Episodes

Fears of a recession and high interest rates have persisted into 2023. Now, lenders are determining how to maintain their competitive advantage with consumers despite economic downturn. This year, we are bringing back guests to test how well their bold predictions have held up in recent months, and to see what other insights they have on the macro economy for the year ahead. In this episode, Barry Roach, Senior Account Manager at Upstart, shares his particular outlook on the macro economy and w...

The investments in technology that banks and financial institutions are making today are preparing consumers to manage their finances in a more meaningful way. They are approaching technology in terms of solving problems for their consumers and transforming the way that they use their financial services providers. But where else is digital banking taking us in the future?In this episode Lindsey Johnson, President and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association, shares the changes and accomplishments...

The banking industry is increasingly leveraging innovations in alternative data to underwrite loans for both consumers and small businesses. This can make a huge impact in communities that Minority Depository Institutions and Community Development Financial Institutions serve.In this episode, Michael Pugh, CEO of Carver Federal Savings Bank, discusses how to support small businesses better and serve communities by developing programs based on improved data analysis.Join us as Jeff and Michael di...

Credit Unions, at their core, have a strong commitment to service. But how do you scale the concept of serving your members to the broader community — even to the wider world of financial services? Our guest today believes that if you serve people passionately, you will ultimately move the entire industry forward toward more inclusivity and equity. In this episode, Renée Sattiewhite, President & CEO of the African American Credit Union Coalition, highlights her strategies for driving equity and ...

Credit unions promise their members more than a traditional bank, but communicating and marketing your expertise is not always easy in a crowded market. In this episode, Karrie Drobnick, Chief Operati ng Officer at Verve, talks about growing and rebranding their credit union to spur robust growth. She also talks about creating a new personality of the company and then translating that into a better experience for members. Join us as Jeff and Karrie discuss: Their use of a recognizable and relat...

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegirouard/, Co-Founder & CEO at https://www.upstart.com/ , believed that young people were "potential rich yet cash poor"—and that dynamic caused them to make poor financial decisions for themselves and the economy...

Banks can no longer afford to play it safe when it comes to their digital capabilities. “Safe” is now risky. That’s why, in this episode, Tony Hejna, EVP, Con sumer Bank Chief Credit Officer at KeyBank, joins the show to share the secrets behind moving fast (without breaking things) and maintaining an edge in a highly regulated and increasingly competitive landscape. Join us as we discuss: - The 3 rules of job satisfaction - Why staying safe is risky - "The importance of a robust technology infr...

We’ve covered a wide range of topics that are propelling change in the lending space this year- from use of technology to policy recommendations to unexpected changes, our guests didn’t disappoint in the insights and predictions they shared. Despite a difficult macro environment, and among increasingly high interest rates, credit unions grew their memberships proving that lending responsibly and investing in communities drives demand. While collectively financial institutions made tremendous str...

Many credit unions offer traditionally underserved members an advantage in not just banking, but financial planning. One crucial asset they can offer is financial education, providing not only a way to manage their money but also a way to achieve their financial goals. In this episode, Charlotte Nemec, President and CEO of Canopy Credit Union, talks about what community means to a credit union, and how an investment in members helped to grow their lending portfolio. Join us as Jeff and Charlotte...

The car industry has been hit by multiple disruptions in recent years due to the supply chain and the lack of inventory. But people still are buying cars, and they are certainly still applying for auto loans. Adam Brice, SVP of Lending at EFCU Financial, shares his experience in the auto lending space- what the future may look like in auto lending, and also how AI plays into the future of common sense lending. Join us as Jeff and Adam discuss: The state of indirect financing in auto lending in t...

Delivering the best member service at credit unions was once totally dependent on face-to-face relationships, and while that is still important today, the digital transformation has upended what constitutes personalized service. The balance between a human high-touch level of service and digital ease is now table stakes in lending. Cherly Purrington, Chief Lending Officer at ACFCU, shares her experience in building new digital systems that bring both high touch, security and ease of use to membe...

The lending environment in 2022 is vastly different than it was in 2019 – rising rates and inflation have made lending more expensive for consumers. However, leveraging AI and machine learning can help banks continue to serve their existing customers' borrowing needs as well as acquire new customers. In this episode, Candace Caruso, SVP Chief retail Lending Officer at WSFS Bank, and Ed Walters, VP, Accounting Management at Upstart, discuss their partnership and how the Upstart Referral Network a...

Technology is transforming the banking landscape, but it is cost prohibitive for smaller institutions and can leave out borrowers who need access to capital the most. Recognizing that credit funds opportunity, the movement for inclusive credit is growing thanks to the MoreThanFair initiative that believes technology and data science can make lending more inclusive, transparent and fair. Our guests today have been at the forefront of the movement for more inclusive credit. Nicole Elam, President ...

Technology is transforming the banking landscape, but it is cost prohibitive for smaller institutions and can leave out borrowers who need access to capital the most. Recognizing that credit funds opportunity, the movement for inclusive credit is growing thanks to the More Than Fair initiative that believes technology and data science can make lending more inclusive, transparent and fair. Our guests today have been at the forefront of the movement for more inclusive credit. Nicole Elam, Presiden...

Credit unions can’t be everything to their members, so honing in on the products they specialize in and working with partners for the remaining products makes sense. That is exactly what our guest today, Kayla Selhorst SVP Chief Operating Officer at CME Federal Credit Union, has accomplished — streamlining the lending operations at CME to approve more loans, with less staff. They did this by not only making their operation more efficient, but by putting the members' needs first. Join us as Jeff ...

Credit unions have a unique advantage helping members access the best possible products through a great member experience. Fintechs have a distinct advantage in cutting edge technology and working with traditional financial partners to level-up their digital experiences. But once a partnership is in place- what makes it work? Our guest today, Jaynel Christensen, Chief Growth Officer at Commonwealth Credit Union, has spent her career increasing access to affordable credit for her members. Natural...

Innovation is not just about adoption of technology, it’s also a change in mindset. Especially for some traditional banks that have been operating for over a decade, this mindset shift in the lending space usually involves influencing multiple stakeholders at a financial institution: from credit, risk and regulatory sides of the business. So how do you influence the risk averse and push innovation, especially in today’s tough climate of mortgage lending? Our guest today Leisa Kinnin, SVP Lending...

Innovations in fintech have significantly improved the consumer lending process, but the same hasn’t been true for the commercial banking industry. Lending time for middle market businesses can take up to 100 days,nd that lag time to accessing capital can slow a business down incredibly. Fintech has invested less in optimizing the lending market for commercial businesses and Allan Rayson, Chief Innonvation Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Encore Bank, is determined to change that. Allan s...

When members do business at their credit union, their digital preferences aren’t just measured against other experiences in the financial services space — but by bigger retail and entertainment companies. So, credit unions need to keep pace with the technology and provide that ideal member experience. Nicol Matthews, Chief Experi ence Officer, Carlolinas Telco Federal Credit Union, has done just that — upleveling th e digital experience of members as an extension of in-person service. Join us as...

Access to credit is the key to opportunity and upward mobility for millions of Americans, yet less than half of Americans have access to prime credit today. AI and machine learning are helping lenders identify creditworthy borrowers without increasing risk, but some have questions about how these new technologies apply to Fair Lending laws. Annie Delgado, Chief Compliance Officer at Upstart , has been actively engaged in working with regulators on fair lending practices and shares how Upstart wo...

What is the value of digital assets and how are they used? It’s not an easy question to answer- and it’s not just about cryptocurrency either. Is it possible to leverage digital assets in the lending space? Joe Keller, VP of Digital Assets at Visions FCU, details his experience in the metaverse and what digital assets can be of real value to both lenders and borrowers. Join us as Eric and Joe discuss: How do we assign and access the true value in the metaverse- using real estate as an example Ex...

In the current economic environment, finding an affordable home has become out of reach for many potential buyers. What if a realistic option was to co-own a home or property- instead of pouring money into your landlord’s mortgage? Underserved homebuyers and renters who can’t afford to buy a home on their own are now multiplying their buying power and making co-ownership a reality. Eric Chebil Founder and CEO of Cher, does all this for clients, realtors and lenders looking to co-own a home. Join...

Is the future of everyday transactional banking going to be on the blockchain? Are we closer to bringing traditional currencies into and out of the crypto space for a wider range of banks and customers? Sidney Powell shares his experience running and co-founding Maple Finance- a lending organization bringing capital markets on-chain. Join us as Sidney and Jeff discuss: Building an on-chain credit history and how grouping of funds can make lending more efficient and accessible Application and val...

There’s a lot of buzz about the “artificial intelligence revolution” and the impact it’s going to have on businesses as we know it. As AI and machine learning emerge in the consumer lending space, the technology has proven to provide dramatic wins for both lenders and consumers. This week we are running an older, listener favorite episode featuring Paul Gu, co-founder of Upstart.