mortgages, finance agreements, insurance, or any of the other countless financial products we all purchase, and it doesn't take long to get overwhelmed by the incredible number of services we need to keep on top of. Because with every product comes a new platform, a new username, and a new login - making it almost impossible to get a snapshot of what your daily finances actually look like.

But there is a solution - one that's been in the making for nearly thirty years. And it's called open banking.

In today's episode of Financial Futures, we find out how open banking is helping regional banks to innovate and evolve and how it's giving customers visibility of, and control over, all their financial products. We'll discover how open banking has evolved since its first iteration in the 90s and we'll find out why giving customers exposure to competing products is actually a good thing for regional banks. So join us as we speak with FIS's business unit manager for APIs and integration services, Eric Guion about why open banking adoption has soared in recent months and explore all the possibilities that this cutting-edge tech will afford regional banks.

We'll also ask:

• What do banks need to consider before adopting open banking?
• How is open banking helping regional banks to expand and grow?
• What is the difference between open banking and screen scraping?
• How safe is open banking?
• What has led to the rise of open banking?

Crypto used to be the counterculture currency of choice. Giving participants an alternative to the centralized monetary systems of nations, cryptocurrency allowed those in the know a way to transact and invest without the use of fiat currency. But in recent years, cryptocurrency has emerged from the realm of alternative investments and found its place in the world of mainstream finance. And with so many platforms offering retail and commercial customers a way in, banks of all sizes are seeing an opportunity to tap into this rapidly growing market.

In today's episode of financial futures, we speak with head of new business strategy for America's banking solutions at FIS, Fiaz Sindhu. We examine the past and present of cryptocurrency and ask what opportunities the tech poses for the future of regional banking. We'll find out how this once alternative financial product has made its way into the mainstream, attracting both private and corporate interest. And we'll explore the ways in which regional banks can adopt decentralized finance and discover what they need to do in order to serve their own crypto clientele.

We'll also ask:

• What is happening in the world of cryptocurrency and what does the future look like?
• Who is driving crypto adoption and why are customers so excited about it?
• What are the cultural, technological, and regulatory considerations banks need to make when adopting cryptocurrency?
• How can regional banks determine what their own customers' crypto needs are?
• Who can banks turn to for guidance on how to implement cryptocurrency solutions?

Like many organizations, regional banks are experiencing a time of rapid change. In the wake of a pandemic, and in order to keep up with an increasingly digitized society, these institutions need to augment their services to remain competitive among other banks and appeal to societal shifts. But regional banks don't need to go on this journey of transformation alone, with fintechs and other partners at the ready to help them make sense of the evolving retail banking industry and to help them adopt modern solutions.

In today's episode of Financial Futures, we'll be joined by senior vice president and group executive of regional banking at FIS, Nicole Pienkos, and vice president and business executive at FIS, Mike Gravelle. We'll be exploring the challenges that are facing regional banks and examining some of the solutions and opportunities that are emerging out of this period of innovation. We'll also find out what sets regional banks apart from the community and national banks and take a look at what makes them uniquely suited to address the financial needs of their customers. Plus, we'll hear how having the right tech partners helped regional banks to rapidly adapt to the hurdles presented by the pandemic, and we'll find out how they're carrying those lessons through to serve an increasingly digitized society.

We'll also ask:

• How are data insights driving regional banking innovation?
• Why could digitization be one of the keys to addressing gaps in the workforce?
• What do banks need to consider when adopting new technologies?
• Why is it important to have good fintech partners?
• Why were regional banks instrumental in the payment protection program during the pandemic?

Regional banks find themselves in a unique space within the financial services industry - not as localized as a community bank, but not as ubiquitous as the nationals. Operating in this sector presents these institutions with a host of challenges faced by both larger and smaller institutions alike, but it also opens them up to a myriad of opportunities. And that's exactly what we'll be looking at in this season of Financial Futures.

Simply the mention of automation is enough to strike fear into the heart of a workforce. But while sci-fi movies would have us believe that the machines are here to replace us, in reality, they're actually here to help - taking on the mundane and repetitive tasks so that people can focus on the more meaningful and important work that only they can do.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a powerful tool, bringing efficiencies to regional banks throughout the US. And the benefits this technology brings go far beyond simply eliminating the menial day-to-day processes. 

In this season premiere, we speak with Carl Bahneman, Business Unit Manager at FIS, all about robotic process automation and the value it offers to regional banks. We discuss what kind of tasks can be automated to improve efficiencies, and Carl explains how just thinking about incorporating bots can reveal new opportunities for time-saving.

We’ll also ask:

• Why is it important to write out your organization's processes?
• What are the differences between buying and building bots?
• Why are regional banks looking to RPA?
• What kind of bots are available to regional banks?
• How can financial institutions prepare to integrate RPA into their businesses?

The world has cryptocurrency on the brain. And with new coins being released, seemingly, every day, and mammoth losses and gains occurring among the most popular cryptocurrencies, it’s no wonder why. And where some see danger in those troughs and peaks, others see opportunity - opportunity not just in the financial gains to be had, but in the blockchain technology behind these digital currencies. Indeed, crypto and blockchain might not just have the potential to diversify investors’ asset portfolios, they might actually be poised to completely evolve our financial ecosystem.

In this episode, we’ll be joined by John Avery, senior strategy director at FIS; Patrick Sells, CIO at NYDIG; and Richard Walker, principal at Deloitte. We’ll explore what has caused the surge in popularity of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, and we’ll discuss what the long-term impacts of these could be. We’ll also look at the potential implications of more widely adopting a decentralized finance model and examine whether crypto and blockchain could herald the demise of cash.

We’ll also ask:

• How are financial institutions and the capital markets reacting to crypto and blockchain?
• What are the drawbacks of a centralized financial system?
• How are different generations adopting cryptocurrency?
• Why are everyday savers, as well as high-net-worth investors, attracted to crypto?
• Could the world be moving away from fiat money do de-fi?

In one form or another, most people have debts. It is, in many ways, an everyday part of life. Yet debt carries a considerable amount of stigma with it, which can have a negative impact on people’s willingness to seek out ways to manage it. And it’s not that people don’t want to pay, in fact, in most cases the opposite is true, but outdated procedures, unfit technological solutions, and seemingly unempathetic customer service representatives create significant barriers - barriers that must be removed in order to modernize and humanize enterprise collections.

On today’s show, we’ll be speaking with Dale Williams, CEO of Telrock Systems; Guy Hammon, general manager of enterprise lending at FIS; and Michael Peretz, housing finance practice lead at Capco. Join us as we explore the modern solutions that are reshaping enterprise collections and improving debt recovery for institutions and customers. We’ll discover why poor communication can drastically damage an institution's ability to recover funds, where current enterprise collection solutions currently fall short, and how improved tech solutions can better human interactions and, therefore, debt recovery.

We’ll also ask:

• How has COVID impacted the technologies associated with enterprise collections?
• What, other than technology, is the key to providing a better experience for those in debt?
• How is the landscape in B2B enterprise collections changing?
• Why does empathy need to be at the core of debt recovery?
• What do organizations need to consider when bringing enterprise collections in-house?

Saving used to be simple. But as our society has advanced, so have our financial needs, which has made things a lot more complicated. Phone contracts, tuition fees, direct debits for endless streaming services - the list of bills we have to manage seems to be constantly growing, and savings accounts and piggy banks are no longer enough to help us reach our financial goals. The challenge of keeping our finances in order has evolved, and now we need to embrace new tools and a new mindset if we’re to regain control over our financial wellness.

In today’s show, we’ll be speaking with Nicole Meyers, vice president of strategic account management at Personetics; Nick Woodcock, digital banking executive at FIS; and Eric Bittel, wealth management practice lead at NTT Data Services all about the role financial institutions play in financial wellness. We’ll find out how fintechs are helping customers to improve their financial health, and look at some of the new (and potential) tools and services that are helping to put people back in control of their funds.

Join us as we discuss why so many of us feel financially unwell, and what some of the barriers are that stop people from building better saving habits and improving their financial literacy. We’ll also ask:

• How are financial institutions promoting financial wellness programs?
• What are the societal impacts of poor financial literacy?
• What are fintechs doing in this space to better serve the individual?
• How do you create engaging, socially-minded, and financially viable wealth management platforms?
• What does the future of financial wellness and wealth management look like?

When it comes to purchasing big-ticket items, our spending options have, traditionally, been pretty limited. Either scrimp and save until we can afford what we want, or borrow the money through a loan or finance agreement and pay even more in interest fees. But thanks to the myriad of terms and conditions and strict eligibility requirements, getting access to these products can be difficult. But a new product has made its way onto the spending scene over the last few years, providing customers with another, much-needed solution - buy now, pay later.

In today’s episode, we’ll be joined by Nathan Hilt, Managing Director and Payments Industry Leader at Protiviti, Amanda McBee, BNPL GTM Solutions Director at Amount, and Mickey Lynch, Product Management Executive at FIS. They’ll be discussing how BNPL is helping both consumers and businesses stay in control of their cash flow, and they’ll reveal how banks, fintechs, and even merchants, are innovating in this space to provide new BNPL products.

We’ll also ask:

• What does the BNPL customer journey look like?
• Which customers have been championing BNPL and how has this payment method been received by different generations?
• How are BNPL products evolving and what kind of innovations are emerging?
• How is BNPL helping businesses when it comes to their cash cushion and customer base?
• Is BNPL here to stay?

Financial institutions, businesses, and customers are seeing dramatic advances in the tools and services they use at an ever-increasing rate. As demand for immediacy and convenience continues to grow, fintechs are rising to the challenge to deliver more and more banking solutions at the points where people need them most. But behind the multitude of new apps and services, the most impressive changes are taking place in the fintech ecosystems powering these tools.

In this season of Financial Futures, we’ll be exploring some of the latest innovations in the fintech landscape that are paving the way for BNPL and crypto, enhancing enterprise collections, and improving customer financial wellness. And on today’s show, Division Executive and Head of Enterprise Banking at FIS, Andrew Beatty, joins us to discuss how the institutions and ecosystems supporting these advances are evolving.

We’ll be asking Andrew how financial institutions need to adapt in order to keep supporting modern customers and their increasing needs. He also discusses how fintechs are strengthening banks’ offerings, and how these new relationships are benefitting all parties, from institutions to customers.

We’ll also ask:

• What has led to the rise of challenger banks and non-traditional banking services?
• How are fintechs helping banks to bring new solutions to customers?
• What should institutions consider when it comes to core banking transformation?
• What does the increased collaboration between fintechs, banks and businesses mean for the end consumer?

As regulators clamp down and criminals become more sophisticated, the roles of Chief Compliance Officers and Chief Risk Officers are becoming more complex. CROs and CCOs are the strongest lines of defense for financial institutions, but in order to carry on protecting their firms, they must embrace technology in order to manage the ever- increasing number of risks they face. But what are the solutions keeping them a step ahead of the fraudsters? And how are these technologies affecting CROs and CCOs day-to-day? 

In the season 6 finale of Financial Futures, we speak with Senior Manager of Advisory Technology Risk at Deloitte, Niv Bodor, and Senior Vice President & Group Executive at FIS Compliance Suite, Kyle Gardner, about the evolution of compliance and risk. We dig into the current and emerging issues affecting CROs and CCOs and take a look at how technologies such as AI are helping to tackle crime and keep institutions compliant. 

We discuss how contemporary issues such as free-trading platforms and the prevalence of the work-from-home model are creating new challenges for CROs and CCOs. We also look at how the changing demands of regulators are putting firms under increased compliance pressures and reveal how AI could hold the solution. And we find out how institutions can utilize unstructured data to help fight fraud. We'll also ask: 

• How are changing trader demographics affecting the role of CROs and CCOs? 
• What are the emerging risks to the capital markets beyond the pandemic? 
• How will CROs and CCOs have to change to meet the demands of regulators? 
• Why is people-power alone not enough to keep up with modern risk and compliance issues?