The Power of One: How Unified Platforms Are Redefining Community Banks
By Amruta Dongre Community banks and have always thrived on relationships. Their strength lies in understanding members and customers personally, offering trust and service that large institutions can’t match. But expectations have changed. People now want to open accounts, apply for loans, and manage their finances seamlessly across digital, branch, and banker-assisted channels. Delivering that…
SECURING Board Packages from Cyber Threats
By Raj Patel Bank Directors routinely access some of the Bank’s most sensitive information such as strategic plans, regulatory reports, audit findings, risk assessments, financial data, customer loan documents, and personnel records. Many organizations, including community banks, now prepare a digital board package, which is a single collection of documents directors review before each meeting….
From Integration Chaos to Connected Intelligence: How Community Banks Can Finally Escape ‘Integration Hell’
By Joe Ehrhardt Integration is easy. Seamless. A flip of a switch. Blah blah blah… and all the nonsense that every bank vendor says. Anyone who’s lived through a core conversion or tried to connect multiple systems knows that’s rarely true. For years, accessing data across banking systems required massive budgets, months of waiting, and…
The Mental Toll of Money Stress…How to Support Your Account Holders
By Fred Stapleton It’s been a turbulent few years, beginning with the pandemic and followed by persistent inflation, rising housing costs, and uncertainty surrounding economic policy. In the U.S., 77% of adults experience financial anxiety, and 58% feel like money controls their lives. More than one-third of adults say financial problems have directly affected their…
The Essential Guide to Email Authentication for Community Banks
By Heather Diaz As a community bank, your reputation is your most valuable asset. In the digital age, this reputation is intrinsically tied to your domain reputation and the security of your communications. Email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, is no longer optional—it’s a critical layer of defense against phishing, spoofing, and other email-based…
Why Generic BI Tools Fall Short for Financial Institutions
By: Ashley Fiore Twenty-five years into the 21st century, most financial institutions recognize the value of business intelligence (BI). The ability to turn complex data into actionable insights promises smarter decisions, stronger performance, and sustainable growth. Many already invest in BI tools, often those included within broader platforms like Microsoft 365 or Google Cloud, hoping…
Six Strategies to Transform Account Holders into Advocates
By Cindy Draper With mobile banking on the rise, account holders are more transactional—and less loyal—than ever. The Financial Brand recently reported that 76% of consumers considered themselves likely to switch primary financial institutions. Meanwhile, the average account holder has multiple financial relationships, including traditional financial institutions and fintechs. Choice is everywhere, and consumers aren’t…
Questions that Banks Should Ask About AI
By David Eads As new artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and products enter the market, financial institutions should do their due diligence before investing. AI brings a world of possibilities for enhancing efficiency when done right. But adopting AI isn’t just about automating a process or adding a new tool. It’s about trust, transparency and long-term…
Why Banking & Fintech Companies Should Be Located Near Research & Innovation Resources
By Jessica Del Vecchio Why Banking & Fintech Companies Should Be Located Near Research & Innovation Resources In the race to advance financial services and digital banking, location is more than a pin on a map — it’s a position within an ecosystem. For decades, executives making expansion or relocation decisions considered factors like tax…
Your Digital Roadmap Is Worthless Without Execution
How to Build a Digital Roadmap That Actually Gets Executed By Ryan Taphouse Nearly every financial institution has a digital strategy, but only a handful actually see it through to completion. The reality? Banks often spend months (sometimes years) building impressive roadmaps only to watch priorities shift, technology stall in procurement, and execution grind to…