Generated by All in One SEO Pro v5.0.0.1, this is an llms-full.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # HIFI Agency | Financial Marketing Agency We Help You Talk About Money The Way People Talk About Money ## Posts ### [All Articles](https://hifiagency.com/all-articles/) **Published:** February 18, 2021 **Author:** Hunter Young --- ### [How Financial Institutions Can Win Over Today’s Homebuyers](https://hifiagency.com/how-financial-institutions-can-win-over-todays-homebuyers/) **Published:** August 13, 2026 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** Rising home prices and fluctuating mortgage rates have reshaped the path to homeownership, introducing greater caution and delaying timelines among consumers. In 2025, the typical age for home buyers increased [significantly](https://www.nar.realtor/press-releases/first-time-home-buyer-share-falls-to-historic-low-of-21-median-age-rises-to-40), with the median age for first-time purchasers rising to 40 and for repeat buyers to 62. For financial institutions, this signals a need to meet consumers long before they’re ready to apply for mortgages. Providing educational content, financial planning tools, and personalized guidance through social content, resource hubs, and marketing campaigns can help buyers navigate affordability concerns early in their purchase journey. Building this trust early also allows institutions to establish themselves as long-term partners, rather than just lenders. To respond effectively, it’s important to first understand the market forces shaping this shift. ### What’s Happening in the Market? **Housing affordability challenges have drastically altered the way people plan for home ownership and personal finance overall.** Since 2021, the average home value in the US has increased by [33 percent](https://www.uschamber.com/economy/the-state-of-housing-in-america) — growth that significantly outpaces wage increases. To afford a standard home today compared to 2019, a median-income family household would need over [$17,000](https://www.zillow.com/research/raise-needed-to-afford-a-home-35308/) in extra annual income. This widening affordability gap gives financial institutions an opportunity to educate consumers in the exploratory stages of the homebuying journey. A combination of high prices and [elevated mortgage interest rates](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/data-spotlight-the-impact-of-changing-mortgage-interest-rates/) has placed significant financial strain on personal budgets, with [one in every six](https://shelterforce.org/2017/04/25/defense-30-percent-standard-cases/) US households spending over half their income on housing, across renting and buying. While the yearly deficit between the number of new homes built and new families formed has shrunken, it’s still prevalent. Regulatory failures, high construction costs, and tariffs on imported materials continue to [limit the supply](https://www.uschamber.com/economy/the-state-of-housing-in-america) of affordable housing. As affordability pressures increase, consumer behavior evolves. Prospective buyers are adjusting their expectations around housing size and location, and ultimately staying in the rental market longer. Broader lifestyle and workplace shifts following the COVID-19 pandemic — including the rise of remote work — have also contributed to consumers delaying traditional life milestones. Many consumers are prioritizing advanced education, career development, and financial independence instead, as indicated by the growing median age for [marriage](https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/families-and-living-arrangements.html) and [parenthood](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/blog/index.html). With the share of first-time home buyers dropping to a [historically](https://www.nar.realtor/press-releases/first-time-home-buyer-share-falls-to-historic-low-of-21-median-age-rises-to-40) low 21 percent last year, perceptions of the trade-offs between buying and renting have shifted. Around [66 percent](https://www.entrata.com/press/has-the-american-dream-changed-new-report-from-entrata) of today’s renters prefer the flexibility of renting, saying it fits their lifestyle and professional goals more than owning a home would. Though rent prices are also rising, a growing number of rent-occupied households, [lifestyle renters](https://arbor.com/blog/lifestyle-renters-put-a-new-spin-on-the-american-dream/), and [alternative housing options](https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/alternative-housing-in-the-us/) fill the market. For financial institutions, this signals that homebuying is no longer assumed. Maintaining flexibility and broad appeal to renters and future buyers keeps institutions relevant to current consumer needs. Developing financial content around evergreen topics like financial planning, saving, and budgeting helps build authority. ### Opportunities for Financial Institutions The shift in homebuyer behavior presents a clear opportunity. Financial institutions that can adapt to longer timelines and more informed consumers will be better positioned to win business. Here are three ways financial institutions can better respond to shifts in today’s housing market. - **Understand what modern homebuyers value.** Consumers no longer view homeownership as a final milestone, but as a next step in their financial journey. Aspirational messages of the traditional “American Dream” may feel out of reach in the current landscape. Repositioning messaging to highlight financial progress in the intermediate steps — like boosting credit and reaching savings goals — helps customers celebrate successes while working towards long-term goals. Programs like [Guild Mortgage’s MyPath2Own](https://www.guildmortgage.com/mypath2own/) combine practical advice with educational content to help future buyers reach their home-ready goals. Milestone emails, personalized checklists, and a first-time homebuyer blog series are examples of tools that incentivize progress rather than perfection. - **Aim to educate and build trust from pre-buyers**. Pre-buyers are those who aren’t currently in the market but are looking to learn more. They are researching months to years in advance of their actual mortgage application to evaluate affordability and increase their financial confidence. They frequently engage with digital content on social media and search engines to better understand key topics like down payments and interest rates. Capturing this segment is a great opportunity to build your institution’s authority throughout the entire homebuying process. Using clear language and simple scenarios to break down intimidating concepts like credit checks and mortgage approval is key. If consumers can rely on you as a trusted advisor, they’ll turn to you for big decisions. - **Improve accessibility for first-time home buyers.** Affordability, credit requirements, and lack of clarity remain key obstacles for first-time buyers. Financial institutions can differentiate themselves from competitors by providing practical steps and support, rather than just trying to sell. Acknowledge common challenges, barriers, and worries in the market today and highlight what your financial institution can do to lower perceived barriers to entry. Incorporating tools like loan calculators, down payment savings trackers, resource hubs, and webinars can help institutions stand out while boosting engagement. Practical resources that can be used throughout the purchase journey help consumers feel more prepared and confident in navigating unfamiliar financial decisions Homebuying today is a highly calculated, increasingly delayed decision. Consumers are informed, cautious, and deliberate, seeking transparency at every stage of the purchase decision. Earning trust during the research and exploratory phases not only increases the likelihood that consumers will return when they are ready to buy, but also creates opportunities for longer-term loyalty. Financial institutions that engage early and make the home-buying path simpler will be able to capture customers long before the official financial relationship begins. For more insights, explore our latest marketing resources [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Finance, Strategy --- ### [HIFI Highlight: Maggie Malach](https://hifiagency.com/hifi-highlight-maggie-malach/) **Published:** June 1, 2026 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** ![Maggie Malach](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Updated-Maggie-headshot-1.jpg) ## Maggie Malach **Position:** Associate Creative Director, Content **Joined the HIFI team:** April 2025 **“Before I knew what a journalist was, my mom told me, ‘You’re going to be a journalist when you grow up.’”** Maggie Malach’s journey into content naturally evolved from a love of reading and writing. As a teenager, Maggie became obsessed with music. Drawn to the ways songs tell stories, she began her career as a music journalist before broadening into wider entertainment journalism, with a portfolio including iHeartRadio, Bustle, and People Magazine. After eight years, she shifted into content and creative strategy for various SaaS companies. Looking to transition from tech, Maggie took the leap into finance at HIFI Agency, where she ties in what she loves about writing and audience engagement while challenging herself to utilize skills within a new industry. While a transition from pop culture to finance may seem like a big swing, she notes many strategic similarities across industries, especially the importance of “finding a way to speak to somebody in a conversational way that meets them where they are.” In her role as Associate Creative Director of Content, Maggie fully immerses herself in financial education research, where she is constantly learning new concepts to inform messaging. Through this research, she is able to enhance her holistic financial understanding and share this knowledge throughout her professional and personal life: “My first week I wrote about treasury management and merchant services. I had to do a lot of research, but now I can confidently tell you what both of those are. Those moments are so rewarding to show how much I’ve grown and how much I know. It’s powerful information.” At HIFI, Maggie appreciates the balance of creative and strategic thinking, and the push to understand the “why” behind every decision. With new clients, she enjoys getting to know brand stories inside and out, identifying “where have they been, where are they going, and why they want to work with HIFI.” Contributing to projects from concept to completion — like brand development and redesign — has informed this way of thinking. Maggie’s role is continuously expanding as clients shift toward more content-heavy strategies and the demand for work increases. Growth within the content team has also allowed for increased delegation and professional development opportunities, which she sees as a signal of the team’s success. Looking forward, Maggie is excited about growth in creative direction. She appreciates the open dialogue among the team and utilizes feedback to identify areas of growth and interest as her career progresses: “I love the fluidity within the agency. We’re always pushing ourselves, trying new things, doing new kinds of work, and working across teams. It makes things really fun.” **Categories:** Brand --- ### [How Financial Influencers are Reshaping Personal Finance](https://hifiagency.com/how-financial-influencers-are-reshaping-personal-finance/) **Published:** June 3, 2026 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** Social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, have allowed for influencers and influencer culture to rise to the forefront of digital marketing. Consumers now look to influencers for advice and recommendations, and value the information that they hear. In fact, [69 percent](https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/20-influencer-marketing-statistics-that-will-surprise-you) of consumers feel confident in influencer recommendations, making influencer support a powerful marketing tool. The rise of influencer trust has extended beyond just retail advice and dinner ideas, with many consumers now turning to social media for their financial advice. [79 percent](https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/nearly-80-of-young-adults-get-financial-advice-from-this-surprising-place) of millennials and Gen Z have seeked financial advice from social media, making way for the rise of financial influencers, or “finfluencers.” ### What are “Finfluencers” and Why Are They Trusted? Financial influencers, or “finfluencers,” cover everything from saving hacks to investing tips to personal finance hacks. By leveraging social media, these influencers are able to share financial information in a free, engaging and digestible way to a wide audience. In the past, financial advice has not always been as easy to find and available as it is today with social media, and finfluencers have opened up opportunities for consumers to easily access this information and take charge of their finances. Younger consumers, such as Gen Z, are also growing more cautious of traditional advertising. Around [41 percent](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/end-of-word-of-mouth-advertising-godaddy-data-shows-gen-z-trusts-influencers-more-than-friends-302279022.html) of Gen Z trusts influencers more than a traditional advertisement from a business. Finfluencers offer a more authentic experience, sometimes sharing personal financial mistakes and experiences with their audience, making their advice seem more real and relatable. For financial institutions, leveraging this humanized and relatable approach is an extremely effective marketing tool. ### How to Leverage the Power of Finfluencers Financial institutions that are able to effectively leverage the rising popularity of influencers are unlocking a powerful marketing strategy, reaching audiences in a more relatable way than ever before. There are several key points for financial institutions to keep in mind. - **Understanding What to Advertise:** While finfluencers cover many different financial topics, financial institutions should consider high engagement topics that directly connect to their services. For example, Coamerica Bank, located in Dallas, TX, partnered with a Dallas-based influencer to advertise their new CoWorkSpaces program. Coamerica leveraged the social media following of [@awesomejulie](https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=%2Fawesomejuliee%2F&source=omni_redirect&hl=en) in order to reach a broader audience, and engage with small businesses in a more authentic way. - **The Power of Social Media:** There are several main ways to reach users interested in financial topics on social media, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. On TikTok, the thread #fintok has gained over 4.7 billion global views, with users searching for videos under this hashtag for their financial advice and education. Users like [Graham Stephan](https://www.youtube.com/@GrahamStephan) and [Patricia](https://www.youtube.com/@The_Break) Bright have built large communities on YouTube, with Bright’s focusing on female financial empowerment to her over 450,000 subscribers. CapitolOne turned to Instagram finfluencers, [Talaat and Tai McNeely](https://www.benlabs.com/resources/finance-creators-instagram/), to educate users on how to manage credit. As users are already engaging with finances on these platforms, these are important resources for leveraging finfluencers’ power and social media audience. - **Leveraging Micro-Finfluencers:** While some of the more popular finfluencers may be harder to reach or more expensive to partner with, banks should consider looking for more micro influencers on these platforms. Micro Influencers have anywhere from [1,000-100,000 followers](https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-micro-influencer#:~:text=What%20does%20a%20micro%2Dinfluencer,events%20and%20festival%20organisers) on their respective platforms, and typically see high engagement from their followers. Micro influencers typically have a tighter knit audience, meaning their followers take their advice more seriously due to the closer relationship. Since micro influencers also charge less than big name influencers, this is an affordable and effective way for financial institutions to ease into the influencer marketing world. ### What to Considering When Partnering With Finfluencers For financial institutions that are interesting in begining a partnership with a finfluencer, there are a few things to consider. - **Compliance and Regulations:** In order to stay in line with financial regulations and compliance restrictions, ensure that your chosen finfluencer is accurately representing the financial information, including any possible risks that could arise. Bad or inaccurately portrayed information is not only bad for the brand, but could lead to unwanted legal issues for misrepresentation of services. Additionally, make sure that your finfluencer clearly discloses that their post is an ad, such as by including #ad or #sponsorship beneath their caption. - **Review and Monitor Posts:** Since finfluencers typically do not have a formal education in finances, or the legalities of finances, it is important to review and monitor posts. Although not intentional, it is possible that a finfluencer may misrepresent a financial service, or oversimplify a more complex and risky financial opportunity. Carefully reviewing posts prior to launch, and monitoring comments and feedback after posting can ensure your financial institution is not accidentally misleading consumers. With these things in mind, financial institutions can ensure that their partnership with finfluencers is transparent, honest, and compliant to financial regulations. The rise of finfluencers open up a unique opportunity for financial institutions. Their wide and trusting following, relatable content and humanized advertising approach has led social media users to actively seek out new recommendations and advice from them. While compliance and regulations remain crucial, financial institutions who are able to leverage this power stand to unlock significant marketing potential. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The Evolving Role of Content Marketing](https://hifiagency.com/the-evolving-role-of-content-marketing-a-guide-for-modern-financial-brands/) **Published:** May 18, 2026 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** ### Maturing from Content Presence to Performance-Driven Strategy The financial marketing landscape is transforming rapidly, and content marketing, now a mature yet continually evolving discipline, still serves as a dynamic growth engine. For seasoned marketers, the question is no longer, “Should we do content marketing?” but rather “How do we evolve it to drive real business outcomes?” Modern brands are navigating a content environment that is increasingly personalized, interactive, and revenue-driven. This guide examines how content marketing has evolved, why strategic execution is more crucial than ever, and what leading marketers are doing now to differentiate and drive growth. Over time, content marketing has evolved from a brand awareness tool into a central business driver. [According to the](https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/) Content Marketing Institute, 91% of B2B marketers and 87% of B2C marketers already use content marketing. But what differentiates high-performing brands today is how they align content with lifecycle stages, multichannel journeys, and measurable business goals. ### Changing Consumer Behavior Consumers now spend over [11 hours](https://www.nielsen.com/insights/) a day with digital content. They’re not seeking ads—they want experiences. Marketers must prioritize content that educates, engages, and earns attention across formats and devices. ### Questions Modern Financial Marketers Face: 1. What kind of financial content drives differentiation? 2. How do I map financial content to lifecycle stages or buyer intent? 3. How can I integrate financial content into multichannel journeys? 4. How do I measure the actual business impact of content? ### Content in 2026: Sharp Takeaways for Forward-Thinking Brands 1. **Build a First-Party Content Strategy:** With the decline of third-party cookies, your blog, resource hub, and gated content become mission-critical. Smart content strategies feed your first-party data engine, powering: - CRM segmentation - Retargeting pools - Email nurture paths 2. **Develop Signature Content Experiences:** Stand out with content formats that go beyond blog posts: - Microsites around launches or niche verticals - Interactive tools: calculators, assessments, journey-mapping - Partnered research reports and insights libraries 3. **Treat Content Like Product:** Adopt a product mindset: - Define the audience - Clarify the problem it solves - Evolve content over time through feedback, updates, and new use cases - Think MVPs, launches, and iterations — content is no longer static. 4. **Align Content with Revenue Goals:** Content should influence the entire buyer journey and customer lifecycle. - Pre-sales enablement (product walkthroughs, ROI guides) - ABM-aligned content hubs - Post-purchase content for retention and advocacy 5. **Elevate Measurement Standards:** Move beyond views and clicks. Track: - Pipeline contribution - Assisted conversions - Engagement by lifecycle stage Tools like [HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/), [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/in/?ir=1), and [GA4](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10089681?hl=en) help bridge the gap between content and business impact. ### Educational Content and Work Showcases Still Matter While formats evolve, two evergreen content types continue to perform: - **Educational Articles:** Decision-makers overwhelmingly prefer to learn about companies through articles. [80%](https://www.slideshare.net/SocialMediaToday/roper-public-affairs-study) prefer articles over ads, according to Roper Public Affairs. Webinars, guides, and white papers provide authority and value. - **Work Showcases:** Portfolios, case studies, and testimonials help prospects visualize results. ### Where to Distribute Your Content Creating content is half the battle. Strategic distribution ensures it finds your audience: 1. **SEO and Blog:** [51%](https://www.brightedge.com/resources/webinars/state-of-seo-and-content-marketing-2023) of content starts with organic search 2. **Email:** Still a top ROI driver, as high as [4200%](https://www.litmus.com/resources/email-marketing-roi) 3. **LinkedIn and Professional Communities:** LinkedIn drives [80%](https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/b2b-beat/2023/b2b-content-marketing-strategy) of B2B social leads 4. **Podcasts:** [41%](https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-infinite-dial-2024/) of Americans listen monthly 5. **Paid Ads:** Boost high-value assets like case studies and guides ### Content Marketing in Action - **[Red Bull](https://www.redbullmediahouse.com/en/)** became a global content brand through storytelling, events, and extreme sports media. Red Bull doesn’t just sell energy drinks, it creates an entire lifestyle. With Red Bull Media House, the company produces high-octane sports videos, documentaries, music, and magazines that immerse consumers in a bold, adventurous identity. From sponsoring cliff diving championships to creating viral YouTube series, Red Bull’s content is built to entertain, engage, and inspire, not sell. And the result? Exceptional brand loyalty and millions of global followers who share and amplify their message without ever seeing a traditional product pitch. - [**Chase Bank’s Financial Education Center**](https://www.chase.com/personal/education) has used blogs and tools to demystify banking, offer mortgage guidance, and promote smarter money management. By embedding links to related products and services, the hub not only educates but also converts readers into customers, demonstrating how financial content can be both helpful and high-performing. ### Future Trends to Watch - **Interactive content** that captures data and boosts engagement - **Voice search optimization** as smart speakers grow - **Sustainability storytelling** that connects with conscious consumers Content marketing today is about more than presence; it’s about performance. Brands that think strategically, act with intention, and measure what matters will not only reach their audiences but truly connect with them. For more insights, explore our latest marketing resources here. *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [Why Brands Are Turning to Podcasts and Short-Form Video in 2026](https://hifiagency.com/why-brands-are-turning-to-podcasts-and-short-form-video-in-2026/) **Published:** April 10, 2026 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** As consumer behavior continues to evolve, marketers can no longer rely solely on static images and email marketing campaigns to reach new customers. In today’s digital and fast-paced lifestyle, consumers need to be reached with quick, engaging, and easy-to-absorb information. This demand for faster, more accessible experiences has fueled the rise of audio and video marketing, with podcasts and short-form videos becoming key players. For marketers, shifting towards these formats allows you to reach new audiences by delivering content that aligns with today’s mobile-first, on-the-go lifestyle. ### Podcasts and Audio Marketing Over [100 million Americans](https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2024/04/02/over-100-million-americans-listen-to-a-podcast-each-week/) listen to at least one podcast a week, with Spotify and Apple Music being popular platform options, and the listener counts are rising by the day. People are listening to podcasts everywhere- from driving to work to doing chores around the house- and for many, podcast hosts have become an everyday voice in their lives. Whether a podcast host shares financial advice, lifestyle content, or sports recaps, podcast hosts have dedicated audiences who trust their content, making the advertising potential for podcasts immense. There are a few different forms of podcast advertisements: - **Host-read:** Host-read ads are highly effective because the host is a familiar and trusted voice. Unlike traditional commercials, these ads feel more like a personalized recommendation from a friend, making them more trustworthy. 62% of listeners in a [study by Acast](https://advertise.acast.com/news-and-insights/acast-unlocks-largest-self-serve-marketplace-of-podcast-influencers-for-media-buyers) said they’ve made a purchase after hearing a host-read ad, showing how this format is an effective choice for driving results. - **Pre-Roll:** Pre-roll ads appear before the podcast starts and are one of the most popular forms of podcast ad placements due to their affordability. While these ads are sometimes skipped, they still have a [60-70 percent](https://adopter.media/the-perfect-podcast-ad-placement/#:~:text=Mid%2DRange%20Budget%20Campaigns%20Best,brand%20before%20the%20episode%20starts.) listener retention rate. - **Mid-Roll:** Mid-roll ads appear in the middle of the podcast, and though disruptive, they are effective because they occur once the listener’s attention has already been grabbed, reducing the chances of them being skipped. These ads typically see [more engagement](https://podcasts.bloody-disgusting.com/mid-roll-ads-most-effective-podcast-ad-placement/#:~:text=Mid%2Droll%20ads%20are%20advertisements,Time%20for%20Storytelling%20and%20Engagement) than pre-roll ads. - **Post Roll:** Post-roll ads appear after the podcast has ended, and are effective at driving responses and conversions. By appearing after the user has ended their listening experience, once the listener is starting to think of a new activity, a strong CTA can be very effective in driving action. ### Reels and TikTok Platforms like IG Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts have gained increasing popularity as consumers’ fast-paced lifestyles make short and easy-to-digest video content ideal. In fact, [80 percent](https://www.demandsage.com/video-marketing-statistics/) of consumers prefer video content over reading text when learning about new products and services. There are a few different ways that brands can utilize video marketing to advance their marketing strategies: - **The Power of Storytelling:** One of the most effective ways to use short-form video content is to tell a story that connects with your audience and evokes emotion. Consumers are [64 percent](https://www.winsavvy.com/the-power-of-emotional-marketing-key-statistics/#:~:text=Consumers%20are%2064%25%20more%20likely,them%20more%20inclined%20to%20act.) more likely to take action after viewing a branded social video that evokes emotions, making this an incredibly powerful tool. For example, if your bank is trying to reach adventurous young adults, a reel featuring a man climbing a mountain, paired with a fun and upbeat audio, could connect better than a static image of a man in front of a mountain, thus driving more results. - **Reaching Users In-Feed:** By advertising through video, marketers can reach users easily by appearing within their scrolling feed, whether it be Instagram Reels or TikTok. Since these ads integrate into users’ normal feeds, it is likely to be seen and engaged with more naturally, and possibly lead to more conversions. - **Leaning into Trending Audio:** For video platforms, audio can be just as important as the video, with [80 percent of users](https://cropink.com/instagram-reels-statistics) watching Instagram Reels with sound on. As videos are posted and trending, many users begin to recognize trending sounds, and marketers can utilize this to their advantage by using trending audio to reach a larger audience. By using trending audio, not only will your reach be higher, but your ads will have a built-in recognition that may lead users to spend more time watching them. ### Best Practices for Video and Audio Ads Leveraging audio and video marketing through podcasts and video-dominant platforms, like TikTok, is a powerful tool for marketers. Understanding these best practices will help ensure your ads are set up for success. - **Prepare for Consumers to Scroll Quickly:** [71 percent](https://www.swydo.com/blog/tiktok-metrics-organic/) of TikTok users watch 3 seconds of a video before choosing whether or not to continue scrolling. This means having a hook is crucial for success on these platforms. Marketers should have an engaging introduction, catching users’ attention immediately. - **Be Mindful of Audio Length:** When advertising within podcasts, being concise and clear is key. Users may be able to skip these ads, or could simply tune them out if they are too lengthy and wordy. Most podcast ads range from [15-60 seconds](https://www.siriusxmmedia.com/insights/how-long-should-a-podcast-ad-be-short-vs-long-form-audio), so consider how best to include a hook, a brief explanation, and a clear call to action in that time, without losing the listeners’ attention. - **Enhance the Audio Experience:** When creating a short-form video or podcast ad, keep in mind that [69 percent](https://www.siriusxmmedia.com/insights/best-practices-for-audio-ads-and-more-streaming-audio-tips) of listeners prefer ads with music or sound effects. If appearing within a podcast, rather than a straightforward 15-second text clip, consider adding some light background music to engulf the listener in the ad more. For TikTok and Instagram reels, consider using a trending audio to catch the listener’s attention. Podcasts and short-form videos are rapidly positioning themselves as a powerful advertising format. By leveraging the strategies above, marketers can reach their audiences more naturally and authentically, appearing less like an ad and more like a part of their listening and scrolling experience. Marketers advertising through trusted podcast hosts, or with trending audio that users are already emotionally connected to, are maximizing their audience’s available attention and seeing deeper engagement than traditional advertising formats. Podcasts and short-form videos are changing the way marketers reach their audience, and adapting to these changing consumer preferences is key in staying relevant. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [What the New Administration's Fintech Policy Means for Banks](https://hifiagency.com/what-the-new-administrations-fintech-policy-means-for-banks/) **Published:** May 12, 2025 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** The new administration’s fintech policy is poised to reshape the banking sector, influencing competition, innovation, and regulatory landscapes. The policy emphasizes more lenient licensing laws for fintech firms, a relaxed regulatory stance to encourage innovation and a stronger focus on financial inclusion. This article explores the potential impacts of these changes, focusing on fintech banking license approvals, bank-fintech partnerships, digital service enhancements, financial inclusion initiatives, and cybersecurity measures. ### **Potential Impacts of Fintech Banking License Approvals** The administration’s stance on fintech banking licenses could significantly alter the financial landscape: - **Increased Market Competition:** More [fintech companies](https://www.venable.com/insights/publications/2018/08/a-guide-to-the-occs-fintech-charter-licensing#:~:text=The%20Fintech%20Manual%20describes,use%20to%20evaluate%20each) gaining banking licenses means traditional banks will face heightened competition. These fintechs can offer expanded financial services, such as accepting deposits and issuing loans, challenging conventional banking models. - **Regulatory Landscape Shift:** [Deregulation](https://expertnetworkcalls.com/50/us-elections-influence-fintech-industry#:~:text=With%20the%20Republican%20Party,This%20article%20explores%20key) is already underway, significantly altering the financial sector. The new administration has taken swift action, including the dismissal of CFPB Director Rohit Chopra and the effective shutdown of the agency’s operations. With fewer regulatory barriers, fintech firms can expand their services more freely, challenging traditional banks and accelerating innovation. However, this also raises concerns about consumer protection, market stability, and potential risks associated with reduced oversight. Banks and fintechs alike must navigate this evolving environment carefully, balancing growth opportunities with the uncertainties of a weakened regulatory framework. - **Bank-Fintech Partnerships:** A relaxed regulatory approach is already fostering more collaborations between banks and fintechs, enabling them to combine strengths and enhance service offerings. Additionally, fintech banking licenses may be issued more freely, allowing fintechs to operate with greater autonomy. While this could drive innovation and expand financial services, it also introduces market risks, such as fintech failures and reduced consumer protection. Previous examples like [Varo Bank](https://www.varomoney.com/) and [SoFi](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwi43f_54pOMAxXoUn8AHf1sN-YYABABGgJvYQ&co=1&ase=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjws-S-BhD2ARIsALssG0Z1QGUGwfxSG2hQy_-i20kW4pq4HYn5RFmdoXhlRqzUjEI0hlLLMxQaAiH2EALw_wcB&sig=AOD64_2lxs-oXjAoewaewfvBvFnp6jlHwg&q&nis=4&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwifzvn54pOMAxUG4ckDHZPJGSsQ0Qx6BAgJEAE), which secured bank charters under prior deregulatory efforts, illustrate this shift’s opportunities and challenges. ### **Strategies for Banks to Partner with Fintechs or Enhance Digital Services** [Banks](https://www.muralpay.com/blog/bank-and-fintech-partnership-models-and-benefits#:~:text=One%20common%20model%20is,ideal%20for%20banks%20that) can strengthen their market position by forging strategic partnerships with fintechs. Referral partnerships allow banks to direct customers to fintech providers for specialized services, broadening their offerings while earning commissions. Joint ventures enable the co-development of innovative financial products, leveraging the expertise of both parties. White-label partnerships allow banks to customize fintech solutions under their own brand, ensuring a seamless customer experience. Co-lending partnerships combine fintechs’ advanced credit assessment tools with traditional banks’ lending capabilities, creating more robust financing solutions. Alongside these partnerships, [enhancing digital services](https://neontri.com/blog/digital-banking-transformation/#:~:text=Robotic%20Process%20Automation%20%28RPA%29,can%20significantly%20reduce%20processing) through mobile banking apps, open banking initiatives, AI, machine learning, cloud computing, and blockchain technology can further improve customer engagement, service delivery, and security. ### **Focus on Financial Inclusion** Banks can broaden their customer base by addressing underserved populations through: - **Digital Payments and Mobile Banking:** Expanding digital payment solutions to reach [unbanked and underbanked communities](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fintech-financial-inclusion-empowering-underserved-communities-oe6hc#:~:text=of%20addressing%20the%20needs,empowering%20individuals%20and%20communities). - **Microfinance and Alternative Credit Scoring:** Using alternative data sources to assess creditworthiness for individuals lacking traditional credit histories. - **Financial Literacy Programs:** Providing educational resources to enhance financial knowledge and decision-making. - **Crowdfunded Microloans:** Partnering with platforms like [Kiva](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwj746CGw-6LAxWHNdQBHYh7NYcYABAAGgJvYQ&co=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAw5W-BhAhEiwApv4goNRSgvqtRswMy80zZ2SGPjbq0Acmi--sBLNGUp7yYSh4glfE8mJazRoCik4QAvD_BwE&sig=AOD64_2tjK_j_JP4QtPHZCK9oOdD_OetoA&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwiN8ZeGw-6LAxU6MtAFHc0vAaMQ0Qx6BAgJEAE) to extend microloans to underserved communities. ### **Enhance Cybersecurity Measures** As digital transactions grow, banks must prioritize security to protect their customers and financial data. Strong encryption keeps sensitive information safe, while [Multi-Factor Authentication](https://drbank.com/whats-new/cybersecurity-in-fintech-protecting-your-financial-data/#:~:text=Multi%2DFactor%20Authentication%20%28MFA%29%20significantly,or%20a%20one%2Dtime%20code) (MFA) continues to be an essential security measure by requiring multiple verification steps for account access. Regular security checks and testing help banks identify potential risks and address them early. AI-powered tools can also monitor for cyber threats in real time, ensuring a quick response to any issues. Additionally, integrating security into the development of new technology from the beginning makes systems more secure overall. Banks must also follow important [regulations](https://www.upguard.com/blog/cybersecurity-regulations-financial-industry#:~:text=The%20European%20General%20Data,citizens%20from%20personal%20data) like GDPR, PCI DSS, and SOX to ensure they are protecting customer data. By training staff and working with global partners, banks can stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. ### **Navigating the Future of Banking in a Fintech-Driven Era** The new administration’s fintech policies present both challenges and opportunities for banks. Banks can navigate the evolving landscape while maintaining their competitive edge by embracing partnerships, advancing digital services, prioritizing financial inclusion, and enhancing cybersecurity. The future of banking lies in leveraging innovation while ensuring security and inclusivity, fostering a financial ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Finance, Strategy --- ### [Debit Over Credit: Why Spending Habits Are Shifting in 2025](https://hifiagency.com/debit-over-credit-why-spending-habits-are-shifting-in-2025/) **Published:** March 25, 2025 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** In 2025, consumer spending habits are evolving, with debit card usage continuing to rise alongside digital payment solutions. While debit cards remain a preferred choice for everyday transactions, credit cards still dominate categories like travel, subscriptions, and large purchases. This shift is influenced by financial preferences, technological advancements, and the growing presence of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services. ### **Consumer Preferences and Financial Flexibility** Consumers are increasingly prioritizing financial flexibility and debt avoidance, making debit cards a preferred choice for digital payments through [mobile wallets](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mobile-wallet.asp) like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App. However, rather than a wholesale shift away from credit, spending behaviors indicate that consumers are using both debit and credit strategically. ### **Key Factors Driving Debit Card Preference:** - **Immediate Access to Funds:** Debit cards provide real-time access to money, helping users manage their finances more effectively. - **Debt Avoidance:** With rising consumer debt—U.S. credit card balances reached [$1.166](https://www.fool.com/money/research/average-household-debt/#:~:text=Data%20source%3A%20Experian%20(2024),trillion%20in%20the%20second%20quarter.) trillion in early 2025—many consumers are cautious about accumulating new credit card debt. - **Budgeting Benefits:** Debit cards encourage responsible spending by limiting purchases to available account funds, a key factor for Gen Z and Millennials, who prefer to track spending in real-time. However, credit cards still dominate in key spending areas: - **Rewards & Protections:** Credit cards remain the top choice for travel, large purchases, and recurring subscriptions due to cash-back incentives, travel perks, and fraud protection. - **Credit Building:** Consumers who want to improve their credit scores continue to rely on credit card usage and on-time payments. ### **The Rise of BNPL and Digital Wallets** The growth of BNPL services such as Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay presents an alternative to traditional credit cards. Younger consumers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, are using BNPL to break purchases into smaller, interest-free payments instead of using credit cards. According to the [Forbes Advisor Consumer Banking Trends Report](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/banking-trends-and-statistics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) (2024), digital wallets are also becoming a key payment method, with an increasing number of debit transactions occurring within wallets rather than via physical cards. ### **Demographic Trends: Who Prefers Debit?** Debit card usage varies across age and income groups: - **Age Groups:** Younger consumers drive debit adoption, with [82 percent](https://www.jdpower.com/business/resources/debit-cards-still-lead-customer-satisfaction-and-utilization-even-use-digital?utm_source=chatgpt.com) of those under 40 using debit as their primary payment method. Conversely, Boomers and higher-income earners continue to favor credit. - **Income Levels:** Lower-income households often use debit due to limited access to credit, while higher-income consumers may prefer debit for budgeting reasons but still leverage credit for rewards. ### **How Banks Can Adapt: Debit Rewards and Budgeting Tools** Banks have a prime opportunity to enhance debit card appeal through rewards programs and financial management tools: - **Personalized Financial Tools:** Features such as [Ally Bank’s “Buckets”](https://www.ally.com/stories/save/what-are-ally-banks-savings-buckets-and-boosters/) allow users to allocate funds into spending and savings categories, reinforcing responsible financial habits. - **Security & Fraud Protection:** Issuers that [emphasize security](https://www.jdpower.com/business/resources/debit-cards-still-lead-customer-satisfaction-and-utilization-even-use-digital?utm_source=chatgpt.com)—such as BMO, Capital One, and Citi—see higher customer satisfaction, according to. ### **A Balanced Approach to Payments** Consumers aren’t abandoning credit but are [redefining how they use payment methods](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/banking-trends-and-statistics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). Debit cards lead in everyday transactions and digital wallet integration, while credit cards remain dominant for specific categories. Meanwhile, BNPL services continue to carve out a niche among younger consumers. To stay competitive, banks must innovate by enhancing debit card rewards, offering advanced budgeting tools, and strengthening fraud protection. Financial institutions that align with shifting consumer preferences will maintain customer loyalty and relevance in an increasingly digital payments landscape. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Finance, Strategy --- ### [Family Banking and the Rise of Gen Alpha: A Trend to Watch for 2025](https://hifiagency.com/family-banking-and-the-rise-of-gen-alpha-a-trend-to-watch-for-2025/) **Published:** February 20, 2025 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** As we enter a new year, the financial industry has a new kid on the block: Generation Alpha. Born between 2010 and 2024, this generation stands at over [38.55 million](https://www.demandsage.com/generation-alpha-stats/#:~:text=How%20Many%20Gen%20Alpha%20Are,who%20belong%20to%20Generation%20Alpha.), bringing with them great potential as they enter the financial landscape. Their preferences and behaviors are already shaping the way banks interact with customers, and by successfully engaging this audience now, banks are more likely to be able to convert these customers later in life. The oldest are already 15, so this generation is primed to start making money moves in the next decade. ### **Rise of Family-Centric Finances** This generation is growing up in a world where financial education and digital tools are more accessible than ever. Still, they’re also witnessing the financial challenges their parents face—rising costs, economic uncertainty, and the increasing complexity of managing money. As a result, families are looking for solutions that foster financial literacy and teamwork early on. Enter family banking: a model designed to help families work together to achieve their financial goals while equipping younger generations with the tools they need to succeed. This approach not only strengthens financial habits within the household but also aligns with Gen Alpha’s upbringing in a collaborative, tech-savvy environment. Family banking and family-centric financial services have begun to rise as banks try to engage and attract Gen Alpha users. [Family banking](https://vacuumlabs.com/transformative-family-banking/) focuses on the interconnection of family members and allows the family to be seen as a unit rather than as individual banking customers. [Bank of America](https://promotions.bankofamerica.com/deposits/familybanking) is just one bank that has launched a family banking option, offering financial literacy services and parental controls such as daily spending limits. Family banking strives to educate children on good financial habits, under parental supervision, until eventually, the child can become the sole account holder, ideally staying with the same bank. By offering family-centric financial opportunities, banks unlock the potential to gain lifetime customer relationships. ### **Digital-First Generation** Generation Alpha is the first generation to grow up in an almost entirely digital world. They are used to having access to information and assistance at their fingertips, and they are going to expect that with their finances. It’s no secret that [digital banking](https://hifiagency.com/twenty-years-of-fintech-the-transformation-challenges-and-future/) has been on the rise, but it is going to become exponentially more crucial for reaching Gen Alpha. The digital environment also opens up unique opportunities to engage customers, such as through gamification and educational tools. - **Being** **Digital savvy is a Must:** Since Gen Alpha has grown up on smartphones and Siri, banks must adapt to these digital innovations with their offerings. Banks should focus on having a user-friendly app, where Gen Alpha can easily see their account balance, send money, and receive on-demand customer service. Gen Alpha also is changing the platforms customers can be reached on, making digital savvy advertising just as important. [65 percent of Gen Alpha](https://www.aecf.org/blog/impact-of-social-media-on-gen-alpha) aged 8-10 spend up to 4 hours a day on social media, with Youtube and TikTok being the most popular platforms. This opens up great potential for banks to reach Gen Alpha on newer advertising platforms, such as TikTok or Snapchat. - **Engaging Through Education:** Engaging younger customers through educational resources is another beneficial way of reaching Gen Alpha through digital means. Visa offers an online hub of financial education resources where kids can browse different games such as [Avengers: Saving the Day](https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/en/learn/life_events/family_life/educating_your_children.html), which features recognizable superheroes and teaches tools like saving and budgeting. - **Learning Through Gamification:** Similar to Visa’s online hub, banks can also create [gamification](https://www.tapix.io/resources/post/gen-z-finance-mapping-digital-banking-for-kids-teens-and-gen-z#:~:text=Gamification%2C%20or%20the%20use%20of,and%20interest%20in%20financial%20education.) aspects within their apps to engage younger users. Things like a savings tracker, rewards for reaching goals, and badges for no-spending streaks can motivate and engage kids, by making money management seem more like a fun game, while also teaching key management skills. ### **Leaning into the Interconnectedness** As technology has grown, families are becoming more connected than ever. A significant [68 percent](https://strands.com/blog/family-banking/) of parents prefer the unified banking that family banking offers, as they can see and manage all accounts through one centralized dashboard. Several key features of family banking lean into this consumer desire for interconnection, including customizable spending limits for family members, real-time notifications of any transactions, and shared savings goals that each family member can add to. By integrating and promoting these interconnected family banking solutions, banks can successfully meet the evolving needs of modern families. By enhancing financial transparency, promoting responsible spending for all ages, and encouraging financial family planning, banks can attract new long-term customers while also positioning themselves as institutions that prioritize family-centric innovations. Gen Alpha is bringing a transformational opportunity for the financial world, heavily focused on digital innovation and family-centric approaches. By engaging these younger financial players now through educational resources, gamification features, or even family saving goals, banks have the opportunity to center themselves as key players in this generation’s financial journey. Banks that can successfully build loyal relationships with Gen Alpha now are laying the foundation for a lifetime customer relationship. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Finance, Strategy --- ### [Baby Boomer’s Peak Opportunity Is Now](https://hifiagency.com/baby-boomers-peak-opportunity-is-now/) **Published:** February 3, 2025 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** The Baby Boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964, is entering a crucial phase called the “[Peak 65 Zone](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/retirement-medicare-401k-what-to-know-peak-65/#:~:text=%22peak%2065%22%20or%20the,of%20retirement%2Dage%20Americans%20in).” From 2024 to 2027, this demographic transition marks the largest wave of Americans reaching retirement age in U.S. history. This presents a once-in-a-generation chance for financial marketers and businesses to engage with an influential audience while addressing their unique needs. ### **Demographic Significance** The “Peak 65 Zone” highlights a monumental shift in the U.S. population, with millions of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age. Over 4.1 million Americans will turn 65 annually from 2024 to 2027—about 11,200 daily. By 2030, every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older, representing nearly [20 percent](https://www.prb.org/resources/just-how-many-baby-boomers-are-there/#:~:text=born%20before%201946%29%20suggest,will%20make%20up%20about) of the population. Despite retirement age, about [30.2 percent](https://www.empower.com/the-currency/money/silver-wave-4-million-americans-will-turn-65-2024#:~:text=%2D%20A%20projected%2030.2%25,in%20the%20workforce%20by) of people aged 65 to 75 are projected to remain in the workforce by 2026. This aging demographic brings both opportunities and challenges for industries, particularly financial services, healthcare, and consumer goods. ### **Financial Needs and Challenges** As Baby Boomers approach retirement, they encounter complex financial challenges requiring tailored solutions. The median retirement savings for Boomers is approximately [$194,000](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/032216/are-we-baby-boomer-retirement-crisis.asp#:~:text=Baby%20Boomers%20have%20an,that%20though%2044%25%20if), far below the amount needed for decades of comfortable living. Alarmingly, 26 percent of Boomers have saved less than [$50,000](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/032216/are-we-baby-boomer-retirement-crisis.asp#:~:text=Boomers%20have%20more%20than,and%2010%25%20had%20nothing), and 10 percent have no savings at all. Many rely heavily on defined contribution plans, like 401(k)s, as traditional pensions become less common. Rising costs for housing, groceries, and medical care further strain their financial resources. Social Security, with average monthly benefits of [$1,922](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022516/will-baby-boomers-bankrupt-social-security.asp#:~:text=%2D%20The%20Social%20Security,due%20to%20Social%20Security), often falls short of sustaining pre-retirement lifestyles. Moreover, longer life expectancies mean Boomers must plan for extended retirements, including escalating healthcare costs. To address these challenges, businesses and financial advisors must focus on innovative strategies like investment diversification to guard against market volatility, comprehensive healthcare coverage assessments, and estate planning. Businesses can provide meaningful solutions by supporting Baby Boomers in managing financial risks, securing healthcare, and planning legacies. ### **Marketing Strategies for Baby Boomers** To capture the attention of Baby Boomers, businesses must design marketing campaigns that resonate with their values and preferences: - **Multi-Channel Marketing**: To effectively reach Boomers, consider both traditional media (TV, radio, print) and digital platforms like Facebook and email. - **Highlight Quality and Value**: Emphasize durability, reliability, and long-term benefits of products and services. - **Appeal to Health and Wellness**: Showcase products promoting physical and mental well-being, aligning with Boomers’ focus on healthy aging. - **Tap into Nostalgia**: Use cultural references and storytelling to connect emotionally, drawing on their shared history and experiences. - **Ensure Accessibility**: Make websites user-friendly, with large fonts, clear navigation, and features for individuals with physical limitations. - **Offer Educational Content**: Provide workshops, webinars, and guides on topics like financial planning, health management, and technology use. - **Engage Through Community**: Participate in local events and support causes Boomers care about to build loyalty and trust. - **Hands-On Experiences**: Let Boomers try products through demonstrations, free trials, or in-person events. ### **The Financial Services Industry Response** The financial sector plays a critical role in addressing the needs of Baby Boomers. Innovations like integrating annuities into [401(k)s](https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/investment-ideas/retirement-income-solutions#:~:text=It%20was%20very%20clear,financial%20independence%20during%20their), offering supplemental income solutions, and creating debt management programs help retirees fill savings gaps and manage debt. Educational initiatives on Social Security, Medicare, and taxes further empower Boomers to make informed decisions. Additionally, leveraging AI for routine tasks enables financial advisors to dedicate more time to addressing complex financial challenges. This blend of technology and personalized service enhances the support Boomers receive. ### **Why Baby Boomers Matter** Baby Boomers still possess immense purchasing power and represent a crucial market segment. And they are slowing down as fast as previous generations. They are starting more businesses, trying new digital side hustles and working odd jobs. They are caring for grandchildren and staying busier than ever. By addressing the financial complexity of their life, promoting health and wellness, and leveraging their values, companies can thrive during the “Peak 65 Zone” and beyond. The businesses that rise to meet the challenges and opportunities of this demographic will not only achieve growth but also support Boomers in building secure and fulfilling retirements. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Finance, Strategy --- ### [The Abrupt Closure of Milli: What It Means for Digital-Only Banks](https://hifiagency.com/the-abrupt-closure-of-milli-what-it-means-for-digital-only-banks/) **Published:** January 21, 2025 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** Digital banking has completely transformed the financial industry, with [73 percent](https://learn.g2.com/digital-banking-statistics#:~:text=Digital%20banking%20users%20in%20the,rate%20of%2028.58%25%20till%202026.) of all banking transactions now occurring digitally. Today’s consumers want access to their finances and financial services at the touch of a button, making digital offerings increasingly necessary for banks to stay competitive. This shift has made digital-only banks rise in popularity over the last decade, and many progressive brick-and-mortar banks launched their digital-only brand over the last few years. First National Bank of Omaha was one of these banks and launched [Milli](https://www.bankingdive.com/news/first-national-bank-of-omahas-online-only-bank-milli-shuts-abruptly/734658/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) in 2022. Milli offered customers some very enticing offers, such as high-yield savings accounts with no fees or minimum balance, no interest checking accounts, and customized strategies for smarter saving. Despite its optimistic start, Milli abruptly ceased operations on November 15, 2024, leaving other digital banks wondering what went wrong and whether a separate digital bank model alongside a traditional institution is truly a viable strategy or just an inefficient, operational headache that ultimately leads to more headaches than bottom line success. ### **Challenges for Digital-Only Banks** While digital-only banks have many unique advantages, there are also unique challenges they face and must overcome, to last long term. - **Online-Only Infrastructure:** To effectively operate entirely digital, these banks must be able to continuously keep up with new technologies. As quickly as technology evolves, digital-only banks must ensure they are keeping up to date on [new](https://www.pymnts.com/digital-first-banking/2024/three-quarters-of-banks-face-digital-banking-infrastructure-issues/) APIs to ensure the most advanced infrastructure, security systems, and verifications are up to date, which can become expensive. - **Customer Acquisition Cost:** Digital-only banks also rely heavily on digital advertising, which can make competing in this market very expensive. The digital advertising market is expected to grow, with the total spend reaching [$460.5 billion](https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-digital-ad-spend-exceed--300-billion-2024) by 2028. This growth will increase competition among online-only banks, further driving up the cost of digital ad placements. Channels like paid search and social media have seen their costs to acquire continue to rise not only thanks to competition in recent years but continued attribution challenges within the platform and across digital account opening tools. - **Out-Digital The Traditional Bricks:** With many traditional brick-and-mortar banks launching comparable digital services to their digital-only counterparts,, the experience gap between traditional and digital banks is closing. While [52 percent of Americans](https://www.depositaccounts.com/blog/online-banking-survey.html) would be happy to never go back to a physical bank location, there are still only about [11 percent of Americans](https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/consumer-reports-evaluates-banking-apps-and-makes-recommendations-for-how-banks-can-improve-mobile-apps-to-better-serve-consumers/#:~:text=A%20nationally%20representative%20Consumer%20Reports,their%20primary%20or%20only%20bank.) using online-only banks as their primary bank. This hints that Americans are open to online banking services, but that they may not be fully ready to give up the in-person assistance and guidance that traditional banks offer. ### **Lessons Learned and Ensuring Longevity** The closure of Milli serves as a cautionary tale for digital-only banks and highlights several crucial lessons that the industry must embrace to ensure long-term sustainability and success. - **Importance of Customer-Centric Services**: Digital-only banks must prioritize understanding their customers’ needs and preferences. While attractive offers like high-yield savings accounts can draw customers in, providing a holistic banking experience that includes personalized financial advice, robust customer support, and easy-to-use interfaces is essential. Engaging with customers through feedback loops and surveys can provide valuable insights into what features and services they truly value. - **Building Trust through Security**: Security remains a top concern for consumers when it comes to digital banking. Digital-only banks need to invest in advanced security measures and demonstrate their commitment to protecting customer data. With [30 percent](https://learn.g2.com/digital-banking-statistics#security) of consumers worried about how digital banks are securing their accounts, transparency about security protocols and regular communication regarding updates or incidents is imperative to build customer trust. - **Adapting to Regulatory Changes**: The financial landscape is heavily regulated, and digital banks must stay informed about changing regulations. Compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering regulations is crucial. Building a robust compliance framework can help avoid legal pitfalls that may arise from regulatory oversight. - **Strategic Partnerships**: Forming partnerships with fintech companies, payment processors, and other financial institutions can provide digital-only banks with access to new technologies and customer bases. These collaborations can also help reduce customer acquisition costs by leveraging established platforms and networks. - **Diversifying Revenue Streams**: Relying solely on traditional banking products can limit growth. Digital banks should explore diverse revenue streams, such as premium service offerings, financial planning tools, and investment platforms. By providing a broader range of services, they can attract a wider audience while enhancing customer loyalty. - **Continuous Innovation**: To remain competitive, digital-only banks must prioritize innovation. This includes integrating emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain to streamline operations and improve customer experiences. Regularly updating features and services based on market trends can help attract and retain customers. The closure of Milli is a stark reminder of the volatility in the digital banking sector. As digital-only banks navigate their unique challenges, those that prioritize customer-centric services, security, regulatory compliance, strategic partnerships, revenue diversification, and continuous innovation will be better positioned for success. The future of banking is undoubtedly digital, and those who can adapt to and embrace these changes will thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Finance --- ### [What to Expect from Financial Marketing in 2025](https://hifiagency.com/what-to-expect-from-financial-marketing-in-2025/) **Published:** January 13, 2025 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** As we approach 2025, the financial services industry is on the brink of significant transformation. Global advertising spending is projected to grow by [6.8 percent](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/2024-global-advertising-forecast-groupm-trillion-2025-1235917863/#:~:text=Global%20advertising%20spending%20will%20grow) in 2025, reaching a total of $1.1 trillion. This change is driven by evolving consumer expectations, technological advancements, and a shift in societal values. These forces are reshaping how financial institutions engage with customers, adapt to new technologies, and align with broader societal trends. **Figure 1: How Banks Are Planning to Grow Marketing Strategies** ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2025/01/362_Hifi_Social-roadmap-2025-Jan_V1a.png) ### **Evolving Consumer Expectations: A New Standard for Personalization** Today’s consumers demand more personalized, customer-centric experiences, and this trend is set to intensify in 2025. Financial institutions are under pressure to tailor their products and marketing strategies to meet the unique needs of their audience. Nearly [46 percent](https://wisernotify.com/blog/consumer-behaviour-trends/#:~:text=45.9%25%20of%20businesses%20agree,priority%20will%20be%20customer) of businesses cite enhancing customer experience as their top priority in the next five years. Personalization is no longer optional; it is a key differentiator in a competitive market. Advances in data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning enable financial institutions to understand customer behaviors and preferences at a granular level. By leveraging these tools, companies can craft targeted marketing campaigns, offer tailored financial products, and provide seamless customer experiences. The focus on personalization is particularly pronounced in the financial sector, where [86 percent](https://www.mastercardservices.com/en/advisors/consumer-engagement-loyalty/insights/guide-personalization-financial-institutions) of institutions view it as a priority, and 92 percent plan to increase their investment in this area. Institutions that embrace customer-centric strategies are positioned to foster stronger relationships, build trust, and drive sustainable growth. As consumers’ expectations evolve, financial institutions must also prioritize trust and transparency in their communications. A customer-centric approach that addresses pain points and delivers personalized solutions will be critical to securing loyalty in a dynamic market. ### **Technological Advancements: Pioneering the Digital Frontier** The rapid pace of technological advancement is revolutionizing financial marketing. By 2026, digital’s share of B2B ad spending is projected to climb to [48 percent](https://www.emarketer.com/content/ad-spend-trends-2025-beyond-media-entertainment-bounce-back-b2b-stays-traditional#:~:text=Digital%E2%80%99s%20share%20of%20B2B,compared%20to%2045.6%25%20this), reflecting a broader societal shift toward digital engagement. This evolution is largely driven by the growing reliance on electronic payments, mobile banking, and digital wallets, which have become essential in the [post-pandemic world](https://www.bing.com/aclick?ld=e8A9A5z4XL6qQ663BhL7Fq1DVUCUzzLnKg7QoAFdGQknyGCl8bcvxo8D9tgrugV3lQ_ooBEUFFiwZg5G7FzTB0MGAJ2SNuBy9Qpr7X8mb6qHb-lzVfKwsTsxsp8nn8CSZTTp2MBm3x43zjoT0iNCLEdAf4mWkv_78Nc9afaz1kee_FdmUT3nhMGheZ6ucYKMhLwOT0bQ&u=aHR0cHMlM2ElMmYlMmZ3d3cuZXZlcmFuZC5jb20lMmZib29rJTJmMzM3MjM3MDUxJTJmVGhlLURpZ2l0YWwtQmFua2luZy1SZXZvbHV0aW9uJTNmdXRtX21lZGl1bSUzZGNwYyUyNnV0bV9zb3VyY2UlM2RiaW5nJTI2dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduJTNkRXZlcmFuZF9CaW5nX1BlcmZvcm1hbmNlLU1heF9OQl9VUyUyNnV0bV90ZXJtJTNkd3d3LmV2ZXJhbmQuY29tJTI2dXRtX2RldmljZSUzZGMlMjZtc2Nsa2lkJTNkMjNjNDgxYWNhZmE3MWE0NjgyYWNlNmU4MzdlYjQxZmIlMjZ1dG1fY29udGVudCUzZEF1ZGlvYm9va3M&rlid=23c481acafa71a4682ace6e837eb41fb). **Figure 2: Projected Growth of Digital Ad Spending Share (2024-2026)** ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2025/01/362_Hifi_Social-Graph-2025-Jan_V1a-300x300.png) The integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data has transformed how financial institutions operate and market their services. These tools allow firms to predict trends, personalize customer interactions, and enhance operational efficiency. Institutions that invest in robust digital infrastructures and adopt innovative solutions will be better equipped to meet consumer demands. The implications of digitalization are profound. Institutions must adapt quickly to remain competitive, offering superior digital experiences while safeguarding customer trust. Those that fail to innovate risk falling behind as customers increasingly gravitate toward tech-savvy competitors. The projected growth in digital advertising underscores the urgency for financial institutions to lead in this digital transformation, ensuring they remain relevant in a fast-paced, digitally driven landscape. ### **Societal Values: The Rise of Ethical and Sustainable Marketing** In an era where consumers are more socially conscious than ever, financial institutions must align their marketing strategies with societal values. Sustainability and ethical practices are no longer optional—they are a baseline expectation for many customers. Brands that demonstrate genuine commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles are gaining traction, particularly among younger generations. For instance, companies like [Patagonia and Warby Parker](https://ratocommunications.com/blog/why-brands-must-invest-in-authentic-sustainability-marketing/) have built strong reputations by integrating ethical practices into their business models, showcasing how sustainability can be a powerful marketing tool. Trust plays a pivotal role in [ethical marketing](https://medium.com/@sociallyidigitize/the-rise-of-sustainable-and-ethical-marketing-in-the-digital-age-4061f0325768). As skepticism toward corporate claims rises, consumers favor brands that transparently communicate their values and sustainability efforts. For financial institutions, integrating these values into their marketing strategies not only enhances brand reputation but also fosters deeper connections with audiences. Sustainability and ethical marketing also bring long-term benefits. Organizations that prioritize these principles can attract socially conscious consumers while contributing to positive change in their industries. This approach is [not merely a trend but a transformative shift](https://rhythmagency.com/blog/june-2024/why-sustainable-and-ethical-marketing-is-here-to-stay) in how brands interact with their audiences. As consumers demand accountability and authenticity, businesses that lead with their values are better positioned for success. As the financial services industry prepares for 2025, the interplay of consumer expectations, technological advancements, and societal values will shape marketing strategies. Institutions that prioritize personalization, embrace innovation, and align with ethical and sustainable practices will not only meet the demands of modern consumers but also build lasting relationships and drive growth. By navigating these trends effectively, financial institutions can secure a competitive edge and thrive in an evolving marketplace. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Advertising, Financial Marketing, Strategy --- ### [Eco-Friendly Finance: Strategies for Marketing Green Financial Solutions](https://hifiagency.com/eco-friendly-finance-strategies-for-marketing-green-financial-solutions/) **Published:** November 21, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** As global warming and climate change concerns continue to rise, the financial industry is under growing pressure to adopt green practices and take significant steps toward reducing its carbon footprint. [50 percent](https://marketing-workbench-assets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/pdfs/Getty_Images_Visual_GPS_Global_Report_1.pdf) of consumers say they would not invest in products from brands that do not make an effort towards being eco-friendly, making the commitment to sustainability crucial. Eco-friendly initiatives, such as offering sustainable investment opportunities, are becoming essential for maintaining consumer trust. In this article, we will explore how financial institutions can respond to these shifting demands, implement eco-friendly strategies, and stand out in the movement toward a greener, more sustainable future. ### **Assessing Your ESG Report** Companies receive a public [ESG report](https://hifiagency.com/the-importance-of-a-positive-esg-report/), which assesses their environmental, societal, and governance policies and practices. The “E,” representing environmental practices, addresses things like carbon emissions, greenhouse gasses, and production impacts. The “S,” representing the societal practices of the company, addresses things like whether or not the company’s workers are paid well or if the customer’s data is protected. The “G,” in ESG represents the way companies interact with donations and funding of political movements. ESG research firms will report on how your company scores in addressing each aspect, giving you a score between 0 and 100. Once reported, your ESG report will be available for investors to see and compare with other similar businesses. One of the banks leading the world in [positive ESG reports](https://www.netzeroinvestor.net/news-and-views/esg-ranking-of-the-worlds-biggest-banks-bnp-standard-chartered-and-citi-and-hsbc-take-top-spot#:~:text=top%20spot%20%7C%20Netzeroinvestor-,ESG%20Ranking%20of%20the%20world%27s%20biggest%20banks%3A%20BNP%2C%20Citi,and%20HSBC%20take%20top%20spot&text=Banks%20are%20increasingly%20vying%20to,differentiate%20in%20the%20years%20ahead.) is [Citi](https://www.citigroup.com/global/our-impact#). [Citi](https://www.citigroup.com/global/our-impact#) shared some of the practices that might have helped them receive such a positive score, such as promoting pay equity, addressing the wealth gap amongst races, and committing to reaching [net zero greenhouse gas emissions](https://www.citigroup.com/global/our-impact/sustainability/net-zero) by 2050. Plans like these followed through with actions, will help you increase your business’ ESG report. ### **Breaking Down Green Products** “Green products” within the financial industry could include anything that promotes environmentally sustainable practices, such as environmentally focused investment funds or green loans. Environmentally focused investment funds are portfolios that invest in companies that are committed to sustainable practices. These funds are attractive to investors who want to support businesses that are positively impacting the environment. Green loans, on the other hand, are loans provided to finance projects that have positive environmental benefits, such as renewable energy projects or energy-efficient building renovations. Aside from green funds and loans, another green financial product that has risen in popularity recently is bank cards made from recyclable materials. Banks such as Mastercard, Bank of America, and Deutsche have begun to offer credit and debit cards made from recyclable materials, rather than first-use plastics that will not decompose. For Bank of America, based on its annual card issuance, this switch could save up to [235 tons of single-use plastic.](https://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/content/newsroom/press-releases/2022/04/bank-of-america-will-transition-to-recycled-plastic-for-all-plas.html) Another interesting green financial product is online banking account opportunities like [Aspiration.](https://www.aspiration.com/) When an Aspiration customer makes a purchase, the change is automatically rounded up to the nearest dollar, with the change going towards funding the planting of a tree. On average per year Aspiration can [plant 780 trees](https://www.aspiration.com/plantyourchange) from rounded change. Green products, from green loans to recyclable credit cards, are growing in popularity, and more and more consumers are growing curious about their bank’s opportunities. Marketing these green products effectively requires deeply understanding your target audience and their values. It’s important to communicate the environmental benefits of these products clearly and convincingly. Highlight the positive impact that investing in these products can have on the environment, and provide clear, tangible examples of how these investments can contribute to sustainability efforts. ### **Leveraging Digital Platforms for Green Marketing** In today’s digital age, [online platforms](https://forestnation.com/blog/leveraging-the-power-of-social-media-to-catalyze-sustainability/?srsltid=AfmBOooVCQJAWfvqTiEjYBR3BIUH-S1pz2dOTN85HmRxAhOMFSvLkOSp) provide an excellent opportunity for marketing green financial products. Social media, blogs, and websites can be used to share information about your green initiatives and products. Use these platforms to tell stories about the positive impact of your green products, share customer testimonials, and provide updates on your sustainability efforts. Additionally, digital platforms can be used to educate consumers about the importance of sustainable investing and its role in promoting environmental sustainability. Webinars, online courses, and informational videos can be a great way to engage with consumers and provide them with the knowledge they need to make informed investment decisions. As the demand for eco-friendly financial solutions continues to grow, financial institutions have a unique opportunity to stand out by offering green products and implementing sustainable practices. By leveraging digital platforms, understanding your target audience, and partnering with other eco-friendly brands, you can effectively market your green financial solutions and contribute to a more sustainable future. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The Rise of Robo-Advisors: A Guide For Financial Institutions](https://hifiagency.com/the-rise-of-robo-advisors-a-guide-for-financial-institutions/) **Published:** November 18, 2024 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** The financial landscape is evolving unprecedentedly, with technology playing a pivotal role in this transformation. One of the most significant developments in recent years is the rise of robo-advisors. These digital platforms provide automated, algorithm-driven financial planning services with minimal human intervention. **Robo-Advisors: Democratizing Investment Management** Robo-advisors have been gaining traction due to their ability to democratize investment management services, which were once the preserve of the wealthy. According to a report by Statista, the global assets under management (AUM) of robo-advisors are projected to reach approximately [$2.5 trillion by the end of 2024](https://www.statista.com/statistics/720519/worldwide-robo-advisors-aum/), demonstrating the growing acceptance of this technology. They offer a cost-effective solution for individuals seeking to invest their money, regardless of the size of their portfolio. The rise of robo-advisors can be attributed to several factors. - **Digital Revolution and Automation**: The digital revolution has enabled the automation of complex tasks, including financial planning. A survey by Accenture found that [79 percent](https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/PDF-33/Accenture-2017-Financial-Services-Global-Distribution-Marketing-Consumer-Study.pdf) of consumers worldwide are open to robo-advice for their banking, insurance, and retirement services. - **Demand for Low-Cost, Accessible Investment Services**: There is a growing demand for low-cost, accessible investment services. A study by Deloitte revealed that [84 percent](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/financial-services/millennials-and-wealth-management.html) of millennials cited cost as a key factor when choosing an investment service, highlighting the appeal of robo-advisors. - **Comfort with Technology among Younger Generations**: The younger generation, who are digital natives, are more comfortable using technology for their financial needs. A report by Broadridge found that [60 percent](https://www.broadridge.com/_assets/pdf/broadridge-the-millennial-shift.pdf) of millennials are currently using or would consider using a robo-advisor, indicating a significant shift in the way this generation manages their finances. **Who is Using Robo-Advisors?** Robo-advisors offer numerous benefits for customers such as 24/7 convenience and lower fees. Additionally, robo-advisors use advanced algorithms to create personalized investment portfolios based on the customer’s risk tolerance and financial goals, providing a level of customization that was previously only available to high-net-worth individuals. Currently, there are a few main large audiences that have gained interest in robo-advisors. [Millennials and Gen Z](https://businessday.ng/news/article/8-most-popular-investing-strategies-across-gen-z-millennials-gen-x-and-boomers/) make up a large portion, with around 41% of millennials and 40% of Gen Z making up the robo-advisor audience base. A lot of this is due to these age group having grown more accustomed to doing things easily online and having that 24/7 convenience that robo-advising offer. Additionally, younger professionals, typically having less savings, now have more accessibility within the financial world through robo-advising. Robo-advisors offer tools that make trading and investing much more easy to get into, with lower barriers to entry. This introduction into trading and investing and beginner advice, coupled with the lower fees associated, has sparked interest among [young professionals](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/121615/are-roboadvisors-good-idea-young-investors.asp) and young investors. **Successful Implementations of Robo-Advisors** Robo-advisors have gained significant traction in the financial services industry due to their ability to provide automated investment management with minimal human intervention. [Wealthfront](http://www.wealthfront.com/) is recognized for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive portfolio management features. It offers automated rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting, which are attractive to both novice and experienced investors. [Betterment](http://www.betterment.com/) has also made a mark by focusing on personalized financial advice and goal-based investing, allowing users to set specific financial goals and receive tailored investment strategies. **Marketing Robo-Advisors to the General Public** Despite the numerous benefits, robo-advisors are still a relatively new concept for many people. Therefore, banks need to adopt effective marketing strategies to promote their robo-advisory services. One of the most effective ways to market robo-advisors is through education. Banks should demystify robo-advisors by explaining how they work in simple, understandable terms. This can be achieved through various channels, such as blogs, webinars, and social media posts. Banks can also leverage customer testimonials and case studies to illustrate the benefits of using robo-advisors. This can help to build trust and reassure potential customers about the reliability and effectiveness of robo-advisors. The marketing strategies employed by these robo-advisors have played a crucial role in their success. - **Display Advertising**: While campaigns often highlight the ease of use and benefits of automated investing, they should also incorporate real-life success stories and testimonials from satisfied users. This not only appeals to those intimidated by traditional investment methods but also humanizes the brand, making it more relatable. - **Educational Content**: Instead of just creating generic educational content, robo-advisors should focus on building extensive libraries of resources that cover diverse aspects of personal finance, such as retirement planning and tax strategies. This strategy demystifies investing and establishes the brand as a trusted thought leader in the financial technology space. - **Calculators and Planning Tools**: To further engage users, incorporating interactive tools like [retirement or goal calculators](https://www.investor.gov/financial-tools-calculators/calculators/savings-goal-calculator) can provide personalized insights. These tools offer tangible benefits for users and encourage account creation as individuals realize the importance of a structured financial plan. - **Social Proof**: Third-party endorsements can significantly enhance credibility. Earning media coverage and showcasing awards from reputable financial publications—such as [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/) or [NerdWallet](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwj6ve63n7aJAxUuTkcBHck0AKEYABADGgJxdQ&co=1&ase=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsoe5BhDiARIsAOXVoUt5qoV_zEyDfjN4MIU3OQuR92Y6OgJWAtTFhgs4eE-8utTotik3EREaAp4dEALw_wcB&sig=AOD64_1p5v4dQS82hYB6pnsHXPVkWGvvlQ&q&nis=4&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjaqOi3n7aJAxWnFVkFHRgLO_gQ0Qx6BAgJEAE)—can solidify trust. - **Pricing**: To attract new clients, robo-advisors should consider offering free trials or low-fee tiers with limited features. For example, platforms like [M1 Finance](http://m1.com/), which allows users to start with no minimum deposit, present compelling opportunities for first-time investors. - **Social Media Engagement**: Engaging with users on social media should go beyond mere interaction. Encouraging user-generated content and actively responding to feedback can deepen customer loyalty and create a sense of belonging among users. #### **Robo-Advisors in Action** Real-world success stories can illustrate the potential of robo-advisors. For instance, [Wealthfront](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjaj-6WjrSJAxXKakcBHRnEBxsYABAAGgJxdQ&co=1&ase=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj4K5BhDYARIsAD1Ly2qjhJOdvQjZBIhGl7tM44gj3dGJJ_uiClDQ6RDEVd7DOcxzCbBnPPwaAmpzEALw_wcB&sig=AOD64_0pTbtGlIgyayelYBBI3gKdSm84Jg&q&nis=4&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwix0eeWjrSJAxWvFVkFHWSyLqAQ0Qx6BAgIEAE) is recognized for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive portfolio management features. By automating investment management using Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), Wealthfront created diversified portfolios of low-cost ETFs, emphasizing tax efficiency through strategies like tax-loss harvesting. - **Expanding Features Beyond Investment Management**: Wealthfront has continually evolved its offerings. In 2013, it introduced direct indexing, allowing clients with larger portfolios to hold individual stocks instead of ETFs in taxable accounts. This innovation enabled more granular tax-loss harvesting, enhancing potential tax savings. - **Banking Services and Cash Management**: Wealthfront also ventured into banking services, launching cash management products that include high-yield cash accounts and early paycheck direct deposit. These offerings aimed to capture clients earlier in their financial journeys, to convert them into long-term investors. - **Innovative Concepts**: In 2021, Wealthfront introduced the concept of [Self-Driving Money](https://www.wealthfront.com/blog/you-can-now-use-wealthfronts-cash-account-to-automate-your-finances-from-end-to-end/), which automatically allocates a client’s paycheck across various financial goals—such as bills, savings, or investments—based on personalized priorities. This innovation addresses the need for more automated, holistic financial management, targeting not just investments but the entire financial ecosystem of clients. Wealthfront has experienced steady growth, reaching around [$30 billion](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/wealthfront-review-robo-advisor/) in assets under management (AUM). It remains competitive in the robo-advisory space, particularly among younger, tech-savvy clients, and consistently ranks high in client satisfaction due to its low fees and efficient tax strategies. #### **Future Trends** The [evolution of robo-advisors](https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/robo-advisory-market-report) is an exciting area to watch, as it reshapes the financial landscape. In addition to AI-driven insights, hybrid human-robot models, and ethical concerns surrounding algorithmic decision-making, several emerging trends define the future of robo-advisors. - **Integration with Financial Planning Platforms**: One of the most significant advancements will be the integration of robo-advisors with comprehensive financial planning tools. Beyond mere investment management, these platforms are expected to offer features such as retirement planning, tax strategy, debt management, and savings goals. - **Voice-Activated and Chat-Based Assistance**: Voice-activated digital assistants and advanced chatbots are set to rise in popularity even further, enabling users to interact with their robo-advisors in a manner akin to conversing with a virtual assistant. Users will be able to ask questions, make adjustments to their portfolios, and receive updates through natural-language interfaces, making investment management more accessible and user-friendly. - **Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investments**: With a growing emphasis on ethical investing, robo-advisors are incorporating tools to facilitate ESG-focused portfolios. Investors today are more conscious of the impact their investments have on society and the environment, and robo-advisors are responding by integrating AI-driven analysis of ESG factors. As these trends unfold, the evolution of robo-advisors will not only enhance the investment experience but also empower users to take control of their financial futures in a more informed and responsible manner. The convergence of technology, financial planning, and ethical investing makes for a dynamic and promising future in digital financial advisory services. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [Navigating Compliance: RegTech and the Fight Against Financial Crime](https://hifiagency.com/navigating-compliance-regtech-and-the-fight-against-financial-crime/) **Published:** October 18, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** In the ever-evolving world of finance, regulatory technology, or [RegTech](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/regtech.asp), has emerged as a dynamic field that leverages technology to streamline and enhance regulatory processes. As financial institutions grapple with the complexities of regulatory compliance, RegTech offers a promising solution to navigate this challenging landscape. RegTech is a new field that focuses on leveraging technology to enhance regulatory processes, it’s an innovative approach that combines modern technology’s power with financial regulations’ intricacies. The primary goal of RegTech is to simplify and streamline compliance procedures, making them more efficient and less prone to human error. RegTech encompasses several key aspects that make it a game-changer in the financial industry. - **Automation**: RegTech solutions automate compliance tasks that were traditionally manual, time-consuming, and prone to errors. This includes tasks like data collection, reporting, and risk assessment. - **Data Analysis**: RegTech uses advanced data analytics to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies. This helps in proactive risk management and informed decision-making. - **Real-time Monitoring**: RegTech allows for real-time monitoring of transactions and activities. This helps immediately detect and prevent fraudulent activities, thereby reducing financial crime. - **Regulatory Reporting**: RegTech simplifies the process of regulatory reporting. It ensures accuracy, timeliness, and consistency in reports, making it easier for institutions to comply with regulatory requirements. - **Compliance Management**: RegTech provides a comprehensive view of an institution’s compliance status. It helps identify gaps, manage regulatory changes, and ensure adherence to all relevant regulations. ### **Regulating the Pros and Cons** RegTech offers a multitude of benefits that make it an indispensable tool in the financial industry. 1. **Efficiency**: By automating manual tasks, RegTech significantly reduces the time and effort required for compliance. This leads to increased efficiency and productivity. 2. **Accuracy**: Automation also eliminates the risk of human error, ensuring accuracy in compliance tasks. 3. **Cost Savings**: Financial institutions can achieve substantial cost savings with increased efficiency and accuracy. They can avoid penalties for non-compliance and reduce the resources required for compliance tasks. Despite its numerous benefits, there are also some points of concern associated with RegTech. 1. **Data Security**: As RegTech involves handling sensitive financial data, data security is a major concern. There’s a risk of data breaches, which can have severe consequences. 2. **Reliance on Technology**: Over-reliance on technology can lead to complacency and lack of human oversight. While technology can streamline processes, human judgment is still crucial in decision-making. 3. **Regulatory Changes**: The regulatory landscape is constantly evolving. RegTech solutions must be flexible and adaptable to keep up with these changes. ### **RegTech In Action** The RegTech landscape is populated by several innovative companies making significant strides in enhancing compliance processes for financial institutions. One notable example is [ComplyAdvantage](http://www.complyadvantage.com/), which utilizes machine learning to provide real-time insights into financial crime risks. Their platform analyzes vast amounts of data from various sources, including sanctions lists and news articles, to help firms identify potential risks associated with customers and transactions. ComplyAdvantage has gained considerable traction, serving over 1,500 clients globally, including major banks and fintech companies. Their success lies in their ability to streamline the due diligence process, reducing the time and resources required for compliance while improving the accuracy of risk assessments. Another prominent player in the RegTech space is [Trulioo](https://www.trulioo.com/), a global identity verification provider. Trulioo’s platform enables businesses to verify customers’ identities from over 195 countries, ensuring compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. By automating the identity verification process, Trulioo helps financial institutions minimize the risk of fraud and maintain compliance with various regulatory requirements. The company has experienced rapid growth and now counts some of the largest banks and payment processors among its clients. With its comprehensive approach to identity verification, Trulioo has positioned itself as a leader in RegTech, showcasing how technology can facilitate compliance while expanding market access for financial services. ### **Forecast: The Future of RegTech** The future of RegTech looks promising. As financial institutions continue to grapple with regulatory compliance, the demand for RegTech solutions is expected to grow. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global RegTech market size is expected to reach [$55.28 billion by 2025](https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-regulatory-technology-market). Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are set to play a significant role in the evolution of RegTech. These technologies can enhance data analysis, automate complex tasks, and provide predictive insights, taking RegTech to new heights. However, the success of RegTech will depend on how effectively it addresses the points of concern. Ensuring data security, managing regulatory changes, and overcoming integration challenges will be critical. ### **RegTech from a Marketing Perspective** From a marketing perspective, RegTech presents a unique value proposition as it offers a solution to a pressing problem faced by financial institutions – regulatory compliance. This makes it a highly marketable product. However, marketing RegTech requires a deep understanding of the target audience. The audience, in this case, is financial institutions. They seek solutions that simplify compliance, reduce costs, and mitigate risks. Therefore, the marketing message should focus on these benefits. Moreover, addressing the points of concern in the marketing message is important. Assuring potential customers about data security, flexibility to regulatory changes, and ease of integration can help win their trust. In terms of marketing channels, industry events, webinars, and targeted digital marketing can be effective. Collaborations with regulatory bodies and industry influencers can also help in gaining credibility and visibility. The rise of RegTech marks a significant shift in how financial institutions approach regulatory compliance. By harnessing the power of automation, advanced data analysis, and real-time monitoring, RegTech not only simplifies compliance processes but also enhances accuracy and efficiency while reducing costs. However, as with any technological advancement, it is crucial to address concerns related to data security and the need for human oversight. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Finance, Financial Trends, Strategy --- ### [Neobanks: Rightsizing But Still Rising](https://hifiagency.com/neobanks-rightsizing-but-still-rising/) **Published:** June 24, 2024 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** [Neobanks](https://kadence.com/en-us/the-rise-of-neobanks-and-the-impact-on-traditional-banking/#:~:text=Neobanks%2C%20challenger%20banks%2C%20or%20digital%20banks%20are%20financial%20institutions%20that%20operate%20exclusively%20online%20without%20physical%20branches), also known as digital or challenger banks, has emerged as a significant force in the financial industry, offering a fully digital banking experience without traditional physical branches. These institutions have disrupted the conventional banking model by leveraging technology to provide faster, more convenient, and often cheaper services to consumers and businesses. **The Growth and Impact of Neobanks** The neobank market is experiencing rapid expansion globally, with projections indicating a market value of $376.34 billion by 2026 and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of [23.25 percent](https://www.clearlypayments.com/blog/the-growth-of-neobanks-and-the-impact-on-payments/#:~:text=Globally%2C%20the%20neobank%20market%20is%20expected%20to%20reach%20a%20value%20of%20%24376). In the United States, the Neobank user base is expected to reach 80 million by 2025, while in Canada, it could hit 5 million users by 2028. [Europe](https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-neobanking-market) is projected to dominate the neobanking market, with the market size expected to reach USD 2,048.53 billion by 2030 This growth is partly due to neobanks’ ability to engage users effectively, with daily active user metrics significantly surpassing those of traditional bank branches. Neobanks are setting new banking standards, focusing on inclusivity and accessibility, making financial services available to a broader range of customers, including the underbanked. They are also known for their skill and quick adoption of new technologies and trends, which allows them to offer personalized and data-driven payment solutions. **Key Factors Driving Neobank Popularity** [Neobanks](https://plaid.com/resources/fintech/what-is-a-neobank/#:~:text=They%20often%20allow%20formerly%20unbanked%20consumers%20to%20access%20credit%20cards%2C%20checking%20accounts%2C%20and%20tools%20to%20improve%20their%20financial%20health), driven by fintech, harness technology to elevate and automate financial services, utilizing advanced tools such as AI and ML to personalize banking experiences, introduce inventive features, and deliver seamless and efficient services. One of the key advantages of neobanks is their cost structure. Operating exclusively online allows them to significantly reduce operational expenses, leading to a 60-70 percent cost reduction compared to traditional banks. Their absence of physical branches, ATMs, or call centers results in a lean cost structure, enabling neobanks to offer reduced fees and superior rates to traditional banks. Customers benefit from around-the-clock accessibility through mobile phones or computers, enhancing the convenience of banking. Moreover, neobanks prioritize financial inclusion by extending accessible services to underserved and unbanked populations, granting them access to credit cards, checking accounts, and resources to enhance their financial well-being. Emphasizing user-friendly interfaces and transparent fee structures, neobanking centers around providing exceptional customer experiences, meeting the demand for convenience and innovation. Notably, account opening can be effortlessly completed through a smartphone in just a few simple steps, catering to the modern customer’s desire for streamlined processes. Below are other top factors driving popularity: - **Regulatory Environment**: Changes in regulations and the operation of neobanks contribute to their development across countries. They work by collaborating with licensed banks or obtaining their banking licenses, depending on the regulatory environment. - **Market Growth and User Adoption**: The number of Neobank users worldwide is expected to reach 1.4 billion by 2024, with significant revenue growth projected. More than [40 percent](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/10/04/what-factors-affect-the-development-of-neobanks/#:~:text=more%20than%2040%25%20of%20household%20financial%20decision%20makers%20in%20the%20U.S.%20had%20a%20fintech%20account) of household financial decision-makers in the U.S. have a fintech account, indicating widespread adoption. - **Response to Market Trends**: Neobanks quickly pivot and respond to market trends and customer feedback, positioning them as industry leaders. They are at the forefront of innovation, adopting measures such as biometric authentication and machine learning. These factors allow neobanks to offer no-frills accounts with minimal fees and even microloan opportunities tailored to the financial realities of their customers. However, neobanks face challenges such as building trust, navigating regulation, and dealing with competition. They need to overcome these hurdles to continue their growth and impact in the financial sector. **Neo Comes With Challenges** Investors in neobanks transitioned their attention from pursuing growth at any expense to prioritizing profitability starting in 2022. Most of [291 neobanks](https://www.emarketer.com/insights/neobanks-explained-list/#:~:text=research%3F&text=In%202022%2C%20neobank%20investors%20shifted,future%20of%20neobanks%20is%20uncertain) worldwide struggled to generate profits, leading to waning investor patience. As the funding shortage shows no signs of easing, the future of neobanks remains uncertain. The shift in investor focus reflects a growing concern for sustainable business models within the neobanking sector. Despite the challenges, some neobanks have successfully navigated the path to profitability through innovative strategies and a keen understanding of market dynamics. By delving into these insights, this report aims to shed light on the evolving landscape of neobanks and the strategies that may shape their future trajectory. - **Profitability Challenges:** Most neobanks remain unprofitable, with less than [5 percent](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomgroenfeldt/2022/05/19/neobanks-are-plentiful-but-rarely-profitable/#:~:text=less%20than%205%25%20are%20profitable) breaking even. Despite serving nearly one billion customers worldwide, only a handful of neobanks have [managed to turn a profit](https://www.businessinsider.com/neobanks-are-struggling-to-turn-a-profit-2022-5#:~:text=approximately%20400%20neobanks%20served%20nearly%20one%20billion%20customers%20worldwide). This lack of profitability is a significant concern for investors, who are increasingly looking for sustainable business models rather than mere customer growth. - **Investor Sentiment:** Investor patience is wearing thin as the funding environment becomes more challenging. The peak funding year of 2021 saw the neobank landscape valued at [$300 billion](https://www.bain.com/insights/as-funding-dries-up-can-neobanks-diversify-their-revenue-streams/#:~:text=Despite%20the%20pandemic%2Dfueled%20spike%20in%20demand%20for%20digital%20services%20and%20the%20associated%20rise%20of%20valuations%20for%20many%20fintechs%2C%20a%20slowdown%20in%20funding%20signals%20that%20investors%20are%20moving%20away%20from%20a%20growth%2Dat%2Dall%2Dcosts%20mentality%20and%20instead%20are%20focusing%20on%20sustainable%20paths%20to%20profitability), but the subsequent funding slowdown has shifted investor focus to profitability. This shift in sentiment is pressuring neobanks to demonstrate [viable paths to profitability](https://www.emarketer.com/topics/category/neobank%20profitability#:~:text=neobank%20profitability%20%2D%20Reports%2C%20Statistics%20%26%20Marketing%20Trends%20%7C%20EMARKETER%20Contact%20Sales%3A%20Phone%201%2D800%2D405%2D0844%20Does%20my%20company%20subscribe%3F%20Newsletter%20sign%2Dup%20Envelope%20EMARKETER%20Search%20Log%20in%20Login%20Become%20a%20Client%20Become%20a%20Client%20Get%20a%20Demo%20Pricing%20Calendar%20Industries%20Products%20Insights%20Events%20Pricing%20About%20Industries%20Overview%20Our%20research%20focuses%20on%20the%20five%20core%20coverage%20areas%20below). **Strategies for Achieving Profitability** - **Focus on Core Markets:** Neobanks need to concentrate on their primary markets, identify trends, and reduce customer acquisition costs. Expanding too quickly into new geographies can spread resources thin and hinder profitability. - **Diversifying Revenue Streams:** To achieve sustainable profitability, neobanks should diversify their revenue streams. Promising avenues include subscription services, lending, services for small businesses, and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS). Subscription plans can provide reliable and predictable revenue, while credit products offer better monetization opportunities. - **Enhancing Customer Experience:** A personalized customer experience that anticipates financial needs can drive customer loyalty and advocacy. Neobanks should [leverage technology](https://www.fintechfutures.com/2024/03/us-neobank-dave-achieves-profitability-over-q4-2023/#:~:text=Dave%20has%20sought%20to%20differentiate%20its%20digital%20offering%20by%20embracing%20AI%20technology%20as%20a%20means%20to%20further%20its%20lending%20and%20credit%20abilities), such as AI, to enhance their digital offerings and improve service quality. - **Monetizing Services:** Neobanks must begin to [monetize their services effectively](https://www.fintechtris.com/blog/the-slow-death-of-neobanks#:~:text=Ultimately%2C%20platforms%20will%20need%20to%20charge%20a%20monthly%20subscription%20fee%20to%20cover%20recurring%20user%20costs%20and%20stabilize%20revenue%20growth). This includes charging for premium accounts, offering value-added services, and implementing subscription fees to cover recurring costs. Establishing a product that customers are willing to pay for is crucial for long-term sustainability. **Case Studies** - **Dave:** [US neobank Dave](https://www.fintechfutures.com/2024/03/us-neobank-dave-achieves-profitability-over-q4-2023/#:~:text=US%20neobank%20Dave%20has%20achieved%20its%20first%20quarterly%20profit%20almost%20eight%20years%20after%20its%20inception%20in%202016) achieved its first quarterly profit in Q4 2023, nearly eight years after its inception. The neobank reported a GAAP net income of $200,000 and an adjusted EBITDA of $10 million, showcasing the benefits of investments in its technology platform. Dave’s focus on AI technology to enhance its lending and credit capabilities has been a key factor in its profitability. - **Robinhood:** [Robinhood](https://www.emarketer.com/content/some-neobanks-formidable-profitable-competitors), the trading platform-turned-neobank, exceeded Q1 profit estimates due to high crypto trading volumes and increased net interest revenue, benefiting from recent rate hikes. The company reported a profit of $157 million or 18 cents per share, significantly surpassing expectations of 6 cents per share. This marks a notable turnaround from a loss of $511 million or 57 cents per share in the same quarter last year. However, it’s important to note that Robinhood faces regulatory scrutiny from the SEC regarding the tokens traded on its platform, which could impact revenue from its crypto business. - **Nubank:** On the other hand, [Nubank](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-14/nubank-posts-record-revenue-profit-beats-expectations) became the first neobank outside of Asia to surpass 100 million users, with 80% of these users considered active. The company had revenue of $2.7 billion in the three months through March, reporting $378.8 million in net income compared with an average estimate of $357.3 million in a Bloomberg survey of analysts. Nubank’s growth is strong, but rising interest rates and compressing gross profit margin might make some investors worried, as interest income represents a large portion of the company’s income. These examples highlight the potential for neobanks to achieve profitability through diversified revenue streams, such as high crypto trading volumes increased net interest revenue, and large active user bases. This demonstrates that neobanks can leverage various revenue sources and a substantial user base to drive profitability and sustainable growth in the competitive financial landscape. **The Future of Banking** In response to the rise of neobanks, [traditional banks are being forced to evolve](https://www.easysend.io/blog/why-neobanks-are-popular-and-how-traditional-banks-can-catch-up#:~:text=emph%5D%20Some%20traditional%20banks%20are%20focusing%20on%20integration%20and%20partnering%20with%20front%2Dend%2Dfocused%20neobanks%20that%20don%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t%20have%20an%20independent%20banking%20license%20to%20create%20branded%2C%20innovative%20banking%20offerings). They need to focus on tech-savvy solutions, outstanding customer service, and a willingness to adapt to the changing landscape. Some traditional banks are forming partnerships with fintech companies and neobanks to create innovative banking offerings. By leveraging [open banking APIs](https://softjourn.com/insights/exploring-opportunities-in-neobanking-embracing-innovation-in-2024#:~:text=Read%20more%3A%20Essential%20Features%20for%20Neobanks%20in%202024%3A%20Revolutionizing%20Banking%20Services%20By%20leveraging%20open%20banking%20APIs%20%2C%20neobanks%20can%20provide%20customers%20with%20access%20to%20a%20broader%20range%20of%20financial%20products%2C%20including%20investment%20platforms%2C%20payment%20solutions%2C%20and%20a%20variety%20of%20lending%20services), neobanks provide customers with access to a broader range of financial products, creating a marketplace of connected financial apps tailored to individual financial lives 27. The popularity of neobanks stems from their innovative use of technology, cost-effectiveness, focus on customer experience, and ability to meet the evolving needs of modern consumers. As they continue to grow and adapt, neobanks are redefining the traditional banking landscape and becoming an integral part of the financial ecosystem. The trajectory of neobanks suggests a future of sustained growth and disruption within the traditional banking industry. With their agility and customer-centric approach, neobanks are well-positioned to capitalize on any gaps left by traditional banks in meeting evolving consumer needs. The future of banking is digital and mobile, and neobanks are uniquely positioned for growth. In conclusion, neobanks have become the new normal by offering a modern, digital-first banking experience that resonates with today’s tech-savvy consumers. Their growth is a testament to the changing landscape of financial services, where convenience, efficiency, and accessibility are paramount. Traditional banks must adapt to this new reality or risk being left behind in the digital revolution. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other HIFI articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Finance, Strategy --- ### [Twenty Years of Fintech: The Transformation, Challenges and Future](https://hifiagency.com/twenty-years-of-fintech-the-transformation-challenges-and-future/) **Published:** September 11, 2024 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** Over the past decade and a half, the financial technology, or “fintech,” industry has completely transformed the way that the world uses, spends, and invests in money. From the start of digital banking and digital wallets to the rapid expansion of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, fintech has brought a multitude of new opportunities to consumers and financial businesses alike. These opportunities were enticing, as fintech has since rapidly grown in use with [over 3.5 billion users](https://learn.g2.com/fintech-statistics#:~:text=13.4%20Billion,-transactions%20took%20place&text=The%20number%20of%20places%20where,digital%20payment%20users%20by%202028.) expected in 2024, and a market worth [over $2.26 billion](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/fintech-stats) as of 2023. Now, let’s break down how fintech started, how it has developed, and where consumers can expect the industry to go. **The Want For Change** The rise of technology coupled with the financial recession of 2008 had a huge impact on the growth and development of fintech. Before 2008, there were some forms of digital banking, such as online banking platforms that allow users to check their accounts and conduct some forms of transactions. [PayPal](https://www.britannica.com/money/PayPal), one of the largest e-commerce companies, went public in February 2002 and allowed users to send money across borders and with expedited fund transfers. This was one of the first digital e-commerce spaces, but as smartphones continued to grow in popularity and technology continued to advance, fintechs began emerging more. After 2008, people were more distrustful of traditional banking and financial platforms and were more open to new solutions. Around the time of the recession, Americans’ confidence in traditional banking fell [below 25 percent](https://news.gallup.com/poll/192719/americans-confidence-banks-languishing-below.aspx) and remained there for years to follow. This made the attitude surrounding new banking options very positive, as Americans were open to a change in their financial ways. [Figure 1:](https://news.gallup.com/poll/192719/americans-confidence-banks-languishing-below.aspx) Americans’ Confidence in Banks ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.40.56-AM.png) **The Bitcoin Boom** By 2009, with many Americans not feeling confident in their bank, a new financial option emerged; BitCoin. [BitCoin](https://money.usnews.com/investing/articles/the-history-of-bitcoin) was the first decentralized digital currency, which completely changed the way consumers could store and send finances. Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, have allowed people worldwide to share and send money faster and easier than ever through a decentralized system. Cryptocurrency is digital money that does not require a financial institution to make purchases or complete transactions. Unlike traditional money, which requires a third-party financial institution to verify, crypto dollars are recorded on blockchain technology. Blockchain is decentralized, meaning the transactions do not have to go through a centralized platform, and in turn have [more transparency and security](https://www.ibm.com/topics/benefits-of-blockchain) per transaction due to the third-party platform being removed from the process. By leveraging the power of blockchain, transactions become not only more efficient but also universally accessible, making a significant change in how we conduct financial exchanges. As of March 2024, more than [46 million individuals](https://hifiagency.com/the-transformative-impact-of-cryptocurrency-on-the-digital-economy/) have Bitcoin wallets with a minimum value of $1. **The Start of the Banking Transformation** As smartphones had quickly become a societal norm, finances, like everything else, needed to be easy to access, quick, and convenient for users. Users wanted to be able to see their financial accounts, make deposits, and send transactions all with one touch. Mobile-first banking had become more important and banks needed to keep up with the digitalization by offering new online mobile services, such as online bill pay and instant money transfers. In 2011, Google introduced the [first digital wallet](https://www.mx.com/whitepapers/evolution-financial-technology-50-years/), which made it possible for users to pay via smartphone rather than using their card. As mobile banking increased in popularity, embedded financial services also began coming to the forefront of the industry. [Embedded finance](https://plaid.com/resources/fintech/what-is-embedded-finance/) involves integrating financial services into non-financial platforms, such as paying for your coffee through the Starbucks app that your debit card is linked to. Allowing non-banking entities to become involved in financial transactions transformed the traditional banking model. Another key transformation during this time was the introduction of buy now, pay later (BNPL) services. BNPL services are a form of short-term financing that allows consumers to make purchases and pay for them over time, typically without incurring interest if payments are made on time. This payment option has gained significant popularity, as it is often integrated into the checkout process of online retailers, making it easily accessible to consumers. [Figure 2](https://www.statista.com/statistics/244411/number-of-mobile-banking-users-in-the-united-states/): US Mobile Banking Users ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.35.13-AM.png) By the mid-2010s, consumers were used to all aspects of finances being quick, easy, and convenient at their fingertips. Since Google’s digital wallet launch in 2011, US mobile banking had increased by over [30 thousand users](https://www.statista.com/statistics/244411/number-of-mobile-banking-users-in-the-united-states/) by the time [Apple Pay](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2014/09/09Apple-Announces-Apple-Pay/) was released in late 2014. BNPL services like [AfterPay](https://www.afterpay.com/en-US) and [Klarna](https://www.klarna.com/us/), were growing in use in the financial industry, and more people considered these services as financial tools. The mid-2010s were a period of financial exploration, digitalization, and inclusion, leaving consumers with more payment options than ever. **Say Goodbye to Physical Branches** By the mid-2010s, some consumers were still being underserved financially, whether it be because they were facing too high fees or were simply lacking physical branches nearby. Following the massive amount of technological advancements and the rise of mobile banking, a new solution emerged; Neobanking. [Neobanks](https://hifiagency.com/neobanks-rightsizing-but-still-rising/) are completely digital banks that prioritize financial inclusion by extending accessible services to underserved and unbanked populations and providing resources to enhance their financial well-being. Additionally, account opening could be effortlessly completed through a smartphone, which appealed to the newly digitally savvy customer base. On the business side, neobanks were very appealing due to their low-cost structure. Their absence of physical branches, ATMs, or call centers resulted in a lean cost structure, which enabled neobanks to offer reduced fees and superior rates to traditional banks. With their agility and customer-centric approach, neobanks were well-positioned to capitalize on any gaps left by traditional banks in meeting evolving consumer needs. It became clear that the future of banking was going to be digital and mobile, and traditional banks needed to adapt to this new reality or risk being left behind in the digital revolution. Figure 3: Global Neobank Growth ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.36.46-AM.png) **The Emergence of Artificial Intelligence** The next major transformation of the financial industry was the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), and this was just the leverage that traditional banks needed to keep up. AI is software that mimics many of the functions humans can do, only at a much higher level and faster speed, which opened the door for more automated, optimized, and unique operation strategies. [The first mainstream](https://library.icc.edu/c.php?g=1372140&p=10141462) instances of AI are Apple’s Siri, which was launched in 2011, and Amazon’s Alexa, which was launched in 2014. As this software grew in popularity and the idea of AI became more accepted, financial institutions began to adapt it into their strategies in several key ways throughout the mid to late 2010s. - **Offering 24/7 Client Communication:** Through the use of AI’s natural language processing, chatbox features offer customers in-depth and helpful responses to any questions they may have. Bank of America uses [Erica](https://promotions.bankofamerica.com/digitalbanking/mobilebanking/erica) as their AI virtual financial assistant, and there have been many satisfied customers with her personalized financial insight and advice. - **More Efficient Data Analysis:** There is a massive amount of data being collected by financial institutions, but sorting through that data and analyzing it can be a lengthy and difficult process. AI can efficiently sort through data and provide useful insights at a much faster rate. Additionally, with the help of AI, things like fraud risk can be reduced by predictive analysis functions. Mastercard has recently implemented AI into their operations, through the use of [Decision Intelligence](https://www.mastercard.com/globalrisk/en/resources/technology-solutions.html#:~:text=Mastercard%20Decision%20Intelligence%20is%20a,authorization%20decisions%20in%20order%20to), which is a fraud detection program. Similarly, American Express incorporated an AI fraud detection program to help better protect their credit card users. The speed and accuracy of AI detection have shown to be tremendously useful in reducing the risk of fraud and increasing the security of financial users. - **Better Personalization in Marketing:** AI helps businesses segment their customers into more specific groups, so marketing can be more personalized and unique for what each customer group is looking for. For example, the things a recent college graduate is looking for from their bank are going to be very different from what a retired grandparent would be looking for. Artificial intelligence has tremendously increased the capabilities of hyper-targeting and allows marketers to create custom audience segments based on real-time data. [Spatial.AI](https://www.spatial.ai/about) is a great example of the power of personalization that artificial intelligence provides. On this platform, public social media data is structured and organized into different audience segments. Marketers can see their most valuable audiences, while also learning about those audience’s online activity, lifestyle features, purchasing habits, and more. These audiences can be directly uploaded to your desired advertising platforms, ensuring that your catered message is targeted towards them. Since its’ initial introduction, AI has become a driving force in the financial industry. [69 percent](https://wifitalents.com/statistic/ai-in-finance-industry/#:~:text=AI%20in%20financial%20services%20is,grow%20by%2061%25%20by%202025.) of banks are using AI to assist in their data analysis and customer service needs, and in the financial market, it is expected to reach over $26 billion by 2025. The benefits AI has brought to consumers and businesses alike are something that has revolutionized the expectations of the financial industry. Marketing can be more personalized and precise, consumers can receive help at any time of the day, and data is being analyzed faster than ever before. **COVID-19 As a Catalyst for Change** The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the growth and innovation within the fintech industry in the U.S. As traditional financial institutions faced operational challenges due to lockdowns and social distancing measures, many consumers and businesses turned to digital solutions for their financial needs. This shift not only highlighted the importance of fintech but also drove unprecedented adoption rates among users who may have previously been hesitant to embrace digital finance. [Figure 4:](https://www.emarketer.com/content/pandemic-causes-financial-services-advertisers-emphasize-online-banking) US Adults Using Digital Banking and Digital Payments ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.38.37-AM.png) During the pandemic, fintech companies rapidly adapted their services to meet the evolving needs of consumers. For instance, many fintech lenders pivoted to offer new products aimed at supporting small businesses and individuals affected by the economic downturn. This included the introduction of recovery loan programs and enhanced digital banking services that required no physical contact. A big point of concern for many consumers centered around the closing of physical branch locations, and consumers who had not yet made the switch to digital banking were now turning toward it. [73 percent](https://www.emarketer.com/content/pandemic-causes-financial-services-advertisers-emphasize-online-banking) of Americans said they were more likely to turn to digital banking during the pandemic than before. By 2020, digital finance had become an integral part of daily life for many Americans and the pandemic spurred a surge in the use of contactless payments, online banking, and mobile financial services. Although the crisis prompted fintechs to innovate quickly, it demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity and made many of these technologies more mainstream. [Figure 5:](https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/how-us-customers-attitudes-to-fintech-are-shifting-during-the-pandemic) Financial Technology Usage During COVID-19 ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.39.33-AM.png) Emerging from the pandemic, the fintech sector is stronger and more competitive than ever. The increased reliance on digital solutions has led to a more robust financial ecosystem, with fintech firms continuing to innovate and expand their offerings. As the industry evolves, it is expected that technologies such as embedded finance and generative AI will further transform the landscape, creating new opportunities for both consumers and businesses. **Regulations and Concerns** Initially, there was not a lot of regulation surrounding fintechs, as the focus was more on market growth than risk management. However, as with the emergence of any new technology or financial platform comes a plethora of questions and concerns. How is customer data being used? How can neobanks and third-party platforms ensure the security of my transactions? People were becoming very concerned about things like fraud risk, money laundering, and ensuring the security of their financial information. [Cybersecurity](https://www.netguru.com/blog/cybersecurity-in-fintech) has become a critical concern in the fintech landscape, as the rapid expansion into digital services exposes both companies and consumers to significant risks. Financial data breaches, identity theft, and transaction fraud are among the top threats that fintech firms face today. As these companies handle sensitive personal information, they must implement robust cybersecurity measures to protect against cyberattacks. This includes adopting comprehensive security frameworks, conducting regular risk assessments, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. By prioritizing cybersecurity, fintechs can not only safeguard their operations but also build trust with their customers, who are increasingly aware of the potential vulnerabilities associated with digital financial services. Starting with AI, there are several main concerns people have. Financial institutions will be responsible for storing very personal information, and consumers want to make sure they know how their data is being used. [68 percent ](https://iapp.org/news/a/most-consumers-want-data-privacy-and-will-act-to-defend-it/)of consumers worldwide are concerned about online data privacy, so businesses must be very explicit about getting consent to acquire data, what specific data will be used, and how the data will be used to better the customer’s overall experience. By ensuring your company has established a secure data governance plan, customers will feel more safe about providing their data. [Figure 6:](https://codedesign.org/reasons-why-you-should-take-data-privacy-seriously) Concern Over Data Privacy ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.40.16-AM.png) Another issue with AI involves the [inclusivity and bias recognition capabilities](https://hifiagency.com/practical-uses-of-ai-in-financial-services/) of the software. AI algorithms are trained using existing data sets, which sometimes contain certain biases or favor certain groups of people. For instance, if there is a bias in gender or race in the initial input data, the AI output will not be entirely objective. To prevent this from occurring, financial companies should continue to strive to have a diverse and multicultural human workforce, who can double-check the inputs for potential biases. Lastly, even though AI can do the job of a human through chat boxes and data assortment, [46 percent](https://aijourn.com/nearly-half-of-banking-customers-say-they-are-missing-the-human-connection-in-banking/#:~:text=Highlights%20from%20the%20research%20showed,%25)%20of%20banking%20customers%20want.) of bank customers still want a human connection as an option. Companies should work to find a balance between digital, or AI, interactions and human interactions to offer their customers the best experience. Additionally, with AI still growing and changing, having a real person monitor its tasks will decrease the likelihood of errors or mistakes occurring later down the road. As the fintech industry evolves, challenging the traditional financial landscape, regulators must continuously adapt. There must be a balance between pushing innovation in fintech and ensuring the security of consumer’s finances and data information. With each new fintech advancement, it’s essential to develop regulatory approaches that ensure security and control while still promoting financial prosperity and inclusion. **What’s Next?** The fintech industry shows no signs of slowing down, with continuous advancements shaping the future of finance in ways that are both exciting and unpredictable. As we move forward, several key trends and developments are expected to further transform the landscape. - **Deeper Integration of AI and Machine Learning:** The role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in fintech is set to expand even further. Financial institutions will likely continue to leverage AI for enhanced customer experiences, from ultra-personalized financial advice to predictive analytics that can anticipate customer needs before they even arise. Moreover, AI will increasingly be used to combat financial crimes, with more sophisticated fraud detection systems and real-time threat analysis, making transactions more secure than ever. - **The Growth of Decentralized Finance (DeFi):** Decentralized finance, or DeFi, is poised to be one of the most revolutionary aspects of fintech in the coming years. By eliminating the need for traditional financial intermediaries, DeFi platforms allow for peer-to-peer financial transactions using blockchain technology. This shift could democratize finance, providing access to banking services for millions of unbanked individuals globally while offering more transparency and control to users. As DeFi continues to mature, we can expect it to challenge and perhaps even replace some conventional financial systems. [Figure 7](https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/decentralized-finance-market-report): Growing DeFi Rates ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.40.34-AM.png) - **Expansion of Embedded Finance:** Embedded finance is set to become even more ubiquitous as non-financial companies increasingly offer financial services directly within their platforms. This could include a more seamless integration of payment options, lending services, and even insurance products within everyday apps and websites. The convenience and accessibility of embedded finance are likely to drive its adoption, further blurring the lines between financial and non-financial industries. - The Rise of Sustainable Fintech: As global awareness of companies’ [environmental, social, and governance](https://hifiagency.com/the-importance-of-a-positive-esg-report/), or “ESG,” increases, the fintech industry is also likely to see a rise in sustainable and socially responsible financial products. This could include green banking initiatives, investment platforms focused on sustainable development goals (SDGs), and financial tools designed to promote ethical spending and investment. Fintech companies that prioritize sustainability and social impact will likely find themselves at the forefront of the next wave of industry growth. - **Continued Evolution of Digital Currencies:** Digital currencies, including central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), are expected to become more prevalent as governments explore their potential benefits. These digital currencies could provide more efficient and secure transaction methods, reduce costs, and offer greater financial inclusion. As countries around the world experiment with CBDCs, the global financial system may undergo a significant transformation, with digital currencies playing a central role in everyday transactions. The future of fintech promises to be dynamic and transformative. As technology continues to evolve, the industry will need to navigate new challenges and opportunities, ensuring that innovation benefits both consumers and businesses while maintaining security and trust. The next decade in fintech will likely bring even more profound changes, reshaping the way we manage, spend, and think about money. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Finance, Financial Trends, Fintech Commentary --- ### [Harnessing the Power of Micro-Investing](https://hifiagency.com/harnessing-the-power-of-micro-investing/) **Published:** August 8, 2024 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** Micro-investing has become a buzzword in the world of finance, offering a way for anyone to dip their toes into investing with just a few dollars. The micro-investing platform market is not merely expanding; it’s experiencing rapid acceleration. Anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of [21 percent](https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/micro-investing-platform-market#:~:text=The%20micro-investing%20platform%20market%20is%20not%20just%20growing,%20it's,US$%204,467.2%20million%20by%202034.) between 2024 and 2034, this market is poised for significant expansion. Opening up new opportunities, micro-investing allows individuals to start investing with minimal financial commitment. By investing small amounts regularly, you can kickstart your investment journey without the need for significant initial funds. It’s about making finance accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. If you haven’t already considered micro-investing, now might be the perfect time to explore this option and take the first step towards building your investment portfolio. #### **How Micro-Investing Works** There are several different ways to engage with micro investments, each with their own set of advantages and considerations. By taking the time to identify the method that works best for your financial goals, you can build a solid foundation for your micro-investment journey. - **Fractional Investing:** One of the key features of micro-investing platforms is fractional investing. This allows you to buy a fraction of a share instead of needing enough money to buy a whole share. It’s a great way to get a piece of high-value stocks without needing significant funds. - **Automated Savings and Investments:** Micro-investing platforms typically automate the saving and investing process. By linking your debit or credit card, these platforms can round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and invest in the spare change. Alternatively, you can set up recurring investments with small amounts, like $5 daily, weekly, or monthly. - **Diversified Portfolios:** The money you save through micro-investing is usually invested in diversified portfolios. These can include exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments. Diversification helps spread risk and can lead to more stable returns over time. **Understanding the Pros and Cons of Micro-Investing** Micro-investing has gained popularity as a convenient and accessible way for individuals to start investing with minimal financial knowledge and low initial investments. Let’s explore the pros and cons of micro-investing to understand its potential benefits and drawbacks. **Pros** 1. **Accessibility and Ease of Use**: Micro-investing platforms are designed to be user-friendly and accessible to anyone with a smartphone. They eliminate the need for extensive financial knowledge or large initial investments, making it easy for beginners to start investing. 2. **Building Saving Habits**: By automating the process, micro-investing helps you develop the habit of saving and investing regularly. Consistent contributions to your investment accounts can add up to substantial sums over time. 3. **Overcoming Financial Barriers**: With entry points as low as a few dollars, micro-investing is perfect for those who don’t have much money to start with. It’s particularly beneficial for young investors or individuals with limited financial resources. **Cons** 1. **Fees**: While micro-investing platforms offer many benefits, they often come with fees that can eat into your investment returns. Be aware of these fees and consider them when choosing a platform. 2. **Limited Investment Options**: Micro-investing apps may offer a different range of investment options than traditional investment firms. This can limit diversification and the potential for higher returns. 3. **Risk of Loss**: As with any investment, there is always a risk of loss. Micro-investing involves the stock market, which can be volatile. Be prepared for market fluctuations and understand that more than micro-investing is needed to achieve long-term financial goals. These factors should be carefully considered when deciding whether micro-investing is the right approach for your financial goals. **Want to Give it a Try?** Micro-investing apps have gained popularity for making investing accessible to everyone, even those with limited funds. Here are some of the best micro-investing apps based on the information available: - [**Acorns**](https://www.acorns.com/): Good choice for more hands-off investing. - [**Robinhood**](https://www.robinhood.com): It is considered the best micro-investing app for more experienced investors who prefer an active, self-directed approach. - [**Webull**](https://www.webull.com): This app is known for free stock/ETF trading and high 5% interest on uninvested cash, making it one of the best micro-investing apps in 2024. - [**Stash**](https://www.stash.com/): Stash is recommended for beginners who want to be hands-on and learn the ins and outs of investing. It has flat monthly fees starting at $3/month, and there are no additional trading fees or commissions. These apps offer a range of features and cater to different investment styles and experience levels. When choosing a micro-investing app, it’s important to consider factors such as fees, investment options, educational resources, and the level of control desired over investments. Micro-investing democratizes access to financial markets, allowing individuals to start investing with minimal capital. By automating the process and offering fractional shares, these platforms make it easy to build a diversified portfolio and develop good financial habits. However, it’s essential to be aware of the associated fees and risks and to use micro-investing as part of a broader financial strategy. Understanding how micro-investing works and leveraging its benefits can help you take the first steps toward growing your wealth and achieving financial security. By being aware of potential drawbacks, you can make informed decisions and navigate the world of micro-investing more effectively. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Finance, Financial Trends, Strategy --- ### [The Importance of a Positive ESG Report](https://hifiagency.com/the-importance-of-a-positive-esg-report/) **Published:** August 23, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** In recent years, consumers have become increasingly interested in the ethics and values behind companies, such as whether or not they support environmental protection, public health, and pressing social issues. In fact, [70 percent](https://www.ascm.org/ascm-insights/consumers-care-about-corporate-social-responsibility--and-so-should-you/#:~:text=According%20to%20Markstein%20and%20Certus,efforts%20when%20making%20purchase%20decisions.) of all consumers care about whether or not a business is supporting and speaking out about pressing environmental and social issues. This has sparked a growing interest in companies’ environmental, social, and governance, or “ESG.” So what is ESG and what does this all mean for businesses? ## **The E, S, and G of ESG** To fully understand what exactly ESG is, and how it relates to businesses and business practices, let’s first break down each part. - The “E”: The “E” in ESG stands for the environmental aspects of the business. For instance, does this business care about their greenhouse gas emissions, or whether or not their business practices contribute to deforestation, and even whether or not their productions use too much water. - **The “S”: The “S” in ESG stands for the social and societal implications of business operations. This could include whether their workers are appropriately paid, whether or not their users’ data is protected, or if their product production is done in a way that protects human rights.** - **The “G”: The “G” in ESG stands for the governance, or regulation, of the environmental and social aspects. For instance, are the business leaders making financial donations or political decisions that promote positive and productive environmental and social matters?** ## **Understanding ESG Scoring** There are ESG research firms that release scores for how a company is doing addressing each element of ESG. These scores range from 0 to 100, with a higher score correlating to a higher commitment to positive ESG practices. To establish these scores, things like evaluating each company’s corporate sustainability measures, annual reports, and worker compensation. Once reported, these scores will be available for different investors to see and access. Some of the companies responsible for reporting on ESG include [Bloomberg ESG Data Service](https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/solution/esg-data/), [MSCI ESG Fundamentals](https://www.msci.com/esg-101-what-is-esg), and [Dow Jones Sustainability Indices](https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/esg/dow-jones-sustainability-world-index/#overview). While these are all reputable companies, it is important to note that each company uses different metrics for determining ESG scores. Investors will most likely consider scores on multiple different platforms in order to determine the true ethical practices of a company. Currently, one of the banks that is leading the world in positive ESG reports is Citi. [Citi](https://www.citigroup.com/global/our-impact#) shared some of its practices that might have helped them receive such a positive score, such as promoting pay equity, addressing the wealth gap amongst races, and tackling aspects of climate change. Additionally, Citi made a commitment to reach [net zero greenhouse gas emissions](https://www.citigroup.com/global/our-impact/sustainability/net-zero) by 2050. Plans like these followed through with actions, will help increase an ESG report. ## **With Better ESG Comes Better Benefits** Once a company reports its ESG data, it becomes available to the general public, such as to its investors and consumers. Assuming that the reports are positive, what’s next? - **Public Support: The public will appreciate your products and services more if they know your business practices are good, with [88 percent](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnycouncil/2018/11/21/do-customers-really-care-about-your-environmental-impact/?sh=22764113240d) of consumers being more loyal to companies that support social and environmental issues. An example of this is when [Bank of America](https://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/press-releases/bank-america-announces-four-year-1-billion-commitment-supporting-economic#:~:text=Bank%20of%20America-,Bank%20of%20America%20Announces%20%241%20Billion%2F4%2DYear%20Commitment,to%20Support%20Economic%20Opportunity%20Initiatives&text=Bank%20of%20America%20announced%20today,accelerated%20by%20a%20global%20pandemic.) received positive responses after their commitment to donate one billion dollars over the next 4 years to help address economic and racial inequality that had increased during the pandemic.** - Investment Opportunities and Stocks: Investors would rather invest in a company that has strong ethical practices and positive ESG reports because companies with worse ESG reports are seen as less safe and secure investment opportunities. - Lasting Relationships:** Many companies, and some government agencies, have legal obligations requiring them to only extend contracts and policy agreements with companies that are positively engaging with ESG practices and reporting. This means if your company is not actively working to improve your ESG practices and overall impact on society, you could lose certain business opportunities. Public relations and branding have become very interconnected with ESG, and in a lot of ways, maintaining a positive ESG report can help you brand your business to the public as a socially responsible and environmentally friendly company. Once consumers see your business in this positive light, it opens up more opportunities for successfully selling and advertising your products and services. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Brand --- ### [A College Graduate’s Guide to Understanding and Managing Taxes](https://hifiagency.com/a-college-graduates-guide-to-understanding-and-managing-taxes/) **Published:** July 9, 2024 **Author:** Tatum **Content:** New college graduates entering the workforce will face a multitude of “firsts.” Coming fresh out of college, recent graduates will learn “adulting” skills like paying bills for the first time, earning and leveraging a paycheck for the first time, and for most, filing taxes for the first time. Filing taxes may seem scary, and many questions will be confusing upon seeing the list of questions that you will face. To make things easier, we’ve broken down some key items you need to know to file your taxes more smoothly. Before we dive into W-4 forms and different filing options, let’s start with a basic introduction to what filing taxes is for and why it’s necessary. In short, taxes are a mandatory part of the American economy, funding essential services like Social Security, national defense, and education. Most recent graduates might be familiar with sales tax, where an item priced at $9.99 costs a bit more at checkout. However, there are other types of taxes, such as payroll and property taxes. The amount you pay depends on your income, the property you own, and your investments. Once you start earning above a certain income threshold, you must file taxes. This is why many recent graduates file their taxes for the first time after starting a full-time job. ### **Key Tax Terms to Know** Taxes are mandatory contributions to state revenue, imposed by the government on workers’ income and business profits, or added to the cost of certain goods, services, and transactions. These taxes fund public goods and services such as infrastructure, education, and healthcare, serving various purposes at the local, state, and federal levels. Understanding these general tax terms can help you maximize your financial opportunities and minimize your tax burden: **Tax Brackets The U.S. federal income tax system is progressive, meaning the tax rate increases as your taxable income rises. Different portions of income are taxed at different rates, with seven federal tax brackets ranging from [10 percent to 37 percent](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/taxbracket.asp). The IRS adjusts these brackets for inflation annually. Effective tax planning involves knowing your tax bracket and utilizing strategies to lower taxable income through retirement contributions and eligible tax credits. **Filing Status Your tax filing status in the United States determines various aspects of your tax obligations, such as filing requirements, standard deductions, eligibility for certain credits, and the amount of taxes owed. The IRS offers [five filing statuses](https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/what-is-my-filing-status): - **Single:** For individuals who are unmarried, legally separated, or divorced as of the last day of the tax year. - **Married Filing Jointly:** For married couples filing a joint tax return. This status often results in lower taxes and access to benefits like education credits and earned income credits. - **Married Filing Separately:** For married individuals who choose to file separate tax returns. Some tax benefits may not be available with this status. - **Head of Household:** For unmarried individuals providing a home for a qualifying person, such as a dependent child, grandchild, sibling, or parent. This status offers a lower tax rate compared to single filers. - **Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child:** For surviving spouses in the two tax years following the spouse’s death. It allows the use of married filing jointly tax rates on an individual return. **W-4 Form Overview** [The W-4 form](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf), officially known as the “Employee’s Withholding Certificate,” is a crucial document that employees use to communicate their tax situation to their employer. By providing information on this form, employees assist their employers in determining the correct amount of tax to withhold from their paychecks. The W-4 form consists of various sections where employees can input information about their tax situation. These sections include: - Personal Information - Income Adjustments - Deductions - Tax Credits It’s crucial to fill out the W-4 form correctly as it can significantly impact the amount owed during tax filing. If too little is withheld, individuals may end up owing a substantial amount at tax time. Conversely, if too much is withheld, a sizable refund may be received, but this essentially means providing the government with an interest-free loan throughout the year. ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-10.40.55-AM-300x168.png) ### **Tax Planning Tips** Once you have a good grasp of tax basics, you can start optimizing your tax planning. Here are some key areas to focus on: **Mastering Tax** [**Deductions vs. Credits**](https://www.irs.gov/credits-and-deductions-for-individuals) - **Deductions**: Reduce your taxable income. Examples include mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and medical expenses. You can either itemize these deductions or take the standard deduction. - **Credits**: Directly reduce your tax liability. Examples include the [Earned Income Tax Credit](https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc) (EITC) and education credits like the [American Opportunity Credit](https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/education-credits-questions-and-answers) and the [Lifetime Learning Credit](https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/llc). Credits can be refundable or nonrefundable. **Student Loans and Retirement Savings** - **Student Loan Interest Deduction**: Deduct up to [$2,500](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc456) of interest paid, even if you don’t itemize deductions. - **Retirement Savings**: Contribute to a 401(k) or traditional IRA to reduce your taxable income. Employer matching can boost your savings. - [**Savers Credit**](https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-savings-contributions-savers-credit): For low to moderate-income earners, this credit reduces your tax bill based on retirement contributions. - **Lifetime Learning Credit**: Worth up to $2,000 per tax return, it helps offset the cost of continuing education. ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-10.42.29-AM-300x160.png) **Understanding Student Loan Forgiveness** Federal student loan forgiveness is nontaxable through December 31, 2025, under the [American Rescue Plan](https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/). Stay informed about [state tax regulations](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/110614/overall-tax-burden-state.asp) as some states may still tax forgiven student loans. **Healthcare Options and Tax Strategies** - [**Health Savings Accounts**](https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/health-savings-account-hsa/) **(HSAs)**: Contributions are tax-deductible, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free. - [**Flexible Spending Accounts**](https://hr.nih.gov/benefits/insurance/flexible-spending-accounts#:~:text=A%20Flexible%20Spending%20Account%20is,save%20money%20on%20income%20taxes.) **(FSAs)**: Use pre-tax dollars for eligible medical expenses to lower taxable income. **Strategies to Reduce Your Tax Burden** - Maximize contributions to [retirement accounts](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/1/401kplan.asp) (401(k)s, IRAs). - Use HSAs and FSAs for medical expenses. - Consider [tax-advantaged investments](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/stocks/11/intro-tax-efficient-investing.asp) like municipal bonds. - Engage in [estate planning](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/wealth-management/122915/4-reasons-estate-planning-so-important.asp) to manage future asset distribution and taxes. - Convert traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs for tax-free growth and withdrawals. - Implement asset location strategies and manage income timing to avoid higher tax brackets. - Set up [529 plans](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/1/529plan.asp) for tax-free growth of education savings. Figure 1: Retirement Savings Can Start Early ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-10.42.41-AM-300x229.png) ### **Make It Easy: A Simple Recap** Navigating taxes for the first time can be challenging, but understanding a few key points can make it easier: - Review employee benefits, healthcare, and retirement plans. - Check payment options for student loans and eligibility for education credits. - Utilize deductions and credits to reduce your tax burden and set a solid financial foundation. - Consult with a tax professional for personalized guidance and to maximize tax benefits. By staying informed and making strategic financial decisions, young professionals can effectively manage their taxes and build a strong financial future. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). *The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. HIFI is a marketing agency and not a licensed financial advisor. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any financial decisions. HIFI is not responsible for any financial decisions made based on the content of this blog.* **Categories:** Finance --- ### [Report on the State of the Housing Market: How We Got Here, Current Issues at Hand, and Looking Ahead at What’s to Come](https://hifiagency.com/report-on-the-state-of-the-housing-market-how-we-got-here-current-issues-at-hand-and-looking-ahead-at-whats-to-come/) **Published:** April 26, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Over the past several years, impacts from economic and societal changes have resulted in the housing market shifting significantly in many areas across the country. Across the U.S., buyers, sellers, renters, real estate agents, and financiers alike have faced many challenges trying to keep up with the changing landscape. In short, by the end of 2023, home prices rose to a near-record high, there was a [shortage of 7.3 million](https://nlihc.org/gap) affordable rental homes, and [housing cost burdens](https://www.habitat.org/costofhome/2023-state-nations-housing-report-lack-affordable-housing) for both owners and renters reached their highest levels in years. ## **Assessing the Lasting Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic** The COVID-19 pandemic drastically impacted the housing market, as many sought real estate outside of crowded urban city centers. As many companies were transitioning to remote work, people were able to move to more affordable and spacious areas. This caused states like South Carolina, Texas, and Idaho to experience [population increases](https://www.fastexpert.com/blog/housing-market-after-covid/), and more metropolitan areas like New York and California to experience a decrease in population. As many people were forced to stay at home, families were also looking for larger houses, with more room to work and attend online classes from home. During the pandemic, as many companies were forced to close and many employees were left without income, there was a big fear of a pandemic-induced recession. To combat this, the Federal Reserve provided stimulus checks and low mortgages and interest rates to encourage spending and commerce. Mortgage rates dropped throughout the pandemic and reached a record low in January of 2021 at [2.65 percent](https://themortgagereports.com/61853/30-year-mortgage-rates-chart). This made it an extremely affordable time for buyers to make the move out of urban centers and into larger homes, and a profitable time to work in real estate. In a normal time, when there is a high demand for new homes or a sudden influx of people to a new area, there would be construction teams readily available to build new neighborhoods or apartments. However, during the pandemic, there were labor and supply shortages caused by illness or by heeding necessary social distancing and quarantine requirements. This caused many housing development projects to be delayed or canceled entirely. Additionally, there were not as many homeowners or renters wanting to make a move amidst the lockdowns and fears of exposure to COVID-19. This contributed to many real estate markets having a [larger demand for available homes](https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/housing-market-tightness-during-covid-19-increased-demand-or-reduced-supply-20210708.html) than they were able to supply, as seen in [Figure 1.](https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/housing-market-tightness-during-covid-19-increased-demand-or-reduced-supply-20210708.html) From the start of 2020 to the end of 2022, the median home sales price rose from $329,000 to $479,500, which is [a 46 percent increase](https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-house-price-state/). Figure 1: Active Inventory and Estimated Active Buyers ![Active Inventory and Estimated Active Buyers](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-04-at-3.44.02-PM-1024x730.png) ## **The State of the Market Post-Pandemic** In 2023, the US housing market experienced a mix of declining and rising home prices across different regions. Affordability challenges persisted due to low inventory and pent-up demand, contributing to higher prices. Overall, as the year progressed, mortgage rates began to rise and home prices decreased. The median home sales price [dropped 4 percent](https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-house-price-state/) alone from the third quarter of 2023 to the fourth quarter of 2023, going from $435,400 to $417,700. Several factors contributed to the housing market fluctuations and changes, such as shifts in economic conditions, government policies, and consumer sentiment. The ongoing recovery from the pandemic-induced economic downturn played a significant role, with employment levels and income growth affecting consumers’ ability and willingness to purchase homes. Additionally, changes in immigration patterns and household demographics impacted housing demand and supply dynamics. Government interventions, such as changes in tax policies and regulatory measures, also influence market behavior. Furthermore, psychological factors, including buyer and seller confidence, played a crucial role in shaping market trends. These multifaceted influences underscore the complexity of the housing market and highlight the need for adaptive strategies to navigate its evolving landscape. ## **National Shortage of Affordable Housing** The main issue that came to the forefront in the housing market throughout 2023 was a national shortage of affordable housing, for both renters and homebuyers alike. During the pandemic, as many people were facing layoffs and job insecurity, there were several different efforts made to help keep Americans housed, such as eviction moratoriums and emergency rental assistance programs. However, many of these programs ended throughout 2022, as the country began to recover from the effects of the pandemic. This left many people without enough financial resources to keep up with the record-high housing market prices. The shortage of affordable housing is so significant that the [National Low-Income Housing Coalition](https://www.multihousingnews.com/affordable-housing-outlook-what-challenges-will-2024-pose/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20National%20Low,100%20extremely%20low%2Dincome%20households.) found that per every 100 low-income families, there are on average only 33 affordable and available rental options. Nationwide, that leaves a shortage of 7 million affordable rental options for low-income families. From January 2022 to January 2023, the number of people experiencing homelessness jumped from [71,000 to 653,100](https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/six-takeaways-americas-rental-housing-2024), which is the largest recorded single-year increase. ## **Where Does the Market Stand Today** Unfortunately, the United States simply lacks housing availability compared to the high demand, which makes the average housing costs higher. In 2021, the [typical monthly payment](https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-pending-sales-decline-mortgage-rates-rise/) on a median home was $1,700, while today it stands at about $2,600. Even with better mortgage rates, this could end up just increasing the demand of buyers and eventually, the housing price. However, home buyers could benefit from lower rates in markets with more ample supply. [A recent survey](https://www.noradarealestate.com/blog/housing-prices/) among housing specialists provides valuable perspectives on the forthcoming trends in the housing market. It anticipates a transition from the rapid growth experienced in 2023 to a more restrained pace throughout 2024 and 2025. The projected deceleration, with expected growth rates of 2.4% and 2.7% in 2024 and 2025, respectively, contrasts notably with the previous year’s anticipated surge of 5.9%. Despite this, year-over-year home appreciation continued to increase, and the second quarter of 2024 was expected to see a rise in demand. Sellers have been advised to price their homes realistically based on current market conditions. While residential building permits were anticipated to decline, mortgage rates were projected to decrease, potentially stimulating the housing market gradually. Notably, [Atlanta](https://gitnux.org/atlanta-real-estate-market-statistics/) emerged as a housing market to watch in 2023 due to its affordability, population growth, and robust job market. It’s essential to consider that the housing market is influenced by various factors that can evolve. ## **Empowering Homeownership: Strategies for Success in Today’s Housing Market** A heartening trend has emerged recently, where friends are joining forces to pursue homeownership together, particularly in light of soaring housing prices. In 2023, co-ownership rates among non-romantic partners saw a notable increase of 21.1 percent. While this non-traditional approach may not appeal to everyone, it has significantly expanded the accessibility of homeownership in today’s challenging housing market. For those seeking a more conventional home-buying journey, there are several steps you can take to ensure you secure the most affordable deal possible. - **Credit and Rates**: Given the high home prices, guaranteeing the best mortgage rate is paramount. Start by bolstering your credit standing to improve your chances of qualifying for favorable rates. Mortgage lenders scrutinize credit scores when determining their rates, so it’s essential to begin preparing now. - **Customized Plans and Advice**: If you’re a first-time homebuyer, tap into the resources and support available through your bank and potential homebuyer programs. For instance, Rocket Mortgage offers tailored programs, including assistance with down payments, closing costs, and educational resources to guide you through the process. - **Start Preparing Now**: Predicting the ideal home purchase time can be challenging, so it’s wise to start planning and saving as early as possible. Research your options and determine the timing that aligns with your financial goals. Build your savings account to cove r expenses like down payments and moving costs. While the national average down payment may seem daunting at $31,500, committing to saving $1312.50 per month can accumulate enough funds in just two years, easing the financial burden of homeownership. [Figure 2:](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/median-down-payment-for-a-house-by-state/) Average Down Payment For A House by U.S. State ![Average Down Payment For A House by U.S. State](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-08-at-2.21.34-PM-1024x932.png) ## **Navigating the Housing Market Maze** The state of the housing market reflects a complex interplay of economic, societal, and governmental factors. Over recent years, we’ve witnessed significant shifts driven by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, including changes in population dynamics, work-from-home trends, and unprecedented interventions from the Federal Reserve. These shifts have contributed to a housing market marked by soaring prices, dwindling affordability, and a pronounced nationwide shortage of affordable housing options. The challenges posed by the pandemic-induced economic downturn have underscored the need for adaptive strategies to navigate the evolving landscape of the housing market. Despite projections of a more restrained pace of growth in the coming years, significant opportunities and challenges lie ahead. Empowering homeownership remains a central theme, with innovative approaches such as co-ownership among non-romantic partners offering newfound accessibility amidst rising prices. As we look ahead, it’s crucial for stakeholders—from buyers and sellers to policymakers and financiers—to remain vigilant and proactive in addressing the ongoing issues facing the housing market. Initiatives aimed at bolstering affordability, increasing supply, and providing support for first-time homebuyers will be essential in shaping the future trajectory of housing in the United States. By leveraging available resources, planning strategically, and fostering collaboration, we can work towards a housing market that is not only resilient but also inclusive and sustainable for all. For more financial tips, industry news, and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Finance --- ### [How to Build Bank Customer Loyalty With Emotion Banking](https://hifiagency.com/how-to-build-bank-customer-loyalty-with-emotion-banking/) **Published:** May 20, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** In today’s competitive marketplace, financial institutions are constantly trying to find new ways to catch customer’s attention and gain their continued business. Overall, Americans are seeing an average of [4,000 to 10,000](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/08/25/finding-brand-success-in-the-digital-world/?sh=791df952626e) advertisements a day, so catching their attention at all requires a lot of work. Amidst all of the advertisements and promotions banks are offering, it can be hard to stand out enough to get the business you need. Even then, gaining that customer’s continued business and loyalty to your brand is another challenge in itself. Additionally, nearly every bank offers some form of rewards or a loyalty program that could sway a customer’s mind, so how can your bank be different enough to win them over? The secret is prioritizing building strong and personal emotional relationships with your customers first and gaining their loyalty over time. ### **Emotional Connection – The Key to Customer Loyalty** Customer loyalty has several key components that can benefit businesses, including repeat investments, brand advocacy, positive word of mouth, and general trust in the business. A big part of customer loyalty is establishing an emotional relationship with the customer in some way, such as making them feel valued, heard or looked out for. In fact, [62 percent](https://antavo.com/blog/customer-loyalty-statistics/) of consumers say that the brands they shop at most frequently are brands that they have an emotional connection to. The Harvard Business Review found that when a major Bank advertised a new credit card, and purposely tried to inspire emotional connections from their customers, new account growth rose by [40 percent.](https://hbr.org/2015/11/the-new-science-of-customer-emotions) This demonstrates how emotional advertising strategies can positively impact business results, while also opening the door for long-term customer relationships to be built. ### **Strategies for Loyalty-Boosting Emotional Advertising** Financial institutions can focus on a few key ways to pull at their customers emotionally and gain their loyalty long-term. - **Listen and Connect with Clients:** One way to increase the emotions customers feel towards your bank is to listen and connect with their lifestyle. People like to be heard and to feel seen, so when a bank can listen to them and offer plans most beneficial to them, they will feel emotional connections. This could look like a few different things, such as offering financial advice to a younger banking customer, since [80 percent of Gen Z](https://everfi.com/blog/financial-education/3-strategies-to-attract-gen-z-to-your-bank/#:~:text=Focus%20on%20Experience%20and%20Value,trust%20corporations%20than%20even%20millennials.) has concerns about money, or even working one-on-one with an older customer to help refinance their home. Especially in the age of AI and digitalization when human-to-human relationships are decreasing, sometimes just listening to your customers will make them feel heard enough to continue doing business with your bank long-term. - **Try Advertising to Segmented Audiences:** Segmentation and first-party data appending tools make it easier for banks to analyze customer data and create different audience segments for advertisement targeting. Audience segments allow for you to group a group of customers or potential customers based on certain shared characteristics, and show them ads most appealing to them. For example, if your bank offers a new savings plan for parents, you may consider targeting people who frequently visit parenting websites. Another example would be if your bank were to research their top most valuable customers, or potential customers based on their region, they could see if there was a mutual interest, such as tennis. If the most valuable customers are all interested in tennis, having a tennis player wearing your bank’s logo or used in an advertisement could help build that emotional connection. - **Evoke The Right Emotions, But Don’t Be Afraid to Show Reality:** By using purposeful copy and design choices, banks can create advertisements and website pages that evoke emotion before a customer even contacts the bank themselves. [American Express](https://www.americanexpress.com/?inav=NavLogo) does this well by using a lot of colorful and fun imagery within their advertisements that evoke a feeling that life would be better, and more joyful, with an American Express account. In addition to imagery, using empowering copy within your advertisements could also evoke emotions from customers. ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/05/AMEX.jpeg) [YNAB](https://www.ynab.com/), a budgeting app, used the copy “Enjoy guilt-free spending and effortless saving with a friendly, flexible method for managing your finances.” This copy appeals to a lot of people who are struggling to save or manage their finances, making them feel as though YNAB can help them in a way another app might not be able to. Principal Financial Group is another company that pulls on evoking emotions during their advertisements, but they take a slightly different approach. The [‘Helping You During Uncertain Times’](https://www.ispot.tv/ad/nd9b/principal-financial-group-uncertain-times) commercial is a good example of pulling on the emotions of viewers, as it gives prospective customers the idea that with Principal Financial Group they’ll be taken care of at any point during their life, even when things aren’t going as planned. By stirring emotions of reassurance and comfort during hard times, this approach goes beyond the basic promise of a happier life, creating an even deeper emotional connection with customers. ### **Balancing the Benefits and Risks** When emotionally appealing to your customers is done successfully, and you’ve gained a client’s loyalty, your financial institution can expect to see many positive effects. [60 percent](https://www.semrush.com/blog/customer-retention-stats/) of customers who are loyal to a brand recommend that brand to their friends and family, meaning you’ll receive “free” word-of-mouth referrals. Additionally, repeat customers spend an average of [67 percent](https://www.semrush.com/blog/customer-retention-stats/#impact-of-customer-retention-on-profits) more than new customers, meaning you could increase your financial institutions’ revenue through a focus on customer loyalty. It is important to remember that emotionally appealing to customers must be done in a genuine way that is truly representative of your financial institution’s brand. If executed incorrectly, the customer could feel like the brand is insincere or that the brand is misunderstanding them and their experiences. There have been several businesses that have stood out for their emotional marketing, in both positive and negative ways, highlighting the importance of genuine and representative campaigns. [Always](https://www.always.com/en-us), a popular feminine hygiene brand, received a lot of positive feedback from its “#Likeagirl” campaign. The campaign is centered around highlighting the negative connotations surrounding the phrase “like a girl,” and showcasing how these comments could diminish how strong a girl believes she is. This [resonated positively](https://instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Always-LikeAGirl-Turning-an-Insult-into-a-Confidence-Movement.pdf) with many people and it received 4.5 billion impressions, more than 1,880 earned media placements, and 133 thousand social media mentions. ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Always-advertising-scaled-1.jpg) On the other hand, Pepsi had a very unsuccessful ad, titled [“Live For Now Moments Anthem,”](https://www.amausf.org/single-post/how-kendall-jenner-caused-millions-in-losses-for-pepsi-with-a-single-advertisement) which featured Kendall Jenner seeming to end a conflict between police and protesters by offering a can of soda. During the time of this advertisement, real-life tensions were rising surrounding police brutality and a lot of viewers felt that Pepsi was underrepresenting the severity of the issue and capitalizing on a social injustice. Pepsi ended up pulling the advertisement after a stream of negative feedback was received. To avoid this, ensure that your marketing and communication strategies align closely with your brand values and promise, and accurately reflect the message in your campaign. Additionally, evaluating and addressing customer feedback and insight is crucial in fine-tuning your approach and ensuring that your emotional engagement is both effective and received positively. If you think it’s time for your financial institution to work on emotionally appealing to customers, decide which option would be best for you, as advertising to segmented audiences may be more impactful than in-person interactions. As the campaign progresses, assess their success by analyzing things like the number of new clients acquired, the amount of new deposits, and the amount spent on each campaign. Over time, you should be seeing positive results and happy loyal customers. For more financial tips, industry news, and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [What to Expect From Financial Marketing in 2024](https://hifiagency.com/what-to-expect-from-financial-marketing-in-2024/) **Published:** February 9, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** As we say goodbye to 2023, and reflect on the financial industry throughout the year, many marketers find themselves imagining the challenges and opportunities that 2024 holds. Trying to predict what financial marketing trends and strategies will be popular in the year ahead can be a difficult task in an ever-changing landscape. Although difficult marketers need to stay one step ahead of competitors. Reflecting on 2023, several main marketing ideas stand out and are anticipated to grow in the financial industry throughout 2024. Understanding how to leverage these strategies and utilize them within your financial institution’s marketing plan will help you achieve your financial goals for 2024. ## Embracing an AI-Driven World** Artificial intelligence is not new to the financial industry, but it is expected to continue to rise in the future. The [Business Research Company](https://www.reportlinker.com/p06319258/Artificial-Intelligence-In-Marketing-Global-Market-Report.html?utm_source=GNW) predicts that AI in the marketing market will increase to $48.91 billion by 2026. AI allows financial institutions to sort through data and receive useful insights faster than ever, craft personalized marketing campaigns, and provide unique customer support around the clock. In 2024, financial marketers can expect AI to become even more prevalent day to day. Currently, programs like [OpenAI’s DALL-E](https://openai.com/research/dall-e), allow users to take advantage of AI-generated content, like images and copy. However, marketers can expect AI to eventually be able to craft [custom video content](https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/01/04/1086046/whats-next-for-ai-in-2024/), based on provided text. Additionally, AI is growing in its ability to provide marketers with unique data. [Spatial.ai](https://www.spatial.ai/data/personalive) is a platform that gathers public social media data from a user base, categorizes it according to their social, mobile, and online activities, and offers marketers detailed insights. This insight helps marketers better understand their customers and guide their campaign strategies. As AI continues to grow in its abilities and opportunities for the marketing world, marketers should take advantage of some of the tools available. Whether or not your financial institution hopes to better understand your audience or seeks to engage with them more effectively, incorporating AI into your 2024 marketing strategy is essential. ## **The Path to Going Green** Certainly engaging in sustainable finance will help your business do its part to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to a greener future, but did you know that it could influence consumers to invest more in your company? There has been a growing trend among consumers to be more concerned about the ethical practices and values of companies they’re supporting, bringing sustainable finance to the forefront in 2024. In fact, [76 percent](https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/sustainability/publications/cop26/how-much-does-the-public-care-about-esg-pwc-cop26.html) of consumers would discontinue relationships with companies that do not treat their community and environment well. So how are financial institutions adapting their business strategies to this? Deutsche Bank recently announced they will be incorporating payment cards made from recycled plastic, estimated to reduce their CO2 emissions by around [65 percent](https://www.db.com/news/detail/20230601-deutsche-bank-uses-recycled-plastic-for-cards?language_id=1). On a smaller scale, implementing a paperless billing system or digital onboarding process would also help reduce your financial institutions’ carbon footprint. Another opportunity to engage in more sustainable finance is to prioritize offering unique options, loans, and investment plans for green projects, such as installing solar panels on your home. [DC Green Bank](https://dcgreenbank.org/) does a good job of promoting affordable green financial options. Although some options are more expensive than others, there are still many ways for financial institutions to prioritize sustainability in the years to come. This commitment can lead to enhanced customer loyalty and trust, and more importantly, it contributes positively to environmental conservation. ## **The Power of Influence** Influencer marketing has been on the rise in the marketing world and for good reason. Studies show that influencer marketing is trusted by [92 percent of consumers](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/difference-between-influencer-traditional-marketing-/) over conventional methods, and it yields a return on investment eleven times greater than traditional strategies. [Step](https://step.com/), a mobile banking service, partnered with influencer Charli D’Amelio to reach a younger audience and saw a significant increase in the number of new accounts created per day. While influencer marketing can be expensive, micro-influencers have also been found to be effective and are typically cheaper to establish partnerships with. Using influencer marketing, whether with a large or micro-influencer, should increase the power of your campaigns and gain the trust of your audience more easily. Crafting and perfecting your financial institution’s marketing strategy for 2024 might seem overwhelming, but staying informed about these emerging trends can simplify the process. Embrace the new opportunities AI is presenting to the financial world, the support and positive public image that sustainable companies receive, and harness the influence of influencer marketing to elevate your brand. For more marketing tips and strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The Transformative Impact of Cryptocurrency on the Digital Economy](https://hifiagency.com/the-transformative-impact-of-cryptocurrency-on-the-digital-economy/) **Published:** April 5, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, have allowed people worldwide to share and send money faster and easier than ever through a decentralized system. There are over 295 million cryptocurrency users worldwide, and the cryptocurrency market is expected to grow to a total revenue of [$51.5 billion](https://www.statista.com/outlook/fmo/digital-assets/cryptocurrencies/worldwide) in 2024. This growth is due to the increasing trust and interest in digital currencies, which has resulted in a new era of financial transactions that prioritizes security, transparency, and accessibility. Cryptocurrency is digital money that does not require a financial institution to make purchases or complete transactions. Unlike traditional money, which requires a third-party financial institution to verify, crypto dollars are recorded on blockchain technology. Blockchain is decentralized, meaning the transactions do not have to go through a centralized platform, and in turn have [more transparency and security](https://www.ibm.com/topics/benefits-of-blockchain) per transaction due to the third-party platform being removed from the process. By leveraging the power of blockchain, transactions become not only more efficient but also universally accessible, making a significant change in how we conduct financial exchanges. ## **What’s the Appeal of Cryptocurrency?** Cryptocurrency offers many unique features that have attracted the attention of many users, such as offering an alternative to traditional financial services and providing more financial freedom and privacy. Here are some key advantages: 1. **Protection Against Inflation:** An increase in inflation usually results in currencies losing value, but cryptocurrencies are often capped in how many are available, [acting as a safeguard against inflation](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/in/investing/cryptocurrency/advantages-of-cryptocurrency/). Additionally, since cryptocurrency can be used on a global scale, its value is not dependent on the economic state of one singular country. Due to these factors, many people feel that cryptocurrencies offer a protection against inflation that traditional currencies cannot offer. 2. **Speedy and Affordable Transactions:** When global transactions are done through traditional financial means, verification wait times and transaction fees are often associated. However, crypto transactions can be completed in just minutes, completely bypassing the three-to-five-business-day wait time associated with traditional platforms. On top of that, crypto transactions are typically [much more inexpensive](https://www.lcx.com/quick-insight-on-how-crypto-transactions-work/) than traditional payment methods. 3. **Transparent Transactions:** Since blockchain technology is a public ledger, cryptocurrency transactions are publicly available, however, they remain anonymous. This means that all transactions are safely logged and recorded for records, ensuring high transparency in transactions without compromising the privacy of the individuals involved. ## **The First Digital (Bit)Coin** Ever since its introduction to the world in 2009, [Bitcoin](https://www.bitcoin.com/) has become the most well-known and widely used cryptocurrency in the world. As of March 2024, more than [46 million](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/blockchain-stats#) individuals have Bitcoin wallets with a minimum value of $1. There are a few different ways you can acquire bitcoins. The first way is through [bitcoin mining](https://www.bankrate.com/investing/what-is-bitcoin-mining/#:~:text=Bitcoin%20mining%20is%20the%20process,a%20predetermined%20amount%20of%20bitcoin.), which is how new bitcoins enter the circuit. Bitcoin mining involves taking blockchain information and figuring out a complex [cryptographic solution](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bitcoin-mining.asp#:~:text=Bitcoin%20mining%20is%20the%20process,who%20reached%20the%20solution%20first.). Once the cryptographic solution is reached, the Bitcoin is officially mined and a predetermined amount of Bitcoin is awarded to the miner. However, this process can be very challenging and some may prefer to purchase Bitcoin through cryptocurrency exchanges directly. Platforms like [Bitcoin’s Wallet App](https://www.bitcoin.com/get-started/how-to-buy-bitcoin/) and [Coinbase](https://www.coinbase.com/) make it easy to purchase Bitcoin, as you can fund your digital account through your credit or debit card. Currently, 1 Bitcoin is equivalent to about [$66,500](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/money-transfer/currency-converter/btc-usd/). While Bitcoin is certainly the most widely used and mainstream cryptocurrency, there are thousands of other forms available. Some other available cryptocurrencies include [Ethereum](https://ethereum.org/en/) and [Litecoin](https://litecoin.org/), which function very similarly to Bitcoin but vary in ways like transaction speed and costs. ## **Supply, Demand, and Value** Supply and demand play a significant role in the price of Bitcoin, which has capped its production at 21 million. Upon Bitcoin’s initial introduction, they could be traded at lower values due to a larger supply, but as its popularity and awareness have continued to grow, the prices of trading have been growing as well. To ensure the value of Bitcoin can continue to grow, Bitcoin has combated the increase in demand by lowering the supply in a process referred to as [“halving.”](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin/bitcoin-halving) Bitcoin goes through a halving process roughly every 4 years, where the number of available Bitcoins per block is reduced to half of what it was, making it more scarce and more valuable. On April 20, 2024, Bitcoin will be halving from 6.25 to 3.125 bitcoin per block, indicating a possible rise in price coming soon. ## **Crypto’s Current State** As of today, Crypto is still expected to rise in usage throughout the year as an increase in media coverage, public approval, and immersion into mainstream finance continues. At the start of 2024, the [Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/cryptocurrency/spot-bitcoin-etfs/#:~:text=With%20the%20approval%20of%20spot,More%20liquidity.) approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs, which has made cryptocurrencies a more legitimate asset to many people. Now, when planning your 401(k) plan, a financial advisor may offer Bitcoin opportunities as a way to diversify your account, which will expose even more people to cryptocurrencies. However, as cryptocurrencies grow in popularity, they are also expected to rise in price as well. Global investment fund, [VanEck](https://www.vaneck.com/us/en/), predicted Bitcoin could reach an all-time high by Q4, and analysts at Blockware Solutions predict the Bitcoin halving could [raise the price to $400,000.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/01/01/what-is-bitcoins-price-prediction-for-2024/?sh=368d65163081) Cryptocurrency is here to stay, as its impact on the global digital economy has been significant. As consumers and financial institutions alike navigate this new landscape, understanding and embracing the changes cryptocurrency is bringing could be a pivotal moment in the growth of the global economy. The integration of blockchain technology and decentralized finance has presented us with a unique opportunity for innovation and transaction efficiency, that could lead to a more inclusive financial system worldwide. For more financial tips, industry news, and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Finance, Financial Trends --- ### [The Great Wealth Transfer: Navigating the Impact](https://hifiagency.com/the-great-wealth-transfer-navigating-the-impact/) **Published:** March 18, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** The United States is on the cusp of a historic moment known as the [Great Wealth Transfer](https://www.thestreet.com/dictionary/great-wealth-transfer). A staggering $84 trillion in assets is set to change hands, passing down to new generations in the coming decades. This seismic shift in wealth holds profound implications for markets and investments, reshaping the landscape of wealth management and investment strategies for years to come. **$84 Trillion in Assets: A Wealthy Inheritance** The Great Wealth Transfer refers to the intergenerational transfer of wealth that is currently taking place, primarily in the United States but also in other countries. It involves the transfer of assets from the baby boomer generation to their heirs, including members of Generation X, millennials, and Gen Z. It is estimated that a total of [$84.4 trillion in assets will be transferred](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/14/business/economy/wealth-generations.html) by 2045, with $72.6 trillion going directly to heirs. The Baby Boomers, the largest generation in U.S. history, are the driving force behind this impending wealth transfer. With their accumulated assets reaching the trillions, they are poised to pass substantial wealth to their heirs. Moreover, Boomers are notable contributors to charitable giving, fostering a culture of philanthropy that shapes the broader societal landscape. **The Rise of “Giving While Living” and Where It’s Going** A notable shift in philanthropic approaches has emerged, known as [“Giving While Living”.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevewebb/2020/10/05/giving-while-living-not-just-for-billionaires/?sh=6f145bf65d97) Departing from traditional models where donors bequeath their wealth posthumously, individuals are increasingly opting to contribute to charitable causes during their lifetimes. This active engagement in philanthropy to address pressing social issues has significant implications for charitable organizations and causes, prompting them to adapt to new modes of engagement and fundraising. Generation X is positioned to inherit nearly $30 trillion in assets, which will undoubtedly shape their financial outlook and investment decisions. This influx of inherited wealth will influence traditional investment habits prevalent within this generation. **Distrust Toward Traditional Investments Among Younger Generations** Younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Z, exhibit a growing distrust toward traditional investment vehicles. This skepticism is fueled by previous experiences of economic volatility and disillusionment with established financial institutions. It underscores a broader shift in attitudes toward investment strategies and wealth management practices. Younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Z, exhibit a growing distrust toward traditional investment vehicles, driven by previous experiences of economic volatility and disillusionment with established financial institutions. Many came of age during the 2008 financial crisis, witnessing firsthand the repercussions of unchecked greed and risky financial practices. This experience left a lasting imprint, instilling a sense of caution and skepticism toward conventional investment methods. Moreover, the proliferation of information through digital channels has empowered these generations to scrutinize investment opportunities more thoroughly and seek transparency in financial dealings. As a result, they are more inclined to explore alternative investment avenues that prioritize sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical considerations. This shift in mindset underscores a broader trend toward reevaluating traditional wealth management practices and embracing a more holistic approach to financial decision-making. Insightful studies like the [Bank of America Private Bank Study](https://www.ml.com/articles/great-wealth-transfer-impact.html) shed light on the preferences of younger wealthy investors. It reveals a strong inclination for alternative investment vehicles, such as private equity and private debt. In fact, 75 percent of investors aged 21 to 42 do not believe it is possible to achieve above average returns while solely investing in traditional areas. There is also a growing interest in direct investment in companies and entrepreneurship, reflecting a desire for active involvement in wealth creation. **Potential Shifts in Investment Trends and Asset Allocation** The Great Wealth Transfer is poised to catalyze shifts in investment trends and asset allocation strategies. Investors are seeking opportunities that align with their values and objectives. This may entail a greater emphasis on sustainable and impact investing, alongside a diversification of portfolios to mitigate risk and maximize returns. This transfer of wealth has the potential to impact individuals, families, and society as a whole. As it presents opportunities for financial security, retirement planning, charitable giving, and intergenerational wealth transfer, it also poses challenges such as rising [healthcare costs and potential implications for inequality](https://www.ironwoodwm.com/what-is-the-great-wealth-transfer/). Furthermore, as the Great Wealth Transfer unfolds, there is a noticeable evolution in people’s values and priorities. Increasingly, individuals are placing a premium on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when making investment decisions. This shift reflects a growing awareness of global issues such as climate change, social justice, and corporate responsibility. Consequently, investors are not only seeking financial returns but also seeking to make a positive impact on the world. This changing mindset is reshaping the investment landscape, prompting companies to adopt more sustainable practices and influencing government policies. In essence, the Great Wealth Transfer is not just about the transfer of financial assets; it is also a reflection of changing societal values and aspirations. The Great Wealth Transfer presents a world of possibilities, and those who seize them will shape the future of wealth management and investments. Navigating this changing landscape can be challenging, but by embracing innovation and emerging trends, there will be plenty of new and exciting financial opportunities available. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Finance, Strategy --- ### [Top 4 Financial Tips Every Twenty-Something Should Know](https://hifiagency.com/top-4-financial-tips-every-twenty-something-should-know/) **Published:** March 1, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Being in your twenties brings a lot of new opportunities and challenges, and one thing many twenty-somethings learn is that managing your finances can be a tricky thing to figure out and perfect. For many young adults, it may be their first time dealing with things like building credit, applying for loans, and trying to create a financially responsible budget that still allows them to have fun. Courses like personal finance and economics are not required in all school systems across the country, so a lot of times young adults are left learning about finances firsthand or receiving financial guidance from their parents. Unfortunately, this leaves a gap where a [quarter of Americans](https://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/financial-literacy-statistics/) feel they don’t have anywhere to get trusted financial advice. In your twenties, figuring out financial habits or tricks that work for you can help you set yourself up for financial success and security long term. Here are a few financial habits that we think every twenty-something should know. ## Credit Matters Credit is extremely important and a bad credit score, or no credit at all, can put you in a very bad financial situation. What is credit though and how do you build it? Credit is essentially a reflection of how financially responsible you are, so a high credit score means banks and businesses will see you as more likely to pay a loan back or make your rent on time. Building a credit score can be as easy as opening a credit card, and paying it off each month. With a good credit score, which is typically considered [700 and above](https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/what-is-a-good-credit-score/), you’ll be able to make larger purchases like buying a car or house. Good credit also allows you to be approved for larger loans and have greater chances of being approved for rentals. A good credit score can help you in a lot of areas, but it is very easy to overspend on credit cards and end up in debt. In fact, in 2023 Americans aged 19-25 had an average credit card debt of [$2,854](https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/states-with-most-credit-card-debt/#age). Realistically, your credit card should be paid off monthly to avoid interest rates and credit score drops. Be sure to check your credit statements each month to ensure you are making on-time payments in full, ensuring your credit score will not suffer. ## Budgeting And Fun Can Coexist Many twenty-somethings are earning their first real paychecks and it can be very easy to spend it too freely and be left struggling to make it to the next payday. By creating and following a budget you can make it from one paycheck to the next, and still be able to do fun activities or personal interests. The [50-30-20 rule](https://www.empower.com/the-currency/play/50-30-20-budget-rule-explained) is one method that involves splitting your income into three different categories. - 50: Fifty percent of your income should be going to necessities. So, if you make $3,000 monthly, $1500 should go towards things like rent, groceries, and monthly utilities. - 30: Thirty percent of your income can be dedicated to wants. This could include going on a weekend trip, going out to dinner with friends, or any other “extra” activities you want. Using the same $3,000 monthly income would mean that you have $900 a month for entertainment and fun. - 20: The last twenty percent of your income should be put away in savings. For $3,000 monthly, you would be saving $600 per month and $7,200 annually. If the 50-30-20 rule doesn’t seem like the best option for you, there are also mobile apps like [Goodbudget](https://goodbudget.com/) and [YNAB](https://www.ynab.com/) that can craft a customized budget for you. Discovering which budgeting method works best for you and learning to budget and save young, will not only instill healthy financial habits but will help you achieve your long-term financial goals. ## Start Saving Now, Get A Boat Later Even though you may be sitting at your first job right now, it’s never too early to start thinking about retirement. Check to see if your employer offers a retirement plan, such as a [401(k)](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/1/401kplan.asp), where you can set aside a certain amount of your paycheck to go toward it each month. Many employers will also match a certain amount of your contribution, for instance, if you deposit 5 percent of your paycheck into your 401(k) each month your employer might be willing to match 3 percent of that. One reason to start saving for retirement now is that the faster you accumulate your retirement savings, the quicker it can grow. Many retirement plans are often [interest-bearing](https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/111715/do-401k-savings-earn-interest.asp), meaning that your investment into retirement will grow over time just by sitting in your account. [Compound interest](https://www.synchronybank.com/blog/compound-interest-101/), commonly found with savings account options, enables you to gain interest on your initial savings as well as on the interest that has already accumulated. So for example, if your interest rate is 5% annually and you invest $1,000 now, in 10 years you would have $1628.89 and in 20 years you would have $2653.30. That would be an extra $1,653.30 for you, just for leaving your savings in an account with interest. Although it can seem silly to be concerned about retirement when you’re in your twenties, there are plenty of benefits to starting sooner. Actively working towards savings for retirement now will set you up for a more financially responsible future. ## Emergencies Can Happen, So Have a Plan Your twenties are an exciting time and it can be hard to imagine something bad happening, which is probably why [31 percent of Gen Z](https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/emergency-savings-report/#no-emergency-savings) doesn’t have any form of emergency fund. Emergencies can happen though, like a sudden layoff or a car accident, and you may need an easily accessible $1000 to fix it. By setting aside money into an emergency savings fund, you have some fallback options if an emergency were to happen, that don’t involve taking out a loan or maxing out a credit card. Consider putting your savings money into a [high-yield savings account](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/l/high-yield-savings-accounts/?utm_content=156546947216&utm_term=kwd-127451844&utm_campaign=20819129962&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA29auBhBxEiwAnKcSqkroGOtYj4W3-zSvVsgu3ev40eYNU0x0KLxZpLN2UewJ-nqv1bFgxhoCjPMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds), where your money can grow over time. Additionally, many savings accounts have limits on the number of withdrawals that can be made each month, which helps limit the temptation to spend your savings on non-emergency things. Even if you start saving just $50 a month, having emergency savings allows you to be more flexible in your finances and prepared for unexpected expenses. Saving, planning, and budgeting are all very boring and daunting words when it comes to finances in your twenties, but incorporating these tips into your daily financial habits now will set you up for a more financially responsible future. Start thinking about your financial habits now, so your future self will be better prepared financially. For more financial tips and marketing strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [Gamifying the Banking Experience: Making Finance Engaging and Rewarding](https://hifiagency.com/gamifying-the-banking-experience-making-finance-engaging-and-rewarding/) **Published:** February 22, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** In today’s digital age, attention spans are decreasing at an alarming rate. According to studies conducted by [Dr. Gloria Mark](https://gloriamark.com/attention-span/), the average human attention span was about 75 seconds in 2012, but in the past five years, it has dropped to an average of around 47 seconds. This decline in attention spans can be attributed to various factors, including the constant distractions and interruptions caused by digital devices and the internet. ## ![Chart illustrating decreasing values.](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/02/My-research-over-nearly-two-decades-shows-that-our-attention-spans-are-declining-averaging-just-47-seconds-on-any-screen-300x300.png)Gamification in Banking To combat the challenge of capturing and maintaining consumer attention, financial institutions have turned to gamification. Gamification involves integrating game-like elements, such as rule-of-play, point scoring, leaderboards, and rewards, into non-game contexts to enhance user engagement and motivation. In the banking sector, gamification aims to make financial activities more engaging, educational, and rewarding for consumers. By introducing elements of challenge, competition, and achievement into standard financial tasks, banks can redefine the customer experience and foster positive financial behaviors. ## Benefits of Gamification in Banking There are several key ways implementing gamification can benefit your customers, and ultimately your business. - **Financial Education**: One of the primary benefits of gamification in banking is its ability to educate and empower consumers. Traditional financial literacy efforts often fall short due to their passive nature and lack of immediate feedback. Gamified banking platforms offer interactive learning environments where users can acquire practical money management skills in a fun and intuitive manner. Interactive tutorials, quizzes, and simulations can help users understand complex financial concepts and make informed decisions. Utilizing gamification within its mobile app, U.S. Bank enhances the customer onboarding journey. Through the [“START Smart Savings Program”](https://apply.usbank.com/apply/common/START_Smart_Program_Agreement_Web.pdf),” U.S. Bank aims to inject enjoyment and rewards into the act of saving for new account holders. With interactive prompts, new customers are steered through the saving process and incentivized with cash bonuses upon achieving targeted savings milestones. This initiative not only enriches the user experience but also fosters increased savings participation among new account holders. - **Healthy Financial Habits**: Gamification in banking catalyzes behavior change by incentivizing desirable actions and reinforcing progress through tangible rewards. Features like goal-setting tools, progress trackers, and achievement badges encourage users to set meaningful financial objectives and track their journey toward attainment. This helps users develop positive financial habits and stay on track with their financial goals. [Moneybox](https://www.moneyboxapp.com/?_gl=1%2Aekr43y%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_ga%2ANDY4ODc0NDk2LjE3MDc4NTQzMDM.%2A_ga_E105L6LBSE%2AMTcwNzg1NDMwMi4xLjAuMTcwNzg1NDMwMi4wLjAuMA..) provides an interactive method for investing, enabling users to round up their everyday purchases and invest the leftover change. With its captivating interface, Moneybox makes investing accessible to individuals of all backgrounds. - **Personalized Experiences**: Gamification enables banks to tailor their services to meet the unique needs and preferences of individual customers. By analyzing user data and behavioral patterns, banks can deliver targeted recommendations, insights, and challenges that resonate with each user’s financial goals and aspirations. This personalization enhances user engagement and satisfaction. This is also utilized to appeal to different generations. ![Smartphone with award icon on the screen.](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/02/gamification-2.jpg)[Frich](https://www.getfrich.com/about-us) is utilizing gamification to revolutionize the way young adults navigate the complexities of personal finance. Recognizing that the transition into adulthood can be both exciting and daunting, Frich aims to make the process of understanding and managing money more engaging and empowering. By incorporating gamification elements into their platform, Frich encourages users to compare their financial habits and decisions with individuals in similar circumstances. Through friendly challenges and healthy competition, users are motivated to make smarter financial choices. - **Community and Social Engagement**: Gamification provides an opportunity to foster community and collaboration within the banking ecosystem. By integrating social features such as leaderboards, forums, and peer-to-peer challenges, banks can transform solitary financial endeavors into shared experiences that promote camaraderie and support. Users can compete with friends, family members, or online communities to achieve savings targets, earn rewards, or participate in charitable initiatives. In the realm of fintech, [Monobank](https://monobank.com/) stands out as a frontrunner in gamification strategies. In 2019, the bank rolled out an achievement program inviting users to complete various simple tasks, earning them up to 51 badges. Tasks ranged from updating personal profiles to utilizing ApplePay for transactions. The earliest users to collect all badges were rewarded with exclusive prizes and perks from the company. ## Playing by the Rules of the Game While gamification offers tremendous potential to enhance the banking experience, it also raises a few ethical considerations. Banks must prioritize transparency and user empowerment by clearly articulating how data will be collected, utilized, and protected within gamified platforms. Institutions must also guard against exploiting behavioral biases and ensure that gamification mechanics promote financial well-being rather than encourage reckless behavior. Adhering to ethical standards and industry best practices is crucial for building trust and credibility with consumers while harnessing the transformative power of gamification responsibly. ## The Future of Gamified Banking As technology continues to evolve and consumer expectations change, the future of gamified banking holds countless possibilities. Banks are exploring innovative ways to immerse users in interactive financial environments, such as virtual reality simulations and augmented reality experiences. Advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning will enable banks to deliver hyper-personalized experiences that anticipate user needs, preferences, and behaviors in real-time. By leveraging predictive analytics and behavioral insights, gamified banking platforms can continuously refine their offerings to deliver maximum value and engagement. Overall, gamification in banking is revolutionizing the industry by making financial activities more engaging, educational, and rewarding for consumers. By leveraging game-like elements, banks can foster positive financial behaviors, provide personalized experiences, and create a sense of community and social engagement. However, banks must address ethical considerations and ensure the responsible use of gamification techniques. The future of gamified banking holds immense potential for further innovation and enhancement of the customer experience. For more marketing tips and strategies, check out our other articles [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [MANTL and HIFI Agency’s New Partnership Leads to Incredible Results for Veritex Community Bank](https://hifiagency.com/mantl-and-hifi-agencys-new-partnership-leads-to-incredible-results-for-veritex-community-bank/) **Published:** December 13, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Due to the rising interest rates over recent years, 51% of banks [cite](https://www.bankdirector.com/issues/risk-issues/2023-risk-survey-results-deposit-pressures-dominate/) pricing of deposits as a top challenge, and simply offering higher rates isn’t enough to acquire new customers. Similarly to the changing deposit landscape, the media landscape was also changing and old tactics like direct mail advertising wouldn’t be enough to attract new customers either. HIFI partnered with [MANTL](https://www.mantl.com/), a financial technology firm offering omnichannel account origination software for banks and credit unions, to find a solution to this problem. [Veritex Community Bank](https://veritexbank.com/), a $12B bank headquartered in Texas, piloted MANTL and HIFI’s **Growth Engine** program, a data-driven media and digital experience effort built on top of the MANTL Deposit Origination platform. MANTL’s real-time access to customer data, coupled with HIFI’s marketing expertise, resulted in Veritex Community Bank acquiring over $100M in deposits in three months via its digital channel. ## Software and Solutions** MANTL’s one-of-a-kind software opens up entirely new possibilities for deposits and growth. There were several key things that MANTL brought to the partnership that aided in Veritex’s impressive results. - **Real-Time Dashboard Analysis:** Custom dashboard analysis allows stakeholders to see real-time performance and metrics, allowing for more meaningful data on media, products and acquisition to be pulled down. - **Customer Data Integration (CDI):** CDI allows access to a secure and fully managed BigQuery database with a real-time data feed from the MANTL platform. This makes it easier for information to be transferred to other business intelligence sources and marketing platforms inside your financial institution. - **Anonymization and PII Hashing**: MANTL’s software normalizes and formats datasets and ensures data sharing with agency partners is safe and compliant. ## **Unique Marketing Strategies** Through HIFI’s unique approaches to financial marketing, Veritex was able to optimize its digital marketing options and attract even larger audiences. - **Brand and Messaging Strategy:** HIFI’s brand-building process ensured that Veritex could perform best throughout different digital channels and stand out amongst competitors. - **Media Strategy and Planning**: After learning Veritex’s goals, HIFI crafted creative media plans that would attract the maximum potential audience. - **Advertising Campaign Development:** HIFI developed high-performing unique campaigns that are thoroughly tested and optimized and connect with Veritex’s audience. ## **The Results Were Clear** By combining MANTL’s new and transformative software capabilities with HIFI’s unique and refreshing marketing approach, Veretix achieved its goals. - **Increased deposits:** From July 1st to September 30th of 2023, Veritex acquired over $100M in deposits via the digital channel. - **High-value accounts:** The average balance for Veritex’s digitally acquired customers was $84,300 post-opening. - **Cost-effective footprint expansion:** 60% of the Veritex accounts that were booked were located outside of Veritex branches’ service radius. - **Improved Cost Per Acquisition (CPA):** Veritex’s CPA was up to three times lower than alternative marketing strategies By seeing real-time data and analytics, coupled with having high-performing and refreshing marketing campaigns, Veritex was able to accomplish more than they’d initially thought was possible. Although this is just the beginning of MANTL and HIFI’s partnership, it can be seen that the pair is opening up unique and creative ways to attract new banking customers. Want to learn more about **Growth Engine**? [Send us a note](https://hifiagency.com/contact/)! **Categories:** Case Studies --- ### [Quick and Easy Marketing Strategies for Your Early-Stage Fintech Startup](https://hifiagency.com/quick-and-easy-marketing-strategies-for-your-early-stage-fintech-startup/) **Published:** October 29, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - Marketing Strategies When you’re [running a new and exciting startup](https://www.foundersbeta.com/toronto-startups/top-27-hottest-startups/), you’re going to be hyper-focused on product development, customer acquisition, and finding product-market-fit. Typically, marketing falls to the backburner for many new companies. Marketing can feel like an overwhelming amount of work, especially when you start thinking of all the content and distribution you have to do. As you scale your operations and achieve product-market-fit, there are a lot of components of a [robust B2B fintech marketing strategy](https://www.callboxinc.com/growth-hacking/influence-b2b-fintech-buyers/) you will need to implement but in the early days, it’s smart to get your base going and start understanding which channels perform best to acquire customers. Below, I’m going to share some of my favourite quick and easy wins (and even some automation!) that you can implement to help your brand grow its credibility plus drive awareness, traffic, and conversions on your channels. ### Your fintech startup needs a blog Assuming you have a website in place, you should have a blog on your site that hosts all your exciting content and new releases. It is always recommended to start your blog early and it doesn’t have to be a task that overwhelms you. Not everyone loves writing or can maintain a regular schedule to publish content when there are a lot of other things to attend to running a fintech startup. Commit to publishing one blog post per month and make it on your favourite topics about your company: your industry trends, your product releases, highlighting your customers. [Content marketing is the best way to build longevity](https://hover.blog/content-marketing-still-king/), thought-leadership, and organic growth for your brand. As you scale your operations, you can create purposeful and [profitable content for your financial technology](https://hifiagency.com/how-to-build-purposeful-and-profitable-financial-content/) company. ### Your fintech startup needs email marketing Email marketing is a great way to engage with customers regularly. [Email conversion rates sit between 1-5%](https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/email-marketing-conversion-rate-comparison/) depending on the type of email campaign and the industry your company is in. Email marketing, especially when factoring drip campaigns and account-based marketing campaigns, can be time-consuming for an early-stage startup. Start with something easy: an [automated email for new customers](https://hifiagency.com/how-to-properly-install-leverage-marketing-automation-at-your-bank-or-credit-union/) who sign up for your mailing list or product. This helps you gather open and click-through-rates for new customers (and ensure the email they signed up with doesn’t bounce and is valuable) plus allows you to push some content or new product features in the welcome email. Beyond that, personal outreach emails to customers who are in the product onboarding process are important to do. ### Your fintech startup needs a social media presence A [social media presence helps build legitimacy around a brand](https://www.mintcopywritingstudios.com/blog/fintech-social-media). Beyond that, it is a great way to connect with customers and partners publicly. Engaging on social media regularly can be difficult for new founders, so aim to check social media for about one hour per day. It is recommended that you have a personal social media presence across the same channels as your company to further amplify your brand and to put a personal face to the company, as well. ### Your fintech startup should get involved in events Having a presence at events is important, but fintech events can be pricey – even with startup offers. It’s best to [attend virtual or local fintech events](https://linkub.io/blog/fintech-conferences/) in the early days to spare your new startup any travel costs. Specifically, look for virtual or in-person events that offer a networking or demo aspect. You need to get yourself and your product in front of as many people as possible and nothing beats having a couple minutes of someone’s time to perfect your pitch and build relationships with potential customers, partners, or investors. ## More About Our Guest Author Samantha Lloyd is the Director of Marketing at [Railz](#), the Accounting Data-as-a-Service™ API. She has a decade of experience building organic growth, brand, and digital marketing for startups and technology companies. Samantha hosts the [loat or Founder podcast.](#)F In her free time, you can find her SCUBA diving, snorkelling, paddle boarding, and jet skiing. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/img47.jpg) #### Author Samantha Lloyd **Categories:** Financial Marketing --- ### [Mobile Marketing Do’s and Don’ts](https://hifiagency.com/mobile-marketing-dos-and-donts/) **Published:** September 28, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** At this point, it is no surprise that people are spending more and more time on their phones. Globally, people spend over [3 hours a day](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/smartphone-usage-stats) on their mobile phones on average and check their phones an average of 58 times per day. Additionally, there are more smartphone users in the world than ever. According to a report by [Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/), there are over 6 billion mobile network subscriptions in the world. With the sheer number of mobile devices and the increased amount of time people spend on their mobile devices, it is no surprise that the focus on mobile marketing has increased. In general, mobile marketing refers to any sort of promotional activity that occurs on mobile devices. This includes a variety of forms like advertisements or push notifications. Understanding and utilizing mobile marketing is crucial for your financial institution. ## Trends in Mobile Marketing** With more and more people on their mobile devices, a few trends lead to the rise of mobile marketing. These trends point towards an increased want and need for mobile marketing from businesses. - **Banking on Mobile:** The percentage of banking activites that occurs on mobile has steadily increased and [79.3 percent](https://www.bankrate.com/banking/digital-banking-trends-and-statistics/) of millennials are interested in mobile banking. This shows that people are becoming more comfortable using mobile devices. As people become increasingly familiar with mobile devices, they will be more willing to engage with marketing material in a mobile format. - **Network Connectivity:** The world is becoming increasingly connected and many places are constantly improving their network connection. This has occurred with 5G in recent years, along with a growing number of cities adding fiber-optic internet (fiber). In a [2020 paper](https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/technology%20media%20and%20telecommunications/telecommunications/our%20insights/connected%20world%20an%20evolution%20in%20connectivity%20beyond%20the%205g%20revolution/mgi_connected-world_discussion-paper_february-2020.pdf), McKinsey highlights many of the growing technologies that are leading to a more connected world. One specific example is the enhanced personalization and frictionless experience that comes from consumers continuing to use their mobile devices. As networks become faster and more reliable, people will continue to do more with their mobile devices. - **Rise of Video Content:** Short-form video has been increasing in popularity in recent years, evidenced by the growth of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Youtube Shorts. The normalization of video content is perfect for businesses that want to use video content for advertising. People are already used to watching 30-second to 3-minute videos on their phones and will be more likely to engage with a familiar format. ## **Types of Mobile Marketing** Mobile marketing is a general term for many different types of marketing that occur in the digital space. Every financial institution does not (and likely should not) use every type of mobile marketing, but the key is to find the best fit for your business. Below are some examples of different types of marketing that are tailored to a mobile device. - **Social Media:** A social media marketing strategy is a necessity in 2023. This includes but is not limited to, posting content on social media, interacting with consumers, and advertising on social media. Multiple social media platforms can be used, and all of them are accessible via a mobile device. - **Notifications/Messages:** By sending push notifications from an existing mobile app or text messages, financial institutions can reach a client directly and increase engagement. It is important for consumers to first have given permission to receive notifications or text messages. - **Mobile-friendly website:** The same website that works for a desktop does not always work on a mobile device. Financial institutions need to ensure that their website is responsive and intuitive on a mobile device, even if the business has a mobile application. A [mobile-friendly website](https://www.weblite.com.my/blog/reasons-why-a-mobile-friendly-website-is-important#:~:text=Always%20Accessible,without%20being%20annoyed%20or%20inconvenienced.) will increase the user experience and search visibility for your business. - **Mobile ads:** Advertisements that appear on websites or apps. Many platforms, such as Google and Facebook, allow a user to specifically target mobile devices. ## **The Do’s and Don’ts of the Business** While there are many benefits of using mobile marketing, it must be done in a way that’s effectively reaching and connecting with your audience. Although specific strategies may vary for different businesses, these do’s and don’ts should help you navigate the mobile marketing world. - **Do Utilize Texts:** Text messages have an open rate of about [98 percent](https://www.sender.net/blog/sms-open-rates/#:~:text=According%20to%20research%2C%20on%20average,is%20almost%20five%20times%20more.), so this means your customers will be more likely to see a text from your business than an email on mobile devices. Utilize this platform to send clear, direct, and action prompting messages to your customers. But always review TCPA and your own compliance department’s approach to transactional or promotional texting. - **Don’t Make Navigation Difficult:** [61 percent](https://review42.com/resources/mobile-marketing-statistics/) of mobile users will not return to a website if it is not mobile friendly. Be sure you are not losing the attention of potential customers by ensuring that your website is not lagging behind, the pages are easy to navigate between, and that your pages are not too cluttered. - **Do Know Your Channels:** Not all mobile apps are used by the same people across the board, so knowing the best channel to reach your customers is essential. For instance, around [60 percent](https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/#:~:text=Gen%20Z%20%E2%80%93%2060%25%20of%20TikTok%20users%20are%20Gen%20Zers.) of Gen Z is on TikTok, so if this is your target audience then this platform may be best for reaching them. - **Don’t Forget about Push Notifications:** If you’ve already gained a good number of customers or app downloads, but want to remind customers of a sale, new service or update, push notifications may be the way to go. While these have to be sent sparingly, as to not annoy the customers, when used right you could see an open rate [7 times higher](https://truelist.co/blog/push-notification-statistics/#:~:text=Push%20notifications%20can%20have%20a,a%20massive%2093%25%20retention%20rate.) than email marketing. - **Do Try New Formats:** Marketing on mobile devices may prompt for a different format of delivery than you are used to. [66 percent](https://www.oberlo.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics) of mobile users find video content to be the most engaging content, so if applicable, an Instagram reel or TikTok video could be the best way for your customers to digest new content and information. Financial institutions can tailor their marketing strategy and media to be optimized for a mobile device. Many of the advertisements can occur either in applications or on a webpage accessed on a mobile device. By doing so, you can take advantage of the increased number of mobile users who are spending more and more time on their devices. When used correctly, mobile marketing allows you to increase brand awareness, consumer engagement, and user acquisitions. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Financial Marketing, Strategy --- ### [HIFI Agency's Guide to Raleigh](https://hifiagency.com/hifi-agencys-guide-to-raleigh/) **Published:** November 20, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** When clients come to visit HIFI Agency’s home office in Raleigh, North Carolina, we like to show off our beautiful city. We put together this guide showcasing some of the best restaurants, coffee shops, hotels and cocktail hour spots. Whether you’re visiting Raleigh for the first time or if you travel here often, you’ll be prepared to get the best that HIFI’s home has to offer. ## Staying in the City** When visiting Raleigh, staying downtown offers something fun for everyone. Raleigh’s downtown area has everything from museums to restaurants and bars, to scenic outdoor trails to neighborhoods full of rich history. There are a few different accommodations that offer guests the best of all that Raleigh has to offer. [Heights House](https://www.heightshousenc.com/), located in the Boylan Heights neighborhood downtown, is a historic hotel and venue space. The Heights House offers a unique and charming stay, as well as events such as Music on the Lawn, afternoon tea, and picnics on the lawn. Complimentary Linus bicycles are also available to guests, which makes exploring the nearby downtown area easier. [The Casso](https://www.thecassoraleigh.com/) is another hotel option in the downtown area, located near the Warehouse District. This hotel is just steps away from downtown’s many different restaurant and nightlife options. This Casso also offers kid-friendly amenities, a fitness center, and is also pet friendly upon request. ## **Raleigh’s Best Eats** It can be difficult to find the “right” place to eat in Raleigh, when there are so many good options for dining. Whether you’re wanting something more casual and light or a full course sit-down meal, Raleigh has some good choices. To start your day, check out [The Optimist](https://www.theoptimistraleigh.com/) or [321](https://321coffee.com/) for a quick breakfast. The Optimist is located in a neighborhood nearby downtown, and 321 is located right in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Both coffee shops offer hot and cold brewed coffee, teas, and rotating baked goods, and The Optimist has a small breakfast and lunch menu available. For lunch or dinner, you could enjoy a cold craft beer and a signature pizza from [Trophy Brewing](https://www.trophybrewing.com/). Trophy Brewing has multiple locations, including some in downtown, and offers indoor and outdoor heated seating, a wide selection of craft beers, and a full menu with salads, small plates, pizza and desserts. Trophy also hosts rotating events, like pop up markets, Sunday yoga, and music bingo. Another option near downtown is [Second Empire](https://www.second-empire.com/the-restaurant/), a restaurant and tavern that was built inside of a restored house from the 1870’s. The historical and charming atmosphere of the house, combined with the tavern’s gourmet cuisine, offers a refined and unique dining experience in Raleigh. For larger groups, [Barcelona Wine Bar](https://barcelonawinebar.com/) has a wide selection of charcuterie boards and tapas that makes ordering for the table easier. If you’re craving a tasty dessert while downtown, be sure to check out [Videri Chocolate Factory](https://viderichocolatefactory.com/). Videri has a wide selection of allergy friendly chocolate that is made fresh inside their very own chocolate factory, which is available for tours and tastings. There is also coffee and soft serve ice cream served. ## **Grabbing a Drink** Raleigh has many different bars and breweries that offer a selection of specialty craft cocktails, live music, craft beers, and rooftop open-air patios. If you’re looking for a bar that has some history, [The Raleigh Times](https://www.raleightimesbar.com/about/) is decorated with old Raleigh Times newspaper clippings, has a wide option of cocktails and beers, and has a rooftop seating area that has a great view of downtown. Another great choice to grab a drink at is [William & Company](https://www.facebook.com/WillcoBar) or [Crawford and Son](http://crawfordandsonrestaurant.com/), two cozy cocktail bars in the historic Oakwood District. Whether you’re just visiting Raleigh or planning to stick around, the city is lively, unique and never short on things to do. Use this as your guide to getting the most out of Raleigh while you’re here. For other articles by HIFI Agency, check out our content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Brand --- ### [Aligning Your Financial Institution with Your Community](https://hifiagency.com/aligning-your-financial-institution-with-your-community/) **Published:** October 4, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Building a community around your brand is essential for developing a strong and loyal customer base. Customers care about supporting their community, and by sponsoring local events, supporting specific causes and charities, and connecting with customers outside of just finances, customers will begin to see your bank or credit union as a community member. Engaging with customers in your community, whether it is your local community or your digital community, can not only increase the presence of your company but also increase the trust and loyalty of your customers. ## The Value of Community** Community allows customers to connect with the financial institutions on a more personal level and increases the engagement customers are having with the business, outside of just managing their finances. There are several key ways being involved in a community can bring value to your business. - **Brand Loyalty:** If a customer doesn’t feel loyal to your bank, they have no reason not to get service from a bank offering better rewards or lower fees. Being involved in your community can increase the trust and loyalty of your customers. They’ll begin to recognize you and your bank as more than just a money-making operation and as a valid and valued member of their community. - **Customer Insight:** A financial institution will be able to offer better services for their community when they understand their customers’ wants and needs better. For instance, if a bank is located in a college town, offering programs and deals that entice a college student will increase business. Additionally, customers will feel more comfortable providing feedback or ideas for future services when they feel connected to the financial institution. - **Word of Mouth (Free) Advertising:** [92 percent](https://review42.com/resources/word-of-mouth-marketing-statistics/) of consumers will trust a recommendation from a friend. It can be as easy as one person remembering how your bank sponsored their child’s sports team and recommending it to a friend who is looking for a new bank. If your financial institution is engaged with the community, more people are likely to recognize it and hopefully recommend it to a friend or two. ## **Starting Locally** Your physical presence within your community matters just as much as your digital presence. In order for customers to feel inclined to engage with your financial institution, you have to get involved and engage with them. - **Volunteer:** Volunteering, whether financially or in-person service, can help your business connect with the community. People want to know that their bank cares about them, so by volunteering at a community event or sponsoring an event, banks can make a positive impression. For example, [Citizens Bank](https://jobs.citizensbank.com/community) donated over $18 million to community programs and their employees collectively spent over 200,000 hours volunteering within their communities. - **Partner with Local Businesses:** Another way to get involved with your local community is to engage with other local businesses. Local businesses will be more inclined to work with a local bank, which probably understands them, and their community, more than a large national bank would be able to. They need to know your bank supports their business and its’ success too though. This could be done by offering special rewards for business owners or discounts on business insurance. - **Offer Unique Opportunities:** Offering opportunities for your community, such as internship opportunities and educational programs, allows customers to see you as something more than just their bank. [First Bank](https://localfirstbank.com/about-us/corporate-citizenship/) offers its customers educational seminars on topics such as understanding credit, budgeting, and buying a home. This shows that your financial institution is not only looking for customers but that you actually care about the financial success of your customers. ## **Connecting with Your Digital Community** Technology has allowed digital communities to be just as meaningful as in-person communities. These communities can be primarily built on social media platforms, which allows customers to easily connect with both the financial institution and other customers. [45 percent](https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Financial-Services/gx-fsi-ca-who-said-bank-cant-be-social-2013-10.pdf) of bank customers visit their bank in person less than 5 times per year, so use the tactics below to ensure that you’re engaging with online communities in an effective way. - **Humanize Your Brand:** Allow your online customers to feel more connected to your financial institution by highlighting your employees or sharing customer testimonials on your social media. Showing that you care about both your customers and your employees, adds a human aspect to an otherwise mostly serious and black-and-white industry. - **Show You’re Listening:** A large aspect of social media is that people can comment publicly and directly on your posts. Show that you’re listening to your digital customers by providing meaningful feedback to comments. This shows that not only did you see the comment, but that you care that the issue gets resolved. - **Giveaways and Contests:** [First National Bank](https://www.webfx.com/industries/finance/banks/social-media/) hosted a giveaway of 5 tickets to Opera Ohmaha, only eligible for entry to users who retweeted their post and followed their account. By having users retweet their post, that opened up the number of potential customers who are aware of their account and bank, while also engaging with current customers. Whether your financial institution has more of a local community or a digital community, being present, involved, and engaged with your members is important. Customers want to be seen and heard, and they especially want to know that their bank or credit union cares about more than just their finances. Being involved within your community will not only increase your brand awareness but will also allow for more personal and long-term relationships to be formed. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [How To Build Purposeful and Profitable Financial Content](https://hifiagency.com/how-to-build-purposeful-and-profitable-financial-content/) **Published:** August 23, 2021 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** Most financial marketers today understand that content is the cornerstone of a high-performing marketing and customer experience. Unfortunately, much of that content falls into the oft-bland categories of cookie-cutter financial literacy or trite yarns about a desire to be a part of every customer or member’s journey through life. Where did our content go wrong? Why do we settle for synonymized versions of the same article that appear on hundreds of financial websites? Why can’t we build and maintain a content calendar? There’s a reason the buzziest of buzzwords, content marketing, has yet to lose steam: it’s really tough to figure out. It usually starts with brand. When the majority of consumers feel that *a bank is a bank is a bank (*or that *a credit union is not a bank but looks and feels like a bank that calls me a member)*, your opportunity to stand out is painfully obvious. The same could be said for the undifferentiated neobank with a nice debit card and pleasant mobile user interface and experience. People can’t see your unique qualities if you don’t define what these are and show them. If most financial companies lack that certain *je ne sais quoi* that takes their brand from commodity to something connected to the heart and mind, their content suffers a similar fate. A powerfully consistent and captivating brand sets the foundation for great content that arises from your brand’s personality. So, just go create, right? If only it were that easy. Where do you start? ## **Starting Is The Hardest Part** Starting to develop content probably feels like an overwhelming tidal wave of anxiety. You’re not alone in this feeling. Most marketing teams struggle to start and maintain effective content programs. But starting is truly the hardest part. And the easiest place to begin? ***You***. ***Your organization***. No matter what area(s) of banking you specialize in, there’s content to be mined from your subject matter expertise. And those who bank with you (or are thinking about doing so) would probably benefit from that knowledge. **Here’s a tip**: you don’t need the perfect content strategy to start producing useful content today. You can grow into your content strategy. Don’t get hung up on building a pristine strategy and manicuring all of your channels for content success. Start writing. Don’t worry if an idea is worthy of being an article, a series of blog posts, an infographic, or even worthwhile at this point. Your first goal is to brainstorm. And whether you’re whiteboarding alone or in a group (after all, more of your team equals more subject matter expertise), the process is the same: - Focus on generating an extensive list of topics. - Choose one, then list as many subtopics as you can. - From those subtopics, start developing ideas. (**Tip**: Think of the financial questions you receive from customers or personal situations you’ve experienced related to the topic *du jour*. Either of these is a fantastic starting point.) - Repeat for each topic and subtopic. Congrats! You now have a list of financially-focused pieces of content just waiting to be developed. ## **Plan Your Financial Content** The next step is to take everything you’ve come up with and begin refining and prioritizing topics. Don’t throw anything out completely, but prioritize the best ideas based on your FI’s overall focus and what aligns with your most important marketing strategies. Your content should support your strategy! The easiest way to get organized is through the creation of a trusty *content calendar* — a schedule of what topics, categories, and types of content you plan to publish and when. You can use spreadsheets, but try using a more collaborative tool that allows multiple people to make changes concurrently (think Google Sheets, Airtable, Miro, or CoSchedule). Once you have a working calendar, you may want to go a step further and ensure this information integrates (or at least exists) in a project management system, so that you and your content partners are held accountable. Here are a few best practices for creating your content calendar: - **Focus on milestone events in the lives of the general public.** For example, tax refund season is a great time to focus on savings and investment accounts, automobile loans or mortgages (which would require a down payment), or even a catch-all article written to the tune of, “What should I do with my tax refund?” - **Make sure you cover what you want to cover over the course of the year.** Find the right balance between hitting your primary focus areas without neglecting other topics that would benefit readers (prospects and current customers alike). Again, you can always make changes later, but planning a year out will keep you from wondering, “What can I find to publish tomorrow?” - **Don’t bite off more than you can chew.** Seriously. If you’re starting from scratch or have limited content to work with, start creating content within a manageable cadence. Remember, there are 52 weeks in a year. Starting by saying you’ll create two pieces of fresh financial content a month (which is still 24 pieces of content a year) is much less daunting than promising your CEO that you’ll have a new article up every week, and then failing. - **Go chasing waterfalls**! Set up your calendar to “waterfall,” meaning ideas move from a brainstorming section to a status-driven calendar where you’ll record when something is due and the responsible party. Additionally, your calendar can plan to break older content into social posts, graphics, or quotes long after a single piece is published. ## **Develop and Deconstruct Content** On the last note above, deconstructing content is one of the best ideas to increase the longevity of what you produce. Unfortunately, it’s one of the least practiced too! What does it mean to “deconstruct” content? You take a piece of finished content and then rip it apart to repurpose it for other mediums! Let’s look at this article you’re reading right now. In its finished form, it’s a good-sized chunk of content — one that’s great for reading online but way too long for, say, social media or video. Rather, you could post an article like this online, then: - Develop a series of short, eye-catching social media posts featuring snippets of the article text (and a link back to the article itself). - Create an infographic related to the content-brainstorming process, and post it both online and on social media. - Record an audio version of the article, read by the author, as part of a podcast. - Turn this article into a motion graphics script that could illustrate the importance of financial content as a differentiator. Those are just four examples of different types of content that can extend the lifespan of a single piece of content — your original article — almost infinitely. ## **Categorize Your Financial Content** Now, let’s talk about different “buckets” of content that are incredibly relevant to different segments of your audience. Mind you, there are more buckets to be filled, but taking an intentional approach to developing content within these three areas will go a long way to positioning your FI as one that “gets it”: - **Educational content:** fact-driven pieces that inform readers and break down complex financial information into something more easily digestible. Some good examples of this type of content would be articles entitled, “What’s the Difference in a Traditional and Roth IRA?” or “How to Open a Checking Account.” - **Aspirational content:** financially-related content focused on consumer life goals. In their simplest form, these are pieces of content targeted toward those anticipating a future “next step” in their financial journey. Think of topics like, “Is Buying or Renting Right for Me?” and “What can I do with a HELOC?” - **Lifestyle content:** Often overlooked (and tragically so), lifestyle content can be a true differentiator between two banks that offer quality content. Lifestyle content is that which, at first glance, may seem to have nothing to do with your FI or finances in general. However, a good call-to-action (the single action you want a content consumer to take next) and tie-in to your values or services will connect the dots. Take, for instance, a multi-town community bank with a separate mortgage company that’s looking to increase its online reach. The educational and aspirational content might include an article explaining the difference between fixed- and adjustable-rate loans, a first-time homebuyer Q&A with a mortgage lender, and even a “How-much-can-I-afford?” calculator. Upon closer inspection, this bank’s footprint features a hot real estate market chock full of cozy, vibrant cities and towns, many award-winning restaurants, and plenty of rich cultural history. With that in mind, a series of features on the community itself — with an obligatory call-back to this bank and its experience helping locals and newcomers alike finance the home of their dreams in the town of their dreams — would not just draw in those looking for financial education, but those looking to plant roots, too. The local PR effect, where important local publications pick up or link to your reviews, will further amplify your brand’s connection to the community. This is a simplistic example, but it works. Seriously, we’ve seen it firsthand. ## **I’m a Banker, Not a Writer** One of the things we often hear when meeting with financial marketers is, “I’m a banker/executive/manager/product builder, not a writer or creative type!” You don’t have to be a great writer to put ideas on paper. There are many ways to get over the creative resource hurdles that companies face when starting a content program. Here are a few options you have at your disposal. - The first option is to buy a **prepackaged, ready-to-publish bundle of content** from a vendor specializing in creating generic financial content for the masses. Be warned — you may get a host of factually correct articles, but they’re probably going to be “one-size-fits-all” content pieces that don’t take your brand, your community, or your specific goals into account. The majority of this purchased content will fall into the educational bucket, which means you’ll be missing both aspirational and lifestyle content. - Another option is to **do it yourself**. Maybe not you, personally, but you could enlist the help of your marketing team colleagues, financial experts, and others who have knowledge to share. Just be sure to remember that the more people you have around the table, the longer each planning meeting will be (and the more content you’ll personally need to keep track of). - Finally — and the one we at HIFI of course think is the best option — is **working directly with a content creator**(or a team of content creators) who specializes in financial content and has both the creativity and flexibility to craft sound, on-brand financial content that feels unique to your financial institution. After all, anything you put on your website, video format, social channels, or anywhere else is a direct reflection of you. When it comes to their money, consumers are skeptical of anything that doesn’t “feel” right. So don’t hesitate to ask a prospective content creator or agency for samples of their work and ask them to explain the *why* behind each piece of content — not just the *what*. Only then will you be able to see how financial content can truly affirm, engage, and impact your prospects, customers, and members every day — online or on their mobile devices, all from wherever life takes them. There are many different types of digital financial content — articles or blog posts (like this one), white papers, infographics, calculators, videos, social media posts, and more. The possibilities are endless. Forget about where you are right now and set your focus on developing a financial content-based marketing strategy that will set you apart, raise your FI’s profile, win new clients, and better engage those you currently have. It’s time to start. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Financial Marketing --- ### [Ensuring Your Email Isn't Sent to Trash](https://hifiagency.com/ensuring-your-email-isnt-sent-to-trash/) **Published:** May 5, 2022 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** Email has become a very effective marketing tool, with the average person receiving 120 emails per [day](https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Email-Statistics-Report-2015-2019-Executive-Summary.pdf). So how do you make sure your email is being read amidst the plethora of other promotional emails? Since March of 2020, the volume of emails being sent out has increased by [14%](https://www.validity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SoE-2022-Mastering-The-New-Email-Landscape.pdf) and is expected to continue to increase. Each email being sent out by a company is competing with many other emails, so knowing how to make your email stand out is the key to email marketing. ## Segmenting Your Email Mailing List Personalizing your messages is an important part of humanizing your content, and is the most effective tactic in email [marketing.](https://www.validity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-State-of-Email-2021-Benchmark-Report.pdf) Companies can take personalization one step further by segmenting their mailing list into different defining groups. Currently, banking emails have an average open rate of [13.5%](https://netcorecloud.com/blog/8-metrics-that-will-change-your-banking-email-program-in-2021/), which can be accredited to users finding the information irrelevant to their lives. Segmenting email recipients enables companies to specify and personalize certain messages so that the receiving group gets the most relevant and usable information. When a client opens an email that caters to their interests, purchasing behaviors or age group, they will be more likely to engage with the content the email includes. ## Integrating Interactive Email Elements Along with personalization, users will be more engaged with emails that have interactive elements embedded. Interactive content also generates 2x more discussion than passive [content](https://uplandsoftware.com/kapost/resources/blog/interactive-content-conversions/). Interactive content can be a simple slideshow of products (via GIFs) or embedded video-click-view, but could also include incentivized games or challenges. These incentivized games, such as spinning a wheel for a prize, will also incentivize users to look out for future emails in hopes of receiving more exclusive deals and content. Keep in mind that the constraints of email HTML and how the variety of email platforms render this HTML means you should always test interactive elements thoroughly before sending. ## Sending Emails at the Right Time Knowing when your clients are most likely to open your email is a good way to gauge when you should be sending them. Companies should analyze their email open rates and interactions with emails sent at different times to figure out what time is most effective for them. In general, certain days of the week and times of day perform better. - **Emails sent on Thursdays** had the highest open rate, and emails sent on Saturdays had the lowest open rate. - **8-9 a.m.** is the time when emails are opened the most throughout the day by older users. - **Younger users** typically open or respond to emails later in the day, around [1-2 p.m.](https://moosend.com/blog/best-time-to-send-an-email/) Segmenting your email lists, integrating interactive elements, and strategically planning when your emails are being sent will take your email marketing to the next level. For more marketing tips and strategies, check out our other content [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [Marketing Strategies for Fintech Startups](https://hifiagency.com/marketing-strategies-for-fintech-startups/) **Published:** September 20, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Fintech looks to be an industry that has a strong future despite the [recent slowdown of investments](https://www.innovatefinance.com/blogs/in-2022-levels-of-global-investment-in-fintech-decreased-amid-economic-slowdown/) in the industry. Early-stage fintechs will almost certainly have product development and customer acquisition high on their list of priorities, but have trouble staying on top of the evolving marketing landscape. We have [previously written](https://hifiagency.com/quick-and-easy-marketing-strategies-for-your-early-stage-fintech-startup/) about some quick and easy wins for early-early stage fintechs to help your brand grow. Some of these strategies include the need to start a blog, email marketing, being involved in local events, and social media. All of these strategies are still necessary in 2023, but they are not the only strategies that can be implemented for a fintech startup. ## The Need for Social Media** Social media presence in 2023 is essential to help build brand awareness, brand loyalty, and connections with your consumer. Not only does social media allow the consumer to interact with the company, but it also allows the company to understand the consumer and how they view your company. Social media can seem very daunting at first, especially when deciding which platform to use and what content to post. - **Choosing Your Content:** Deciding what content to post can be an overwhelming task, especially if you try to decide on the fly. It is important to plan and schedule your social media content well in advance to avoid stressful, last-minute tasks. The creation of a social media content calendar is a great way to lay out the plan. This includes the type of content, date of post, social media platform, a brief description of the content, and any other relevant information you can include. - **Picking Your Platform:** After deciding what content to post, the question of where to post arises. Each social media platform lends itself to a specific type of content, which will help to narrow down the initial platforms. Additionally, it is important to research the [demographics of each platform](https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-demographics/) as they may not always be what you expect. The demographics should match that of your target audience and will be crucial in determining the best platforms for your company. ## **Valuable Content** The content that your company is creating should be content that educates and creates trust with consumers. The format of the content can be a seminar, blog post, social media post, or the form your startup best interacts with consumers. - **Education:** People want to understand and interact with financial topics more than they have in the past, but there are still gaps in financial literacy. In a recent report, [56%](https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/about/press-releases/2023/finra-cfa-institute-gen-z-research) of Gen Z investors still believe that there is a lack of knowledge surrounding investing. This shows the need for valuable content surrounding financial topics, which can be provided by a fintech startup. - **Trust:** More people are becoming aware of the Fintech industry, [96%](https://www.ey.com/en_gl/financial-services/eight-ways-fintech-adoption-remains-on-the-rise) of people surveyed by EY in 2019 have at least heard of Fintech transfer or payment services. However, in the same report, 22% of the people stayed with their incumbent financial institution because they trusted the financial institution more than the Fintech company. Trust is a key issue that many Fintech companies are facing. By creating valuable content for a consumer, you will start to build trust with your target consumers. ## **Community Marketing** Building a community around your company is one of the most important marketing strategies for any company. The concept of community marketing is creating close interactions with your target audience and involving them directly in your business to make sure you are meeting their wants and needs. This sounds intuitive and simple, but it is something that can easily be overlooked. Community building can happen through a lot of different media and platforms, including social media, surveys, and local events. These are not the only ways to build a community, some other examples are asking customers to suggest names for future products or having live Q&A sessions with customers. In general, doing things that allow people to feel a connection with the company. This is not something that will be fast and easy, but it is something that helps to prepare a company for the long term. A tight-knit community will give you people that are invested in the success of your company and will often let their friends and family know about your company. Using these marketing strategies, your fintech will be able to create meaningful connections with your target audience, increase brand awareness, and establish your company longterm within your community. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Brand, Strategy --- ### [Data Analytics and Personalization in Financial Marketing](https://hifiagency.com/data-analytics-and-personalization-in-financial-marketing/) **Published:** September 13, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Personalization has become a critical aspect of marketing strategies in today’s digital age. Consumers now expect businesses to deliver personalized experiences, with [71 percent](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-value-of-getting-personalization-right-or-wrong-is-multiplying) of consumers expecting personalized interactions, and 76 percent getting frustrated when it does not happen. Understanding how to effectively and securely use data analytics for personalization is a key aspect in understanding the complete picture of personalized experiences in the digital space. ## Understanding Your Data** Financial institutions need access to accurate and comprehensive data to achieve effective personalization. Data analytics plays a crucial role in unlocking the power of customer data and deriving meaningful insights. By aggregating, integrating, and cleansing data from various sources, financial institutions can better understand customer behaviors, preferences, and needs. - **Data Collection:** The foundation of providing a personalized experience is data. The collection of data must be a balance between the data a company collects and the consumer’s privacy. A best practice is to collect data through various sources such as [website analytics](https://hifiagency.com/the-importance-of-website-analytics/), customer databases, or surveys. - **Data Analytics:** Advanced analytics of the data is necessary to implement personalized experiences for consumers. Businesses increasingly leverage new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to determine actionable insights. ## **The Positive Side to Data** There are many useful and effective ways that data analytics can help make personalization an easy and seamless experience for marketers. Personalization of a campaign or experience does not have to fall into just one of these categories, and depending on your goal, it may vary. - **Product recommendations:** Product recommendations can be used to personalize the customer experience. For example, think about how every streaming service offers suggestions based on what you have previously watched. By providing product recommendations, a business can increase user experience and the likelihood of engagement. - **Location-based personalization:** Location data allows a business to deliver a targeted experience based on a customer’s physical location. These experiences could include content, promotions, or recommendations. - **Relevant Messaging:** Segmenting your messages to individual customer groups based on their preferences and demographics allows companies to deliver the right message to the right consumers. This could be based on information such as recent purchases or browsing history. ## **Things to Keep in Mind** Similar to many other aspects of business, there are pros and cons to using data analytics to craft more personalized marketing campaigns. Here are some things to keep in mind when implementing these tactics. - **Privacy Concerns:** [79 percent](https://termly.io/resources/articles/data-privacy-statistics/) of Americans have fears about how companies are using their data, which means it is extremely important to be transparent and authentic with your customers in order to gain their trust. This can be done by being very explicit about getting consent to aquire data, what specific data will be used, and explaining how the data will be used to better the customer’s overall experience. - **Costs:** Data analytics will often times require a company to spend [thousands to tens of thousands](https://octolis.com/blog/data-analytics-costs) of dollars a year on platforms, tools and services. While many of these programs are able to save on cost and energy needed to analyze data, it is an extra expense to consider. - **Using the Right Platform:** There are many different analytics tools, like [Google Analytics](https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/) and [Microsoft Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/), and finding the right one for your company is the first step to collecting and analyzing meaningful data. Finding the right data analytics platform will provide your company with more usable and action-prompting information. Personalization is no longer just a nice-to-have in marketing; it has become necessary. By leveraging data analytics, financial institutions can unlock the power of customer data and deliver personalized experiences that drive engagement, loyalty, and revenue. Use these tips to figure out how to best incorporate data analytics and personalization into your next marketing campaign. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [How Your Financial Institution Can Keep up With Social Media in 2023](https://hifiagency.com/how-your-financial-institution-can-keep-up-with-social-media-in-2023/) **Published:** September 6, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Social media marketing constantly evolves, and staying ahead of the trends is crucial for brands and marketers. It is essential to be aware of the critical changes shaping the landscape of social media marketing. Much of what we discussed in a [2022 article](https://hifiagency.com/what-to-expect-from-social-media-in-2022/) has continued throughout 2023. The rise of TikTok, the need to be authentic and transparent, and the need to advertise outside of Facebook and Instagram have all continued to be trends in 2023. However, financial institutions need to continually develop social media strategies to connect with their audience through social media. ## The Rise of Social Search** [Almost 40%](https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/12/google-exec-suggests-instagram-and-tiktok-are-eating-into-googles-core-products-search-and-maps/?tpcc=tcplustwitter) of individuals between the ages of 18 – 24 aren’t using search engines for local searches, such as where to have lunch, but instead are searching on Instagram or TikTok. With the rise of social media platforms as content discovery platforms, users increasingly rely on recommendations from their social networks to find information, products, and services. People often turn to platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to discover new brands, products, and trends. As a result, financial institutions need to optimize their social media presence to ensure that their content is discoverable through social search. This can be done by using relevant hashtags, optimizing captions and descriptions, and engaging with influencers and industry experts to increase brand visibility. Additionally, financial institutions should focus on creating shareable content that resonates with their audience. By creating valuable, entertaining, or educational content, financial institutions can increase the likelihood of their content being shared and discovered by a wider audience. ## **Micro-Influencers are the Majority** There are multiple levels of influencers, starting with nano-influencers who have 1,000 to 10,000 followers and going to macro-influencers who have more than 500,000 followers. Micro-influencers fall somewhere in the middle, with 10,000 to 100,000 followers, making up to [91%](https://www.inbound.com/blog/the-rise-of-micro-influencers#:~:text=In%20today's%20digital%20media%20landscape,91%25%20of%20the%20influencer%20market.) of the influencer market. Micro-influencers will typically have a more niche audience, making them an ideal choice for a brand looking for a specific audience. Additionally, micro-influencers tend to have a more in-depth connection with their followers which can lead to higher engagement rates. Fees associated with a micro-influencer may be more cost-effective for your financial institution. Before partnering with any influencer, a financial institution should consider their audience demographics, values, and communication style to ensure they align with the brand values. ## **Changes in Specific Social Media Platforms** The most popular social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. All of these platforms support advertising and, likely, your financial institution is already advertising on these platforms, but a social media strategy should go beyond strictly advertising. There may be better places to advertise, but a financial institution should be aware of the platforms and the potential for consumer connection of each platform. - **Threads:** A brand new app released in 2023 as a direct competitor to Twitter, Threads gained millions of users in the first days, becoming one of the fastest-growing social media platforms. However, within a couple of weeks, user engagement dropped significantly. It is still too early to tell whether Threads is here to stay, but the social media platform proves how quickly the social media landscape changes. - **Youtube Shorts:** Short videos have dominated social media recently; look at TikTok or Instagram Reels. In February 2023, it was [reported](https://www.businessinsider.com/google-earnings-youtube-shorts-50-billion-daily-views-2023-2) that YouTube Shorts surpassed 50 billion daily views, up from 30 billion in 2022. YouTube is a household name worldwide, and this shift shows how the type of content consumers want to view will continuously change. - **LinkedIn Creators:** LinkedIn has been around forever (in terms of social media), but there has been a recent shift in the content on LinkedIn over the past year. There has been a rise in LinkedIn Creators adding more personality and generating organic engagement via the platform. ## **Unique Content for Each Social Media Platform** These three platforms show how new social media emerges and how established social media will evolve. With so many social media platforms, financial institutions may want to post the same content across multiple platforms. However, financial institutions must create platform-specific content to optimize engagement with their target audience. This change can be as simple as adapting the tone or style of the content, but it may often need to be a change in the format. Social media will constantly be changing; these are just a few trends currently seen throughout the digital space. By implementing changes in your financial institution‘s social media strategy, you can increase your brand awareness and connection with your target audience. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The State of Social Media Financial Advice](https://hifiagency.com/the-state-of-social-media-financial-advice/) **Published:** September 1, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Social media has become a place for far more than just interacting with friends. Now, [90 percent](https://www.demandsage.com/social-media-users/#:~:text=USA%2DSpecific%20Social%20Media%20Statistics&text=The%20USA%20has%20302.35%20million,74.2%25%20of%20adults%20using%20it.) of Americans use some form of social media, turning different apps into platforms for commerce, inspiration, and advice. From healthy meal inspiration on Pinterest to short advice videos on TikTok to relatable memes on Threads, consumers are looking for just about everything, including financial advice. Financial advice has started to circulate over different platforms, and “fin-fluencers” have started to rise in popularity by providing users with financial hacks and tricks. Unfortunately, a lot of this “advice” is not really advice at all and can be tiptoeing on illegal and fraudulent activity. Credible financial institutions have started to build a presence on a few key apps, making it possible for them to reach and engage with a new set of audiences and provide legitimate financial advice. ## **TikTok** Around [⅓](https://www.barrons.com/advisor/articles/gen-z-financial-advice-tik-tok-youtube-survey-51658428131) of Gen Z Americans have started to turn to TikTok as their main source of financial advice. Many of the users in this generation watched their parents go through financial issues during the 2008 recession, which has led to the group becoming very eager to learn financial skills. - [**Fifth Third Bank:**](https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en.html) Fifth Third Bank has developed a very strong presence on TikTok compared to other banks like Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Most of the bank’s content is shorter videos, usually including a trending sound or influencer partnership. For example, [Sabrina Molu](https://www.tiktok.com/@fifththirdbank/video/7042731144361594118), who has over 200 thousand followers, paired with Fifth Third Bank to share financial advice she wished someone had told her sooner, resonating with the app’s younger audience. - [**Step**](https://step.com/)**:** Step is a new mobile banking service that is mostly targeting younger generations by advertising itself as “Banking for the Next Generation” and partnering with influencers like Charli D’Amelio. Since the partnership with D’Amelio began, Step has raised over [$50 million and is adding 7,000-10,000 new accounts per day](https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/02/teen-banking-service-step-raises-50m-adds-tiktok-star-charli-damelio-to-investor-list/). Step believes that most of the business came from word of mouth on TikTok. - [**Wealthfront**](https://www.wealthfront.com/)**:** Wealthfront, an investment firm, has been pairing with a few different verified “fin-fluencers” on the app, such as @calltoleap and @yourrichbff. Additionally, the hashtag for the firm, #wealthfront, has accumulated over 3.2 million views. ## **Pinterest** Pinterest has over 450 million monthly users, with millennial women being the [most active users](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest-statistics/), and most content being centered around education and inspiration. A unique aspect of this platform is that the average post life span is significantly longer than that of posts on other platforms, with most posts lasting [6 months to a year](https://cappuccinoandfashion.com/lifespan-of-social-media-posts/) after they were initially posted. This offers better opportunities for organic ROI for each post, and several financial institutions have jumped at this opportunity. - **Bank of America:** Bank of America launched a program called “[Better Money Habits](http://www.digitaltrainingacademy.com/casestudies/2016/06/pinterest_case_study_bank_of_america_engages_millennial_savers.php),” and used Pinterest to create boards for different major life obstacles, such as buying your first home or planning your first big vacation. These boards would be linked to the bank’s own webpage, where users could learn more. In the first 5 months, Bank of America had reached over 6 million people and reported having over [70,000 repins](https://thefinancialbrand.com/news/financial-education/bank-of-america-millennial-pinterest-marketing-53518/) on Pinterest, which would make it one of the top-performing financial institutions currently on the app. - **American Express:** American Express has over 10,000 followers on Pinterest and some of its [most viewed boards](https://www.pinterest.com/americanexpress/) are “Travel Inspiration,” “Everyday Life Hacks,” and “Food and Cooking Inspiration.” One campaign AMEX did on Pinterest was to post a quiz for users that would show what activities they would most enjoy on their “[perfect weekend](https://mediaincanada.com/2022/08/30/amex-works-with-pinterest-to-help-people-plan-their-best-weekend/),” with a final page explaining how an AMEX membership would enhance those experiences. - **Learnvest:** [Learnvest](https://www.pinterest.com/learnvest/) uses similar tactics as AMEX by appealing to the everyday lifestyle of customers. To take it further, Learnvest focuses on money-saving tips, while also giving inspiration. Some of the most [successful boards](https://www.medialogic.com/blog/financial-services-marketing/can-pinterest-showcase-the-lighter-side-of-financial-services/) are things like “Healthy Foods on a Budget” and “Cheap and Yummy.” ## **Snapchat** Snapchat has over [306 million daily users](https://blog.hootsuite.com/snapchat-demographics/#:~:text=Snapchat%20age%20demographics,-8.&text=18%20to%2024%20year%20olds,definitely%20be%20on%20your%20radar.), with the majority of users being Gen Z or younger millennials. Snapchat differs from other social media platforms, as content posted publicly is only visible for 24 hours after posting, but this does not mean it is less effective at reaching audiences. - **Story Advertisements:** There are a few different options for how to promote financial advice on Snapchat, but the first way would be to utilize the story advertising feature. These ads would come up as users are clicking through between different Snapchat stories in the format of a short video, usually lasting around ten seconds. This would allow your financial institution to quickly catch the user’s attention, and provide a link to direct them to your website for more information. - **Discovery Page:** The other option for using Snapchat would be to use the discovery page on the app. Robinhood partnered with Snapchat in 2021 for the release of Robinhood’s [financial news stories](https://newsroom.aboutrobinhood.com/robinhood-snacks-available-on-snapchats-discover-coming-soon-to-robinhood-app/), which were showcased on Snapchat’s discovery page twice weekly. The news stories were described as being “easily digestible” financial news and advice videos that averaged three minutes in length. Trading activity on Robinhood increased by 50% on the day of the launch. Aside from the apps mentioned above, there are a few more apps where financial institutions are starting to get involved. On the rise right now is a new app called [Threads](https://about.fb.com/news/2023/07/introducing-threads-new-app-text-sharing/), which gained over 100 million users since its launch, making it the fastest-growing app in history. While the app is still growing and changing, many users so far have described it as a way for financial institutions to engage in more personal and casual conversations with clients. [Altra Federal Credit Union](https://thefinancialbrand.com/news/social-media-banking/banks-and-credit-unions-threading-away-what-early-adopters-think-so-far-164711/), a Wisconsin-based Credit Union, got on Threads to try and catch customers’ attention with shorter, funnier, and wittier content like memes. The [Financial Conduct Authority](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/apr/20/city-watchdog-warns-social-media-over-investment-offers) warned social media platforms that action would be taken if content promoting risky or fraudulent activities and investments continued to be promoted on the apps. With this warning, there is hope that qualified financial institutions can take over providing financial advice on social media. Whichever app works best for your financial institution, social media has a wide audience of users who are eager to learn about finances and best practices. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [Practical Uses of AI in Financial Services](https://hifiagency.com/practical-uses-of-ai-in-financial-services/) **Published:** August 29, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** [77 percent](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/03/20/the-future-of-ai-in-banking/?sh=62164a635ed5) of bankers think figuring out how to effectively implement AI into their company will be the difference between a bank flourishing or struggling to keep up. Many of the reasons for this belief stem from the different opportunities AI opens up for more automated, optimized, and unique operation strategies. So how are banks and financial institutions using AI and how will this help their business flourish? ## **The Basics of AI** AI, or artificial intelligence, is essentially just technology and software that mimics many of the functions humans can do, only at a much higher level. While businesses shouldn’t completely rely on AI over humans, it does open the door for a better understanding of data, customer audiences, and personalization in marketing. Currently, only around [32 percent](https://www.wipro.com/business-process/why-banks-need-artificial-intelligence/) of financial service providers are using AI, but this number is expected to grow in the coming years. ## **Implementing AI** There are several key aspects of marketing that have been simplified and optimized with the help of AI. Using these strategies, your business can engage with customers in a more personal way, reduce the time needed for certain tasks, and engage with data in a more meaningful way. - **24/7 Help: [82 percent](https://bloggingwizard.com/chatbot-statistics/) of customers care about receiving an instant response from companies, and chat boxes ensure they’ll receive it. Through the use of AI’s natural language processing, chatbox features offer customers in-depth and helpful responses to any questions they may have. Bank of America uses [Erica](https://promotions.bankofamerica.com/digitalbanking/mobilebanking/erica) as their AI virtual financial assistant, and there have been many satisfied customers with her personalized financial insight and advice.** - **Efficient Data Analysis:** There is a massive amount of data being collected by financial institutions, but sorting through that data and analyzing it can be a lengthy and difficult process. AI is able to efficiently sort through data and provide useful insights at a much faster rate. Additionally, with the help of AI, things like fraud risk can be reduced by predictive analysis functions. - **Personalizing Business:** [66 percent](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/03/11/what-does-todays-consumer-want-personalized-seamless-omnichannel-experiences/?sh=3f320f401e1e) of customers expect companies to understand their personal needs, so your company needs to be able to specifically target those needs. For example, the things a recent college graduate is looking for from their bank are going to be very different from what a retired grandparent would be looking for. AI helps businesses segment their customers into more specific groups, so marketing can be more personalized and unique for what each customer group is looking for. ## **Potential Concerns with AI** Similar to any other emerging technology, there are some concerns people have with implementing AI at such a high level. Here are some things to keep in mind when implementing your next marketing strategy with AI. - **Data Governance:** AI will help with data analysis, but customers provide financial institutions with very personal information and expect that that information will be securely stored. By ensuring your company has established a secure data governance plan, customers will feel more safe about providing their data. This could include setting clear guidelines for how the data will be secured and what it will be used for. - **Bias Algorithms:** AI algorithms are trained using existing data sets, which sometimes contain certain biases or favor certain groups of people. For instance, if there is a bias in gender or race in the initial input data, the AI output will not be entirely objective. To prevent this from occurring, financial companies should continue to strive to have a diverse and multicultural human workforce, who can double-check the inputs for potential biases. - - **Losing the Human Connection:** While it seems like AI could do several different human jobs, for a lot less money, people still care about having a human connection. [Nearly half](https://aijourn.com/nearly-half-of-banking-customers-say-they-are-missing-the-human-connection-in-banking/#:~:text=Highlights%20from%20the%20research%20showed,%25)%20of%20banking%20customers%20want.) of bank customers still want a human connection as an option. Companies should find a balance between digital, or AI, interactions and human interactions to offer their customers the best experience. Additionally, with AI still growing and changing, having a real person monitor its’ tasks will decrease the likelihood of errors or mistakes occurring later down the road. ## **Where AI Fits in the Banking Landscape Today** Primarily, banks have been using AI for fraud detection and prevention, since AI is able to detect specific patterns or actions that the human eye might miss. Some examples of this include being able to detect when a customer’s signature varies on a financial document or when an account might be taken over. Mastercard has recently implemented AI into their operations, through the use of [Decision Intelligence](https://www.mastercard.com/globalrisk/en/resources/technology-solutions.html#:~:text=Mastercard%20Decision%20Intelligence%20is%20a,authorization%20decisions%20in%20order%20to), which is a fraud detection program. Similarly, [American Express](https://www.protocol.com/enterprise/amex-credit-checking-ai-fraud) incorporated an AI fraud detection program to help better protect their credit card users. The speed and accuracy of AI detection have shown to be tremendously useful in reducing the risk of fraud and increasing the security of financial users. There is no denying that AI is on the rise, and bringing many benefits to companies that are implementing it into their operations. Figuring out how to best incorporate AI, while also being cautious of potential concerns to look out for, will help your business analyze data more efficiently, be more available to provide insightful financial information to customers, and target marketing strategies to more precisely targeted audiences. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [Top Tools for Saving and Budgeting](https://hifiagency.com/top-tools-for-saving-and-budgeting/) **Published:** August 16, 2023 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** Creating a budget that works for you, and that you actually stick to, is the first step towards becoming smarter with your finances and being able to reach your financial goals. However, as many of us know, it can be difficult to keep track of where your money is going, and whether or not you’re spending too much. PFM, or personal finance management, has been a part of digital banking platforms and apps for nearly two decades. This service allows users to get personalized financial insights and advice regarding their financial habits, whenever they want it. Banks and fintechs know customers are looking to gain more control over their finances, so there has been an increase in the number of PFM tools and apps on the market. Surprisingly though, only about [47%](https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance-management-market) of millennials even dedicate any time to their personal finance management. And banks and fintechs alike have struggled to gain user adoption for what was said to be a “revolution in digital budgeting many years ago.” Budgeting and saving can seem daunting to many people, as cutting back on spending can seem a lot like meager and deprived living. Other times, people view [budgeting and dieting](https://www.cnbc.com/select/why-budgets-dont-work-for-people/) similarly, in the sense that one bad day ruins the whole effort. Although many people are eager to start budgeting, many people are also unable to stay dedicated to it long enough to see the benefits. In fact, [73%](https://www.adjust.com/blog/powering-up-fintech-with-gamification-best-practices-and-examples/) of fintech app users cancel their accounts within their first seven days. So, finding a method that works best for you is essential for sticking to your budget long-term and successfully saving money. ## **Online Worksheets Are Still The Old Reliables** There are numerous different online worksheets available, most times for free, that allow users to break down their finances into different categories. This allows you to see how much you should be trying to spend in each financial category in order to stay on track with your financial goals. You can even find worksheets with different columns for planned versus actual spending, so you can see how close to meeting your goals you were. Some of the platforms available for worksheets are listed below. - **Google Sheets:** Google Sheets is a free-to-use platform that has many different pre-made budgeting worksheets. These sheets range from weekly budgets to monthly budgets, so you are able to break down your finances in whichever way works best for you. You can even create your own template from scratch if the pre-made ones are not best suited for your financial goals. - **Vertex42:** [Vertex42](https://www.vertex42.com/) offers numerous different budgeting and saving templates that are free for download. The templates vary from family budgeting to bill and expense trackers to saving goal trackers, offering you whatever works best for your personal financial needs. - **Printable Worksheets:** If having a physical worksheet to fill in and work with is more your style, there are plenty of pre-made templates online that you can print and use. This allows you to keep your tracker with you and visible whenever you need it. ## **Is There A (Budgeting) App for That?** If creating or managing a worksheet seems like a lot for you when you’re just starting out, there are plenty of mobile apps that offer similar features. Most apps can be directly connected to your banking account, so all of your income and expenses will be linked to your app hassle-free. - **Mint:** [Mint](https://mint.intuit.com/) is a free mobile app that allows users to sync their banking accounts so it can sort and track each expense into different customizable categories. For instance, if you want to spend under $100 on groceries a month, Mint can track your spending and alert you when you are approaching that limit. Additionally, Mint also shows users updated credit scores and net worth. - **YNAB:** When money goes into your account, [YNAB](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=CtaOa6iK4ZIeJBLjXzLUP7Y-ToAj5yYO9caytmbiHEfXu-tMZCAAQASC5VGDJ_rGKpKTEEaABn-rI_gPIAQHIA9ggqgRYT9AmSSGrq6Wlu_yHO-teKWU4xudipkh2IZEXn5YRg7qYl65cISr3r3V0vv4bItSZ-bhcYkMfvnEuaUHdbERF7qpGUfq-6IvscXxvrQO0p_rWZ5tJId7ZdcAEnaDCpQWABZBOiAX_maERoAZmgAfJlbcBiAcBkAcBqAemvhuoB7ytsQKoB7mrsQKoB7masQKoB_PRG6gH7tIbqAf_nLECqAfK3BuoB5KvsQKoB7uksQKoB9imsQKoB9uqsQKoB9CqsQKoB9ywsQKoB-qxsQKgCMX0pQSwCAHSCB0QAiCEAzIEg-CADjoIwsCAgICABAJCAQRI0ezzKpoJFWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnluYWIuY29tL7EJsPkWBpSw0u65CQjRIpVDuRYp-AkBmAsBqgwCCAG4DAHoDAaqDQJVU4IUCAgDEgR5bmFiiBQEyBTF4arImIL4gjDQFQGYFgH4FgGAFwGSFwkSBwgBEAMYlALgFwI&ved=2ahUKEwi0v_mVq5uAAxWejIkEHXnzC2MQ0Qx6BAgGEAE&nis=8&cid=CAASFORo5bBgbThBZqe1sxLG6Whlzew1&dblrd=1&sival=AF15MEBth8kHSdfkf-4r2kIIGPm5R9dzrpvQRFwXxLdcZ1CVdLFWpqE8EKe7Wdbhv42zbpKNNdef6dS4Az1U1XUZ3Y7NUcO_ie6EyZ025eE9q3k5bhekyekGCNYL3Huug9UYFr4AgCVw3GSiaWxI5FIWNbJrW2xduzVDqDQmpCT-5J-Jkx7uvvsZOlj13oOIVTnk57tAwrI2&sig=AOD64_3iKwyV2XyoKsYCFm_ciLO7hlWw9g&adurl=https://www.ynab.com/%3Futm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26utm_campaign%3Dbranded%26ar_clx%3Dyes%26ar_channel%3Dsem%26ar_campaign%3D36195583%26ar_adgroup%3D1420857373%26ar_ad%3D643135714959) will automatically calculate how much users should be spending on different categories and how much should be saved. This allows users to better manage their money by seeing how much should be spent and where. The app costs $14.99 per month. - **HoneyDue:** [HoneyDue](https://www.honeydue.com/) is a great option for families or partners, as it allows you and a partner to sync both of your bank accounts. Users can set limits on different spending categories, and the app will alert you when you or your partner are reaching those limits. The app is free for users as well. ## **Automate Your Savings Until Saving is Automatic** Setting aside money for savings or an emergency fund can be hard to do, especially if you are frequently going over your budget. In fact, [42% of Americans](https://www.zippia.com/advice/american-savings-statistics/) do not even have $1000 in their savings account and [26% of Americans](https://www.moneyunder30.com/compare-average-emergency-fund-savings) don’t have any emergency money saved up. There are two different ways that you can automate your savings to help easily build your account. - **Splitting Your Deposits:** Splitting your direct deposit allows you to put different amounts of your paychecks into different accounts. For example, you can funnel 80% of your paycheck into your checking account and the remaining 20% into your savings account. This prevents you from being tempted to overspend and left unable to save anything. - **Automatic and Recurring Transfers:** Many banks allow clients to set up automatic and recurring transfers on a period basis of their choosing. This could be useful for billing payments, to ensure there is enough money in your account by the time the payment is due. Additionally, many banks have started offering AI-generated chatbots that can help you with your finances too. These chatbots are able to track users spending and provide personalized financial advice. For example, Bank of America’s virtual financial assistant, [Erica](https://promotions.bankofamerica.com/digitalbanking/mobilebanking/erica), helps users understand their financial habits over [2 million times](https://www.atmmarketplace.com/news/bank-of-america-chatbot-erica-sees-more-than-15b-interactions/) monthly. This allows users to get an immediate, accurate, and personalized recommendation right from their own bank. Saving and budgeting your money doesn’t have to be a daunting and difficult task, especially once you become more familiar with different tactics and tools that work best for you. Eventually, it will become a natural part of managing your finances and your financial goals will become more achievable. For more marketing tips and tools, check out our other content [here.](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [SEM 101: How to Launch a Successful PPC Campaign](https://hifiagency.com/sem-101-how-to-launch-a-successful-ppc-campaign/) **Published:** March 10, 2023 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** PPC, pay-per-click, is a method of advertising that has grown extensively in the past decade, and for good reason. PPC is cost-effective, [attracts twice as many visitors](https://techjury.net/blog/ppc-stats/#gref) as SEO, and ensures your website is boosted to the top of the search results. Despite Google’s efforts to automate much of the onboarding process, PPC setup and successfully launching your first campaign (without wasting precious advertising dollars), can be a steep learning curve. ## Picking the Right PPC Platform PPC can be used on different platforms, from social media to search engines. Choosing which platform is best for your business is the first step to implementing PPC advertisements. 1. **Google**: Google is one of the most effective platforms to advertise on with PPC. Since Google has over [100,000 searches every second](https://www.internetlivestats.com/one-second/#google-band), having your website boosted to the top of the search results would increase your page visits significantly. 2. **Facebook**: Facebook is another good option for PPC, due to its specific targeting advertisement options. Targeting can be segmented by shopping behaviors, geographic location, and demographics. This ensures that your target audience will be viewing the ad on their feed, rather than hoping they will come across it in a search. 3. **LinkedIn**: Another PPC option, for more professional advertisements, is [LinkedIn](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ppc-guide/best-ppc-ad-networks/). LinkedIn allows companies to specify their advertisements based on the target audience’s salary, title, job field, and location. ## Setting Up Your SEM Program Before launching your first PPC campaign, you’ll have to decide on several things relating to how the advertisements will function. From the cost of each advertisement to the actual landing page of the advertisement, these decisions will influence the campaigns’ success. **Effective Landing Page**: After your advertisement is clicked on, where on your website will consumers be brought to? The landing page needs to be related to the advertisement since that is what caught the consumer’s attention. This page should be informative, contain a call to action, and have an excellent user experience. **Bidding Method**: Bidding is either [manual or automated](https://ppcexpo.com/blog/manual-bidding-vs-automated-bidding), and you’ll need to choose a method before you begin. Manual bidding allows you to set a max number of pay per click, which can be better for lower-budget campaigns. Automated bidding is more hands-off and allows you to optimize your bids. **Use Keywords**: Keywords ensure that your advertisement is reaching the right audience, so using the right keywords is essential in PPC campaigns. You can research which keywords audiences are looking for on search engines using platforms like [Google’s keyword search](https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/). ## Monitoring Your SEM Progress Once PPC advertising has been implemented in place for enough time, you’ll want to monitor the success as the campaign progresses to make sure your business is on the right track. **Traffic Metrics**: You should be seeing significantly higher visits to your website after implementing PPC advertising, and the traffic metrics will reveal if this is holding true. Traffic metrics will allow you to see how many people have visited your site, as well as how they got to your site. **Click-Through Rate**: Understanding your click-through rates, or CTR, is an essential part of PPC advertising because it gives insight into how effective your advertising is. The higher your CTR is, the more successful your PPC campaign will be. [To calculate this](https://www.wordstream.com/click-through-rate), you’ll take the total number of clicks on the ad divided by the number of impressions. **Cost per Conversion**: Cost per conversion, CPC, is a measure of how much it costs your company to get a new client. If your company is spending too much money on attracting one customer, it shows how your advertisement might not be effective in reaching and selling to audiences. [To measure your CPC](https://growhackscale.com/glossary/cost-per-conversion-metric), you take the total cost spent on advertising and divide it by the number of new customers. **Event and Funnel Tracking**: Your website contains a variety of “funnels,” including lead generation forms, applications, contact forms, and newsletter sign ups. Ensuring you have proper event tagging setup across your website is a heavy lift, but critical to monitoring the success of your PPC media efforts. ## Advancing the Art and Science of PPC Once you’ve mastered the basics mentioned above, you’ll be ready to accelerate your PPC performance with a number of advanced tactics. You can begin using first-party data from your CRM or digital application tools tied to your website to inject customer intelligence into Google or Bing and build lookalike audiences or tighter bidding constraints to ensure your search and retargeting ads are delivering to the most likely buyer. Additionally, you can begin building dashboards that ingest additional data sources from your other marketing channel efforts to get a fuller picture of your marketing investment and performance attribution. After understanding the benefits of PPC, the most effective platforms, and the tools used to monitor your business’ progress, you are ready to successfully launch your first PPC campaign. Good luck! Need a partner to help instead? Reach out to the HIFI team at or on our [contact page](http://www.hifiagency.com/contact). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The Basics for Successful SEO](https://hifiagency.com/the-basics-for-successful-seo/) **Published:** January 25, 2023 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** Search engine optimization can be a difficult strategy to understand, but it plays a crucial role in attracting more viewers to your content. At its core, SEO helps improve the position that your content appears on a search engine, ultimately increasing site traffic and sales. [75% of online searchers](https://blog.hubspot.com/insiders/inbound-marketing-stats) won’t scroll past the first page of results, so ensuring that your content is at the top of the search list is the first step to beating out competitors. These tools will help you incorporate SEO into your content and will lead to search engines finding your content most relevant for users. ## SEO Key Words and Phrases Matter When crafting your content, try to imagine what users would search for when typing on a search engine. For example, if a user searches for “best budgeting apps,” the articles closer to the top of the results will most likely include “budgeting” or “budgeting apps” in the article. As you figure out what your target audience is looking for, this list of keywords will continue to grow. The more relevant and useful keywords that you use in an article, the higher your ranking will be on the search results. Prior to posting your content, resources like WordStream’s [Free Keyword Tool](https://www.wordstream.com/keywords) and [Ubersuggest](https://app.neilpatel.com/en/dashboard) show the usefulness of each keyword. These websites give insight into how effective each word will be in increasing SEO, giving you the chance to maximize your content before publishing. ## Remember To EAT EAT (Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness) refers to Google’s method of measuring brand reputation and reliability and determines how high a website will appear on the results page. Companies with a higher level of EAT are viewed as having more authentic and usable content for searchers. In order to have higher organic search engine visibility, utilize these aspects to secure a higher EAT level. 1. Frequently update website information and content: Outdated information won’t be as usable to users when there is current information available elsewhere. Each day, there are over [four million blogs](https://techjury.net/blog/blogs-published-per-day/#gref) posted, so updated information is the key to staying relevant. 2. Allow clients to leave reviews online: Positive reviews left by users will increase how Google perceives the brand’s trustworthiness and [expertise](https://terakeet.com/blog/online-reviews/). Responding to reviews can also show that the company appreciates feedback from customers. 3. Highlight your professionals: Content produced by professionals or experts should be highlighted on a company’s website. Any awards, certifications, or educational achievements should be noted in order to improve a company’s credibility. ## Balance User Experience and SEO User experience continues to play an increasingly important role in modern SEO. Google takes into consideration the amount of time users spend on different websites, the time to complete actions, and of course the overall structure of the pages and website. Websites that are harder to use or navigate will be seen by Google as being less useful for searchers. When considering user experience, businesses should consider the following factors: **Page speed**: Ensure that users aren’t having to wait for your website to load. Researchers found that even just 5 seconds of loading time will increase [bounce rates by 20%](https://www.section.io/blog/page-load-time-bounce-rate/). **Mobile use**: Over [60% of Google’s organic search traffic](https://www.oberlo.com/blog/google-search-statistics) comes from mobile devices, so ensuring that content is accessible and easy to navigate during mobile use is crucial to maximizing site traffic. **404s**: 404 errors are another sure-fire way to drive users to another website. It not only impacts the user experience but also the credibility of your website as a whole. To prevent this easily, your internal links can be checked online for free. Integrating keywords into your content, ensuring site information is up-to-date, and maximizing user experience are SEO basics that give your site a competitive edge. Use these tactics to ensure that your site won’t be lost in the search results. For more marketing tips and strategies, check out our other content [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest/). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [How to Build a Strategic Content Calendar and Stick With It](https://hifiagency.com/how-to-build-a-strategic-content-calendar-and-stick-with-it/) **Published:** September 26, 2022 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** Content marketing continues to be one of the most powerful ways to communicate to your target audience by distributing relevant and consistent information, graphics, video, articles, and other thought-provoking material. The content you produce can serve as a valuable source of lead generation for your organization, establishing your brand as the go-to expert for a variety of products, services, or advice. According to [research](https://www.profitwell.com/recur/all/does-content-marketing-pay-off) by ProfitWell, companies with blogs attract 67% more leads. Plus, nearly 50% of buyers view three to five pieces of content before actively engaging with a company. It works! So why is it so tough to produce interesting content consistently? One of the main culprits is strategy and planning. To see measurable results for your organization, content marketing needs to be planned and organized in a thoughtful manner. There are many different forms of content, including articles, social media posts, whitepapers, podcasts, video explainers, case studies, and more. To keep your content consistent and interesting, one of the most important steps in content strategy and planning is the creation of a content calendar: the tool you’ll use to stay on task each week and to hold various parties accountable for getting the information you need to your company’s content curators. Let’s cover how your business can implement a content calendar that actually works and add some successful content marketing tips. ## Start With Content Strategy Your content should be a reflection of who your company is and what it has to offer. Beyond communicating your products and services, you should also establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Consumers base loyal relationships on trust, and your tone and personality should shine through your content as a knowledgeable, caring, and expert source for your target audience. While you’re providing content to existing clients, you’re also speaking to important prospective customers. Whether your target audience is niche, such as freelance workers in the Midwest, or widespread, such as anyone working in the financial services industry, you should always keep your target audience in mind to better tailor your content and keywords. A sound content strategy shows a thorough understanding of the value you’re providing to your audience. In your content strategy plan, you should include the following: - **Objectives** - **Categories** - **Target audiences or personas** - **Ideas** - **Formats** - **Distribution channels** A major factor of a successful content strategy is planning ahead for research, writing, and evaluation of content, so you can continue improving your content and avoid spreading yourself too thin. ## Building Sustainable Blocks In A Content Calendar Once you’ve defined clear goals for what you aim to achieve through your content, such as providing financial advice, improving product knowledge, or highlighting current industry trends, you can start putting your strategy into action. You can organize your goals by content categories, such as company news, financial knowledge, or team and culture. Once you’ve decided on content categories that accurately portray your offerings and organization, you can create a list of formats that are best suited for your categories. An example of how categories and formats flow together is a piece on your financial institution’s culture and recent news. Your company could publish a short video in which a team member explains how to use a new product. This format allows viewers to get a feel of your team’s culture, receive answers to anticipated questions, and have a step-by-step experience so they can be more comfortable when trying your product or service. If you wanted to focus on a financial advice piece, you could write a short, listicle-style article that shares ten tips for money management for recent college graduates. Once you brainstorm a list of content ideas you want to produce, the topics naturally fall under a category and format that best represents your idea. When putting together your calendar, you should organize your ideas into a regular cadence. The columns can be separated by planned publication dates, topics, a short description, the category and format it falls under, distribution channels, and extra space for comments and status updates. ![content calendar](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/09/6-17-22_Hifi_CalenderArticle_1-1-1.png)An evergreen factor of successful content marketing is fresh and intriguing content. While translating your ideas into a calendar that spans the next three to six months, you should aim for a mix of content categories and formats that are not repetitive and keep your audience engaged. Your FI or fintech can create a steady pattern that rotates categories and formats so that your audience won’t feel like they’re reading the same content over and over again. ## Putting Your Content Calendar Into Action It’s your responsibility to decide on the allotted time it takes to thoroughly research, write, and edit your various types of content. A short article might be ready for publishing in a week, but a whitepaper takes much longer, sometimes 6-8 weeks from research to a designed, landing page-loaded piece. To hold your content team and partners accountable, you can follow some tips that are centered around your calendar: **TIP 1:** It’s helpful to set aside weekly or biweekly meetings to go over your content calendar, discuss current and upcoming content, and evaluate past projects for feedback and improvement. These check-ins ensure that your team is on the same page, so your content is manageable and published on time. **TIP 2:** Set a reminder to revisit your content calendar strategy once every 4-6 months; you’ll have a new perspective on what works and what doesn’t with your audience. **TIP 3:** Setup your analytics so they tell you a meaningful story. Looking at top article page views doesn’t necessarily tell your “top performing” content. If your goals were centered around organic traffic generation, look at the pages showing the highest lift in organic traffic or use an SEO tool to monitor what pages are indexed higher in search results pages. If your goal is lead generation or account application entries, be sure to setup event tags to appropriately attribute your pathing from content to conversion. A well-organized content calendar is the key to success. By following these tips for content strategy and calendar creation, you’re on the way to publishing consistent, high-performing content that generates leads and distributes thought-provoking material. Accountability plays a critical role in your content’s longevity, and it’s important to schedule regular check-ins to evaluate past, present and future content projects’ performance. HIFI Agency helps financial institutions and fintechs across the world with content marketing. [Reach out to us](https://hifiagency.com/contact/) if you’d like to discuss how to improve your content’s performance. **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The Keys to a Modern Website Experience](https://hifiagency.com/the-keys-to-a-modern-website-experience/) **Published:** October 19, 2022 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** Your primary digital storefront still matters. Despite the rise of social media and contextual search results, people still return to your website to build trust with your brand, review your products and personnel, and make a decision on whether to purchase your product or enlist your services. Websites help to establish brand identity, increase credibility and filter broader audiences into buyers. However, [88% of users](https://parqamarketing.com/blog/why-your-websites-design-is-important-stats-that-prove-it/) won’t return to a website a second time if they don’t have an initial positive experience. Developing a strong first impression, clear content hierarchy, and easy means of conversion separate the good websites from the top-performing websites. Several key strategies go into creating a website that will satisfy and impress customers, ultimately leading to more interest and sales. ## Making a Good First Web Impression It takes the average user just [50 milliseconds](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01449290500330448#.UctarJxDVI0) to get a first impression from a website. That’s not even enough time to read a headline, so 94% of these first impressions will be [design and layout related](https://cxl.com/blog/first-impressions-matter-the-importance-of-great-visual-design/). Ensuring your website gives a professional and credible impression to viewers is essential to keeping them on your website long enough to read any of your content. This can be done in the following ways: **Minimalism**: When it comes to designing your website, less is more. Minimalism, at its core, makes it easier for viewers to read and navigate through your website. This includes everything from color choices to fonts. The minimalistic design also adds a clear and professional look to your website, which is great for a first impression. **Navigation**: [50% of lost sales](https://digitalagencynetwork.com/how-to-improve-website-ux/) on a website are directly correlated to users not being able to effectively navigate and search for information. Ensure that your website layout is easy to follow by including informative headlines and an intuitive main navigation menu. **Call to Action**: If a user stays on your website past those initial milliseconds, make sure your website has clear calls to action throughout. [70% of users](https://www.graffiti9.com/blog/website-importance-stats/) who see a call to action on the homepage are more likely to make a purchase or inquiry, and when there isn’t a call to action, it can leave consumers confused on how to move forward. ## Maximizing Your Web Content Maximizing your website content involves everything from enhancing SEO to planning and promoting new content releases. Strategically planning and placing content throughout your website will not only make you more organized internally but will also increase your potential audience and site traffic. Using the tips below will help your business grow and maximize the content being released. **Understanding Your Audience**: Understanding your audience and what they want to see is the first step to successful content marketing. Does your audience use the site for one key action (e.g. logging into online banking) the majority of the time or do you have a more complicated set of interactions? Does your audience engage lead generation pages and move into the site from these campaign-oriented pages? Each website is affected by your marketing team’s media and external promotion strategies as well as your internal structure, so start with the customer to determine where their priorities lie and build from there. **SEO**: Search engine optimization, or SEO, is essential to getting your website’s traffic maximized organically. Google will place your content higher on the search results page if it contains more useful keywords throughout the article. Since [75% of users](https://99firms.com/blog/seo-statistics/#gref) won’t scroll past the first page of results, using keywords is extremely important, but not the only key to effective SEO. Meta information, page structure, backlinking, and server-side considerations all impact how your site ranks. Start by making sure your site is technically sound and then proceed to optimize and scale content and linking from there. **Promoting Your Content**: Ensuring that people see your website is another essential part of maximizing your potential, so promotion is key. This can be done on a variety of [social media platforms](https://webflow.com/blog/how-to-promote-your-website), search engine marketing, content co-promotion, or digital advertising. Instagram and Twitter are most effective when advertising B2C, LinkedIn is most effective for B2B, and Facebook’s large and active audience makes it effective for B2C and B2B both. ## Balancing Your Website User Experience Having a balanced user experience on your website is critical. What do we mean by “balanced?” A website often accommodates multiple audiences, a number of paths to conversion, and a variety of interactive or static content, questions, and contacts. Because there are so many types of interactions, user experience can quickly turn chaotic instead of feeling like a cohesive part of your overall digital brand. User experience involves many different factors, including the overall feeling consumers have when on your site (e.g. feeling overwhelmed, confused, excited, etc.) Here are a sampling of factors that will help make sure your users are satisfied with their experience. **Use Pop-ups Wisely**: If a user clicks on your website and is immediately shown a pop-up they could easily become overwhelmed. [70% of users](https://neilpatel.com/blog/13-ways-to-reduce-bounce-rate-and-increase-your-conversions/) find pop-ups to be annoying, so to keep users on your site, you can place pop-ups smaller on the screen or avoid using them until the user has been on the site for a longer period of time. **Mobility**: Ensuring your website appears properly formatted on a mobile device allows you to maximize your potential traffic. [57% of all website traffic](https://www.bluecorona.com/blog/mobile-marketing-statistics/#:~:text=What%20percentage%20of%20online%20traffic%20is%20mobile%3F%20Up,now%20comes%20from%20smartphones%20and%20tablets%20%28BrightEdge%2C%202017%29) in the U.S. comes from mobile devices, so if your content isn’t formatted properly, you’re already losing potential clients. **Reduce Page Speed**: Page speed can be a make or break for your website. Websites like Hubspot’s [Website Grader](https://website.grader.com/) can help to show your website’s speed, allowing for fixes before any business is lost. **Legible Text**: When organizing text on your website, keep in mind that most consumers will scroll through before actually reading every line. Using bullet points, bolded fonts, infographics, or shorter paragraphs will make the content easier to read and less daunting to viewers. **Use Chat Bots**: When it comes to basic questions, [74% of users](https://www.chatbot.com/blog/chatbot-statistics/) would prefer to use chat boxes. Chat boxes can be available 24/7 (or limited based on your organization’s needs), allowing users to receive prompt responses to their simplest questions, while being relatively inexpensive for businesses to implement. Chat bots do not solve complex problems, but mitigating your most common questions (and getting user feedback) can help lessen workloads in places like your customer service department. **Ask for Feedback**: Consumers want to be heard by a company, and companies want to fix common problems, so adding in an option for feedback is a win-win. If a company sees the same negative feedback from different people, this gives a clear idea of what needs to be done to improve user experience. WordPress even has a [free feedback plugin](https://wpforms.com/how-to-add-a-customer-feedback-form-to-your-wordpress-site/) that companies can use. Companies that make a good first impression, build an effective content strategy, and maximize user experience are going to have less bounce rates, higher sales, and a more satisfied and trusting audience. Get ahead of the competition by using these tools to maximize your website. For more marketing tips and strategies, check out our other content [here](https://hifiagency.com/all-articles/). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The Importance of Website Analytics](https://hifiagency.com/the-importance-of-website-analytics/) **Published:** November 8, 2022 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** What exactly are website analytics? In short, it’s any of the data that shows how visitors are finding your website, how many people are visiting your website, or how long the average user is spending on your website. Website analytics are extremely important for companies to monitor, but nowadays there is so much data that it can be hard to figure out which groups of data, or which analytics, are most important. There are several key aspects of website analytics that will provide companies with the most useful data, and when monitored correctly, can both maximize user experience and ensure that company goals are met. ## Tracking Your Website Traffic Your website’s traffic analytics can reveal how users are navigating to your site and the platforms that are more effective in attracting visitors. Are your website visits from a paid campaign or are they organic results? If most visitors are accessing your site on a mobile device, is your website mobile-friendly? Looking into your website’s traffic analytics can provide insight into what your site is doing well and how it can improve. **Organic Traffic vs. Paid Traffic**: [Organic traffic](https://convertingteam.com/blog/paid-vs-organic-traffic/#:~:text=The%20most%20obvious%20difference%20between%20Organic%20and%20Paid,which%20are%20worth%20considering%20when%20making%20your%20choice.) comes from search engines and is unpaid for, such as a website that is at the top of the search results because it contains the most relevant keywords. Paid traffic results from a PPC campaign or a paid ad placement. While both can be useful, the goal for all companies should be to attract mostly organic traffic. **Methods of Viewing**: Looking into how visitors are viewing your site is another important aspect of traffic analysis. These analytics can show if a lot of visitors are accessing your site through mobile devices or on laptops. If this data shows changes need to be made to make a website more mobile-friendly, it can be done before customer experience is impacted. **Website Activity**: Traffic analytics don’t just show how visitors are accessing your website. You can also see how many visitors are on your site and how long they’re staying. If a website has a lot of traffic but high bounce rates this could indicate that the site is missing something customers are looking for. ## Choosing Website Analytics Platforms There are countless analytics tools. These can be used to acquire the real-time data that enables you to better understand your website’s performance. Here are a few in our tool kit: 1. **Google Analytics**: [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/#/provision), which is probably the most popular option, allows you to see a customized report of your website analytics. You’ll be able to see bounce rates, viewer demographics, and even the number of times your content is shared. 2. **SEMRush**: Another platform for analytics is [Semrush](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/traffic/). Semrush allows you to segment your analytics based on region, monitor SEO, and compare data to competitors. 3. **Clicky**: [Clicky](https://clicky.com/) provides real-time data in a way that is clear and easy to interpret. Reports on who visited your website, how they got there, and how long they stayed on the page are listed, so companies can readily analyze the data. ## Assessing Your Website Analytics After looking over your analytics, you should have a better idea of what is working and what needs improvement. Here are some examples. **User Experience:** If your data is showing that not many visitors are staying on your website for long enough, this could be because of the design and landing page. If the landing page is too confusing, lacks a call to action, or is not mobile-friendly, this could cause users to leave the site. User experience is essential for a successful website, so improving these aspects is key to keeping customers. **Maximizing SEO**: If the data is showing the majority of your website’s traffic is not organic, this could indicate that you are not using the right keywords in your content. When users search using keywords, articles with that keyword are going to be placed higher on the results page. [Maximizing your SEO](https://www.semrush.com/blog/improve-seo/) will improve your position in the search results. **Geotargeting**: If the data shows a lot of people viewing your website from the same area, you could use this as an opportunity to target your advertisements to what would appeal to that area. [Geotargeting](https://blog.hubspot.com/agency/pros-cons-geotargeting-paid-search) allows companies to take advantage of having a lot of visitors in one area by giving them the chance to understand their audience and what they’re looking for. Looking at your website analytics is essential to the success of your site. Organic traffic rates, bounce rates, and visit times all provide insight into how your website is being perceived by your audience. By assessing your analytics and what they mean, you’ll be able to maximize the success of your website and ensure customer satisfaction. For more marketing tips and strategies, check out our other content [here](https://hifiagency.com/latest/). **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The Post-PPP Communication Opportunities at Banks and Credit Unions](https://hifiagency.com/the-post-ppp-communication-opportunities-at-banks-and-credit-unions/) **Published:** October 9, 2020 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** The financial sector’s response to the economic impact felt by COVID-19 has been inspiring to say the least. In addition to various personal and commercial forbearances, banks, credit unions, fintechs and other financial companies have effectively directed The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds to small businesses across the country, helping them continue to pay their employees in a time of enormous strain. Community banks especially had a moment these past two months. While some of the largest banks were unable to be quick and agile enough to serve (or possibly didn’t wish to), many smaller community institutions stepped up. There is a reason we have the type of banking system we do in America and times like these prove, yet again, that bigger isn’t always better. Since the launch of PPP on April 3rd, the SBA has processed millions of loans for more than half a trillion dollars of economic support. Additional financial support via the [**Main Street Lending Program**](https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/mainstreetlending.htm) could be on the way by month’s end. Unlike the PPP program, financial institutions will assume more risk and borrowers won’t have a forgiveness option, but the terms will still be favorable compared to traditional lending vehicles. Many community banks will have an opportunity to help businesses through their next 12-18 months of uncertainty (and could reap the benefit of this service for years to come). More relationships, deeper trust, better service to your communities. As was the case with the rollout of PPP, support for businesses will continue to be swift, confusing at times, and evolving. Communication will be critical as small businesses continue to turn to their local banks for advice. But you’ll also need to think longer term. What will these new relationships need in the months and years to come? What industries will continue to struggle with the challenges that reopenings present? What products and services are most meaningful now verses six months from now. The rules of the “quarterly campaign calendar” need to be broken…for good. ## Post-PPP Opportunities As a communication professional in the financial world, look at your next year, despite its unpredictability, and plan for at least three phases of communication. **Immediate (the “summer of forgiveness”)**: First and foremost, you and your company should be working toward mitigating any burdens on your loan officers or call centers post-PPP and on the heels of the Main Street Lending Program. Use resource pages and microsites wisely and segment your pages for the different needs as much as you can. Remember, adding more FAQs and more information to your “catch-all page” may not help. You have to think about the different needs at this time and how variable those needs are across businesses, households, geographies and industries. For borrowers or individuals that do have unanswered questions, ensure call center training on latest SBA guidance and quickly collect feedback from them to place online as more questions will follow. Also, consider this a great time for “maintenance marketing.” John Hanley (SVP of Marketing at Equity Bank) and I discussed this on a recent [**FinX podcast**](https://www.financialexperiencepodcast.com/episodes/ep-03-critical-covid-communication-and-marketing-re-plans) and the next few months may be a great time to clean up some of the lower priority marketing minutiae that you often don’t pursue in “normal” times. This could be on-site SEO of your website, rebuilding your content calendar, fixing broken website links, reviewing old or low-traffic content, improving social media channel designs, adjusting your intranet page, or building some reporting dashboards. While some of your planned initiatives were pushed to Q3 or later, you may find you have opportunities this summer to tackle these important, but often neglected items. **Near-term (Q3/Q4 2020)**: Situational preparedness. No one. I repeat no one knows what this fall or winter health climate will be. Another spike, a mutated virus, or just a steady state of uncertainty. But you can plan for uncertainty. As a marketing professional, this means creating “safety assets.” These assets could come in a variety of forms, from a digital resource center template to a fall-back advertising template. Your media plans may need to be shorter in duration with flexible outs or you may need to shift more funds to digital channels like search and mobile. Whatever the case, audit your content and creative assets and plan for backup. For businesses exiting the PPP process, be sure you evaluate the communication to them about servicing needs and continued support. Too often we neglect customers and members after “their need is filled.” Many of these businesses will need new types of support in the months that follow PPP, so put helpful content in their hands and on their phones. Assess relationship throughput (loans, deposits) for the PPP businesses, and begin or improve the development of your digital onboarding, cash management and “business stabilization” communication plans. And start preparing for a very different style of communication in 2021. **Your New Communication Model (early 2021)**: You should look at 2021 as your opportunity to start differently. 2020 already broke your well-manicured plans. Implement a new style of communication. One that doesn’t look like quarterly campaigns where everyone can “Spring into a HELOC” or “Fall into a student checking account.” One that doesn’t waste media dollars on ineffective, analytically-challenged advertising. And one that begins to look at how your customers behave and what they tell you they need, not what you think is “seasonally correct.” Additionally, start planning or planning to improve these activities this year in preparation for 2021: *Digital Business Services Onboarding*: Small businesses, often still reliant on spreadsheets for core financial management, will see the benefit of digital business services during this time. Not only do businesses need to record their transactions with you to help alleviate some of the manual nature of PPP assessment, this underlying financial management pain can lead to a better client experience long-term. Developing onboarding programs and communicating the benefits of these services in the coming months could dramatically increase adoption of these solutions in 2020 and into 2021. Evaluate your digital business banking onboarding and think of the changes you can make. *Marketing Automation*: In times of crisis, marketing automation, when built correctly, can give you a rapid response mechanism to adjust your advertising, content and conversion opportunities. As more customers and members move online, setting up automated communication in response to their various actions will help you generate more leads, deepen relationships, and reduce calls or trips into the branch. *Stabilization Support*: As small businesses struggle with the uncertainty surrounding reopening and whether customer behaviors will return to anything close to the previous norm, it is critical that financial institutions provide creative financial solutions. PPP loans were a helpful Band-aid for many of your business clients, but they will need additional services to help re-establish a stronger base of cash in the coming year. Prepare your product marketing accordingly through 2021. *Cashflow Content*: Cash has dried up in a record time for many small businesses these last two months. Writing content on how to effectively restore and manage cash will help you connect to business owners’ pain for the foreseeable future. Your cash management specialists should already be thinking about how they can provide additional insights, reporting and stabilizing support for customers at this time. These are just a few of many longer term planning items to consider this year. The next six months will be a delicate balance for financial marketers. Your tone, advertising, and outreach need to evolve while maintaining some flexibility as uncertainty isn’t going to wane for some time. But don’t let this crisis stop you from evolving. Make sure 2021 looks a lot different than 2019 did. Don’t pause. Start planning now. **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [Bank and Credit Union SEO Trends Worth Pursuing](https://hifiagency.com/bank-and-credit-union-seo-trends-worth-pursuing/) **Published:** October 20, 2020 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** The recent crisis brought about an interesting opportunity for financial marketers to “re-plan” and “re-think” what 2020 will involve. One of the shifts I’ve discussed lately with banks and credit unions, many of whom paused some or all of their advertising dollars, focuses on organic search. As discussed on a recent episode of [**The Financial Experience Podcast**](https://www.financialexperiencepodcast.com/episodes/ep-03-critical-covid-communication-and-marketing-re-plans), this is a perfect time for “maintenance marketing” or handling items you often deemphasize in “normal times.” Over the last few years, Google has made some if its largest changes to how people find you and your services in search. The changes have also presented financial marketers with an enormous opportunity to increase traffic to their website and awareness of their brand. We’ll cover some of the most important search trends here and how you can begin to use this period to accelerate your success in search for years to come. ## **Are You Snippet Worthy?** If you don’t understand [**featured snippets**](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9351707), it’s time to brush up on them. One of Google’s most important strategic goals for search the past few years is to make searching faster by bringing important information off websites and onto your results page. They’ve done this with a Knowledge Graph that grabs facts and presents them immediately (to the tune of 500+ billion facts on ~5 billion entities as of May 2020). But Google also knows that it doesn’t know everything and relies on content creators to bring the best answers forward. Snippets could appear in search from your website if you write about anything from local travel spots to specific bank technology. Some who work in SEO are upset that Google will continue to “steal” traffic from brands by revealing essential information (thus preventing a click), but marketers should look at this change as an enormous brand and sales opportunity. Here’s an example of the featured snippet at the top of the search results page from the query “what is an ITM?” ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/01/itm.png)How did Bank of Oak Ridge achieve a ranking like this for the search query “what is an ITM?” Simply by accident? Or did they build the page intentionally with the keywords, titles, and links pointing to a low-competition topic with this goal in mind? Either way, the fact that a bank with less than $500M in assets achieved a top ranking for a search on a technology that exists at banks 10 times its size demonstrates that power of search. Are you creating content that fills a gap for your markets, niches you serve, or even products (however commoditized you may think they are)? ## **Technical Ranking Factors** One of the longest standing debates in SEO grapples with what technical factors Google uses to determine how a page on your website ranks. There has been a steady shift in recent years to “quality metrics,” however many of the technical components (site speed, sitemaps, title tags, etc.) still rise to the top as the most fundamental and important aspects of high-ranking web pages. If you have not audited your website in some time, it may be the perfect time to do so. ## **Visual Search Is A Brand Opportunity** You’re not selling shoes, but you should be paying attention to visual search. Using original photography and associating relevant keywords can help you unlock new sources of organic local traffic. You won’t win with cleverly named iStock photos, but if you can create a unique set of meaningful photos and evolve your website (or at least sections of your website) into more dynamic, image-based media, you might be surprised at the traffic lift you start to see. Remember, it takes research and understanding of the opportunities, but the tools are there and, with a little hard work, you can find success. ## **Is *This* “The Year of Voice?”** Every year for the last five years has been “The Year of Voice.” So, why hasn’t voice taken off? Speech recognition has improved significantly as an important technology on our phones, in our cars, and in our television remotes. But its integration with search via natural language processing and cognitive processing of our intent is still maturing slowly. This is a longer term trend, but do not discount the foundational work today. In the not-too-distant future, audio clips from a podcast may be the most important content on the web. Or Google Home might see your website’s “frequently asked question” as the most important source for answer on home improvement and HELOCs. SEO initiatives are often choppy, uncoordinated mixes of audits and content. Could this period of uncertainty be a great time for you to change that narrative and dedicate the energy needed to win some organic share of market and set your company up for longer term success? The opportunities are out there, and there may be no time like the present to pursue them. **Categories:** Financial Marketing --- ### [How To Properly Install & Leverage Marketing Automation At Your Bank Or Credit Union](https://hifiagency.com/how-to-properly-install-leverage-marketing-automation-at-your-bank-or-credit-union/) **Published:** November 9, 2020 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** Marketing automation came roaring on to the scene this past decade with the rise of modern platforms like Hubspot, Adobe Marketing Cloud, Marketo, Pardot, and Eloqua. Even traditional email platforms like MailChimp and iContact got in on the action by offering new automation features to their platform. Some industries have fully embraced these tools as key elements of a comprehensive marketing program to both customers and prospects alike. Banks and credit unions have continued to struggle with the proper way to choose a software, integrate data, and leverage the full power of marketing automation for the various communication paths required to provide the highest level of service and achieve the highest level of profitability from relationships. ## What Is Marketing Automation? Honestly, it’s fancier than it sounds. And it’s existed in some form since the days of direct mail. But today’s top-of-market tools do a few things very well: 1. **Email Marketing** : The bulk of activity in these platforms revolves around email. But this isn’t your parent’s email platform. No longer should you send large, static list emails to a group of people who have no interest in what you’re offering. You can use a variety of rules to deliver more personal, relevant, timely, and effective emails. 2. **Segmentation** : For a long time, marketing segmentation was based on demographic and relatively vapid psychographic information. This type of segmentation harkens to the days of traditional market research. And many of today’s marketing automation platforms can turn this tired approach on its head, using detailed and dynamic segmentation styles that adjust based on a variety of behaviors (and do it automatically). You’ll find yourself thinking more about trends and less about static list pulls. 3. **Landing Pages** : You may have used landing pages for various campaigns or specific communications over the years, but marketing automation tools accelerate the use of relevant (and often dynamic) landing pages. When someone arrives from a certain ad source or piece of content, their experience can be different. If you’re running a large ad campaign and want to test performance of certain messages or page elements, you can easily setup an A/B or multivariate test in these tools. Landing pages become much more than a one-off campaign tactic if leveraged properly inside marketing automation tools. 4. **Click Tracking** : Marketers love a tracker, right? Well, not all tracking is meaningful, but a marketing automation tool could shift your thinking on what it means to “track the click.” If you are familiar with metrics like CTR (click-through rate) in advertising or CTOR (click-to-open rate) in emails, your new marketing automation platform can take you and your insights a few steps further with deeper insights on the channel mixes that are influencing your audiences, helping you plan and budget better. 5. **Dynamic Content** : Relevance generation sets apart marketers today. The “right message at the right time” is a long-held advertising trope, but today modern marketing has reframed that to “the right message when the customer tells us it’s right.” Actions speak louder than words, right? Dynamic content is essentially the adjustment of images, words, links, and other content based on the characteristics and behaviors of a person. If they just originated an auto loan with you, would you rather serve them another auto loan email, article, or banner on your website? No, give them something meaningful or collect more information from them to deliver the next most meaningful service or content. 6. **Lead Scoring** : Lead scoring, an activity rooted in CRM systems for many years, allows your marketing team to add different behavioral triggers to your marketing activities and easily pass appropriately warmed leads to associates who can serve a client need. 7. **Social Media Automation** : Not all automation in social is good automation. Variability in social platform post standards create stretched or less than optimal posts. However, you can apply certain automations to posting and, most importantly, tracking the users who engage your bank or credit union via social channels. A better understanding of your audience on social can help you improve your content planning and production, ultimately improving the reach of your organic posts. 8. **Testing** : Marketers rarely have enough time to launch campaigns, let alone test subject lines, landing page layouts, or content and messaging. Automation platforms can help reduce some of the testing setup burden, giving you two, three, sometimes even 10% lifts in effectiveness. 9. **Analytics** : Automation platforms, if setup correctly, can serve as an important glue, connecting many of your previously disconnected marketing channels. ## Keys To Installing and Effective Use There are many keys to installing and effectively using marketing automation tools, but here are five of the most important. 1. **Develop your strategy *before* buying the software**. Demo a variety of tools to understand capabilities, but discuss your internal goals for marketing automation and define those clearly beforehand. 2. **Clean your data**. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but ensure you have clean, purposeful lists with the most important customer data that aligns with your previously defined strategies. This makes life much easier as your programs grow in size and complexity. 3. **Map your content and creativity**. One of my favorite activities is working with clients on automation maps. These include details on the triggers, content, messaging, landing pages, and other creative considerations. Don’t start building in the tool to “see how it works.” Be intentional about mapping outside of the tool and collaborating with your team and/or agency partner. The building inside the tool will be much smoother thereafter. 4. **Define any key funnels and terminology**. You probably have a few key digital applications or lead generation paths. It will be important to define these and setup tracking accordingly. 5. **Warm up**. Not only will you need to warm your IP address before sending the first email, you’ll need to understand how to practically scale marketing automation over a two- to four-year period. You can still get some “quick wins,” but recognize you’re building programs and not campaigns, so the idea is the winning programs will scale over time. Feels like a lot, right? It’s achievable, trust me. But you best path will be one well-informed by a deep understanding of what these tools can achieve and what your company wishes to achieve as well. **Categories:** Financial Marketing --- ### [7 Keys To Your Next Bank or Credit Union Website Redesign](https://hifiagency.com/7-keys-to-your-next-bank-or-credit-union-website-redesign/) **Published:** November 19, 2020 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** I created my first website some time in the late 90s. And it looked something like this: ![Wired Magazine - Geocities](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/02/geocitiesscreen.jpg)Source: [Wired](https://www.wired.com/2013/02/catch-a-nostalgic-glimpse-of-geocities-on-tumblr/ "Wired")…Needless to say, website development has come a long way. Being somewhat self-aware I hope, I no longer build websites. However, I am fortunate to have a great team of developers that produce award-winning websites for banks, credit unions, and financial technology companies. Having led strategy and development for numerous financial websites, I understand how important this virtual storefront is to a brand and its success. Despite all of the channels where our clients and prospects spend their time today, your website remains the most important first impression and has quickly become the most important destination for converting a prospect to a customer or member. The website project is often the first “stamp” a new marketing leader makes on his or her company. It can be a long and draining project with many stakeholders and moving parts. And sometimes the results are less than ideal. The pitfalls that lead to messy, stressful website redesigns and a frustrating “patchwork” post-launches are avoidable. But, it takes a good plan and partner. What leads to an effective launch? There are many important steps in an effective website development project: early and intentional strategic planning, thorough sitemapping, effective communication on milestones, timely inclusion of stakeholders, efficient punch lists, launch planning and clear rollouts. And that just helps get the project done. What about the site design, development, performance, and effectiveness? ### Seven Keys To Design, Development, and Website Performance Here are **SEVEN** keys to design, development and performance that you may want to focus on as you evaluate your next redesign. **Varied Navigation** : Navigational choice is one of the most important elements in an effective website today. Your website traffic already skews toward one activity; about 90% of your visitors hit the homepage and login to online banking. So what are you going to do to get the most of out the remaining 10% of traffic? Or potentially influence some of that 90% to look into your offerings further? Moving your site beyond “main nav product stuffing” is important. People don’t think about financial products like bankers think about financial products and your navigation doesn’t have to fall back on tired web design techniques. **A CMS For The People** : Evaluating your CMS functionality and your prospective agency’s approach to backend CMS development is critical. WordPress, Drupal, and a host of proprietary CMSs are available, but not all are customized with the end user in mind. You should be able to update banners, change body and header copy, embed or alter basic forms, and even create template landing pages if your agency builds the backend appropriately. You’ll save a lot of money on costly change requests over time. **End-to-End Tracking** : Analytics, advertising pixels, conversion events, and automation tracking are important scripts and system setups today. However, the setup of end-to-end tracking is consistently one of the most mismanaged aspects of website projects. Programmers and designers are often not focused on the various marketing tools and visibility you want. **Enhanced Accessibility** : Not only should your site be ADA compliant, but you can improve your site with new features like “dark mode” and continue to establish your level of care in the digital world to align with your level of care in the physical world. **Search Engine Optimization** : Keyword opportunity discovery, onsite changes, enhanced content and Google AMP development are opportune pillars of an effective website project. But many companies do rushed audits to fix basic technical errors, leaving opportunities for true organic search gains on the table. **Movement** : Adding motion to a website is a balancing act. You may employ moving imagery or video elements. Or you may hear your agency use terms like “parallax scrolling” to describe programming techniques that create the illusion of movement on pages. However you deploy motion, it should be well thought out, as it has implications for site speed, SEO, and overall user experience. When used correctly, it genuinely changes the way people interact with your website and deepens their engagement. **Adjustable Landing Pages** : Creating flexible landing page templates for marketers to quickly respond to crisis or market opportunities is a must-have feature of your new website and CMS. A marketer should not have to rely on an agency each time they want to create landing pages. It’s a waste of time and money and limits your ability to react to rapid change. **Categories:** Financial Marketing --- ### [2020: A Lesson In Time](https://hifiagency.com/2020-a-lesson-in-time/) **Published:** January 11, 2021 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** I usually spend the last week of each year going through photos and videos on our family devices, cleaning up the “Read These Things” folder on my computer, powering through final To Dos, and digitizing some paper that accumulated in my office over the year. It’s been an annual tradition for most of my professional life and a ritual that helps me start a new year with clarity. I’ve begun most first weeks of a new year with a clear email inbox, an office devoid of paper, no pressing house To Dos, and no personal finance cleanup. It always devolves quickly, but it feels great for those first few days of a new year. I couldn’t get everything cleaned up from 2020. Couldn’t make it happen this year. There was too much. And not enough time. And so, I sat in my home office the Sunday after New Year’s, and gazed at the emails and the paper and the financial documents; all of the 2020 leftovers. And I thought about time. Time got weird in 2020. I imagine you felt it in a number of ways. Between work from home, virtual schools, rescheduled plans, closed/reopened/closed/limited capacity businesses, and a steady stream of divisive rhetoric, we lost track of a lot. Time was no exception. We joked that 2020 felt like a year by June. A decade by year end. But we also found new ways to spend our time. We rediscovered hobbies. We picked up the old guitar. We started woodworking or making pottery. We read books. We did puzzles. We sat down to the dinner table with the family every night. In many ways, we rediscovered lost time. Many of you are craving “normalcy.” I get it. You want to have a maskless date night at a restaurant. You want to travel. You want to hug Grandma. You want your children to have birthday parties surrounded by friends again. There are plenty of “normals” for which I’m longing too. But, whenever normalcy returns, I hope you’ll remember how you adjusted in 2020. And I hope you’ll retain some of the “abnormal” ways you spent your time. Whether it is more time with family, an emerging hobby, or new ways to educate yourself, I hope you’ll appreciate and embrace how time changed in 2020. **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [Where and Why Do You Spend Your Media Dollars?](https://hifiagency.com/where-and-why-do-you-spend-your-media-dollars/) **Published:** March 3, 2021 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** Looking to catch someone’s eye? Be ready to pay for it. Each February, advertisers line up (each with roughly $5.5M in hand) to fill one of approximately 85 Super Bowl 30-second advertising spots. We did the math for you — that’s almost half a billion dollars in ad revenue alone. And this past year was considered a “light” year due to the ongoing pandemic and absence of some usual big names. This year’s Big Game also birthed new ads from financial incumbents and upstarts alike including Intuit, Robinhood, Quicken, eTrade, and Klarna, all of whom went about garnering attention in different ways. Their end game was the same: get noticed and get noticed quickly. Since its inception, TV has been the primary vehicle in which financial services companies could sing their (own) praises and bring carefully tailored messages to customers and prospects alike. But over the last decade the media landscape has spiraled toward a confusing, wasteful place filled with expensive incumbents like Google, noisy social channels, and a cloudy mobile and programmatic approach. Not to mention upstart streaming platforms still trying to define the next era of jarring placements. ## The COVID Media Shift According to a [December 2020 report](https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-facebook-and-amazon-gain-as-coronavirus-reshapes-ad-spending-11606831201), media buyers assigned more than half of U.S. advertising spending (51%) to digital platforms like Amazon, Google, and Facebook. It’s been proven that [media consumption shifted across literally all generations](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/covid19-media-consumption-generation-pandemic-entertainment/) due to COVID-19 quarantines and work-from-home realities. Because of this “new normal,” digital platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, posted significant gains while the many of our beloved hospitality businesses fell apart. **Alphabet** reported robust third-quarter numbers ($26.3B) with 6 percent gains in ad revenues last year. **Pinterest** reported a 2020 third-quarter revenue spike of 58 percent, catapulting it to $443 million.With $678.7 million in hand, Snapchat netted a 52 percent YOY increase from 2019 to 2020. It makes sense, but it also shows how much room these companies had for growth with new demographics jumping onboard. With the accelerated shift to digital, we now face a reckoning that has been brewing in the media landscape for nearly a decade: inflated results and fraudulent returns. ## Fraudulent Returns, Inflated Results Ad fraud takes place any time service providers fraudulently represent clicks, impressions, conversion, or data events in hopes of boosting revenue without human intervention. That means your numbers are going up, but no real people actually see your ads. Within the next five years, digital advertisers will waste up to $100 million a day due to ad fraud. ([The Waste in Advertising: Stats and Solutions of Misattribution](https://www.marketingevolution.com/the-waste-in-advertising-20)) *That’s a lot of zeros.* Just take a look around — the effects are being felt by CMOs across all industries. Although marketers intend to boost investments in online video advertising, more than 70 percent admit that negative news headlines have impacted video spend, with 21 percent reducing investments in specific channels. ([CMO Council](https://www.cmocouncil.org/thought-leadership/reports/engage-at-every-stage-an-investigation-of-video-activation)). Inaccurate, questionable, or false digital media reporting have led 21% of marketers to cut back on their advertising spend. In fact, more than half of ad spend showed negative or non-measured ROI. ([Marketing Dive](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/study-21-of-marketers-pull-back-ad-spend-due-to-poor-digital-measurement/522199/)). 75% of brands reported at least one brand-unsafe exposure in the past year, with Facebook being the least safe. At best, these incidents lead to brand confusion and, in extreme cases, loss of revenue. ([GumGum](https://gumgum.com/guides/the-new-brand-safety-crisis)) As cleanup has been incremental at best, with no industry-wide regulation being established, some major players have taken steps of their own in a reluctant nod toward transparency. After all, **digital transformation must be targeted, measured, and tailored to be profitable.** To add fuel to this dumpster fire, many marketing agencies are brokering media 2 and 3-times removed from the placement source, inflating true CPC and CPA costs by 20-30%. As as CMO, you’re getting less and less value for your dollars. ## The Media Cookiepocalypse For many years, marketers had the luxury of using cookies to track our website visitors, improve the content on websites, and collect data that helps us tighten our advertising targeting. Over time, privacy concerns (and some revenue opportunities in Big Tech) have steadily removed certain digital tracking capabilities. Google’s January 2020 post on [making the third-part cookie obsolete](https://blog.chromium.org/2020/01/building-more-private-web-path-towards.html) created quite the stir, much like Apple’s announcement on its stricter opt-in requirements for its IFDA (An Identifier For Advertisers) — which helps advertisers attribute mobile ad spending. Not all third-party tracking is going away, but legacy tracking styles won’t cut it much longer. Your data will be weaker and your more advanced targeting will be superficial. Firefox and Safari have already phased out the third-party cookie, but Google’s announcement (and dominant share of browser traffic) obviously created a bit more panic. There will no doubt be more innovation in the digital media space as a result of these changes (see Unified ID 2.0 as an example), but it will take some time to create “what’s next.” ## What’s Next For Media? So, what are we to do? **A consistent yet targeted focus on mobile is a must.** After all, mobile is where consumers live, work, and play. But, it’s not the only place where final purchase decisions are made. And that’s especially true of complex financial decisions. Yet, the modus operandi this past year has been to blindly pour money into mobile and the Facebook/Instagram ecosystem without much attention on the conversion experience. “Winning will be playing in both \[physical and digital\] and adjusting resources depending on where \[consumers\] are on that journey,” said one consumer products executive. “It’s not a conflict or collisions, it’s where the consumer is going and where companies have to go.” ([AlixPartners](https://www.alixpartners.com/insights-impact/insights/achieving-profitable-growth-consumer-products-practical-digital-transformation)) **First-party is the best party**. With the slow demise of the third-party cookie, many digital media companies are scrambling. You’ll need to make sure you have a better control of your first-party solutions and partners who understand how to connect the dots. **A renewed investment in landing pages and conversion performance.** Just being there “digitally” isn’t good enough. You need to enable your prospective customers or members to take action. And if that means spending more on an improved landing page or short, guided application (and less on advertising temporarily), then shift your investment and it will pay off when you increase your spend again. **Streaming advertising is still evolving**. Although the cost-per-thousand on digital TV has gone up, these channels continue to be in demand. As TV and audio providers continue to alter their impression and engagement models, the space will unlock new opporuntities to get in front of your most financially “active” customers. **Connecting the dots between adtech, martech, and operational tech will be paramount**. You’ve got a lot of tools in the toolbox now. Whether you have a CRM, marketing automation system, media analytics, or social listening tool, you’ll have to find new ways to connect the dots between these disparate modern marketing softwares. Those who glue will glean the clearest picture of media performance. **Social is demographically fragmented and influence has authenticity challenges.** Costs are still relatively low on Facebook, Snapchat and newer platforms like TikTok, but integrated strategies with content are paramount here. LinkedIn has potential with the right commercial strategy and understanding of CPL and CPA. And “influencers,” however big or small their circles, have their place, but have to be used wisely as part of a niche or greater, integrated plan. 2021’s been more digital than any year before. And 2022 will only see a larger share of digital eyeballs. But with the media and marketing technology landscape continuing to evolve rapidly, your challenge to effectively spend, track, and optimize will only increase. Knowing *where*, and most importantly *why*, you are spending your media dollars will help you find your efficient and effective sweet spot. **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [The Subscription Economy in Banking’s Future](https://hifiagency.com/the-subscription-economy-in-bankings-future/) **Published:** April 30, 2021 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** We officially live in a subscription-consumed society. What was once reserved for magazines and door-to-door Encyclopedia salespeople has become the default way we consume media, order food, hail a ride, and even buy clothing. It’s understandable how we got here. Subscriptions *can* make our lives easier with the touch of a button, an automatic refill or groceries that arrive on our doorstep just an hour from ordering. And in the digital age, our appetite for instant and easy services has never been higher. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t participate in this modern consumer megatrend. A [2019 study](https://corporateinsight.com/how-subscription-models-can-attract-millennials-to-the-financial-services-industry/) found that 92% of the millennial generation uses a subscription service of some kind. More people are placing value in companies offering subscriptions for products and services, and companies want to create positive experiences in return. As explained by [*Harvard Business Review*](https://hbr.org/1998/07/welcome-to-the-experience-economy?utm_source=morning_brew), companies in the experience economy “use services as the stage, and goods as props, to engage individual customers in a way that creates a memorable event.” Businesses from every industry have grown to love the subscription model in the last decade as well. For good reason! Recurring, and stable sources of revenue tend to make good businesses better. And the customers who opt-in to these types of services are quite loyal; they’re not looking for a one-time purchase. Instead of aiming for single transactions, businesses are focusing on delivering lasting experiences and forming long-term customer relationships through subscriptions. So where do we stand in financial services? Our customers are drowning in subscriptions. At every financial services conference we attend, the speaker tells us “look at Amazon, look at Uber!” We’ve been looking, conference speakers! We see it. But we’re confused as to where we fit in this megatrend called the subscription economy. Luckily, our friends in fintech have stepped up. ## **The Fintech Response to Subscriptions** One of the first financial pains that the modern fintech community identified as a pain point was budgeting. “PFM” (Personal Financial Management) solutions from companies like Yodlee, Mint, and MX focused their early attention on transaction categorization and aggregated views of your budget, net income, cash flow, and much more. Post-Great Recession, on the backs of Uber and Amazon Prime, subscriptions began to touch every part of our lives. And PFM tools were not first responders to the pain; so a new breed of fintechs began to emerge focused on identifying, presenting, and changing consumer behaviors around their subscriptions. A variety of fintechs stepped in over the last five years via direct to consumer (see Truebill) and in partnership with financial institutions (see [Minna Technologies](https://minnatechnologies.com/) and [WalletFi](https://walletfi.com/) as examples). Minna Technologies, a Swedish-based software company, partners with banks to help customers manage their entire subscriptions’ lifecycles and includes promotional opportunities for subscription businesses. WalletFi™ enriches raw transactions with recurring subscription and bill payment data, adding a new layer of enrichment that enables the opportunity to engage with every transaction. PFM solutions rolled out new solutions and even banks began to create focused solutions on subscription management. European challenger banks were one of the first to the party and larger U.S. banks have slowly begun to release more of these features to their customers natively in apps and online banking solutions. For many, subscription management services may become as “table stakes” as mobile check deposit became this past decade. ## **Could You Subscribe To Your Bank?** The other side of this coin is about value. Is there a subscription model where banking solutions offer enough value that customers would pay a monthly fee? In hindsight, less focus on NSF fees and more on monetization of digital solutions would have made for a healthier balance sheet in the future, but no one was going to take the first step against “free” over the last two decades. Hope is not lost though. Consumers appreciate what the subscription business model provides them: flexibility, speed, personalization, and convenience. What if banks could capture that same dynamic (and actually charge a fee because it was such a value-add to someone’s financial health)? There are companies who have done a great job enhancing core financial products like checking accounts, helping adjust the performance of this loss leader into a higher-performing, non-interest asset for financial institutions. See [StrategyCorps’ BaZing service](https://strategycorps.com/solutions/bazing/) as an example. But, can we push subscriptions further into the ethos of the financial services model? There have been a few shots on goal over the years, but nothing has been a slam dunk. 1. Meed Banking Club, a $9.95/month fintech built on bundling, made a bit of noise when partnering with Oklahoma-based Vast Bank a couple years ago, but has since disappeared/been acquired (?) by Austin-based Tend. 2. Aion Bank, a Brussels based subsidiary of an ETF holding company, has taken a premium services approach to its subscription model that includes a data aggregation tool that helps lower household bills, find better deposit rates, and find deals online. All of this comes with a €20/month price (equivalent to approximately $22). 3. Newer, niche challengers like Greenlight have simple fee structures (focused on kids financial management in the case of Greenlight). It’s fairly obvious that to create a successful subscription model in a bank, you must have an incredibly unique value proposition or audience focus. With the rise of so many “Super Apps” in the industry, packing more investment features, cryptocurrency trading, budget tools, and rewards aggregators, the consumer is going to be quite confused as to what’s a valid, trustworthy service. Bells and whistles do make a lot of noise, but don’t always lead to sustainable business. There is an opportunity for banks to personalize rewards and cashback services for a subscribing consumer, and research shows that financial services should shift from the traditional product-centric offering to focusing on the customer by providing experiences and supporting financial wellness. There is still more that needs to be done to make subscription-style banking have mass appeal to consumers. The subscription economy is here to stay. How will your financial institution adapt? **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [4 Common Brand Storytelling Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)](https://hifiagency.com/4-common-brand-storytelling-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them/) **Published:** October 21, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** Every business wants to build a closer connection with its customers. One of the most effective ways to strengthen that bond is through **brand storytelling.** Using the tools of narrative, this technique helps to humanize businesses and bring emotion into an interaction that is usually transactional. A great brand story can work wonders in clarifying your mission and values, crafting successful marketing campaigns, and improving customer loyalty. But again and again, companies run into the same pitfalls when trying to tell their brand story. Here are a few of the most common mistakes they make, and suggestions for how to overcome them: #### **\#1: Not Actually Telling a Story** “Storytelling” is more than just a buzzword – it’s one of the most fundamental human impulses, allowing our brains to make order out of chaos. We’ve spent millennia exploring exactly what makes a great story, and now we have a clearly defined storytelling structure. All too often, brands simply describe themselves in trying to tell their story. But a description isn’t a story. Descriptions are static and boring, while stories are dynamic and emotionally engaging. What makes a story a story? 1. A story has a beginning, middle, and end. Usually, the beginning introduces the existing status quo, the middle presents a challenge to the status quo, and the end shows the new and better status quo that arose because of the challenge. 2. A story is made up of events connected in a causal chain. You should be able to put the words **SO** or **BUT** between your events so that each event either directly causes or faces a challenge from the next one. The goal is always to make your audience wonder: What’s going to happen next? 3. A story should have characters the audience can identify with. They should imagine what it would be like if they were personally going through the events of the story. When they see themselves in the story, they become emotionally involved. Instead of describing your brand (“Our company provides mortgages to underserved communities”), tell its story using the fundamentals of storytelling listed above: “There was a hard-working couple who wanted a home, and because of antiquated lending rules, they were unable to buy the home they deserved. **BUT** a brave and conscientious group of professionals believed that the couple should be able to buy their own home, and they started their company to lend them the money they needed. **SO** the couple was able to get their mortgage and achieve their dream of homeownership.” This brand story tells us much more than just what the company does; it tells us about the company’s values and character. If we were that couple, we’d want to do business with this company. #### **\#2: Telling the Story From the Wrong Perspective** When most companies set out to write their brand story, they make themselves the main character. And why not? If you’ve spent years doing the hard work of building a business, why wouldn’t you see yourself as the hero of your story? An effective brand story, however, needs an audience (better known as potential customers). That audience has a problem, and they’re looking everywhere for the business that can help solve their problem. They don’t care about that business’ journey to grow and become profitable, because they can’t see themselves in that story. The brand storytelling expert [Miri Rodriguez](https://www.brandstorytelling.tv/single-post/getting-to-the-heart-of-your-brand-story-q-a-with-author-miri-rodriguez) says that the audience needs to see themselves “as a main character in the story, and your brand is the enabler, the sidekick that helps them win.” Everyone wants to be Batman, but your customers need you to be Robin. If your brand story doesn’t include how you serve others, it isn’t really a brand story. #### **\#3: Not Telling a Unique Story** Think about the stories you love – your favorite book, movie, or show. What sets one love story or adventure story apart from all the others like it? It’s the personal details: the way a character speaks, the moment of bravery, the surprise twist. Your brand story should have the same engaging personal detail. What about your story makes you stand out from everyone else in your field? Maybe you faced some of the same challenges your customers are facing, and created your business to help them avoid what you went through. Remember individual moments of struggle and the emotions you felt as you endured them. The more specific your details, the more involved your audience will feel. #### **\#4: Using Too Much Jargon** It’s very tempting to sound smart. Businesses want to demonstrate their years of experience and their world-class products. But when you overload your story with technical industry language, you run the risk of draining its power to connect. Remember, you’re a human speaking to other humans. Clear language is especially vital in B2C communication, when you’re trying to appeal to people who don’t know much about your sector. But even in B2B communication, talk in a way that recognizes the most basic needs of the other business. Save the jargon for your feature sheet or training video. Tell your brand story in a way that anyone can understand. Once you learn how to tell your main brand story, you can apply the same tools to individual products and services you offer. Not only will you find that storytelling deepens your connection to your customers, but it may also help you better understand your own business by seeing it from their perspective. Start telling your story today! **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [5 Activities That Will Improve Your SEO Today](https://hifiagency.com/5-activities-that-will-improve-your-seo-today/) **Published:** December 16, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Excerpt:** Search engines still matter. Mostly one search engine still matters. Despite a proliferation of new digital channels and content **Content:** Search engines still matter. Mostly one search engine still matters. Despite a proliferation of new digital channels and content, where you rank on a Google SERP (search engine results page) can be the difference between your getting a significant piece of new business or a competitor getting that same business. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is also one of the most wasteful areas in marketing spend. It’s a complex reality that has forced digital marketers to look for help from digital agencies and Google for over two decades now. SEO improvement usually falls into two categories: short-term infrastructure and long-term content scaling. Improving foundational SEO performance may only take a few months to implement, but significant, revenue-producing results may take 18+ months. As important as it is to follow and practice the [latest in search engine optimization](https://hifiagency.com/bank-and-credit-union-seo-trends-worth-pursuing/) trends, there are a few simple activities that can make an impact on your organic traffic right now. Below are five quick fixes that help you improve your standing with search engines. ### The Need For Speed SEO can feel so complex that it’s easy to forget one of the simplest fixes available: just load pages faster. Page speed has an enormous effect on user experience, and slow loading can lead impatient users to take their business elsewhere. According to a [2018 study by Pingdom](https://www.pingdom.com/blog/page-load-time-really-affect-bounce-rate/), a page’s bounce rate jumps from 6% for a 2-second load time to a whopping 38% for a 5-second load time. Use a measurement tool like [Google PageSpeed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev/) to assess and fix slow-loading pages, and you’ll find an instant improvement in your rankings. ### Get The Picture Sure, images can make your page prettier to look at. But using the wrong ones can have the opposite of your intended effect. A huge image (or lots of little ones) can slow down loading times considerably, and as we just saw, page speed matters. Pick one striking image, and resize it to exactly the display size – don’t upload a 3000×2000 pixel image if you’re only going to display it at 300×200 pixels. Also, write strong captions, and make sure every image has alt and title text. ### Unbreak My Links Remember how annoyed you felt the last time you clicked on a link that went nowhere? Well, search engines feel the same way. Outbound links to pages that no longer exist look like dead ends to the bots that crawl your website and will cause them to drop your ranking. Identify your broken outbound links, either manually or by using one of the many available link checker programs. Then redirect the broken link to the correct page, or just remove the link entirely. ### Thin The Herd Every so often, it’s important to sift through your old content and ask the hard questions. Is this 5-year-old post still relevant and up-to-date? Can I write a new version that has more to say about the current state of things? Just like people, search engines are always looking for new and exciting content. If a post isn’t getting many links, shares, or reads, if it isn’t speaking to today’s reality, or if it doesn’t have much to say, it’s ok to put it out of its misery. The rest of your content will shine all the brighter without it. ### Better Headers You may have seen tags like “H1” (Heading 1) as you were entering a post into your content management system. But these header tags determine much more than the font size – they tell search engines how to read your content. Make sure that the title (and only the title) of your post gets an H1 tag, and that it includes the most important keywords and descriptions of your subject matter. Search engines pay a lot of attention to what’s in that H1 tag, so be sure to get it right. Then use H2 tags as subheadings to separate different sections within the piece. You can even use the H3 through H6 tags if you have enough subdivisions. Bonus: Using header tags properly will make your post much easier for people to read, too! Don’t let the size of your SEO challenges overwhelm you. Start with basic fixes like the ones above, and you’ll score quick wins. As you gain confidence and work with partners you trust, you can tackle more complicated upgrades. Your website and your business will reap the benefits. ##### Written by: Akiva Fox, Financial Content Director, HIFI Agency **Categories:** Strategy --- ### [What to Expect from Social Media in 2022](https://hifiagency.com/what-to-expect-from-social-media-in-2022/) **Published:** April 28, 2022 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** Social media has quickly become an integral part of our society, connecting people and businesses from across the globe to one another. A company’s social media presence is vital to maximizing its reachable audience and increasing brand recognition. However, simply having a social media presence is not enough to stand out. Businesses must understand current trends and be strategic with their profiles and posts. ### TikTok Rising TikTok, although a relatively new platform, has skyrocketed in popularity. Currently, there are over 1 billion monthly active users engaging with this video-sharing platform, with the average user opening the app [8 times per day](https://datareportal.com/essential-tiktok-stats). Businesses can engage with TikTok users by doing the following: **Participate in Trends:** TikTok trends, usually involving popular songs or dances, can be used to increase audience viewership. Recreating trending videos increases the odds of your company’s video appearing on more For You Pages and searches. **Be Humorous:** Many TikTok users use the platform as a fun form of expression. You can humanize your business by creating amusing content, and many organizations utilize the comment section to show humor and support for other brands. Rather than excessively promoting a product or service to viewers, your business can gain attention and engagement through humor on TikTok. ### Advertising Outside of the Facebook and Instagram Monopoly While all social media platforms can be beneficial for advertising, businesses that focus on less saturated platforms see better results. Instagram and Facebook, both very popular for businesses and consumers alike, include many advertisements, which can become repetitive and make users feel overwhelmed by information. Instead, businesses should consider these other platforms for their marketing strategies: **TikTok:** A study conducted by [Kantar](https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/6-takeaways-from-our-latest-kantar-study) showed that users find advertisements on TikTok the most attention-grabbing and enjoyable compared to other platforms. Users also feel that TikTok advertisements are less disruptive and more impactful than other formats. **Snapchat:** Nielsen’s benchmarking database showed that Snapchat advertisements on average generate double the return on investment when compared to other social and digital platforms. Snapchat has a younger user base, so a company with a younger target audience could see effective advertising results on this platform. **Twitch:** Twitch offers partnership opportunities, where brands can pay an influencer on the app to promote a product or run an advertisement for them. Companies can use this to their advantage by working with users whose audience base is most similar to their own. An example of this could be an influencer streaming an unboxing haul or product review. ### Authenticity and Transparency Now more than ever, people want to understand companies’ values and backstories, not just what they produce. To place trust in a company, people want to grasp the company’s culture and values, and many consumers head straight to companies’ social media accounts to discover these answers. An increase in authenticity and transparency will aid in customer loyalty and trust in the company. This can be done in the following ways: **Focus more on the people and less on the product:** Utilizing social media story options or live features allows for companies to be more human on their accounts. Using the live feature, companies can answer questions from customers or further explain a product in a less formal setting. Stories on social media can also be used to show the company culture, such as sharing a fun office lunch event or celebrating a staff member’s birthday. **Open Dialogue:** Companies communicate their core values and stances to humanize themselves and build trust with consumers. Today, consumers are more open to a company that addresses its clean or ethical business practices, takes action during social or political issues, admits their mistakes, and shares personal company goals over a company that stays [silent](https://www.forbes.com/sites/martyswant/2021/04/19/silence-is-not-an-option-research-shows-consumers-expect-ceos-to-take-a-stand-on-political-issues/?sh=54a15f4f46c6). Using social media is an effective way to communicate with your audience and join pivotal discussions promoting awareness or action. Implementing these trends into your business will not only increase your brand recognition and sales but will also establish solid client relationships built on trust. For more marketing tips and strategies, check out our other content [here](https://hifiagency.com/all-articles/). **Categories:** Strategy --- ## Pages ### [HIFI Agency | Financial Marketing for Banking and Fintech](https://hifiagency.com/) **Published:** August 1, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** # The only agency built to solve brand to bottom line for financial services banks fintech credit unions ## Who We Are Financial services is the only industry we serve. HIFI is the agency that financial institutions and fintech companies engage when brand, digital, and growth need to move as one. Because in this category, the brand promise, the product reality, and the cost of acquisition are the same conversation. We’re built to have that conversation start to finish, without handing it off. [ Meet HIFI ](https://hifiagency.com/agency/) ## Our work [ ![Thousands of new relationships, over $150 million in new deposits](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/02-image-Building-A-Digital-Bank-From-Dormancy-828x600.png) ### A Brilliant Year For Deposits - Analytics - Brand - Digital - Media - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/brilliant-bank/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021.01.12_zelle-showcase-digital-long-828x600.png) ### Zelle B2B Partner Marketing Onboarding - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/zelle-b2b-partner-marketing-onboarding/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img75-544x526.jpg) ### Allied Payment Network Rebrand - Brand - Content - Design - Strategy - Video/Motion - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/allied-payment-network/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-544x526.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Explainer-544x526.png) ### KlariVis Promotional Explainer Video - Brand - Content - Design - Video/Motion ](https://hifiagency.com/works/klarivis-promotional-explainer/) [ See Latest Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) ## Services One team.Serving financial services companies from brand to bottom line. [ Learn More ](https://hifiagency.com/services/) 1. [Strategy & Positioning](#services-block_8262ae76c5930944e50dc3cef061702f) 2. [Brand & Identity](#services-block_8262ae76c5930944e50dc3cef061702f) 3. [Digital Product & Experience](#services-block_8262ae76c5930944e50dc3cef061702f) 4. [Growth & Performance](#services-block_8262ae76c5930944e50dc3cef061702f) ### Strategy CMO-level strategy that makes your brand, media, and digital investments answer to the same plan. Because in financial services, they’re the same conversation. ### Brand & Identity Positioning, naming, and identity systems built for institutions where trust is the product and where it’s important to be distinctive enough to earn attention while credible enough to hold deposits. ### Digital Product & Experience Websites, email, automation, and analytics designed as one working product. Because the digital experience is the brand experience, and the data underneath it is what tells you whether the brand is working. ### Growth & Performance Integrated media run by the team that protects your brand, so the creative stays sharp, the channel mix maps to the audience strategy, and every dollar answers to acquisition economics. ## Latest content [ Articles ](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) [ Podcasts ](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=podcasts) [ ![Couple sitting together, each holding a blue box overflowing with groceries (corn, fish) against a blue abstract backdrop.](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/how-financial-institutions-blog-img.jpg) ### How Financial Institutions Can Win Over Today’s Homebuyers - Finance - Strategy AUGUST 13, 2026 ](https://hifiagency.com/how-financial-institutions-can-win-over-todays-homebuyers/) [ ![The Rise of Finfluencers Financial Influencers](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Rise-of-Finfluencers-Financial-Influencers.jpg) ### How Financial Influencers are Reshaping Personal Finance - Strategy JUNE 3, 2026 ](https://hifiagency.com/how-financial-influencers-are-reshaping-personal-finance/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Updated-Maggie-headshot-feature-image-4.png) ### HIFI Highlight: Maggie Malach - Brand JUNE 1, 2026 ](https://hifiagency.com/hifi-highlight-maggie-malach/) [ View Latest Content ](https://hifiagency.com/latest/) --- ### [Careers](https://hifiagency.com/careers/) **Published:** August 1, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - Careers # Work canbe personal HIFI is hiring the people who’ll help us take on the biggest work in financial services. If you want a career that compounds instead of a two-year stop, we should talk. [ Apply Today ](#apply-section) ![A media team that dines together...](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_1327-e1786997522761.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Maggie-2026-e1787063029767.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Ella-2026-e1787063068738.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Michael-2026-e1787063126956.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rich-2026-e1787063195199.jpg) ## Our Values We build brands and growth engines for the financial industry; work that demands both craft and rigor. These values drive how we hire, how we work together, and how we serve our clients. ### Value Relationships Relationships come first. We show up for each other and our clients; whether it’s brainstorming at 9 a.m. or lending a hand at the end of a hard day. ### Create Fearlessly We push past the expected. Yes, we work in financial services—but that doesn’t mean coloring inside the lines. We carve out space to test, learn, and deliver work that’s both compliant and compelling. ### Listen Intently We don’t just nod—we dig in. We ask the awkward questions, stay curious, and let listening shape the work. ### Question “Best Practices” Best practices are just past practices. We tweak, test, and evolve—because yesterday’s ideas won’t solve tomorrow’s problems. ### Work in Rhythm We believe in rhythm: flexible, human, and built on trust. We’re adults. We manage our time, show up for each other, and make the work sing. Because when you’re well-rested and supported, you bring your best—and so does the team. ## Current Openings - [Content Manager](#)HIFI Agency is a fast-growing marketing agency headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. We specialize in branding, digital marketing, and strategic campaigns for fintech and financial services firms. Our award-winning work spans brand development, content marketing, motion graphics, media management, marketing automation, and website development. **What You’ll Do in this Role** As a Content Manager at HIFI Agency, you will help connect content strategy to execution across our client portfolio. You’ll serve as a primary editor and content planning partner, working across departments to ensure our work is clear, consistent, strategically sound, and kept on track. This role will balance hands-on creative work and the planning that keeps it moving. You’ll review and strengthen our team’s writing, oversee content calendars and plans, create foundational documents, coordinate moving pieces, and help anticipate what needs to happen next, all based around the goals of the clients we serve. The Content Manager will work closely with the rest of the Creative department — as well as the Client Management, Project Management, Media, Search, and Social teams — to keep content organized and execution on track. **Specifically, you’ll do the following in this role:** **Lead day-to-day editing and content review.** – Serve as the primary editor across accounts — reviewing work for quality, clarity, consistency, brand voice, and strategic alignment. – Give clear, actionable feedback that strengthens the work and sharpens the thinking behind it. **Help turn strategy into strong execution.** – Work with Content Strategists to hone recommendations and ensure the work delivers on the strategy they’ve developed. – Step into content development as needed, bringing strong writing fundamentals and the ability to adapt voice, tone, and perspective across different brands and audiences. **Manage content planning across client accounts.** – Build and maintain content calendars, plans, briefs, and foundational documents that turn strategy into actionable work. – Partner with Client Managers and Media leads to understand each client’s strategic direction and ensure content adheres to it. – Anticipate upcoming needs, connect moving pieces, and help ensure content stays on track. **Keep content organized and moving.** – Stay ahead of content needs across accounts, keeping track of priorities, upcoming work, and dependencies. – Coordinate the details that keep work moving, flagging gaps and stepping in to solve day-to-day issues as needed. **Work across disciplines to support better content.** – Partner with Client Managers and Project Managers on content needs, timing, and planning. – Collaborate with Design on day-to-day creative development and execution. – Review media, search, and social copy to maintain quality, consistency, and brand standards across channels. **Who We’re Looking For** – We’re looking for a content professional with 3–5 years of experience in content strategy, editorial roles, or journalism. The ideal candidate is a skilled editor and strategic thinker who can strengthen others’ work, translate strategy into clear content plans, and keep complex work moving across teams and clients. **You’ll be a strong fit if you have:** – Sharp editorial judgment and the ability to improve work without simply rewriting it. – Excellent writing skills with the versatility to adapt across brand voices, tones, and audiences. – Experience developing and managing content plans, calendars, briefs, and other foundational documents. – A solid foundation in content strategy, with the ability to evaluate whether execution supports the intended approach. – An understanding of SEO and how search insights can strengthen content strategy and execution. – Excellent organizational instincts and the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple clients. – A proactive approach to identifying gaps, anticipating needs, and keeping work moving. – Experience providing clear, constructive feedback to writers and content strategists. – A collaborative working style across creative, client, project management, and channel teams. – Comfort moving between planning, editing, and hands-on content development as needed. – Technical knowledge of AI workflows. – Agency or integrated marketing experience; financial services or fintech experience is a plus. **Working At HIFI** At HIFI, we cherish relationships, create fearlessly, and challenge best practices. While we’re based in Raleigh, our fully remote team collaborates across locations, making time for in-person strategy sessions when needed. We believe in working flexibly in environments that best suit your lifestyle and creativity. Apply today and let’s create something remarkable together. As a member of HIFI Agency, you’ll also receive: > Competitive salary > Employee health, dental and vision coverage > HSA with employer contribution > Ample PTO time and generous holiday schedule > Remote-first work style with occasional in-person strategy time > In-home office equipment and WFH essentials > 401k with employer match The annual salary range for this position is $70,000 to $75,000 with opportunities for advancement once you are hired. [ Apply Today ](#apply-section) - [Marketing Intern](#)Are you currently a college junior or senior looking to dip your toes in the advertising world? We’re always looking for interested journalism, communication, or marketing students who want to help us build. [ Apply Today ](#apply-section) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/img36.svg) - How We Work ## Remote and connected HIFI is remote-first, with intention. Work from wherever you do your best work: home, a coffee shop, the sidelines of soccer practice. Then, several times a year, we come together in person for the kind of collaboration that only happens in a room: kickoffs, strategy intensives, team gatherings. We’ve spent years getting this balance right. The result is a team that does its best work without giving up the parts of agency life actually worth keeping. ## Benefits Competitive pay for specialized talent. Plus the benefits that make staying easy: ##### Health Insurance ##### Dental Insurance ##### Vision Insurance ##### WFH office equipment ##### 401k with a company match ##### Paid Maternity / Paternity Leave ##### Professional Development Stipend ##### Surprises (seriously, random surprise benefits) ##### Paid vacation time ##### Paid travel stipend for collaborative time ## Apply Tell us who you are and what you want to build. We respond to every application, usually within a week. Name Email Phone Job That interests You Submit --- ### [Services](https://hifiagency.com/services/) **Published:** December 1, 2020 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - Services # Every discipline.One team.Fully integrated. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img21-1.jpg) ## Services we offer Most financial institutions run marketing across five vendors and three handoffs and the results fall in the gaps between them. We built HIFI as the alternative: four essential marketing disciplines, one team, one plan. The people who set your strategy are the people accountable for what it produces. 1. ### Strategy & Positioning CMO-level strategy that makes your brand, media, and digital investments answer to the same plan. Because in financial services, they’re the same conversation. - Go-To-Market - Positioning - Media Strategy - Competitive Analysis - Audience & Segmentation - Content Strategy - Budget Optimization 2. ### Brand & Identity Positioning, naming, and identity systems built for institutions where trust is the product; distinctive enough to earn attention and credible enough to grow relationships. - Brand Development - Messaging Development - Identity and Naming - Brand Standards - Logo Development - Custom Photography - Brand Activation 3. ### Digital Product & Experience Websites, email, automation, and analytics designed as one working product. Because the digital experience is the brand experience, and the data underneath it is what tells you whether the brand is working. - Website Development & Maintenance - UX / UI Design - CMS Development - Landing Page Optimization - Marketing Intelligence Dashboards - Analytics Strategy and Setup - Email Marketing 4. ### Growth & Performance Integrated media run by the team that protects your brand, so the creative stays sharp, the channel mix maps to the audience strategy, and every dollar answers to acquisition economics. - Media Management - Campaign Development - Paid Search Marketing - Search Engine Optimization - Influencer and Social Media Marketing - Traditional Media & PR - Connected TV - Programmatic and Native Advertising ## Let’s Work Together Every engagement starts with a strategy conversation. Tell us what you’re solving. [ Let's Work Together ](https://hifiagency.com/contact/) --- ### [Agency](https://hifiagency.com/agency/) **Published:** August 1, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - About our agency # Built for one industry.Backed by the results to prove it. Drag ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_7726-1.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_7770.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo-Apr-17-2026-11-39-30-AM-e1786994602231.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_7774.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo-Mar-18-2026-4-25-08-PM-rotated-e1786994645372.jpg) ![Two coworkers wearing green aprons smile at the camera in a bright kitchen showroom with wooden cabinets behind them.](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo-Mar-18-2026-4-25-13-PM-rotated.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/HIFI-Team-Retreat-Meet-13.jpg) ![Two women stand on a blue indoor tennis/ping-pong court, smiling and holding blue PingPoint paddles with a yellow ball in one hand.](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_1319-e1786994689225.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Feb-2025-HIFI-at-Southern-Bank-Town-Hall-2025.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HiFi3DLogo.svg) - We’re HIFI ## The financial marketing firm built for brand to bottom line. We started HIFI because the financial industry was at an inflection point and the agencies serving it weren’t keeping up. Legacy institutions were realizing brand and digital experience had become inseparable from product. Fintechs were realizing a clever app wasn’t enough to build durable trust. Both needed a partner who could think across strategy, brand, digital, and growth without handing the work off between three vendors. Since our founding, HIFI has helped digital banks launched to half a billion in deposits, rebuild century old financial brands, and install revenue growth programs that CMOs can confidently defend in board meetings. We’re system thinkers in an industry that demands it; fluent in the infrastructure, the regulations, and the psychology that shape how people move their money. [ Our Services ](https://hifiagency.com/services/) - SOC II Certified![AICPA SOC Logo](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2024/05/21972-312_SOC_NonCPA_web-150x150.png) We’re audited like the institutions we serve. HIFI is SOC II certified: the highest standard of data security and confidentiality. It means we can securely work with first-party data to refine targeting, optimize media, and drive higher ROI without compromising trust. ## Meet HIFI Get to know a few of our team members, what they do, and what they enjoy about working at HIFI Agency. ![Kelly Cockrill - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img59.png) ![Kelly Cockrill BTS - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img60.png) > “The thing clients notice first is that the same people are in every room. The strategist who positioned the brand is in the media reviews six months later. That’s not how most agencies work. It’s why our work holds together.” > Kelly De Santis Director of Media Strategy ![Mike Violette - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img63.png) ![Mike Violette BTS - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img64.png) > “Every design has an aspect of self within its form and soul within its brand. My love of discovering new horizons in art and drive to paint the world in fascinations has brought me to HiFi, where imagination gets a voice and the client gets our best creativity.” > Mike Violette Senior Designer ![Ellie Verchick - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img53.png) ![Ellie Verchick - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img54.png) > “I associate HIFI with growth – both individually and as a team. It’s amazing to work alongside such innovative and motivating people, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the future.” > Ellie Verchick Senior Client Strategist ![Matthew Bussey - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img61.png) ![Matthew Bussey BTS - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img62.png) > “I’ve enjoyed working with a group of talented people here at HIFI Agency. As Creative Project Manager, I enjoy collaborating with our clients on their creative needs and watching our team produce some truly amazing work.” > Matthew Bussey Senior Project Manager ![Hunter Young - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img55.png) ![Hunter Young BTS - HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img56.png) > “It’s an honor to lead a team of incredibly talented, creative, inspiring people and work with clients across the world that bring out the best in us. HIFI is an agency built for a new era of work and I’m so excited about our best years ahead.” > Hunter Young President ## Join the Team We’d love to meet you. Check out the latest job openings on our Careers page! [ Join The Team ](https://hifiagency.com/careers/) ## Questions You Might Have - [Do you only work with financial services and fintech companies?](#)Yes. And that’s the point. Financial services is the only industry we serve. Everything we learn compounds inside one category: the regulations, the buyer psychology, the channel economics, the compliance realities. Specialization isn’t a limitation. It’s the reason our work performs. - [Are you retainer- or project-based?](#)It depends. For large projects (e.g. websites), we will develop a polished estimate of the hours involved. For ongoing support (e.g. monthly content, SEO, or design support), we bill at an hourly rate. - [How do we work together?](#)We are structured so that all of our clients have a dedicated strategy lead, project lead, and various specialists depending on the type of work our team creates for you. Teamwork really does make the dream work. - [Do you have an office?](#)We do! Although we’re a remote-first company, we have a dedicated office in Raleigh, North Carolina where we host clients, collaborate, brainstorm, and enjoy time together. --- ### [Work](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Published:** August 1, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - Agency Portfolio # Our Work Some of the work we’ve done for forward-thinking clients. - All - Digital - Media - Strategy - Analytics - Design - Brand - Websites - Content - Video/Motion --- ### [Latest](https://hifiagency.com/latest/) **Published:** August 1, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - latest # Latest Content [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rise-of-Gen-Alpha_Header-e1740066573634.png) ](https://hifiagency.com/family-banking-and-the-rise-of-gen-alpha-a-trend-to-watch-for-2025/) ### [Family Banking and the Rise of Gen Alpha: A Trend to Watch for 2025](https://hifiagency.com/family-banking-and-the-rise-of-gen-alpha-a-trend-to-watch-for-2025/) [ Read The Article ](https://hifiagency.com/family-banking-and-the-rise-of-gen-alpha-a-trend-to-watch-for-2025/) - Finance - Strategy FEBRUARY 20, 2025 ## Latest Articles [ See All Articles ](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=post) [ ![Couple sitting together, each holding a blue box overflowing with groceries (corn, fish) against a blue abstract backdrop.](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/how-financial-institutions-blog-img.jpg) ### How Financial Institutions Can Win Over Today’s Homebuyers - Finance - Strategy AUGUST 13, 2026 ](https://hifiagency.com/how-financial-institutions-can-win-over-todays-homebuyers/) [ ![The Rise of Finfluencers Financial Influencers](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Rise-of-Finfluencers-Financial-Influencers.jpg) ### How Financial Influencers are Reshaping Personal Finance - Strategy JUNE 3, 2026 ](https://hifiagency.com/how-financial-influencers-are-reshaping-personal-finance/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Updated-Maggie-headshot-feature-image-4.png) ### HIFI Highlight: Maggie Malach - Brand JUNE 1, 2026 ](https://hifiagency.com/hifi-highlight-maggie-malach/) ## Latest Podcasts [ See All Podcasts ](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/?type=podcasts) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/guest-promo_87_Gaelan-Woolham.png) ### Ep. 87: Deepfakes and Deepening Relationships via Call Centers - Financial Experience Podcast DECEMBER 11, 2023 ](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-87-deepfakes-and-deepening-relationships-via-call-centers/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Guest-Bios-Headshots_2023_Phill-Rosen.png) ### Ep. 86: An Engine To Drive Data and Digitalization in Banking - Financial Experience Podcast AUGUST 24, 2023 ](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-86-an-engine-to-drive-data-and-digitalization-in-banking/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Guest-Bios-Headshots_2023_Nico-Simko.png) ### Ep. 85: Making Payday, Every Day - Financial Experience Podcast AUGUST 14, 2023 ](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-85-making-payday-every-day/) ## Can you spare five minutes per month? Our Financial Experience Newsletter is a short, monthly read, delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe --- ### [Latest categories](https://hifiagency.com/latest-categories/) **Published:** August 16, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - Latest # latest content - All content - Articles - Podcasts --- ### [Articles & Podcasts](https://hifiagency.com/articles/) **Published:** December 1, 2020 **Author:** Hifi Dev --- ### [Contact](https://hifiagency.com/contact/) **Published:** February 17, 2021 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - Contact # Let’s Work Together ### I’m interested in… Full Service PartnerBrandingMedia ManagementContent MarketingDesign ServicesDigital Marketing SupportVideo / MotionWebsite Development ### Your Information Name Email Phone Organization / Company Let’s Work Together --- ### [Download](https://hifiagency.com/download/) **Published:** August 15, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - Download # The Bank Brand Name Report It’s yours. The most comprehensive study (probably in the world) on U.S. bank brand names. We’ve even included some branding tips and considerations as you plan for what’ s next. I WANT IT ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img48.jpg) ## What’s included? This report has everything. 1. Our research on over 4,800 bank brand names. 2. Our picks for standout names. 3. Branding lessons learned from creative leaders and brand builders. 4. Tips on how to approach your next rebrand. [ I WANT IT ](anchor-top) ## The Bank Brand Name Report This report has everything. I WANT IT --- ### [Podcasts](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/) **Published:** August 1, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev --- ### [Articles](https://hifiagency.com/articles-2/) **Published:** August 1, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev --- ### [Expertise](https://hifiagency.com/expertise/) **Published:** December 1, 2020 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** --- ### [Fintech and Financial Services Marketing | HIFI Agency](https://hifiagency.com/home-fullpage/) **Published:** December 27, 2020 **Author:** Hifi Dev --- ## Works ### [Tapping into an Untapped Market: Spanish Speakers](https://hifiagency.com/works/tapping-into-an-untapped-market-spanish-speakers/) **Published:** March 31, 2025 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** # Tapping into an Untapped Market: Spanish Speakers - Goals - New Audiences - Results - Conclusions ## Overview The Spanish-speaking population in the United States is rapidly growing, and with over 41 million native speakers, this group holds significant economic power. However, financial institutions are still overlooking this audience when it comes to digital marketing. With many banks failing to include Spanish speakers in their marketing efforts, this population is falling between the cracks of the financial landscape. By successfully engaging this audience, banks can access a previously untapped market while also providing financial opportunities and services to an underserved group. Through an audience segmentation analysis of one of our clients, Equity Bank, HIFI Agency realized there was great potential to reach Spanish speakers within certain geographic pockets of their bank’s footprint. In Guymon, Oklahoma, nearly 61 percent of the population is Hispanic, and in Liberal, Kansas, the Hispanic population makes up 68.6 percent of the population. With these statistics in mind, HIFI Agency knew there was significant untapped market potential. ![Tiles aligned spelling out English and Spanish words.](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SpanishHero.jpg) - Goals ## HIFI Agency had several goals in mind for this campaign. - Test and analyze the effectiveness of Spanish-language advertisements within the targeted geographic areas - Increase brand awareness and account openings among Spanish speakers - Compare performance metrics, such as impressions and account openings, with English language campaigns - New Audiences ## Reaching New Audiences Through Spanish Campaigns With help from a Spanish-speaking marketing agency, HIFI Agency launched a series of Spanish campaigns, across programmatic and social platforms, each identical to English variations. The Spanish and English campaigns each targeted the same geographic region, with the same budget provided. The results of the first two months of these campaigns were impressive. ![Reciba su nominated antes ad](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EquityBank_EarlyPay_Spanish_Standard.jpg) ![Get Paid Sooner ad](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EquityBank_EarlyPay_Standard.jpg) - Results ## How did the Spanish Campaign Perform? In the first two months of the programmatic campaign, the Spanish advertisements accounted for nearly 95 percent of the total account openings. While the English campaign accumulated 9.2 percent more impressions and 31.6 percent more link clicks, the Spanish campaign still gained 16 more primary conversions. This shows that while the English campaign was effective in attracting engagement, the Spanish campaign was more effective in driving new account openings. Similarly, across Meta, the Spanish advertisements performed significantly better than the English advertisements, accounting for 85 percent of the total results. While the CTR and reach remained relatively comparable between the campaigns, the Spanish advertisements attracted 25 percent more impressions, 14.8 percent more link clicks, and 39 more conversions. These results reveal that the Spanish campaign is more effective in driving both engagement and conversions. ![Graph showing Spanish campaign with more conversions than English.](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/English-Spanish-Campaigns_Pragramatic-White.jpg) ![Graph showing Spanish campaign with more conversions than English on Meta.](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/English-Spanish-Campaigns_Meta-White.jpg) - Conclusions ## Breaking Down the Metrics The Spanish campaigns were very successful on both platforms, even resulting in more account openings than the English campaigns, and this could be due to several reasons. First, the Spanish-speaking audience is a relatively untapped market, likely facing less competition in advertising, which allowed the Spanish campaign to stand out more. Another reason this campaign performed better could be because the advertisements had more relevance and connection to the audience. Since Spanish speakers are often overlooked in financial marketing, seeing an advertisement in their language may have provided a sense of inclusion and trust. By prioritizing Spanish-language advertising, banks are showing a commitment to helping this market achieve its financial goals. HIFI Agency hopes that by continuing to target this market, Equity Bank will be able to position itself as a trusted partner in the financial journeys of Spanish-speaking customers. ## Ready to be Engaged The high campaign engagement and amount of new account openings, across both platforms, highlight how the previously untapped Spanish-speaking market was ready and eager to be engaged through advertising. These campaign results show how thoughtful and strategic engagement with underserved audience segments can lead to impressive results. HIFI Agency was able to provide Equity Bank with a competitive advantage in the market by tapping into the untapped potential of the Spanish-speaking audience. - Team Insight > In the first quarter of 2025, every conversion from this campaign came from the Spanish-speaking audience—a clear signal that this segment was both receptive and ready to be engaged. I was genuinely impressed by their strong response, and it highlights just how powerful it is to understand and thoughtfully connect with each unique audience segment. ![Headshot of Ashley Sipe.](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AshleySipe.jpg) > Ashley Sipe Social Media Marketing Specialist ## Related Work [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-828x600.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Explainer-828x600.png) ### KlariVis Promotional Explainer Video - Brand - Content - Design - Video/Motion ](https://hifiagency.com/works/klarivis-promotional-explainer/) [ See Latest Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Digital, Media, Strategy --- ### [Allied Payment Network Rebrand](https://hifiagency.com/works/allied-payment-network/) **Published:** October 4, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** # Revitalizing A Proud Payments Brand - Strategy - Branding ## About Allied Payment Network Allied Payment Network provides the payment technology and know-how financial institutions need to innovate, modernize, and thrive. The long-time bill pay technology company has continued to evolve its service offerings over the last decade and needed a brand to better reflect its progress. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img66.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img67.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img72.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img68.jpg) - Starting with Story Allied Payment Network was long known as a bill pay company, but they knew they were more than that and their story needed clarity. Over the course of various discovery meetings, the HIFI brand team identified key themes that were present in the company’s culture and service offerings that were not clear to the audiences they served. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img69.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img70.jpg) - Payments You Can Be Proud Of Allied’s new brand identity came alive through video, email, social, and various other applications. Their marketing team now uses a more efficient design system to attract interest every day. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img71.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img72.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img74.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img75.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img76.jpg) ## Our work [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-828x600.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img22.jpg) ### Equity Bank Website Redesign - Brand - Content - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/equity-bank-website-redesign/) [ See Our Work ](/work/) **Work categories:** Brand, Content, Design, Strategy, Video/Motion, Websites --- ### [How HIFI Agency Drove SEO Success for BayCoast Bank](https://hifiagency.com/works/how-hifi-agency-drove-seo-success-for-baycoast-bank/) **Published:** September 25, 2024 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** # How HIFI Agency Drove SEO Success for BayCoast Bank - Challenge - Strategy - Results ## Overview HIFI Agency has been instrumental in enhancing [BayCoast Bank’s](https://baycoast.bank/en/) SEO performance, leading to a significant improvement in its online visibility. HIFI’s comprehensive strategy has resulted in a remarkable increase in organic users and a high engagement rate, demonstrating the effectiveness of our SEO approach. This strategy was centered on technical website optimization, improving high-impact keyword rankings, leveraging featured snippets, and identifying opportunities to further strengthen BayCoast’s local search engine rankings. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BayCoast-Background-Image.png) - Challenge ## Boost online visibility and search engine performance. BayCoast Bank, a well-established financial institution, sought to boost its online visibility and search engine performance. Despite its strong presence in the banking industry, there was a need to improve the bank’s keyword rankings and site health. Our challenge was to utilize our SEO expertise to enhance BayCoast Bank’s digital marketing effectiveness and elevate its standing in the competitive landscape locally and regionally. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BayCoast-Images-30.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BayCoast-Images-1.png) - Strategy ## A multi-faceted approach to SEO We concentrated on improving keyword rankings, particularly for local terms that drove significant traffic with high-intent phrases (e.g. bank, best bank in) and meaningful locales for the bank. Additionally, we capitalized on BayCoast’s services to cannabis-related businesses with additional content that helped solidify their top rankings for this growing audience in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The SEO efforts yielded impressive results, leading to a substantial increase in organic users. From January 1st until May 14th, 2024, a total of 38,501 organic users have been recorded, showcasing the effectiveness of the SEO strategy. This represents a 30% lift in organic traffic in the last 12 months. **SEO Strategies Leveraged:** HIFI Agency implemented several strategies that helped BayCoast Bank rank better, including: - Content Strategy - Keyword Research and Optimization - Long-Tail Keyword Analysis - On-Page SEO Improvements - Technical SEO Site Improvements - Content Creation and Interlinked Content - Mobile Optimization - Page Speed Optimization - Link Quality Improvements - Broken Link Replacement - Local SEO - Competitor Analysis - Results ## Significant Traffic Drivers HIFI Agency’s SEO efforts have significantly improved BayCoast Bank’s online presence. The agency continues to identify and leverage opportunities to further enhance the bank’s SEO performance. The results so far are a testament to HIFI Agency’s expertise and commitment to delivering top-notch SEO services. **Impressive Engagement Rate:** BayCoast Bank’s organic traffic doesn’t just idly visit the website; this traffic takes action! The bank’s website stands at an impressive 70%, indicating that users are actively interacting with the content. **Featured Snippets Rise:** HIFI Agency’s strategic SEO approach has resulted in multiple featured snippets for Cannabis Banking in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. By leveraging featured snippets, HIFI Agency has successfully enhanced the visibility and prominence of Cannabis Banking in the target regions, driving more organic traffic and potential cannabis-related business owners to the bank’s lead generation web pages. 1. BayCoast’s ranking for the local terms in its primary market, New Bedford, Massachusetts, rose from 9th to 1st in search engine results. 2. A content strategy to help bolster the bank’s focus on offering services to local cannabis-related businesses, saw it rise from 19th to a high first-page ranking for cannabis business banking terms. 3. We saw direct correlations from our optimizations to their Google Business Profiles and Location Pages. These optimizations helped rankings tremendously in the Local GMB Rankings / Organic Rankings in Google. Local bank location terms moved from 3rd to 1st in the search engine page results and hundreds of additional broad terms for banking moved from 2nd to 1st page results. - Team Insight > Seeing the optimizations we’ve made contribute to BayCoast’s success with their terms climbing higher and higher on Google, is an incredibly rewarding feeling. It highlights the immense value of SEO in the banking industry. We are continuously making optimizations to improve their rankings, and I love tracking this progress each month. SEO can be a long game, but the effort and research invested in keywords truly pay off in the long run. > Callie Johnson HIFI Search Marketing Specialist ## Related Work [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-828x600.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Explainer-828x600.png) ### KlariVis Promotional Explainer Video - Brand - Content - Design - Video/Motion ](https://hifiagency.com/works/klarivis-promotional-explainer/) [ See Latest Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Analytics, Design, Strategy --- ### [A Brilliant Year For Deposits](https://hifiagency.com/works/brilliant-bank/) **Published:** October 6, 2023 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** # A Brilliant Year for Deposits - Strategy - Media - Websites - Analytics - Digital ## About Brilliant Bank Brilliant Bank, a division of Equity Bank based in Wichita, Kansas, is an online-only bank that specializes in deposit accounts. This digital bank now serves as a critical driver of deposit growth outside of the community bank’s traditional retail footprint. ![Grid layout showcasing features of Brilliant Bank's website and app (including multiple accounts, charts for transaction history) and the Brilliant Bank logo](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/01-main-image.png) - Building a Digital Bank from Dormancy The marketing team at Equity Bank engaged HIFI Agency in 2022 with the goal of turning a previously dormant digital bank into a major deposit driver for the financial institution outside of its retail footprint. Building a national brand quickly is no small feat, but the HIFI media team worked with Equity’s marketing team to build a powerful media strategy, media mix, and data-driven conversion strategy that brought in thousands of new relationships and over $150 million in new deposits to the bank. ![Thousands of new relationships, over $150 million in new deposits](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/02-image-Building-A-Digital-Bank-From-Dormancy.png) - Mixing Media, Building Brand, and Strengthening Conversion #### HIFI Agency helped the Brilliant Bank team with a comprehensive digital strategy to drive growth that included: - Market research and media planning - Creative campaign development - Programmatic advertising and retargeting - Advertising fraud prevention - Search advertising - Lookalike audience retargeting - Streaming and niche media buying - CRA-compliant media coverage - Lean website development - Performance analytics and conversion analysis. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/03-image.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/04.1-left.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/04.2-right.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/05-image.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/06-dashboard.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/07-left.png) #### The Results 1. 2,000 new relationships out of the community’s bank footprint 2. $100,000 average balance 3. .46 % media spend per dollar acquired 4. 10% higher CTR in PPC than industry average 5. 15% higher conversion rate from programmatic advertising compared to industry average - Client review > HIFI Agency helped us turn a dormant digital bank idea into a transformative driver of deposit dollars for our bank. Their creative, media, and data prowess is unmatched in the banking industry. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/John-Hanley-Executive-2022.jpg) > John Hanley Chief Marketing Officer, Equity Bank and Brilliant Bank ## Our Work [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img22.jpg) ### Equity Bank Website Redesign - Brand - Content - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/equity-bank-website-redesign/) [ ![Fidelity Bank HELOC advertisement](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/000193-Fidelity_HELOC_CampaignConcepts_Magazine-pt-2_lightswitch-e1662507140962-828x600.png) ### Fidelity Bank Custom HELOC Campaign - Content - Design - Media ](https://hifiagency.com/works/fidelity-bank-custom-heloc-campaign/) [ See Our Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Analytics, Brand, Digital, Media, Strategy, Websites --- ### [Fidelity Bank Custom HELOC Campaign](https://hifiagency.com/works/fidelity-bank-custom-heloc-campaign/) **Published:** September 6, 2022 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** # Custom HELOC Campaign Helps Fidelity Bank Customers Find Cash - Media - Custom Photography - Design ## A New Spin on A Classic Product A great advertising campaign should do three things: stop the consumer from what they are doing, engage that consumer, and call the consumer in to action. In a world of fast-scrolling social feeds, how do you get someone’s attention? This was HIFI’s challenge when developing a new angle for a common bank advertising initiative: the HELOC campaign. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Fidelity-HELOC_Transparent.png) - About The Work Fidelity Bank and Trust (Leominster, Massachusetts) called on HIFI to breath life into their more traditional campaigns. The HIFI team worked through campaign concepting and our media planning process that included: 1. ###### Audience Development 2. ###### Campaign Concepting 3. ###### Custom Photography 4. ###### Mixed Media Creative 5. ###### Multi-Channel Media Planning ![Fidelity Bank HELOC advertisement](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/000193-Fidelity_HELOC_CampaignConcepts_Magazine-pt-2_lightswitch-e1662507140962.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Half-870x945-Fidelity-HELOC_Transparent.png) ![Fidelity Bank HELOC Campaign](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Homepage-Desktop-1112x526-Fidelity-HELOC.png) ![Toaster - HELOC Custom Photo](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Toaster.png) ## Standing Out From Stock To stand out in a sea of stock photos, HIFI proposed the development of custom photography to help bring our concept to life. The resulting photos stop scrollers in their tracks. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Outlet.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Drawer.png) ![Fidelity Bank HELOC Campaign](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Homepage-Desktop-1112x526-Fidelity-HELOC.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Cannister.png) ## Related Work [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-828x600.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021.01.12_zelle-showcase-digital-long-828x600.png) ### Zelle B2B Partner Marketing Onboarding - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/zelle-b2b-partner-marketing-onboarding/) [ See Latest Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Content, Design, Media --- ### [KlariVis Promotional Explainer Video](https://hifiagency.com/works/klarivis-promotional-explainer/) **Published:** September 6, 2022 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** # KlariVis Showcases Their Solution With A Dynamic Video - Branding - Video / Motion - Design KlariVis, a data analytics and visualization solution for financial institutions, built a powerful suite of dashboards and data tools. But they had not brought their product to life in a meaningful way. HIFI Agency helped their team animate their offering to attract new prospects online and offline. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/KlariVis_9.png) - About The Work ## Telling KlariVis’ Story What makes a great promotional video? It’s often a combination of powerful visuals, energizing audio, clear message, and call to action. HIFI helped the KlariVis team script, storyboard, visualize dashboards, and produce a one-minute promotional explainer video to help attract the right type of decision maker at trade shows or online. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Half-870x945-Klarivis-Explainer_02.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Half-870x945-Klarivis-Explainer_01_Transparent.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Explainer-1.png) - Client Review > I don’t know of any other way to explain working with HIFI other than they “get it.” As former bankers turned FinTech, I can’t tell you how much easier it makes building a brand with a team that truly speaks our language and understands the nuances that make up the financial services industry. ![Kim Snyder - KlariVis](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Kim-Snyder-1.png) > Kim Snyder CEO / Founder, KlariVis ## Our Work [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021.01.12_zelle-showcase-digital-long-828x600.png) ### Zelle B2B Partner Marketing Onboarding - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/zelle-b2b-partner-marketing-onboarding/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-828x600.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ See Our Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Brand, Content, Design, Video/Motion --- ### [Zelle B2B Partner Marketing Onboarding](https://hifiagency.com/works/zelle-b2b-partner-marketing-onboarding/) **Published:** August 10, 2022 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** # Zelle Brings Banks and Credit Unions Forward With New B2B Onboarding - Content - Design - Email Marketing ## Helping Zelle Build Better Partnerships Onboarding banks and credit unions to a new technology service is no small feat. It requires clear, consistent content and plentiful resources to make the professional lives of product and retail banking leaders easier. The Zelle team challenged HIFI to create an innovative content program that bolstered engagement with their partner financial institutions. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Zelle_Emails_1680x945_Transparent.png) - About The Work ## Email Worth Engaging Our work involved a multi-phased effort that include strategy, messaging, content, design, and Pardot-friendly HTML programming for Zelle’s Partner Marketing team. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Zelle_strategy_book_870x945.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Zelle_B2B_Emails_870x945.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021.01.12_zelle-showcase-digital-long.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Zelle_strategy_book_870x945-2.png) ## Start with Strategy HIFI and the Zelle team collaborated on an initial strategy document that set the tone for audience segmentation, messaging, and design approaches. Through a series of collaborative meetings, our teams developed an outline of language and design requirements that aligned with Zelle’s brand standards. Additionally, our teams worked through any programming requirements early. The document visualized the journey for the Zelle team’s partner financial institutions and helped lay the groundwork for the creative process. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Zelle_Emails_1680x945.png) - Client Review > The HIFI team has become an extension of our marketing team. With their deep financial services and marketing expertise, the HIFI team has helped Early Warning improve our digital capabilities and campaign execution. They are fun, friendly and outcome-driven. ![Chris Worley - Early Warning - Zelle](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Chris-Worley.jpeg) > Chris Worley Sr. Director, B2B Marketing, Zelle ## Related Work [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-828x600.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Explainer-828x600.png) ### KlariVis Promotional Explainer Video - Brand - Content - Design - Video/Motion ](https://hifiagency.com/works/klarivis-promotional-explainer/) [ See Latest Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Content, Design, Digital, Strategy, Websites --- ### [BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) **Published:** August 5, 2022 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** # Adding Value Into BayCoast’s Consumer Onboarding Journey - Email Marketing - Marketing Automation - Content - Strategy ## A More Thoughtful, Beautiful Onboarding Experience Every bank knows onboarding customers is critical to success. But too often onboarding programs resemble cookie-cutter, generic messaging built inside displaced technology solutions. BayCoast Bank wanted more than the “boxed” onboarding experiences they’d seen across the industry. The HIFI team worked with retail, marketing, and IT teams to build a Salesforce-powered onboarding program that engages and energizes new BayCoast consumer relationships. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945_transparent.png) - About The Work ## What Did We Do? Like any data-driven initiative, planning and strategy were central to our effort. The onboarding project included: 1. ###### Data and Strategy Planning 2. ###### Messaging Matrix Exercises 3. ###### Journey Mapping with BayCoast Team Members 4. ###### Content and Messaging Strategy 5. ###### Email Template and Variation Designs 6. ###### Salesforce and Pardot Email Programming 7. ###### Marketing Automation Programming 8. ###### Analytics and Reporting Setup 9. ###### Testing and Quality Assurance 10. ###### Internal Launch Documentation Prep ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-1.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/00263_Hifi_Baycoast_journey_870x945.png) ## Mapping The Onboarding Journey There are a myriad of variables in each financial institution’s potential consumer onboarding journey. From data to customer product segments to automation rules that will ensure compliant, timely outreach. We walked BayCoast through a series of questions and data-mapping exercises to ensure the right person would get the right message at the right time. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_870x945_Zoomed_in.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_870x945_Zoomed_in_2.png) - Client Review > We have worked closely with HIFI for a few years and they have supported us in many areas of marketing as we continue to grow and focus on multiple brands. The team we work with is very strategic, technical, creative and responsive to our needs. Their knowledge of the financial services industry is excellent and they stay on top of trends and best practices. HIFI is a great partner in planning, innovation, and execution and we look forward to working with them well into the future. ![Robert Bergdoll - BayCoast Bank](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Robert2F.jpg) > Robert Bergdoll SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, BayCoast Bank ## Related Work [ ![Fidelity Bank HELOC advertisement](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/000193-Fidelity_HELOC_CampaignConcepts_Magazine-pt-2_lightswitch-e1662507140962-828x600.png) ### Fidelity Bank Custom HELOC Campaign - Content - Design - Media ](https://hifiagency.com/works/fidelity-bank-custom-heloc-campaign/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img22.jpg) ### Equity Bank Website Redesign - Brand - Content - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/equity-bank-website-redesign/) [ Our Latest Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Analytics, Content, Design, Digital, Strategy, Websites --- ### [Equity Bank Website Redesign](https://hifiagency.com/works/equity-bank-website-redesign/) **Published:** August 5, 2022 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** # A Bank Website Built For Scale - Branding - Website Design - Website Development - Custom CMS Development ## EquityBank.com Web Redesign A custom bank website built for the growing bank and its expanding marketing team. Truly a beautiful frontend customer experience and an easy-to-use backend CMS. [ See EquityBank.com ](#) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img18.png) - About The Work ## Building A Better Bank Website Equity Bank (headquartered in Wichita, KS) allowed HIFI Agency to perform a complete rebuild of the frontend and backend of their bank’s website. HIFI Agency’s redesign of Equity Bank’s new site focused on a few key areas. 1. A refreshed brand design system that translates well to digital. 2. An easily administered rate tool that helps potential customers discover rates by their zip code and allows Equity’s marketing staff to easily change rate logic in the CMS. 3. An innovative locator tool for both Mortgage Loan Officers, branches, and ATMs, improving search results and user experience on the website. 4. Smart search functionality that allows users to quickly find what they need based on common searches on Equity Bank’s website. 5. An easy-to-use backend CMS so Equity Bank’s marketing team can make adjustments to 95% of their website. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img19.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img20.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img26.png) ## Key Insights The results are clear. 1. Overall organic traffic continues to rise month-over-month and year-over-year thanks to improve local search results. 2. Engagement with key product pages is up 20%, pulling additional people into online account opening and lead generation applications. 3. The site’s speed improved by 50% overall. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img21.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img22.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img23.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img24.jpg) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img25.jpg) - Client review > Hifi provides a clear vision and detailed execution for our brand, including our 2021 website relaunch and subsequent SEO and content optimization. The design and CX approach significantly upgraded our ability to deliver a powerful customer journey. As a marketer, the process from idea to delivery was like having a top-flight marketing team right next door. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/img27.jpg) > John Hanley SVP, Senior Director of Marketing ## Our Work [ ![Fidelity Bank HELOC advertisement](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/000193-Fidelity_HELOC_CampaignConcepts_Magazine-pt-2_lightswitch-e1662507140962-828x600.png) ### Fidelity Bank Custom HELOC Campaign - Content - Design - Media ](https://hifiagency.com/works/fidelity-bank-custom-heloc-campaign/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-828x600.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ See Our Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Brand, Content, Strategy, Websites --- ### [KlariVis Trade Show Presence](https://hifiagency.com/works/klarivis-trade-show-presence/) **Published:** September 6, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** # KlariVis’ Bolder Trade Show Presence - Branding - Trade Show - Design KlariVis, a data analytics and visualization solution for financial institutions, needed to stand out at trades shows. HIFI helped enliven their brand with a multi-media trade show booth, complete with a new background, kiosk, motion graphics video, gifts, and marketing collateral. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Booth_02_Transparent.png) - About The Work ## Showing Up In A Big Way As a B2B fintech company, the trade show is often the place where your most important client relationships are forged and fostered. After rebranding KlariVis, we helped them enliven their trade show presence with a suite of materials that showcased their brand, their people, and their product in a bold new way. Take a look at some samples from KlariVis’ trade show transformation. 1. ###### Trade Show Canvas Booth Design 2. ###### Trade Show Kiosk Design 3. ###### Revamped Product Brochure 4. ###### Promotional Motion Graphic 5. ###### Product Demo Video 6. ###### Promotional Gift Box Design ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Explainer.png) ![KlariVis Banner](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Klarivis_LinkedIn-Banner_1-2.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/00263_Hifi_Klarivis_Box_870x945.png) ## Supporting Material With a powerful booth that more clearly defined their brand and services, KlariVis needed to further enhance their presence with giveaways and dynamic attention-drawers. A branded snack box filled with goodies, swag, and revamped brochure brought bankers to them in droves. ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Half-870x945-Klarivis-Brochure.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Half-870x945-Klarivis-Booth_03.png) ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Explainer-1.png) ![KlariVis Trade Show Booth](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Case-Studies-Full-1680x945-Klarivis-Booth.png) [](https://hifiagency.com/wp/wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=works) - Client Review > I don’t know of any other way to explain working with HIFI other than they “get it.” As former bankers turned FinTech, I can’t tell you how much easier it makes building a brand with a team that truly speaks our language and understands the nuances that make up the financial services industry. ![Kim Snyder - KlariVis](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Kim-Snyder-1.png) > Kim Snyder CEO / Founder, KlariVis ## Our Work [ ![Fidelity Bank HELOC advertisement](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/000193-Fidelity_HELOC_CampaignConcepts_Magazine-pt-2_lightswitch-e1662507140962-828x600.png) ### Fidelity Bank Custom HELOC Campaign - Content - Design - Media ](https://hifiagency.com/works/fidelity-bank-custom-heloc-campaign/) [ ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/000263_Hifi_Baycoast_Emails_1680x945-828x600.png) ### BayCoast Bank Onboarding Automation - Analytics - Content - Design - Digital - Strategy - Websites ](https://hifiagency.com/works/baycoast-bank-onboarding-automation/) [ See Our Work ](https://hifiagency.com/work/) **Work categories:** Brand, Content, Design --- ## Podcasts ### [Ep. 87: Deepfakes and Deepening Relationships via Call Centers](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-87-deepfakes-and-deepening-relationships-via-call-centers/) **Published:** December 11, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Gaelan-headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Gaelan-Woolham.png)**Gaelan Woolham** Director, CapcoGaelan Woolham, director of [Capco](https://www.capco.com/), joined the podcast to discuss his unique insight into the world of deepfakes and AI frauds in the financial world. In recent years, banking has moved away from in person interactions and towards online only interactions, which has increased the potential for fraud. Passwords and security questions can be easy to guess, especially with as open as people are on social media. Even in the case of voice biometric authentication, an AI voice generator could still pose threats to security. This has posed new challenges for financial institutions, as securing data is a top priority in order to keep customers safe. The front line of defense against fraud typically falls onto the call center, which isn’t always prepared. However, as new technologies emerge to help fight against fraud, new technologies are also emerging to enable fraud. Gaelan is excited to see how financial institutions will utilize technology to aid in the call center’s fight against fraud. He is also excited to see how AI will be used to help financial institutions, such as allowing for a more natural conversation to occur when calling a help number and speaking with AI instead of a real person. Listen to this podcast to learn more about how deepfakes and AI frauds are impacting the financial world with Hunter and Gaelan. ## More about Gaelan Gaelan is an Executive Director at Capco Toronto. Gaelan has been with the Canadian office over 15 years and has worked across multiple clients and projects. He has lead projects in strategy and delivery across retail Banking, Wealth Management and Capital Markets. He has a focus on financial crimes and has led initiatives in Fraud and AML transformation. Gaelan is known an inclusive and practical leader, who looks to build self-motivated teams. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 86: An Engine To Drive Data and Digitalization in Banking](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-86-an-engine-to-drive-data-and-digitalization-in-banking/) **Published:** August 24, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Phill Rosen headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-21-at-1.04.20-PM-e1692638841890.png)**Phill Rosen**CTO and Business Leader, MoneyLionPhill Rosen, CTO and Business Leader of [MoneyLion](https://www.moneylion.com/), has a long history in digital finance and joins the podcast to share some of the changes digitalization is bringing to the financial world. Through digitalization, consumers can get more out of their finances than what was possible with traditional banking. With the help of more advanced technology like artificial intelligence, consumers are able to get personalized financial tools and advice. While some consumers are still skeptical about digital banking, Phill has seen firsthand the benefits it can bring. “A lot of things that were speculative recently as three to five years ago, and certainly dreams ten years ago, are premature and material building blocks as part of now what is a really well-developed ecosystem” A big aspect of digitalization is data usage and analysis, but since financial data is very personal there are a few things to keep in mind. Phill emphasizes the importance of using data in a way that will be useful to the consumer, but that also follows industry regulations. In order to keep financial institutions out of risk with regulators, financial institutions must be clear about how consumer data will be used. Once this is figured out, financial institutions, and consumers, are able to see more meaningful returns. “Now it’s about maturity when it comes to combining all of this infrastructure and data with business maturity, right, to really drive corporate results” In the future, Phill is excited to see how digitalization will continue to rise in the financial world. As financial institutions become more familiar with the services and products available through digitalization, consumers can take advantage of their finances more than ever before. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the digital banking world with Hunter and Phill. ## More About Phill Phill Rosen has nearly two decades of experience and is currently the Chief Technology Officer of MoneyLion and Business Leader of Engine by MoneyLion – Web Services. Previously, Phill was CEO and Founder of Even Financial for over five years (before it was acquired by MoneyLion in February of 2022), the award-winning embedded finance platform for enterprise businesses. He founded Even with the goal of filling the gaps that he identified in financial services acquisition. A software engineer by training, Phill has worked with numerous startups in the intersection of data analytics, API-driven marketplaces, and ad-tech. Prior to launching Even, Phill co-founded Orchard Platform, an institutional investment platform for P2P and online lending, where he served as Vice President of Engineering. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 85: Making Payday, Every Day](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-85-making-payday-every-day/) **Published:** August 14, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Nico Headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Nicos-Headshot-e1691082181787.png)**Nico Simko**CEO and Co-Founder, ClairNico Simko, CEO and co-founder of Clair, was working long hours at his college job but had to wait nearly two weeks to receive any of the money he had earned. He wanted to find a better way for employees to be paid, so they weren’t having to wait to see their money. By the end of 2019, Nico had figured out how to make this possible. Instant pay options have been around for a few industries, like driving for Uber or delivering food on Doordash, but there weren’t options for other industries. Most 9-5 workers would still have to wait for their company to pay them, whether that was bi-monthly or monthly. Nico knew Clair would be able to bridge the gap between these two options, creating a new on-demand payment option. Clair allows employees to access up to 50% of their paycheck, before payday. There also aren’t any fees for accessing your wage early. This allows customers to easily, and freely, access their money whenever they need it. “You’ve earned $1000. You want $100 right now because your paychecks coming in 3 or 4 days. You need it for an emergency expense. Like we see it as microloans at Clair, and the view for us was let’s do it for free. That was the goal.” Nico focuses on a customer-first approach at Clair. He values staying ahead of the customer, consistently assessing their needs, and figuring out how to bring in new features to help with changing needs. Additionally, Nico hopes that this new payment option will better the relationship between employers and employees and increase overall wellness. In the next few years, Nico is excited to continue expanding Clair, bringing in even more financial opportunities. He wants to increase Clair’s available products, while also increasing product distribution. “We have multiple options in terms of financial products but I want to expand that. I really believe that if you’re going to give people the ability to get paid in real-time, give them also really good budgeting tools.” Listen to this podcast to learn more about the future of on-demand payments with Hunter and Nico. ### More about Nico Nico Simko is Co-founder & CEO of Clair, the mission-driven fintech company behind the first free, consumer-friendly on-demand pay solution backed by an FDIC-insured bank. Nico co-founded Clair in 2019, inspired by his experience as an Argentinian-Swiss immigrant working an hourly job in college. After eagerly awaiting his paycheck to keep up with his bills, Nico decided to create Clair to help workers get paid as soon as they finish their shifts. Prior to Clair, Nico led M&A due diligence processes for J.P. Morgan’s payments division, where he developed expertise on the lesser-known financial pain points that many Americans face. Nico holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University. He is based in New York City, where Clair is headquartered. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 83: Fixing the 401(k): More Personal, More Choice, More Control](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-83-fixing-the-401k-more-personal-more-choice-more-control/) **Published:** June 26, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Eliza Arnold- Headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Ac9IiKPU-e1687804293649.png)**Eliza Arnold**Co-Founder, ARNIEEliza Arnold, co-founder of [Arnie](https://www.arnie.co/), realized she wasn’t entirely sure where her 401(k) investments would go, or what it would support, so she and her sister decided to find a better and more personalized way for people to invest. There hasn’t been much change in 401(k) plans since their start nearly 40 years ago. Typically, funds are not flexible or personalized, so it can be harder to invest in the best way for each individual. Many Americans are also not fully aware of the values of the companies they invest in. This is what Eliza hoped to change through Arnie. “That gives us infinite flexibility to then build you, as an individual employee, your own personalized portfolio that can take into account anything,” says Eliza. By taking into account the raw ESG reports of each company, it becomes easier to see which companies are claiming to be socially responsible, and which ones are actually making a real impact. This gives consumers a better understanding of how and what their investments contribute to and whether or not they support each company’s values. Eliza says, “I firmly believe that you can invest with your values and also benefit in the same way, if not better.” She hopes that in the future, people and businesses will become more excited about and open to a decrease in the use of funds and an increase in personalized 401(k) plans. Listen to this podcast to learn more about personalizing and taking control of your investments with Hunter and Eliza. ## More about Eliza Eliza Arnold is co-founder of ARNIE, a full-service 401(k) provider that makes it easy for businesses to offer a customized, flexible, and values-aligned retirement plan for their employees. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 82: The Next Wave of Embedded Finance](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-82-the-next-wave-of-embedded-finance/) **Published:** June 12, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Riaz-headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Riaz-Headshot-e1686233829821.jpg)**Riaz Syed** CEO and Founder, InfinantRiaz Syed, CEO and Founder of [Infinant](https://www.infinant.com/), has been working in financial technology since graduating from college. His years of experience have given him key insights into the changing landscape of the financial world. Embedded finance has been growing rapidly in the last few years, as technology is constantly growing and opening up new opportunities for new financial platforms. While there have been some issues in the past with embedded finance’s initial start, Riaz is confident that it will continue to grow and evolve. “Like any first generation model, we will see the model continuing to evolve, improving on the shortcomings of the model and continue to drive innovation” In the next wave of embedded finance, not only are banks expected to become more open to trusting of embedded finance, but Riaz hopes to see them take the driver’s seat. Financial technology companies have been in charge of embedded finance’s first wave, but a new model puts banks in the center. “Our system is an open platform that would enable the bank to leverage some of the processes, procedures, and software components it already has” In the future, Riaz is excited to see how available payment options for customers will continue to change and grow. He is also enthusiastic about banks taking more charge of their role in the embedded financial services industry. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the latest in embedded finance with Hunter and Riaz. ## More about Riaz Riaz Syed, CEO, and Founder of Infinant. With more than three decades of experience in the delivery of technology platforms that drive customer engagement with core business values, Riaz is an expert technologist who previously was CEO and founder of Zenmonics, a Fintech 100 company recently acquired by FIS. He has also performed leadership roles at Broadway & Seymour, SAIC, WebTone, FIS. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 81: Enriching Customers' Financial Lives with Proactive (Not Reactive) Data](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-81-enriching-customers-financial-lives-with-proactive-not-reactive-data/) **Published:** May 25, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![David Benskin headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/david.jpeg)**David Benskin**Founder and CEO, Wealth AccessDavid Benskin, founder and CEO of [Wealth Access](https://www.wealthaccess.com/), saw a need to improve balance sheet management and knew he could create a clearer and more digitized method. During the financial crisis of 2008, it was difficult for companies to deliver balance reports to their clients. Wealth Access sought to simplify this process by unifying the data on one digital platform. This allows the data to be more easily understood, so the client gets the most out of their experience. David said, “Our mission is to make it easy for financial institutions to access the information that they need to help transform their clients’ lives.” He also emphasized the importance of maintaining personal experiences for clients, even with much of the work done online rather than in person. “We continue to listen to our clients and help them solve these problems and to find solutions to help them execute their plans,” said David. Taking the time to hear out the financial struggles or concerns of each client and working to find the best possible solution for them is key for Wealth Access. In the future, he is excited to see where technology will take data usage and management, and how that will further the financial industry. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the latest in data management with Hunter and David. ## More About David David Benskin is the founder and CEO of Wealth Access, Inc., a Nashville-based financial customer data insights platform launched in 2011. Under his leadership, Wealth Access empowers financial institutions and firms to unify and enrich existing books and records to generate deep insights that power hyper-personalized banking and wealth management experiences. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 80: What Prompts the Power of AI?](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-80-what-prompts-the-power-of-ai/) **Published:** April 20, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Ryan Favro-headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/OUQeYMUo-e1681737112539.jpg)**Ryan Favro**Managing Principal, CapcoRyan Favro is the Managing Principal and R&D Lead at Capco, a financial services company that focuses on providing next-level software intelligence. Ryan has been in the business long enough to see several major transformations, and he joined the podcast to share his thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI). AI opens up many different opportunities for the financial industry. For instance, with AI’s help, software can be built much faster now since code doesn’t need to be built by hand. Additionally, AI can process information and data much more quicker than has been possible in the past. “That is going to be the biggest transformation, right, so the ability for engineers and the banking industry or any industry will be able to direct the software that they want to build, as opposed to having to code it,” said Ryan. Ryan highlighted how it will take a few decades for consumers and businesses to fully trust and understand mistakes with artificial intelligence. Some customers may be concerned about providing important and sensitive financial information to an online platform, but as it becomes more integrated and consumers become more AI-aware, there are many benefits to the technology. He adds, “We need to figure out how do we train the consumer of the AI to trust but verify what it gets back.” In the future, Ryan is excited to see how AI will influence the need for coders in the industry. If AI is able to produce software and code fast, low-level coders could become replaced. Additionally, Ryan is excited to see how much faster software will be able to be built in the future. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the latest in artificial intelligence with Hunter and Ryan. ## More about Ryan With over 25 years of experience developing enterprise software solutions for Canada’s top banks, Ryan Favro is a veteran technology leader. As a Managing Principal at Capco, Ryan’s current focus is on creating next-generation fintech solutions using Applied Artificial Intelligence. Ryan’s extensive expertise and forward-thinking mindset have made him a highly sought-after expert on technology and AI in the fintech space. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 79: Credit Worthiness Isn't Worthy Without Better Data](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-79-credit-worthiness-isnt-worthy-without-better-data/) **Published:** April 7, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Lauren Crossett-headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Lauren-Crossett-e1680545496965.jpg)**Lauren Crossett**Chief Revenue Officer, PinwheelLauren Crossett, Chief Revenue Officer of Pinwheel, has been in the financial world ever since she graduated college. Currently, Lauren is focused on making consumer data available to fintechs, so that consumers can get the best possible financial advice and recommendations. Consumer reporting agencies, like Pinwheel, work to make sense of real-time financial data. Consumers must agree to their data being used, but Lauren has found many consumers are open to sharing data. This data can then be used to determine credit opportunities or insurance options best suited for the consumer’s financial situation. “Once a consumer connects their income or their payroll account to a bank or a fintech that we enable, there are tons of different things that become possible,” said Lauren. She is excited to see where financial services will go in the future and how traditional banks and bankers will adapt to new services that become available. While not everyone is ready to hand off financial data and switch to more online banking experiences, there are still opportunities for these bankers to become involved in new advancements. Lauren adds, “There’s still 7% of people at some banks that don’t have online banking. You’re not leaving them out of the story, you’re trying to figure out how to bring them in and to account for where they are while still expanding the services available.” Listen to this podcast to learn more about the latest in CRAs and financial technology with Hunter and Lauren. ## More About Lauren Lauren Crossett is the Chief Revenue Officer at Pinwheel, the leading payroll connectivity API. Lauren’s innate interest in financial services led her to the industry right after she graduated from Fordham University. Over Lauren’s career, she has held roles at companies such as Mass Mutual, Rebellion Research, and has spent the last 7+ years working on connectivity APIs at Quovo, Plaid, and now Pinwheel. Prior to joining Pinwheel, Lauren led Plaid’s wealth team and focused on bringing the delightful Plaid user experience to traditional wealth management companies. Such a unique combination of fintech and traditional financial services experience positioned Lauren as Pinwheel’s newly minted CRO, supporting the company’s mission to build a fairer financial system by increasing financial account portability and empowering customers to offer new products that will put an end to payday lending. In her free time, Lauren can be found on her family-founded organic farm. Lauren is also passionate about supporting upstarts and is an avid angel investor. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 78: The Buy Now, Pay Later Breakdown](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-78-the-buy-now-pay-later-breakdown/) **Published:** March 30, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Nelly-headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Nelly-Rezny-headshot-1-e1679686266224.jpg)**Nelly Rezny**SVP of the Business Solutions Group, TemenosNelly Rezny, SVP of the Business Solutions Group at Temenos, has years of experience in the industry and started her career in finance in the 1980s. Nelly focused her work on figuring out how different fintechs can bring new financial solutions to the market. Nelly explained how Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services are rapidly growing, and expected to triple, with roughly 360 million users worldwide. BNPL services, such as Afterpay, allow customers to make purchases while splitting the total payment up, usually over weeks or months. “The beauty of where it’s evolved in buy now, pay later has been at the point of sale. You now have the option for consumers to determine how they want to actually pay for their purchases,” Nelly said. Embedded finance is becoming increasingly common, and when fintechs and financial institutions work together, Nelly believes the possibilities of where the industry could go are endless. Embedded finance, which includes things like BNPL apps similar to Uber, and contactless payments, is becoming a part of everyday life. Nelly said, “Payments is not going away. Payments is going to be top of mind. And I think you’re going to start seeing financial institutions start to accelerate how they’re going to manage the advances that are available for payments.” In the future, Nelly is excited to see where the industry goes. She believes the tools and technology needed to make progress are already there, but further partnerships are needed to see results in financial services. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the latest in embedded financial services with Hunter and Nelly. ### More about Nelly Nelly is an accomplished professional with more than 30 years of extensive and wide-ranging knowledge of the financial industry with in-depth understanding of banking operations. Currently she is SVP, Business Solutions Group – Americas, at Temenos, the world’s largest banking software provider for over 3,000 banks. Throughout her career, she has worked with many financial institutions throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia in defining and executing multiple transformation initiatives, optimizing their business processes and maximizing efficiencies in their investment in technology. She has developed several best practices and implementation methodology guides and has been a speaker and panelist in various industry events such as American Banker, BAI and CEB TowerGroup. Having also held positions with Tata Consultancy Services, MoadBus, Fiserv, and Metavante, Nelly has a deep understanding of origination, core banking and digital channel solutions, with a specialty in lending. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 77: How to Unify Experience in a Broken, Siloed, Multi-System Financial World](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/unify-experience-multi-system-financial-world/) **Published:** January 17, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Emily Steele - headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Emily-Steele-e1673969530336.jpg)**Emily Steele** President and COO, SavanaEmily Steele, President and COO of Savana, has a long history of working with backend systems and front-end experiences. She came on the podcast to share her background in the field and some of the changes she’s seen take place. Emily believes working to create a unified banking process has extreme benefits for the industry. By modernizing the banking field through technological processes, a new system can emerge that unifies the banker and the consumer. She says, “You’re connecting those systems to work more effectively and efficiently and truly creating a frictionless interaction between a bank and its consumers.” Certain risks arise with modernization but unifying the banking process eliminates these risks. Emily believes by approaching these issues in a different and innovative way, new solutions can be found to simplify banking interactions. In the future, Emily is excited to see how open banking will continue to change and grow. She recognizes the value of open banking and is curious to see the role technology will play in its development. To learn more about unifying experience and connecting the multi-system financial world, listen to this podcast episode with Hunter and Emily. ### More About Emily As President and COO of Savana, Ms. Steele came to Savana with over 20 years in the banking software industry. Most recently, she served as President of Temenos, a leading provider of banking software solutions in North America and around the world. Steele is focused on three main areas of growth at Savana – GTM, customer delivery and success, and employee expansion. Steele has an unwavering passion for continuously creating a better customer experience. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 76: The Evolving Reality of Banking-as-a-Service and Embedded Finance](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-76-the-evolving-reality-of-banking-as-a-service-and-embedded-finance/) **Published:** January 4, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Gosia headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/trent-e1672854595287.jpeg)**Trent Sorbe**CEO, Central Payments & Co-founder, Falls FintechTrent Sorbe, CEO of [Central Payments](https://www.central-payments.com/) and co-founder of [Falls Fintech](https://www.fallsfintech.com/), joined the podcast to share his experience working with small businesses and fintechs to build future financial relationships. Central Payments was founded by a community bank, but through Trent’s work has grown into a larger Banking-as-a-Service company. He says, “We’re leveraging those fintech relationships, not just to support what they want to do in the market, but effectively reselling them through the marketplace.” Within the financial ecosystem, Trent works to find different opportunities to bring businesses to the market. Working with larger fintech companies allows his team to connect fintechs and their products to the broader system of banking. He expands, “In the end, we’ve got to connect a very complicated set of rails, some of which are pretty archaic, to cutting-edge acquisition models and cutting-edge devices.” In the future, Trent is excited to see what the next payment device will look like. Whether it’s a new phone application or a new form of a physical card, the fintech world is rapidly changing and Trent is waiting to see where it heads next. To learn more about the ever-evolving BaaS and embedded finance world, listen to this podcast episode with Hunter and Trent. ### More about Trent Trent Sorbe is the Founder and CEO of Central Payments, which provides payments technology and issuing capabilities for fintechs and embedded finance businesses. He was an architect of Central Payments’ Open CP Fintech API Marketplace, one of the only ‘REAL’ Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) payment platforms and the technology responsible for the rise to the fastest growing prepaid card issuer since 2015. With more than 30 years of debit, credit, and prepaid payments experience, Trent is responsible for products garnering nine Paybefore Awards, three of which garnered Best in Class or Category. He is also the inventor on 14 patents related to consumer financial services. Trent previously held senior positions at three nationwide payment card issuers and the FDIC. In 2016, Trent was named to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Community Bank Advisory Council and chaired the agency’s Cards, Payments, and Deposit Markets Committee. He is a co-founder of Falls Fintech, a startup accelerator program committed to bridging the bank-fintech partnership gap and is a host of the Fintech Brews & News podcast. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Central Bank of Kansas City. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 75: Inclusive and Human-Centered Design Unlocks Greater Financial Security](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/inclusive-human-centered-design-unlocks-greater-financial-security/) **Published:** December 12, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Gosia headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/rgJ-te4U-e1670534754529.jpg)**Gosia Tomaszewska**Director, CommonwealthGosia Tomaszewska, Director at [Commonwealth](https://buildcommonwealth.org/), came onto the podcast to share her experiences working to make financial security possible for everyone. Commonwealth, a nationwide non-profit, focuses on providing financial opportunities and security to low-income or financially vulnerable people. Gosia has been in this field for 15 years and has watched as technology has opened up new opportunities. “Technology is not always the answer, but I think if used correctly, it can provide access and hopefully get rid of some of those barriers that exist in the current system,” said Gosia. Gosia knows how important it is to focus on systematic changes, rather than encouraging individual changes. For instance, Gosia believes that if designers keep low-income people in mind, rather than those who already have financial security, new solutions will be discovered. She said, “It’s really about designers having a much greater impact by focusing on changing the products and the distribution channels that have been historically discriminatory.” Commonwealth even offers an Actionable Insight Toolkit, which outlines specific recommendations for how product designers can make products more accessible and empowering. Gosia is excited to see how the financial workplace adapts to these new technologies in the next few years. A lot has changed in the workplace since Covid-19, and Gosia can’t wait to see how these changes impact the day-to-day processes. To learn more about how Commonwealth is making finances more inclusive, listen to this podcast episode with Hunter and Gosia. ### More about Gosia Gosia Tomaszewska is a Director at Commonwealth where she leads the Lab team, which focuses on design and testing of new and useful human-centered solutions to lead the transformation of the financial services field to create a stronger and more prosperous society where everyone has financial opportunity. Gosia brings over 10 years of experience in the field with specific expertise in cross-sector partnership development, capacity building, project management, and stakeholder engagement. She is passionate about developing successful collaborations to change and improve systems. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Gosia worked at the state and municipal levels in the financial empowerment and asset building field to create innovative programs, solutions, and policies to improve existing systems. Most recently she scaled the City of Boston’s children’s savings program, Boston Saves, to include all of the Boston public schools. She holds a graduate certificate in Politics and Public Policy from University of Massachusetts, Boston, a Masters in European Studies from Jagiellonian University, and Psychology and History from Douglass College of Rutgers University. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 74: The Wizest Investment Combines People and Tech](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/wizest-investment/) **Published:** November 16, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Axel Thibon-headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TdIz7bH0-e1668005134374.jpg)**Axel Thibon**Founder and CEO, WizestAxel Thibon, founder and CEO of [Wizest](https://www.wizest.com/), knows what it takes to build a financial company from scratch. Over the course of 3 years, Thibon built Wizest, a company focused on making investing more accessible and understandable. Thibon knows technology is essential, especially as finance is becoming more and more digital. His goal with Wizest is to remove all of the drawbacks of traditional financing and combine those with new elements of technology to make investing easier. However, he emphasized the importance of maintaining human connections within the industry, “We need to bring back the human in the mix and try to make some hybrid solution that answers the needs of the consumer.” Additionally, Thibon wanted to focus on making investing more inclusive and approachable. In previous years, investing has been a somewhat confusing and daunting task, but Wizest makes it easier for users to make investment decisions. “We know that with our philosophy and our approach, we are much more inclusive so that’s a great opportunity and a great signal.” Thibon advised other entrepreneurs to not give up on their business goals. It was a long process to build a successful investing platform, but through persistence and focus, Thibon was able to develop Wizest. Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about the latest in digital financing and investing with Hunter and Axel. ### More About Axel Axel started Wizest by bringing together the co-founding team around a clear vision and mission: building a solution that makes investing more approachable, collaborative and transparent. After an early career in France and Spain as an industrial engineer working mainly in the automotive industry, Axel came to the US to get his MBA from MIT. He then started his finance journey, serving as the head of strategy and transformation for two banks, leading areas like strategic and commercial planning, product development, marketing, operational efficiency, compliance, digital transformation and M&A. During this time, he managed an online bank, VirtualBank, and, before starting Wizest, launched another online bank from scratch, TotalDirectBank. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 73: The Great (Digital) Transition in Banking](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/the-great-digital-transition-in-banking/) **Published:** November 7, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Emmanuel Daniel -headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/pqMz42cU-e1667240944865.jpg)**Emmanuel Daniel**Author and FounderEmmanuel Daniel, author and founder of the Asian Banker, has been a longtime advocate for the financial world. On the podcast, he shared some of his insight into the future of finance and recent developments in the market. Daniel has a front-row seat in the development of Asia’s financial markets, and recently released a book titled The Great Transition. This book highlights many aspects of the financial world, specifically the transition from traditional finance to digital banking and crypto. Digital banking has become a leader in financial services, and technology is the driving cause. New technologies have made banking more personalized and given users more power in their financial lives. Now, nearly 2.8 million people have some form of a digital wallet. The relationship between users and banks is growing by allowing users to take control of their finances. Trust is essential for financial relationships, and Daniel noted that digital America is still learning to trust digital banking. People can be hesitant to hand over their personal data to financial platforms and confused about the concept of cryptocurrencies, but the future of finance is here and it’s digital. “The world is moving towards greater personalization where the individual has greater control over the data he has and because of technology like blockchain and so on, he gets to interact with whoever he wants,” said Daniel. In the future, Daniel is excited to see where future innovations will take us and how they will play into the next financial crisis. Due to how digital the market is now, businesses are more united and can have investments anywhere in the world. The financial world is more networked than in previous years, making the next financial crisis more interconnected as well. Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about innovations in the financial world with Hunter and Emmanuel. ### More about Emmanuel Emmanuel Daniel is a global thought leader in the future of finance. He is an entrepreneur, writer, and listed as a top 10 global influencer in the “Fintech Power50” list for 2021 and 2022. Much of Emmanuel’s writing covers the future of finance, with a special focus on how cryptocurrencies, blockchain, gaming, and other technologies are opening the doors to new transactional opportunities. Emmanuel travels widely and has visited more than 100 countries and is working on his next book tentatively titled “The Winning Civilization.” As an entrepreneur, he was previously a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), a prestigious grouping of young business owners worldwide. Emmanuel was trained as a lawyer, has degrees from the National University of Singapore and the University of London, and attended a course on economics at Columbia University in New York. He travels widely and divides his time between Singapore, Beijing, and New York. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 72: The Competing Credit Union](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-72-the-competing-credit-union/) **Published:** October 24, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Kyle Hauptman-headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Kyle-hauptman-headshot-e1663163446508.jpg)**Kyle Hauptman**Vice Chairman, NCUAKyle Hauptman, [NCUA](https://www.ncua.gov/) Vice Chairman, has a long history of working in the financial industry and has seen firsthand the changes and innovations in the field. During the 2008 recession, Hauptman saw the importance of solid financial policies. This inspired him to work more with financial policies and regulations. Now, with our current economy, this job is essential for the long-term survival of credit unions. Since early 2020, more credit unions are operating remotely and online, and among the many changes, one key piece is using technology to advance routine jobs and functions. Hauptman says credit unions have adapted well to this, “It’s not so much new products to offer, it’s doing the same core financial functions but doing them differently.” Credit unions adapt as traditional finance is changing and decentralized finance is rising in popularity. Crypto and Bitcoin offer new opportunities for the public, and Hauptman is excited to see where they will take the financial world. Looking forward, Hauptman is excited to see where new technology will take Americans, pointing out that many people use newer technology to create new jobs and opportunities. However, Hauptman emphasized the importance of maintaining the value of the US dollar, despite all of the novel technology and innovation in the financial industry. Listen to this podcast to learn more about exciting innovations in the credit union industry with Hunter and Kyle. ### More About Kyle Kyle S. Hauptman was nominated by the White House to serve on the NCUA Board on June 15, 2020. The U.S. Senate confirmed him on December 2, 2020, and he was sworn in as a member of the NCUA Board on December 14, 2020. The NCUA Board approved his designation as Vice Chairman of the NCUA on December 18, 2020. Prior to his joining the NCUA Board, Mr. Hauptman served as Senator Tom Cotton’s (R-Arkansas) advisor on economic policy, as well as Staff Director of the Senate Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Policy. Previously, Mr. Hauptman was Senior Vice President at Jefferies & Co. He worked at Lehman Brothers as a bond trader in New York City as well as in their international offices in Tokyo and Sydney and served as a voting member on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies. Mr. Hauptman served on the Presidential transition team in 2016 and was Senator Mitt Romney’s (R-Utah) policy advisor for financial services during the 2012 presidential campaign. Mr. Hauptman holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Los Angeles. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 71: The Post-Pandemic Role of Accounts Receivable Financing](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-71-the-post-pandemic-role-of-accounts-receivable-financing/) **Published:** September 13, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Mark Russell-Great Plains Bank](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mark-Russell-e1662559563160.jpg)**Mark Russell**CEO, Great Plains BankMark Russell, CEO of Great Plains Bank, and Gary Lewis, Managing Director for lending and deposit solutions at Jack Henry & Associates, came together to share how their businesses are moving forward after the pandemic and how technology has played a role. Banks and financial firms know how important it is to maintain a close and personal relationship with clients, but during the pandemic, it became harder to juggle from a distance. Technology became vital to maintaining these connections as new advancements allowed communication from a distance. However, keeping the human aspect of the business alive is an important task for Mark and Gary. Gary explained, “It’s not just people, it’s not just technology, and it’s not just a product. It is about a combination of all those things.” ![Gary Lewis-JHA](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/09/Gary-Lewis-e1662584540366.jpg)**Gary Lewis**Managing Director for Lending and Deposit Solutions, Jack Henry & Associates Moving forward from the pandemic, there are many recessionary fears as the money acquired during Covid-19 has run out for many businesses. Mark and Gary both expressed how to move past this, slowing the economy down and allowing companies to get back on their feet is essential. Along with this, investing in technology and embracing the new digital world is going to be key for businesses. In the next 18 months, Mark and Gary are excited to see where their tech investments will take them, and they believe the technology that enhances the relationship between businesses and clients will take them to the next level. There will also be advancements that make it easier for the client to navigate and access the financial world. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the post-pandemic technological advancements with Mark, Gary, and Hunter. ### More About Mark Mark Russell is the CEO of Great Plains Bank and has been in this role since 2010. Mark joined the bank in 2002 as an executive vice president. He was promoted to division president in 2006. Prior to joining the bank, Mark began his banking career in Dallas in 1987 before working at several banks in the Lawton, Oklahoma area. A Cordell, Oklahoma native, Mark has a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and also attended the Graduate School of Banking of the South, Louisiana State University. ### More About Gary Gary Lewis is managing director for lending and deposit solutions at Jack Henry & Associates. He has been working at the company for more than 11 years, holding various leadership positions including director of lending sales and bank sales executive. Gary also has twenty-two years of commercial lending experience in executive banking positions with both national and community banks, including Peoples Bank of the Ozarks, Great Southern Bank and UMB Bank. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 70: Financial Literacy Starts Early, In The Home](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-70-financial-literacy-starts-early-in-the-home/) **Published:** September 13, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Paige Cornetet - Author](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Paige-Afendoulis_Headshot-e1662495331442.jpg)**Paige Cornetet**Founder of Millennial Guru and Bestselling AuthorPaige Cornetet, founder of [Millennial Guru](https://www.millennialguru.com/connect) and bestselling finance author, has always believed forming good habits starts at home, including financial habits. Paige shared why she has encouraged parents to openly discuss and practice financial habits with their children starting at a young age. Paige shared how when she was growing up, her father gave her many key financial tools. She has since carried these financial tools and practices with her into adulthood. She recognized how not every parent thinks of discussing finances with their young children, but when finances are disguised as a fun game, children will be more open to learning about it. “Kids learn from you no matter what, so why not be intentional with it?” Paige shared. She knows that not every person was taught financial skills growing up, but there’s always time and resources to learn these skills in adulthood. Paige encourages adults to break down what they already know about finances and build upon it. Breaking down terms such as taxes, and figuring out what they are, how they’re used, and how they impact you is the first step. Letting go of emotions that are connected to finances is another key aspect for Paige. Rather than clinging to upsetting spending habits or poor money management, allow yourself and others to learn from these mistakes. Families and young adults can learn from past mistakes, change their financial habits, and be better with finances all around. In the future, Paige is excited to see how younger generations take these financial skills and utilize them in their lives. She encourages young adults, especially those playing catch-up on financial skills, to be aware of all the financial obligations they have. Learn more about how to put key financial skills into practice in your home on this episode with Hunter and Paige. ### More About Paige Paige Cornetet is the bestselling author of the Spend-Then series, a collection of children’s books teaching financial literacy by simplifying traditionally complicated concepts. A forward-thinking entrepreneur, Paige founded Millennial Guru at the age of twenty-six to provide companies like Kroger and Capital One with business coaching and strength-based team-building workshops. Paige, the eldest of four, is passionate about helping parents teach children imperative life skills and financial management techniques. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 69: AMEX's Evolution Is A Data-Filled Journey](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-69-amexs-evolution-is-a-data-filled-journey/) **Published:** September 6, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mindy-Davidowski_20200828-1-e1663164840450.jpg)**Mindy Davidowski**SVP of Product, Digital Commerce, and Design, American ExpressMindy Davidowski, current SVP of Product, Digital Commerce, and Design, has worked with American Express for over 10 years. She shared some of the biggest evolutions and developments in product delivery and launching that have taken place in recent years. Mindy emphasized how important customer feedback is to AMEX and how they try to incorporate this feedback into new products (like the recent rewards checking service AMEX launched). Ensuring customer satisfaction keeps AMEX members invested in the company, and when this feedback is utilized, they feel more heard and trusting of the company. On top of direct feedback from clients, utilizing smart journeys backed by strong first and third-party data helps AMEX meet members’ digital behaviors when it matters most. As Mindy said, “There’s an entire segment of our prospect base that we are now able to much more helpfully serve and meet the needs of.” Data lives at the center of this service, but the creation of thoughtful journeys matters just as much. Just spend some time on American Express’ website to understand the enormous amount of thought that goes into how options are presented. Another aspect of ensuring customer satisfaction is making sure that all customers feel safe providing information in a digital environment. Many FIs are scaling their digital capabilities, but providing financial information over a digital platform can be scary for any organization (and their customers/members alike). To make members feel more comfortable, Mindy ensured that AMEX asks for and utilizes information “in a way that is transparent to you and that you are comfortable with.” In the coming years, Mindy is excited to see how else new data sources will help companies continue to effectively serve their members. Using real-time data, in ways that haven’t been previously possible, will continue to increase the number of ways companies like AMEX can elevate the customer experience. To keep customer satisfaction at the forefront, “high quality, robust and really well-monitored data” is essential. Listen to this episode to hear more about how data is increasing AMEX’s abilities to meet customers’ needs. ### More About Mindy Mindy is a senior product leader at American Express, overseeing the company’s services, products, and platforms that power customer acquisition globally. Mindy has been a key driver of American Express’ delivery transformation to Scaled Agile, harnessing the power of our product leaders, engineers, designers, and analysts to deliver better, more powerful customer-centered products and experiences. Prior to American Express, Mindy worked at McKinsey & Co., in both Chicago and London, as well as Barclaycard’s corporate strategy team. Mindy received her MBA from Stanford and her undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Chicago. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 59: Finding Success as a Fintech Founder](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-59-finding-success-as-a-fintech-founder/) **Published:** February 3, 2022 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Tyler Griffin - headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Tyler-Griffin.jpg)**Tyler Griffin** Co-founder, Financial Venture StudioThere are several key components that go into the success of a new fintech company that future founders need to know. Tyler Griffin, co-founder and managing partner of [Financial Venture Studio](https://www.finventurestudio.com/ "https://www.finventurestudio.com/"), knows the ins and outs of what it takes for a founder to succeed. Griffin, who has decades of experience in the fintech and banking space, shared his first-hand experience in the fintech community and provided insight into how new founders can connect themselves to the broader fintech network. Griffin believes that being a smart and capable fintech founder is not enough alone to create a successful business. A founder must be well-versed and familiar with the larger fintech community, compliance ecosystem, and traditional financial network rails in order to be successful. During the podcast, he discussed the importance of establishing connections in the fintech world, building a proven user base, and marketing products to audiences that will love working on it with the founding team. Griffin also provided insight into qualities that make a successful founder, such as being self-aware of weaknesses and having respect for customers. If you’re a fintech founder (or thinking of starting a new venture), you’ll want to hear what Tyler has to say! ### More About Tyler Tyler Griffin has spent the last 12 years thinking about how to make money work better. He co-founded Prism Money, a consumer-focused bill payment product that allowed for instant and free payments to over 15,000 banks and billers. Now owned by BillGo, Prism is America’s largest real-time payment network. Following Prism’s sale, Tyler became entrepreneur-in-residence for the Financial Solutions Lab, a partnership between JPMorgan Chase and CFSI. In this role, he mentored 16 companies focused on fintech solutions to improve financial health. Prior to starting Prism, Tyler worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at JPMorgan’s and Citigroup’s Investment Banking offices in New York City. He also worked at a middle-market private equity fund and served on multiple boards of directors. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 32: Seeking Capital in Crisis and in the Future](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-32-seeking-capital-in-crisis-and-in-the-future/) **Published:** October 22, 2020 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Mike Rozman - BoeFly](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Mike-Rozman_headshot_FT.png)**Mike Rozman**CEO and Co-founder, BoeFlyHow can one find the right borrower-lender relationship in the most efficient way? Accessing capital has never been easier in today’s digital marketplace, but the explosion of choices doesn’t mean businesses are getting the ***right*** capital. Mike Rozman joined The Financial Experience Podcast and discussed the evolution of [BoeFly](http://www.boefly.com/), a business financing marketplace, the franchisor lending model, and the unique impact COVID-19 had on the business. As more small businesses applied for PPP loans during the pandemic, there was a distinct pressure to access capital. Mike and the team at BoeFly helped upwards of 4,000 business owners secure financing. We explore the obstacle of information overload that both consumers and financial institutions encounter when seeking the right lender. We discuss the importance of both a seamless digital experience for the consumer, as well as making meaningful connections with individuals. Looking forward, Mike is excited for the interplay of technology and finance. He notes that the banks with smart investments in tech have made easier transitions online during the pandemic. He expects that these banks will “stretch their muscles” and provide more flowing capital to the marketplace. ### More About Mike Mike Rozman is the CEO and co-founder of [BoeFly](http://www.boefly.com/), the premier marketplace for franchise growth solutions. Since 2009 BoeFly has connected businesses with the resources they need to succeed, utilizing data-driven systems and a robust online marketplace. BoeFly’s extensive suite of services and innovative technology connects borrowers to a wide array of banks and specialty finance companies while pioneering products, such as bVerify, serve businesses at all stages of development. Mike is committed to bringing innovation to the franchise industry so brands and their franchisees can optimize growth, particularly through seamless access to capital. Previously, Mike was the president and co-founder of Edgeware Analytics, the company that served as the founding platform for BoeFly. Prior to starting Edgeware in 2003, Mike was a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase in its Global Bank. Mike earned a dual-MBA from Columbia Business School and the London Business School and a BS from Boston College. Mike serves on the International Franchise Association’s Supplier Board and in 2013 became a Certified Franchise Executive. For more information visit www.boefly.com. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 84: Getting VIP Treatment from Your Credit Card](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-84-getting-vip-treatment-from-your-credit-card/) **Published:** July 27, 2023 **Author:** Hifi Dev **Content:** - On This Episode ![Carlo Headshot](https://hifiagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlo-Headshot-e1689869696778.jpg)**Carlo Cisco** CEO and Founder, SelectCarlo Cisco, CEO and founder of [Select](https://www.meetselect.com/), saw first-hand the demand for merchants and customers to create better relationships and for customers to receive better perks and opportunities for savings. So, he created Select to bring a more unique and luxurious experience to traditional banking cards. Select is a digital membership and concierge service company that offers members exclusive access to events, special offers at Michelin star restaurants, and private community events, with over 1.4 million locations. “In the case of Select, everything’s uncapped, or just about, and just about everything’s also unlimited so our members are able to see a much much much higher value” A big issue amongst card holders is that many times, they forget how their card can help them save. This means cardholders are often times spending more on services, because they aren’t even aware there are savings opportunities available. Select wanted to prevent this, so they created a google extension for members to be alerted upon check out of available savings. “It doesn’t matter what you’re working with financially like you always want to maximize your spend and maximize your savings too” Carlo advices entrepreneurs interested in tapping into this market that created a unique customer experience is essential to standing out from the crowd. Additionally, Carlo believes choosing the right partners will also help with making your business successful. Listen to this podcast to learn more about unique digital memberships and services with Hunter and Carlo. ## More about Carlo Carlo is a serial entrepreneur who launched his first successful business in college. He has a background in finance and marketing and has helped build and grow a variety of startups. He helped build Groupon Japan, turning it into one of the company’s largest and most successful international markets in just three months. He is currently the Founder & CEO of Select, a digital membership community and concierge service that provides access to exclusive events, insider pricing, and VIP perks at over 1.4 million locations and online. These include free drinks or 20-30% off at premier restaurants and up to 60% off with premier brands and experiences. Select partners include top-rated local restaurants and nightlife venues as well as premier global brands in travel, retail, entertainment & more. He is also a YEC (Young Entrepreneurs Council) member, an elite organization for successful entrepreneurs, and the Forbes Financial Council. He is frequently featured as an expert on entrepreneurship, business, and marketing in news outlets, including Mashable, Forbes, Fox Business,[Tech.co](http://tech.co/), USA Today, TheNextWeb, Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo!, WSJ, ReadWriteWeb, and Inc., among many others. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 22: Stacked Odds - Improving Black Financial Lives](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-22-stacked-odds-improving-black-financial-lives/) **Published:** July 7, 2020 **Author:** Ashley Sipe **Content:** - On This Episode ![Rouvaun - PhinanceUS](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Rouvaun-Walker.png)**Rouvaun Walker** CEO, PhinanceUSThe odds ***can*** be stacked against you. Rouvaun Walker, CEO of Mortgage company [PHINANCEUS](https://www.phinanceus.com/), joined the Financial Experience Podcast to discuss his career as a financial professional, the start of his new company, and what he sees as the keys to make the latest outpouring of support for Black Lives Matter turn into lasting change. How will we measure this movement? Rouvaun discusses what he’s seen as a Black professional in the financial industry and what he sees as the keys to leading Black communities to better financial well-being. There’s no easy fix, but there also can’t be any more false starts. ### More About Rouvaun Rouvaun Walker, is a 30-year veteran of the mortgage industry and began his TPO career as a top Account Executive, earning his way to numerous President’s clubs. Ranked in the top 10 throughout his sales career, by 1999, Walker was named production manager for North American Mortgage and later at MortgageiT, then led his team to fund $2 billion per year, making it the firm’s number one branch nationwide in both profitability and volume. Rouvaun has led successful production teams at Deutsche Bank, EverBank, and Planet Home Lending to name a few. This vast depth of knowledge has led Rouvaun Walker to a proven track record for growing divisions from scratch, building solid clientele and doing so while consistently meeting or exceeding pro forma and profit goals leading teams in operations and production. Finally bringing this vast knowledge to the consumer, Rouvaun ventured out on his own and has opened his own mortgage company, PhinanceUS \[Fi-Nance-Us\], which focuses on lending to typically underrepresented communities with fair rates and excellent service. In addition, his group also provides ongoing education on wealth-building through real estate purchasing and investing. Rouvaun is married with 4 children and one grandchild, and enjoys traveling, golfing and skiing. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 55: Trusting the Future](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-55-trusting-the-future/) **Published:** November 4, 2021 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Nancy Giordano](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/11/Nancy-Giordano-3-edited-scaled.jpg)**Nancy Giordano** Strategic FuturistOn the latest episode, Hunter hosts Nancy Giordano, a strategic futurist whose accomplished career began in the advertising and branding space. Throughout this work, Nancy experienced each notable technology revolution – from the Internet to mobile to social media. During each of these disruptive phases, she saw technology’s massive impact on both branding and communication. Nancy brought her forward-looking mindset to the podcast to give us a peek into what’s to come. While it’s easy to recognize improvements and advancements in tech, Nancy sees the vitality of placing humans at the center of data and technology. She acknowledges the companies that are getting things right – those that effectively and inclusively distribute value with each decision they make. While building business models, she says that it’s important for companies to think outside of their business and deliberate on the long-term well-being of society as well. Trust is a key player in the future of decision-making, and Nancy believes that more consumers will question whether a company is using their data with their best interest in mind. By using data to empower and serve consumers, people will be able to access the best solution. With the giant youth population coming into the workforce, Nancy is looking forward to seeing their impact through their new way of thinking. Despite what she has seen already, she believes that there is much more disruption to come. ### More About Nancy Described as endlessly optimistic, Nancy is a strategic futurist, corporate strategist, and bestselling author who has consulted on a portfolio of $60+ billion well-known brands and given more than 100+ global keynotes. With a drive to help enterprise organizations and visionary leaders transform to meet the escalating expectations ahead, she is recognized as one of the world’s top female futurists. Her expertise and experiences range from A.I., to frozen foods, to reinventing the internet, and all of her projects have a key common denominator: transitioning away from the extractive operating systems and outdated business thinking that no longer holds up…to create the more sustainable, inclusive and dynamic solutions the future demands. The world’s first TEDx licensee, an Amazon #1 ranked author, a Singularity University lecturer, frequent SXSW (*“south by southwest”*) contributor, creator of the “Career Fair For the Future” for college + high school students, and recent co-founder of the Femme Futurists Society (a growing collection of interviews with leading futurists around the world). Nancy advises leaders on the organizational structures and new mindsets necessary to effectively harness the significant technology innovations heading our way and ensure a safe and thriving future for us all. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 56: The Digital-First Community Bank Experience](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-56-the-digital-first-community-bank-experience/) **Published:** November 18, 2021 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Michelle Toll](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/11/Michelle-Toll-edited-scaled.jpg)**Michelle Toll** Co-founder and CIO, Digital First, LLCIn this episode, Hunter is joined by Michelle Toll, the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Digital First, LLC. Prior to her new venture in starting a digital bank, Michelle had over 20 years of experience in community banking and served as President/CEO and Director of a community bank in Illinois. Over the past ten years, she continued to nurture her interest in fintech, disruption, and digital innovation. When she connected with a former colleague (who became her co-founder), the idea of a community-focused, digital bank emerged and she decided it was the perfect fit for what the market needed. Michelle talks about the digital experiences to which people have grown accustomed. Today, consumers expect Amazon and Netflix-like digital experiences that provide immediate, fluid, personalized interactions. She recognizes that banks are now held to a similar expectation whether they are well-equipped for it or not. Michelle believes that digital bank teams can shoot for a high bar on customer experience, but it takes a combination of entrepreneurial and product-driven talent along with a culture that sets the bar high from the very top of the organization. Mobile and online digital banking experiences must be seamless and aligned with customer needs while being as predictive as possible to daily, monthly, or ad hoc financial management. Hunter asks Michelle what she’s excited for in the next five years, and her list is extensive. She’s looking forward to the future of ethical banking, NFTs, distributive ledger technology, carbon-free footprint banking, and the opportunities that lie in data analytics and open banking. She adds, “You have to be completely open as to what’s next. Nothing’s going to be static. Banking is more exciting than it’s ever been.” ### More About Michelle Michelle Toll is co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Digital First, LLC, a visionary team comprised of community bankers and a Wisconsin capital group creating a digital first community bank. As a 23-year veteran of community banking, she ultimately served as President/CEO and Director of a $275MM institution. Michelle is known for being passionate and vocal about digital banking transformation and breaking away from all things legacy banking. She is now on a mission to ensure this mold-breaking challenger community bank achieves the best tech-stack and vendor partners that allow its community banking DNA to thrive. Michelle’s spectrum of professional expertise ranges from information systems risk management, tech-stack and strategic planning, human resources development, and marketing. Michelle knows the importance of giving back through volunteerism in the banking industry, professional organizations, and currently serves on community and national non-profit organization boards. Michelle is a recognized leader in the banking industry and has served on the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) Board of Directors. She has also been recognized as Volunteer of the Year by the IBA. Michelle has served as a speaker for the banking industry on numerous occasions. Michelle earned a BBA from Columbia College, and both a MA in Human Resources Development and an MBA from Webster University. She completed the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Michelle currently holds two professional certifications from the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-CP) and The Human Resources Certification Institute (PHR). **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 57: Mortgage's Future Is Analytical, But Still Human](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-57-mortgages-future-is-analytical-but-still-human/) **Published:** December 10, 2021 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Alex Leduc](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/11/Alex-Leduc-edited-scaled.jpg)**Alex Leduc**CEO, PerchIf you’ve tried to buy a house in the past year (or just browsed a real estate marketplace for fun), you may have noticed that housing prices and the demand for real estate soared at a record-breaking pace. Hunter’s latest guest, Alex Leduc, founded Canadian-based proptech [Perch](https://www.myperch.io/home) with a goal of empowering people throughout the entire home buying process. Alex’s mission is to solve two distinct problems – housing affordability and building wealth over time through homeownership. He says that many people want to get into the housing market, but they don’t necessarily have clarity on where to start and how to leverage equity in the right way once they’ve purchased a home. To be involved throughout the real estate journey, Perch’s team and analytics platform simplifies the mortgage application process, prepares a path to owning the right home, and educates consumers on how to leverage their home equity. Although technology makes for a competitive and efficient market, Alex still views real estate as a relationship-based industry with an indispensable human element. The digital experience has certainly improved 60% of the typical consumer mortgage process, but people still need to be involved (and that probably won’t change for some time). Throughout the mortgage application and ownership process, people feel more secure knowing that there is a person on the other side of the screen with their best interest in mind. Looking toward 2022 and beyond, Alex is excited to witness open banking legislation’s impact on increased innovation and options in the lending space. He is also interested in the shifting dynamic between financing and realtors as the importance of where realtors seek their financing continues to grow in the competitive marketplace. Tune in to the latest episode of the podcast to hear more from Hunter and Alex on optimizing the path to mortgage and homeownership. ### More About Alex Alex Leduc is the CEO of [Perch](https://myperch.io/), an analytics-driven digital platform that helps people make more informed decisions about their real estate. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Perch serves to empower its users by providing in-depth, personalized insights throughout all aspects of homeownership, from buying, to mortgage renewals, refinancing and selling. After seven years of working in the financial services industry, Alex was shocked at the disconnect he was seeing. He saw how clients were getting advice from the wrong “experts.” This was compounded by the fact not everyone had access to or the ability to correctly interpret financial information. Future buyers viewed home ownership as an unachievable goal. Retirees with insufficient liquid assets were relying too heavily on home equity to fund their retirement. After validating that no one else was addressing these issues holistically, Alex started Perch with the goal of helping people optimize their finances and build wealth through real estate, while being supported by industry professionals. He is a graduate of Ivey Business School from Western University in Ontario, Canada and a CFA Charterholder. He lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife and their high-maintenance cat. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 58: On-Demand Pay Day](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-58-on-demand-pay-day/) **Published:** January 12, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Matt Kopko headshot](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/12/Matthew-Kopko-1-edited.jpg)**Matt Kopko**VP of Public Policy, DailyPayOur latest guest, Matt Kopko, has a long history with the law. He spent years working as an attorney and for the U.S. government before serving a public policy position at the micromobility company Bird. Matt is now the Vice President of Public Policy at [DailyPay](https://www.dailypay.com/), and he handles the company’s regulatory interaction, lobbying activity, and research on its financial wellness impact. “You can think of it as an ATM for your paycheck,” Matt says of the new movement to *earned wage access*. Historically, companies have relied on disparate systems of payroll, accounting, finance, etc., but DailyPay integrates these systems so that employees can be paid as frequently or infrequently as they want in between their normal pay cycles. And many employees have turned to high-interest payday loans to get access to earned income faster. Matt brings up the inevitable – there’s a lot of life, whether it be bill payments or unforeseen emergencies, that can happen between the 15th and 30th of the month. These financial obligations can cause hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees or payday loans, creating a vicious cycle. For employers, he compares it to an extra layer (similar to a Brita filter) that seamlessly integrates into a company’s payroll process without altering or disrupting the entire framework. We’ve experienced a turbulent past few years, and employee experience is more critical than ever. DailyPay allows workers to receive pay on a more frequent basis during an uncertain economic environment. Many users choose to interact with only the informational aspect, so they are able to monitor their pay balance, budget, and learn to be more proactive in their money management. As for the future of payments, Matt believes that ‘earned wage access’ will become more than just a phrase. He is excited to see how payments legislation will evolve, and he is looking forward to seeing the financial tools and payments technology that will become embedded into our financial infrastructure nationwide. Tune in to the latest episode to hear more from Hunter and Matt on the future of payments and on-demand payroll. ### More About Matt Matt Kopko is DailyPay’s Vice President of Public Policy, where he manages DailyPay’s interactions with regulators, legislators, other government officials and stakeholders. Prior to his role at DailyPay, Matt served in a similar role at Bird, the micromobility company. Matt was also a senior government official and member of the Senior Executive Service, as well as an attorney in private practice. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, and a JD/MBA from the University of Chicago. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 60: Simplifying Investing With Super (Embedded) Apps](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-60-simplifying-investing-with-super-embedded-apps/) **Published:** February 23, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![BenSoppitt](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/02/Ben-Soppitt-edited.jpg)**Ben Soppitt** CEO, UnifimoneyIn the latest episode, Ben Soppitt, co-founder and CEO of [Unifimoney](https://www.unifimoney.com/), shares his goal of simplifying investing by cutting out the middle-tech. Unifimoney, launched as a B2C service, but now also available through banks and credit unions, is a multi-asset digital wealth management platform that allows people to consolidate all financial savings or investing apps into one “super app.” The company’s vision is to ensure everyone is able to manage their money in one simple and easily accessible place. Soppitt uses Uber as an example to explain how many large companies want to make spending money as simple as one click. Likewise, he believes the same ideology should apply to investing. Large financial institutions know that users will be more likely to spend money if spending money is made easy, so Unifimoney aims to make investing just as easy. Investing, saving, and being aware of how your funds are being handled by your bank is crucial to being financially successful. Soppitt also discusses the “get rich slowly” method and the importance of investing a portion of profits, whether it be $5 or $500, into low-cost and highly diversified funds. He notes that the stock market is one of the most renowned wealth creation tools, but is a tool that is overlooked by many. He also highlights some of the corners that are cut when dealing with larger banking corporations. Giving value and power back to the consumer through community financial institutions, rather than large corporations, is a priority for Soppitt and his company. Tune in to the latest episode with Hunter and Ben Soppitt to see how this “super app” is making waves and what Ben learned along the way in developing his fintech company over the last few years. ### More About Ben Ben Soppitt is the Co-Founder and CEO of Unifimoney, a multi asset digital wealth management platform for banks and credit unions. Ben has over 25 years of experience across companies including Accenture, Visa, Fitbit and Samsung before founding Unifimoney in 2019. Based in San Francisco, Ben has lived and worked in diverse markets across Europe, Central Asia, South East Asia and now North America. Investing since he was 14, Ben is passionate about making saving and investing as easy as paying for an Uber. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 61: Future-Ready Financial Organizations Start With Culture](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-61-future-ready-financial-organizations-start-with-culture/) **Published:** March 2, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Andrew Witherbee headshot](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/02/AndrewWitherbee-headshot-1-edited.jpg)**Andy Witherbee** CEO, Engage Partners GroupIn this episode, Andy Witherbee, CEO and founder of [Engage Partners Group](https://www.engagepartnersgroup.com/ "https://www.engagepartnersgroup.com/"), shares insight from his experience in the financial services industry and viewpoints from both “in the game and on the sidelines.” Before founding EPG in 2019, Witherbee was a former digital banker and strategist. Through his experience, he notes the importance of optimal tech investments and fintech partnerships for financial institutions to innovate and improve operational efficiencies. And before focusing on growth and expansion, he says a key piece of forward-thinking banks is *culture*. Witherbee emphasizes that financial institutions should have a clear understanding of who they are and be able to articulate the “why.” He saw immense value in a lean kaizen framework, where teams seek continual improvement and set ambitious goals to work more effectively. It is a strong culture and the tech-driven decisions of a financial institution that maintains measurable growth and deepens relationships. In the next few years, Witherbee is looking forward to seeing the opportunities unfold through innovative partnerships between FIs and fintechs. He even provides a few examples of banks and fintechs leading the way. Check out this latest episode on building a future-ready financial institution from Andy and Hunter. ### More About Andy Former senior digital banker, and entrepreneur, Andy is fueled by innovation and technology that propels regional and community financial institutions’ ability to modernize platforms that elevate operational efficiencies and accelerate growth for them and their customers. EPG is your trusted fintech partner to Align and Engage with the right people, and technology that enhances the value, impact, and differentiation for all stakeholders. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 62: Smartening Up the Debit Card](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-62-smartening-up-the-debit-card/) **Published:** March 9, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Billy Roberts - headshot](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/03/billy.jpeg)**Billy Roberts** CEO, WedgeBilly Roberts, a former marine biologist and now CEO of [Wedge](https://wedge.us/), proves that there is no one path into the fintech industry. While building his company from the ground up, Roberts wanted to make sure that it was solving a problem and adding value to users’ lives. He sought to develop technology that set his company apart from the explosion of fintech apps in recent years, so he aimed to combine different financial components in one app, but also add factors of utility and ease of use that he hadn’t seen before in the marketplace. From this idea, Wedge and its smart debit card were born. Through Wedge, Roberts wanted to simplify banking and stand out as a sustainable financial option, so he created technology that allowed people to use their assets for purchases using a single card. The app allows users to buy crypto, manage equities, and bank all in one place, making transactions as simple and easy as possible. The fundamental difference is that Wedge lists all of your assets in their most effective cost faces in a red light, green light manner, and each transaction presents a “micro-arbitrage opportunity” in which users can benefit and strategically flex their spending power. Another important aspect for Roberts was incorporating access to different asset classes and instant liquidity anytime a user swipes their card. These aspects allow users to make empowered financial decisions. With technology that is constantly changing and progressing, Roberts wanted to create a secure and innovative financial app, and one of the ways he ensured this was including velocity constraints. Although he hopes to expand the consumer base in the future, the “fintech-experienced and crypto-curious” are the main users that gravitate toward Wedge. Check out this episode to learn more from Billy and Hunter about how much smarter the debit card can really be. ### More About Billy Billy Roberts is the CEO of Wedge Financial Inc., the first smart debit card that lets users pay for every day purchases with any asset. Founded in 2021, the fintech startup is the first of its kind for offering the ability to use assets for everyday spending, giving users the ability to benefit from market movements of over 2,000 different stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrencies. Previous to Wedge, Billy founded ReStream Solutions, a data-driven oilfield solutions company for the exploration and production industry. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 63: Bridging the Alternatives Investment Gap](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-63-bridging-the-alternatives-investment-gap/) **Published:** March 17, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Brian Harstine - headshot](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/03/brian-1024x1024.jpeg)**Brian Harstine** CEO, AcquireBrian Harstine, CEO and founder of [Acquire](http://acquireinvest.com/ "http://acquireinvest.com/"), is an early adopter and fanatic of blockchain usage. Before he entered the financial services space, he worked in the film and entertainment industry which gave him a unique perspective while building his company. Brian recognized a problem within the investment space, in which only accredited investors, private equity partners and industry insiders could access certain high-level investment opportunities. Powered by blockchain, he built Acquire to bring private equities to every investor and make investing more inclusive and accessible. Blockchain is built on an ethos of transparency, and Brian prioritizes protecting investors and holding his legal and compliance teams to the highest standards. By offering professionally-curated tokenized securities, he wants to create a bridge between traditional markets and the DeFi ecosystem that brings liquidity to the space and “makes people’s money work for them.” In the next few years, Brian is excited about the opportunities surrounding blockchain. He says, “It’s inevitable that our systems are changing, it’s just a matter of when and how.” Check out this episode to learn more from Brian and Hunter on tokenized alternative securities and the movement toward a more inclusive investments space. ### More About Brian Brian is the Founder and CEO of Acquireinvest.com. Brian has served as a blockchain + securities strategist since 2013, with a background in business development and operational efficiency. Brian is an active UI/UX product-focused entrepreneur, designer, and marketer. Brian spent his early career in entertainment building his first company in entertainment, producing, packaging, and as a development specialist. Brian’s work with film and TV lead to selling projects globally with products in places like Sundance, Berlinale. Brian’s first entertainment company has brought to market 250+ high end content projects. Later he leveraged his abilities for private media investment management for high net worth individuals and soon helping them first touch blockchain. This lead to his work in finance on various projects in several key sectors, Energy, infrastructure, and Tech where he has predominately spent the last 5 years in blockchain, specifically focused on securities. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 64: The Blockchain Bridge Builders Creating The Future of Money](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-64-the-blockchain-bridge-builders-creating-the-future-of-money/) **Published:** April 8, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Henrik - e-Money](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/04/henrick-2-edited-scaled-e1662572099909.jpeg)**Henrik** **Aasted Sørensen**CTO & Co-founder, e-Money### On This Episode Henrik, co-founder and CTO of [e-Money](https://e-money.com/ "https://e-money.com/"), has worked most of his career on finding solutions to big problems via technology development. He even achieved some early internet celebrity for his famous (and infamous in advertising circles) contribution to user experience by creating the first open-source ad blocking software in the early 2000s. Henrik saw similar issues in banking and solutions via blockchain technology. He believes banking can be simpler, more secure, and more transparent to users, which led him to develop e-Money. Henrik believes “bridging traditional bank accounts to blockchain” can simplify how we use money. But developing these solutions in the early days wasn’t easy. Choosing the right technology “stack” was critical and Henrik explains why his team felt building on Cosmos was the right way to build from the beginning. Utilizing Cosmos’ stable coin environment enabled cross-border transactions in a secure and decentralized environment, completely removing the need for a financial middle-man. “From the beginning, we modeled our stable coins…to travel between different blockchains, different networks,” Henrik explained. The e-Money team continues to work on its multi-coin model, with a stable coin and staking mechanism coin as two key elements of their offering. Since last fall, Henrik has noticed a huge increase in attention and curiosity toward this sort of financial service, although some regulations are needed moving forward. Henrik is excited to see how this technology will transform modern banking in the years to come. Check out this episode to hear more from Hunter and Henrik about the financial revolution that is e-Money and blockchain token technology. ### More about Henrik Entrepreneurial-spirited, pioneering technologist with 15+ years within financial infrastructures of building complex web applications within the financial sector. Henrik has spearheaded successful ventures with a particular focus on simplifying real-world issues through technology. Henrik is renowned in the technology sector for writing the code and inventing Adblock, the world’s best ad blocker with over 60 million users and one of the most popular Chrome extensions with 350 million downloads. He created Adblock as a procrastination project to distract himself from university. He created Adblock as an open-source tool and ever since has been a fan of the open-source movement. As an independent software developer, Henrik has built products for large companies in several industries, notably finance and logistics. He truly believes in the ethos of blockchain technology and in the use of open source and collaboration in making the best out of new technologies. Henrik recently co-founded e-Money, built for global payments to improve the legacy banking system with a single efficient blockchain layer that offers lower transaction costs, instant payments, with the vision to democratize payments and achieve financial inclusion. Henrik holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Technical University of Denmark and a Master of Science in IT from the prestigious IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 66: The Rise of Risk Intelligence](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-66-the-rise-of-risk-intelligence-2/) **Published:** June 21, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![Amanda Cohen headshot](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/06/amanda-2-1024x1024.jpeg)**Amanda Cohen** ResolverAmanda Cohen, Director of Governance, Risk, and Compliance Products at [Resolver](https://www.resolver.com/), sought to innovate and revolutionize how businesses view compliance teams. Compliance has been viewed as a tiresome and tedious aspect of projects, but Amanda knew it didn’t have to be this way. Rather than completing a project and getting it shot down at the very end, Amanda suggests compliance teams be included in projects from the initial project kickoff meeting. Amanda explained, “They can work with you to understand what your limitations are, help you make informed decisions early on in the process, so that as you build up this project you’re doing it in a way that’s going to have the ability to launch when you’re ready to go.” Coinciding with including compliance teams from the start of a project, Amanda also emphasized the importance of sharing data consistently throughout the company. When data is shared with each person in a company, it not only reduces how much information is having to be repeated but also allows for real-time assessment of risks as the project develops. On top of data sharing technologies, Regtech, which is an innovative technology that assesses and manages regulatory procedures, is rapidly growing in the industry. Regtech lets the technology take care of the tedious aspects so that the business can focus on broader goals and other project objectives. Amanda is excited to see the increased implementation of these technologies, as businesses will have more data intelligence and capabilities moving through their project. What once was an exhausting and avoided task, has now become simpler and faster because of these innovations. In the coming years, Amanda hopes compliance and risk management will be pushed to the forefront of all businesses. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the innovation of compliance and risk from Hunter and Amanda! ### More about Amanda Amanda Cohen knows you can’t succeed in life or business without taking risks. That’s why she’s devoted her life to better understanding the threats modern businesses face. As the director of governance, risk, and compliance products at Resolver, the worldwide leader in risk and security management software, she’s reimagining the way over 5000 of the world’s largest organizations think about their relationship to risk. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 20: What's at the Core of Banking's Future?](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-20-whats-at-the-core-of-bankings-future/) **Published:** June 16, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Lee - Jack Henry & Associates](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Lee-Headshot-Blue-Gray-Background-e1662581842238.jpg)**Lee Wetherington** Director of Strategic Insight, Jack Henry & AssociatesIf you’ve ever worked in bank operations, you’ve probably shaken an angry fist toward your core provider. For the last few decades, the major financial operating systems have innovated through acquisition: bringing on new tools and trying to fit them into older legacy systems. The results have been mixed. But, are we entering a new era of “openness” where your Core will become more a “platform-as-a-service” and less a “a big, necessary, but inhibitory system?” Lee and Hunter discussed the future of finance through this lens and the lens of rapidly evolving customer/member behavioral trends. For a long time, banks and credit unions have designed “around averages” and it created a “commoditization of digital banking.” Unfortunately these averages “disguise a wild range of use” and prevent us from really meeting customer/member needs. The latest podcast helps break down how you should view your organization’s platform, where to strike a balance between self-service and personal service, and provides a few examples of progressive banks challenging some long-held assumptions. ### More About Lee Lee Wetherington is Director of Strategic Insight for [Jack Henry & Associates®](https://www.jackhenry.com/pages/default.aspx "https://www.jackhenry.com/pages/default.aspx") (JKHY: NASDAQ). Lee directs the development of actionable insight and strategy for the financial services industry at large. To this end, he creates programs, presentations, and articles designed to orient and educate financial executives on the trends and implications of new technologies. He routinely delivers keynotes and forecasts nationwide focusing upon opportunities and challenges in fintech, payments and digital banking, and he is widely renowned for his unique style of comedic delivery. Lee has delivered keynotes for state, national, and international trade groups, including the American Bankers Association (ABA), Credit Union National Association (CUNA), Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), Credit Union Executive Society (CUES), Bank Administration Institute (BAI), National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU), World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). He has also served as Technology Faculty Chair for several graduate schools of banking and management, and has delivered guest lectures on leadership and technology at universities across the country. He was named “Strategic Alliance Executive of the Year” at the 2013 Golden Bridge Awards, which recognizes the world’s top executives across every major industry globally. Lee’s articles and commentary have been published widely across a variety of major trade publications covering the financial services space. Lee received bachelor’s degrees in economics and English from Duke University in 1990, and, in 1993, he completed graduate studies at Emory University before joining a payments startup born out of the backroom of a community financial institution in South Georgia. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 21: View and Do - How FIs Can Solve the Complexities of Relationship Management](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-21-view-and-do-how-fis-can-solve-the-complexities-of-relationship-management/) **Published:** July 1, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Joe Salesky - CRMNEXT](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Joe-Salesky.png)**Joe Salesky** CEO, CRMNEXTIf financial services companies are serving an average of 600 customers per employee, is there an opportunity to improve that? “Absolutely,” says Joe Salesky, CEO of the popular financials services CRM platform, [CRMNEXT](https://www.crmnext.com/us/). Our latest podcast explores a little internet and tech history (did you know Joe helped build the first web videoconferencing solution nearly 25 years ago?), a fascinating discussion on the evolution of CRM solutions, and what principals can lead banks and credit unions to true digital transformation. ### More About Joe Joe Salesky is CEO of [CRMNEXT](http://www.crmnext.com/), the largest global provider of CRM in financial services, where he is responsible for the company’s entry into the U.S. market. A seasoned expert in software and financial services, Joe has spent more than 25 years developing and delivering disruptive technology-enabled solutions. He holds 21 patents on technologies currently used by both consumers and large enterprises, including mobile banking and the original patent for web-conferencing. A luminary in his space, Joe has deployed mission critical systems at more than half of the Fortune 500 companies and is a respected speaker at industry and media events. He has been quoted in leading national, international and industry publications and has led his companies to achieving numerous prestigious awards. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 23: Are You "All-In-All-On" When Engaging Your Customer?](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-23-are-you-all-in-all-on-when-engaging-your-customer/) **Published:** July 23, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Sue _ TE](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Sue-Woodard-1.jpg)**Sue Woodard** Chief Customer Officer, Total Expert“Every interaction with your brand is an opportunity to build trust or erode trust.” Sue Woodard, Chief Customer Officer at [Total Expert](https://totalexpert.com/), joined the Financial Experience Podcast to discuss how she sees trust-building continuing to evolve in the financial world. We discussed what a blend of strong leadership and practical use of data can do for an organization and how organizations can use software to augment (not abrogate) the human touch in banking. Sue sees a future where the interpretation of data continues to improve, maybe even ridding her Facebook feed of those poorly targeted “pajama Mom jean” ads as well. ### More About Sue Sue Woodard brings nearly 30 years of financial services and mortgage industry experience, strategic vision and leadership to her role as Chief Customer Officer – where her focus is on helping customers achieve greater productivity and long-term success. Sue started her career at the ground level, became a top producer, then leveraged her knowledge to become a highly acclaimed industry speaker, subject matter expert and technology executive. In addition to having hosted a successful financial radio program and making guest appearances on CNBC, Sue has been awarded numerous industry honors, including the NMP Most Powerful Women in Mortgage Banking, the MPA HOT 100 list, the Housing Wire Vanguard Award, and the NMP Most Innovative Award. She also serves on the board of HOPE4Youth, a local non-profit working to end youth homelessness. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 24: Big Data is a Big Climb, But There's a Path](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-24-big-data-is-a-big-climb-but-theres-a-path/) **Published:** August 4, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Anne Legg - THRIVE](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Anne-Legg-Headshot-edited.jpg)**Anne Legg** Founder, THRIVE Strategic ServicesAnne Legg has worked with over 600 credit union leaders and learned a lot along the way. So much so that she wrote a book ([Big Data / Big Climb](https://www.anneleggthrive.com/book))! Using the metaphorical thread of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (which for Anne isn’t exactly a metaphor because she’s done it), she created a playbook for thinking about data differently. “You can buy the coolest \[data\] tool, but if your people and strategy aren’t strong, it’s just still the coolest \[data\] tool,” Anne made clear. Most importantly, she breaks down how leadership, culture, and some thoughtful, hard work can really crystalize your data strategy. Anne was literally jumping during the podcast she was so excited. It’s because she’s that passionate about transforming financial organizations. You’ll want to listen to this ENTIRE show! ### More about Anne Anne Legg is the founder and principal of THRIVE Strategic Services. THRIVE works with credit unions to create revolutionary member relationships via organizational education, member-centric data strategies, and data maturity. She is a recognized credit union business strategist, presenter author, educator with an MBA thesis on the credit union business model as well as two internationally published whitepapers on credit union business strategy. Anne has delivered over 100 onsite sessions to over 600 credit union senior leaders across the united states, launching their data journeys. She has been a lead instructor at the CUNA Marketing School and has acted as the subject matter expert for CUNA’s Credit Union marketing curriculum. Anne has also been an author to CUNA’s Environmental Scan, The Credit Union industry’s leading strategic planning guide. She has also served on various Credit Union Boards, including; CUNA’s Marketing and Business Development Executive Council, MAC, and the California and Nevada Credit Union League Public Advocacy Committee. She has received numerous awards including; CMBDC Marketing Professional of the Year, Credit Union Executive Society Rising 100, CO-OP ThinkPrize semi-finalist. She has also been named “A Woman To Watch” By the Credit Union Times. Her work has been published and presented at both the 2012 and 2014 International Cooperative Summit, Making her the only Credit Union professional in the United States to do so. In 2019, she climbed the tallest freestanding mountain on the planet, Mt Kilimanjaro. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 25: Building Financial Empathy One Conversation At a Time](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-25-building-financial-empathy-one-conversation-at-a-time/) **Published:** August 5, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Uday - BOND.AI](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Uday_Akkaraju-2-edited.jpg)**Uday Akkaraju** CEO, BOND.AIWhy are these “beautiful, frictionless \[finance\] tools not impacting” our lives? Uday, living the life of a California millennial, had an epiphany a few years ago when he realized all of the various financial tools he thought would make him a better steward of his financial life weren’t working. He set out to create an “empathy engine” that spoke to our “entire life” and not just our financial life. [BOND.AI](https://www.bond.ai/) evolved from a persona-based conversational tool into a unique one-to-one behavioral tool that treats everyone as a unique person. Because guess what? All of our lives are different, fluid, and rarely fit into a typical financial box. Listen in to a great discussion on human-centered design, conversational AI, and the use of “small data.” ### More About Uday Uday Akkaraju is the CEO of BOND.AI, an award-winning human-centered artificial intelligence platform for banks. Uday Akkaraju has a background in interaction design and cognitive science and focuses on making machine intelligence empathetic and created the world’s first Empathy EngineTM for finance. Uday was recognized as an ‘International Innovator’ by the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Prior to BOND.AI, Uday founded and successfully ran an artificial intelligence research lab that helped early stage companies design the product and take it to market. He regularly speaks at international AI & fintech conferences such as the Mobile World Congress, Paris Fintech Forum, Money 2020, IBM Tech Talks, Signal, Finovate, Voice and more. Outside of the office, Uday advises a number of AI startups & entrepreneurs to help create fair and equitable machine learning systems. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 26: Building a Student Lending Marketplace That Leads With Heart and Help](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-26-building-a-student-lending-marketplace-that-leads-with-heart-and-help/) **Published:** August 16, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Pete Wylie - CommonBond](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Pete-headshot.jpg)**Pete Wylie** COO, CommonBondThe online student lender marketplace became a booming business over the last decade. With an influx of competitors, how does a marketplace lender stand out? [CommonBond](https://www.commonbond.co/) definitely lives a commitment to customer service and also focuses on “doing good while \[CommonBond does\] well.” Every loan that is funded on the platform also helps fund the education of a child in need via a partnership with [Pencils of Promise](https://www.commonbond.co/post/pencils-of-promise-ceo-explains-how-to-succeed-in-social-entrepreneurship#:~:text=Pencils%20of%20Promise%20builds%20schools,CommonBond%20to%20achieve%20its%20mission.). Pete talked about “two sides to scale, customer and capital.” You have to providing an interesting value proposition and a great experience. And you also have to find the middle ground between the customer and the capital markets, getting the best price for the end user. This combination of heart and a helpful mindset in a period of great distress puts CommonBond at the forefront of progressive student loan marketplaces today. ### More about Pete Pete Wylie is Chief Operating Officer at CommonBond, a leading education finance business. Pete joined the leadership team at CommonBond through the acquisition of a start-up he co-founded called Gradible, which helped students determine the best way to repay their student loans using proprietary technology. Pete has spent his career in start-up and growth businesses in a variety of management positions across marketing, finance, and technology. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 27: Creating Powerful Social Media Around Culture, Content and Compliance](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-27-creating-powerful-social-media-around-culture-content-and-compliance/) **Published:** August 17, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Doug Wilber - Denim Social](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/doug-wilber-denim-social_480xx3161-4200-72-0-edited.jpg)**Doug Wilber**CEO, Denim SocialDoug and Hunter sat to talk about all things social media, content, digital advertising and how he’s building a platform to connect the dots of organic and paid social media management. His newly formed company, [Denim Social](https://denimsocial.com/), the result of bringing together two companies: Gremlin Social and Denim. One of the key aspects of Doug’s company focus is to “harness the collective horsepower of the employees that work at a financial institution,” giving them the ability to showcase thought leadership on financial matters in a compliant manner. In order to build this type of culture, developing content remains a top priority. And Doug discussed his company’s content strategy approach, dubbed a “4-1-1 plan.” The plan includes a weekly cadence with 4 pieces of thought leadership content, 1 piece of product-related information, and 1 piece of humanistic/community content. Finally, Doug discussed how his solution competes with the many marketing hub platforms today that serve the financial sector. In a heavily saturated world of digital tools, Denim Social is staying focused on what matters to financial institutions. ### More About Doug Doug Wilber is the CEO of [Denim Social](https://denimsocial.com/), a social media management software company that provides tools to empower marketers in regulated industries to manage organic social media content and paid social media advertising on one platform. Trusted by more than 250 institutions in banking, insurance, mortgage and wealth management, Denim Social enables brands to engage customers on social media, deepen relationships with communities and close more deal while staying in compliance. Doug has worked in the fintech space for more than a decade and has experience working with Discover Financial Services, PYMNTS.com and Assembly Payments, among others. He’s also advised a number of fintech-focused startups in the Greater St. Louis area. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 28: Building a Bank on Better Behaviors](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-28-building-a-bank-on-better-behaviors/) **Published:** September 3, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Zach - HMBradley](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Zach-Bruhnke-headshot.jpg)**Zach Bruhnke**Co-founder and CEO, HMBradleyZach Bruhnke and team are creating “the best bank in the world if you are saver.” It’s a bold mission, but HMBradley has gained serious momentum in 2020. Featured as a fintech to watch by many outlets, HMBradley doesn’t exactly sound like a bank (although it is technically a bank). Zach and Hunter discuss the wild road travelled to turn this idea into a functioning bank and how HMBradley serves as an example for what’s possible with a little creativity, courage, and capital. Our discussion took on some of the largest issues facing the financial sector incumbents today. This is one you won’t want to miss. ### More About Zach Zach Bruhnke is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur. He built his first software company while attending college in Louisiana and has parlayed that experience into a career (mostly) in Fintech including time as the CTO of Cyndx. Currently, he serves as the Co-Founder & CEO of [HMBradley](https://www.hmbradley.com/), a technology-first banking platform that aligns itself with the customer by allowing anyone to earn status by what they do (not just what they have), paying consumers up to 3% interest depending on their savings habits. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 29: Perseverance and Personal Branding](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-29-perseverance-and-personal-branding/) **Published:** September 9, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Greg Martin- Truist](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/G-Martin-Pic-2-edited-scaled.jpg)**Greg Martin** Commercial Banker, Truist and Founder, The Entrepreneur’s BankerAs a commercial banker, you can’t just a be “a conduit to cash,” Greg, a longtime lender and small business advisor, reminded bankers on our recent podcast. But it’s tough not to fall into that vacuum. We live in a financial world where options are aplenty and credit is becoming commoditized. *So how do you stand out?* Greg Martin shares his story of moving from the military to life as a civilian banker and staunch advocate for entrepreneurs. He took risks (e.g. moving to a market where neither he nor his bank had strong awareness at the time). And he failed (e.g. not securing much business for over a year). But, Greg showed the perseverance that he now teaches to many up-and-coming entrepreneurs. And he’s building a personal brand that helps him professionally. If you’re a current banker or just need some lessons on perseverance, you’ll love the lessons Greg teaches on this episode. Enjoy! ### More About Greg Greg Martin is a Commercial Banker at BB&T Bank, now Truist. With over 14 years of banking experience he is an entrepreneur’s insider to the banking industry. He believes that every person is uniquely designed for a higher purpose and calling; and he strives to support that purpose and calling professionally and personally. Greg is the creator of The Entrepreneur’s Banker brand and is a certified Profit First Banker (1 of 2 in the world). Before his career in banking, Greg was an officer in the United States Army, serving with the 82nd Airborne Division. He has been deployed 3 times and has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the US Army Ranger Tab. When not empowering or coaching entrepreneurs, Greg can be found on a date with his wife of 18 years or shooting hoops with his 12-year old son. To learn more, or to connect, check out [www.theentrepreneursbanker.com](http://www.theentrepreneursbanker.com/). **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 30: The Digital Growth Mindset](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-30-the-digital-growth-mindset/) **Published:** September 10, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/James-Robert-Lay254-WEB-VERSION-Chris-Gillett-Houston-Headshot-Photographer-edited.jpg)**James Robert Lay**CEO, Digital Growth Institute“Digital transformation” is a phrase *du jour* right now and, as is the case with any overused phrase, it’s lost some of its meaning amidst the punditry. But James Robert understands the definition and what it means to be an organization focused on “digital growth.” So much so, he wrote a book: [Banking on Digital Growth](https://www.digitalgrowth.com/banking-on-digital-growth-book). And despite writing the book throughout 2019 (remember life before the pandemic?), the contents of his book are even more relevant in the current and post-COVID world. We’re moving through a three-stage period right now, according to James Robert: “Triage, Treatment, and Transformation.” He takes us through these three phases and talks through how organizations get into the right mindset (and out of the “cave of comfort”) to fully embrace the transformative period in front of us. What are real tangible steps to digital growth today? Listen in for great tips from James Robert. ### More about James Robert James Robert Lay is one of the world’s leading digital marketing authors, speakers, and advisors for financial brands. As a digital anthropologist based in Houston, TX, James Robert is the author of the bestselling book, Banking on Digital Growth. He is also the founder and CEO of the Digital Growth Institute where he has guided more than 520 financial brands on a mission to simplify digital marketing and sales strategies that empower banks and credit unions to generate 10X more loans and deposits. James Robert has been named one of the Financial Brand’s “Top Global Financial Services Influencers to Follow,” a CUNA “Credit Union Rock Star,” and a CU Times “Under 40 Trailblazer.” His insights have been featured in leading media outlets including Entrepreneur.com, US News and World Report, Quartz, The Financial Brand, American Banker, CU Times, and CU Journal among many others and he frequently speaks at the top industry events and universities around the world. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 31: LSBX, The Banking-As-A-Service Pioneer](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-31-lsbx-the-banking-as-a-service-pioneer/) **Published:** October 12, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Mike McCrary - LSBX](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Mike-McCrary-Banner-e1662580898223.jpg)**Mike McCrary** 1st Vice President, Lincoln Savings Bank Tech Division, LSBXHow does a 100+ year-old community bank based in Cedar Falls, Iowa become a national leader in the emerging “banking as a service” model for partnering with fintechs? Mike McCrary, a longtime banker and fintech fanatic saw the opportunity when others saw fintech as a threat. Now community banks around the country are trying to catch up to Lincoln Savings Bank’s (LSB) approach. LSB started pursuing new partnerships via their digital banking provider, Q2 out of Austin, Texas. “Deep in \[Lincoln Savings Bank’s\] DNA is innovation and desire to develop and offer our customers the best.” Working with a number of startups, much of LSB’s value has come in the form of compliance and risk coaching. Fintechs often lack this skill set and banks like LSB are proving to be key partners. There is a lot of work to be done to improve the financial experiences in our country and world. Mike outlines what areas he’s watching closely and more in this latest episode. ### More About Mike Mike has served in a variety of roles at [Lincoln Savings Bank](https://www.mylsb.com/ "https://www.mylsb.com/") over nearly 20 years. He now focuses on fintech partnerships via the national LSBX division within the community bank. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 33: Culture and Customization Lead a Cloud-Based Future](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-33-culture-and-customization-lead-a-cloud-based-future/) **Published:** November 6, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Kelsey Weaver - Neocova](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Kelsey-Weaver-headshot-edited.jpg)**Kelsey Weaver**Chief Innovation Officer and Co-founder, NeocovaCommunity banks face obstacles of outdated core technology, big bank competitors and the burden of regulatory costs. In order to help solve a portion of this problem, our latest guest Kelsey Weaver co-founded [Neocova](https://neocova.com/). The financial technology firm offers an entirely cloud-based core platform and products that help community banks tackle analytics, customer relationships, financial insights and automation of manual tasks. On the latest episode of The Financial Experience Podcast, Hunter and Kelsey discuss the transforming relationship between banks and fintechs, as well as what the future holds for the success of these partnerships. She says that fintechs are now being viewed as “Lego blocks,” and serve an important role in the building of a bank. Neocova’s focus is on rebuilding, not replacing, what a bank needs to run efficiently and securely. When asked what a “winning” bank or fintech looks like in five years, Kelsey believes that the **team** is truly what makes a company, business or bank. She describes the “banks of the future” as places where there is investment in employee experience and back-end technology, in addition to providing an environment with diversity of thought and collaboration. ### More About Kelsey After graduating with top honors in finance from Belmont University in Nashville, Kelsey began working for a serial entrepreneur who invested in media and banking companies. Kelsey’s first assignment was helping a print dining publication, where she led the transition from print to digital, and ultimately, a Top Paid Dining iPhone app in the iTunes store. From there Kelsey married her interest in startups and banking, joining Bank Director magazine as it re-invested, re-branded, and launched its new website. Kelsey helped to develop new products for team and as publisher, she worked with all of the company’s corporate clients to design comprehensive content and marketing campaigns, and designed topic-relevant conferences for their audience of bank CEOs and directors. Recognizing the need for bank executives to learn more about technology and to connect with potential tech partners, Kelsey founded FinXTech in 2016 as a subsidiary of Bank Director. To facilitate the process Kelsey built out an advisory group of thirty ecosystem leaders; it was through this initiative that she met co-founder Sultan Meghji, and the idea that became Neocova was born. After the successful launch and inaugural FinXTech conference at NASDAQ’s MarketSite, Kelsey found her passion in helping to match banks and technology partners. In 2017, Kelsey moved to NYC and started her own consultancy. Called Empact Innovation, it focused on helping a select few FinTech companies to market and partner with financial institutions. Kelsey still serves as an advisor to Marston, a wealth management fintech, and is an investor in the Shatter Fund, which focuses on supporting women-led technology companies. She is a member of the Astia Network, as an advisor to various startups, and is a frequent industry speaker on the topics of collaboration, innovation, and fintech. Kelsey sits on the board and leads the Technology Committee for SebastianStrong, a non-profit organization focused on raising awareness and funding for children’s cancer research. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 34: Lasagna-As-A-Service](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-34-lasagna-as-a-service/) **Published:** November 16, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Cokie Hasiotis - Lasagna Consulting](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Cokie-Hasiotis-headshot-edited.jpg)**Cokie Hasiotis**CEO and Founder, Lasagna ConsultingOur latest guest, Cokie Hasiotis, joins the podcast and explains the interesting comparison between the financial services industry and our favorite comfort foods. She discovered America’s banking infrastructure to look like a mess of spaghetti, one that is routed the wrong way with a foundation based on social and economic inequalities. Cokie’s goal is to make an infrastructure resembling a stacked lasagna, and this idea led to Cokie founding the first Banking-as-a-Service consultancy in the United States, aptly named [Lasagna Consulting](https://www.lasagnaconsulting.com/). She simplifies the definition of Banking-as-a-Service, describing it as “seamless API connectivity to deliver flawless financial products really quickly and really efficiently.” As we move into the era of Fintech 2.0, Cokie explains how we see companies offering “Whatever-as-a-Service” more frequently. Along with streamlining back-end processes to simple API, this era has seen a rise in strategic partnerships between banks and fintechs. Cokie is looking forward to a transition from geography-based banks to customized banking where communities of affinity can be brought around the same interest. For Cokie, these types of banks will be the type that “build up,” continue to hire thoughtfully, and change the mentality inside their bank to incentivize progression and innovation. Tune in to the latest episode to hear more from Cokie and Hunter discussing Fintech 2.0, BaaS, and digital bank trends. ### More About Cokie Cokie Hasiotis is the Founder & CEO of Lasagna Consulting, the US’s first and only Banking-as-a-Service consultancy. She recently joined [The Block](https://www.theblockcrypto.com/) as Chief of Staff and writes weekly for [Fintech Today](https://fintechtoday.substack.com/). She has a strong financial services background. In her limited spare time, Cokie enjoys reading, travel, and dismantling the patriarchy. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 35: Finding Your Product Niche As A Small Community Bank](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-35-finding-your-product-niche-as-a-small-community-bank/) **Published:** December 13, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Kreighton Reed - Solera National Bank](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/02/Kreighton-Reid-headshot-1024x1024.jpg)**Kreighton Reed**EVP, Solera National Bank Kreighton Reed joins The Financial Experience Podcast to discuss his journey at [Solera National Bank](https://www.solerabank.com/), a community bank in the Denver metropolitan area. Solera Bank is not your “typical” community bank. It was founded in 2007, is nationally-charted, and from its conception, the bank’s focus was on efficiency. They decided to cut out retail banking and hone in on the niche market of self-directed IRAs and 401(k) plans. We discuss the importance of leading with product innovation, and then finding the technology to marry it. Solera Bank created a new checking account product, made an easy wiring system, and it was attractive and convenient for customers that don’t want to spend an extended amount of time waiting in their local bank. Kreighton and the team at Solera saw the need to dive into a bank’s digital presence and the area of fintech. He explains how fintechs are able to focus on the small problems in the financial industry, but he recognizes the difficulties of finding the right match and how tech can be “scary” to delve into. He compares the partnership to a language barrier, “We speak English, and it is like trying to hire someone who speaks a foreign language. Tech is like a foreign language to banking.” Although this four-letter word can induce moans and groans, Kreighton emphasizes how vital an updated core is for the future of banks. The banks with a new core will be able to partner with fintechs in a smoother transition. ### More About Kreighton Kreighton Reed joined Solera National Bank in May 2016 as Vice President, Branch Manager. In June 2018, Kreighton was promoted to Senior Vice President as head of the retirement division. In April 2019, Kreighton’s role expanded to Executive Vice President over business development. In this role, Kreighton is responsible for innovation. He is tasked with finding and developing strategic partnerships that will lead to long-term value-drivers for Solera Bank including new products, services, and technologies. Prior to joining the bank, Kreighton worked for Wells Fargo Bank for 9 years in various management positions within the retail banking sector. At Wells Fargo, Kreighton gained experience in diverse geographic markets including Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin. Kreighton completed his B.A. in Latin American Studies at Brigham Young University. He has been active in volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America, and he was most recently a Cubmaster in the Denver area. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 36: Helping Fintech Conquer the Last-Mile Challenge](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-36-helping-fintech-conquer-the-last-mile-challenge/) **Published:** December 14, 2020 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Nikkee Rhody, Managing Director, Falls Fintech](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/02/Nikkee-Rhody-headshot-8.20-600x600-1.jpg)**Nikkee Rhody**Managing Director, Falls FintechOur latest guest, Nikkee Rhody, joins Hunter to detail her 20+ year banking background and her role in the foundation of a fintech accelerator. [Falls Fintech](https://www.fallsfintech.com/) is a 12-week program based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for early-stage financial technology startups. It is the first accelerator to be founded by a full-scale digital payments bank, and Nikkee describes the development of the program, its deep focus on research and figuring out who (and how) they want to serve. In an unusual year, the Falls Fintech team had to pivot to help their founder community deal with not only the typical challenges of starting a new company, but the weight of doing so in the most unconventional of years. Falls Fintech’s first on-premises cohort was scheduled for early March 2020, but they quickly had to move their training program to a virtual setting due to the pandemic. Nikkee has learned throughout the obstacles caused by Covid-19 that entrepreneurs are “tenacious, committed, steadfast, and they roll with the punches.” She says that Falls Fintech serves entrepreneurs, so they have been to walk a mile in entrepreneurs’ shoes and witness the challenging impacts they have faced throughout this year. Looking beyond the hurdles brought by 2020, Nikkee is inspired by the people who are focusing on social injustice issues within the financial services industry. The entrepreneurial spirit sparked within people during the pandemic is also exciting for Nikkee, and she is looking forward to continued innovation and success from these founders. Listen to the latest episode to hear more from Nikkee on the typical aches and pains of startups, the progression of Falls Fintech to their third cohort, and what exactly it is like to start training as an accelerator in the midst of a pandemic. ### More About Nikkee Nikkee Rhody is the Managing Director of Falls Fintech and *Senior Vice President of* Product Development of Central Payments*. Nikkee* has more than 20 years of experience in financial services and payments. In 2019, she took on the role of leading a team to build a custom fintech accelerator for Central Payments which has now run 2 successful cohorts and continues to gain market traction. Prior to joining Central Payments, she was part of another issuing bank and contributed to building a proprietary payments platform which grew to serve more than 1,200 banks and credit unions throughout the U.S. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 68: ABA Bank Marketing Conference 2022 Showcase](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-68-aba-bank-marketing-conference-showcase/) **Published:** July 22, 2022 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![John Hanley - Equity Bank](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/07/John-Hanley-Executive-2022-edited.jpg)**John Hanley**Sr. Director of Marketing, Equity BankJohn Hanley, SVP and Senior Director of Marketing at [Equity Bank](https://www.equitybank.com/), is serving as this year’s co-chairman of the [ABA Bank Marketing Conference](https://www.aba.com/training-events/conferences/bank-marketing-conference "https://www.aba.com/training-events/conferences/bank-marketing-conference") on September 11-13 in Denver, Colorado. The goal of the Bank Marketing Conference is to help grow strong marketers across all fields of the financial services industry. The conference will showcase how the role of marketing fits into financial companies and how creativity, design, and branding are needed in the industry. Marketers working in financial services know how hard it can be to establish yourself as a credible co-worker in a field where the creative process isn’t well-known. Knowing exactly what your bank or company is looking for in projects can be challenging too. John believes if marketers can “find the personality in your bankers, in your company, in your brand, and even in your customers,” they’ll be able to establish themselves in any company. He encourages marketers to focus on how they can make themselves stand out, while also taking into account their clients’ needs. How can our product appeal to clients when financial products are so similar? Does our brand showcase all we have to offer to clients? Engaging with coworkers and bouncing ideas off one another is a way to ensure you’re on the right track. Once the curtain in front of the creative process is pulled back and your company is able to see all you do, John emphasizes the importance of taking leadership in your company. John is excited for marketers to hear from some of the keynote speakers, who will cover subjects from NIL endorsements to using data to help pitch ideas. There will also be vendors who “you get to speak directly to them in a way that you may not at other conferences.” John encourages everyone who is interested to register for the conference and learn from fellow financial marketers. Listen to this episode to hear more about how marketers can make their mark on the financial industry with Hunter and John. ### More About John John J. Hanley is Senior Vice President and Senior Director of Marketing and leads all marketing, advertising, communication, brand management, and public relations strategies for Equity Bank, a $5-billion regional community bank with 67 locations in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. John joined Equity Bank in 2012 in its offices in Kansas City. John is a recognized marketer, speaker and leader nationally in the banking industry, serving as Chair of the American Bankers Association marketing advisory board, and a board member of the ABA’s CFMP exam and Bank Marketing School. John began his banking career as marketing manager for Kansas-based Sunflower Bank in 2004, and earned his Certified Financial Marketing Professional designation in 2014. John began his career as a newspaper writer and editor with The News-Times in Danbury, Connecticut. John is a graduate of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, and attended the University of Iowa College of Law. John serves locally as Chair of the Board of the Lawrence, Kansas Humane Society and lives in Lawrence, Kansas with his wife, Judge Amy Hanley and three cats: Sophie, Todd and Wallace. He is a diehard Pearl Jam and Chicago Cubs fan. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 37: Embedding Finance’s Future](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-37-embedding-finances-future/) **Published:** January 12, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Dov Marmor - Railsbank](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/01/Dov-Marmor-Headshot-1024x1024.jpg)**Dov Marmor** COO, RailsbankDov Marmor discusses his position at [Railsbank](https://www.railsbank.com/), a Banking-as-a-Service platform that enables customers to access global banking through their open finance platform and APIs. Dov and the team at Railsbank work to improve the future of embedded finance, and he discusses the value of credit-card-as-a-service and the beauty of simplifying a platform with Hunter. He compares this platform to a lego set where the pieces are APIs and consumers are given the instruction manual to learn how to build each feature within a credit card experience. Dov explains, “We are teaching customers how to build their own experiences, but we are also powering it with tech and also managing the complex behind the scenes operations to make it all operate.” These various parts can be complex to navigate, so more companies are paying for this simplification and consumers are being offered more fintech apps. Through the use of fintech apps and partnerships between tech companies and financial institutions, people are being introduced to more personal financial management tools. Dov says that “financial wellness should not be on autopilot,” and through the use of embedded finance, investment and financial wellness tools can be integrated into our daily lives. From the beginning, Railsbank leaders have possessed a global mindset that has become more powerful in each new country. From this foundation, they have been able to construct their company with an integration that can support a product that works on all of the continents they have launched in. As credit forms the makeup of most spend in the US, Railsbank wants to serve consumer demand with a credit-card-as-a-service focus. Using embedded finance in the credit card ecosystem will allow for tech brands to introduce new products with a customer-centered design. ### More About Dov Dov Marmor is a Fintech executive with a proven track of building API platform businesses in both startups and multi-billion dollar companies. He currently is COO of North America for Railsbank, a Visa-backed Fintech Platform that allows businesses to prototype, build, and scale any financial use case with a simple suite of APIs. Prior to Railsbank, he led two of the leading B2B Fintech Platforms (Green Dot BaaS and Currencycloud) through exponential YOY growth and built multi-million dollar partnerships with companies like Uber, Intuit, Stash, Wealthfront, and several publicly traded banks. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 38: New Growth Mindset](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-38-new-growth-mindset/) **Published:** January 26, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Jeffrey Kendall - Nymbus](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/02/Jeffrey-Kendall-headshot.jpeg)**Jeffrey Kendall**CEO, NymbusCommunity banks and credit unions face a continuous onslaught of noise surrounding the latest transformative digital solutions, but Nymbus has set a course to do business differently. Jeffery Kendall, appointed CEO of [Nymbus](https://www.nymbus.com/) in 2020, joined the podcast to talk about his philosophy as a technology provider and where he sees the greatest opportunities for banks and credit unions. Jeffrey admits to having somewhat of an allergic reaction to software vendors that try to sell solutions to problems that do not exist – which can be commonplace in the software tech space. He knows Nymbus can solve real problems, and he explains the emerging need for vendors to come together and do business in a better way in order to reduce risks for banks. For far too long, the financial sector has been debilitated by lengthy contracts and fragmentation of integration between lines of business and tools. The definition of “digital bank” is still evolving, but Jeffery sees it as a bank that is focused on targeting segments that are achievable through digital channels rather than relying on geographic segmentation. One of the main focuses that sets businesses in the digital banking space apart is having a “growth mindset.” The need for user-friendly banking apps is covered, but the next step in the evolution of digital revolves around how to engage customers and create opportunities to add new products and markets. We discuss the “heart share” and what banks can offer to connect with consumers beyond an affinity to a location. What excites Jeffery for the future of Nymbus? A growing market ripe with opportunities for new and existing players in the financial services arena. Whether it is brands who would not be traditionally considered a financial institution being able to participate in the financial services ecosystem, or partnering with smaller banks to give them hope through a growth plan, the team at Nymbus is motivated to remain part of the solution. ### More About Jeffery Jeffery Kendall is Chief Executive Officer of Nymbus, a cloud-based ecosystem that helps banks and credit unions transform their capabilities and drive value in today’s digital marketplace. Jeffery is a steadfast leader, spending the last twenty years developing technologies and building organizations that have revolutionized industries. Most notable being Kony DBX, serving as the Executive Vice President and General Manager, Kendall successfully grew the digital banking division by an astounding 500 percent in two and a half years, leading to a Temenos acquisition in 2019 for $580 million. Jeffery is a visionary who believes digital is not a destination – it’s a journey from where you’ve been to where you want to go and is committed to taking that journey with financial institutions. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 39: Tech Rising From A Community Bank](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-39-tech-rising-from-community-bank/) **Published:** February 19, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Nathan Baumeister - ZSuite](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/02/Nathan-Baumeister-headshot.jpg)**Nathan Baumeister**CEO, ZSuiteWhen community banks look at their customer bases closely, it’s amazing where insights can lead. [ZSuite Technologies](https://www.zsuitetech.com/), which was born out of a $2 billion asset community bank based in the Greater Boston area, started by addressing the pain that property managers felt in the collection of rent. And as these in-house tools were proven, new opportunities emerged around escrow management. Nathan Baumeister, now CEO of the spun out ZSuite, shares how the company grew from [Leader Bank’s](https://www.leaderbank.com/) customer-centric mindset, and details his most vital processes for growth: listening carefully to customers, building knowledge of verticals within the institution, and developing tailor-made tools that provide additional value. As ZSuite enters its next growth phase, Nathan hopes to build their digital escrow platform so it can be used across different verticals as well. Looking toward the future of financial services, Nathan is excited by the threats that exist, whether it be consolidation or different technology players taking parts of existing customer bases. The team at ZSuite is invigorated by these challenges, and Nathan suggests that “if it’s hard, a lot of people won’t do it.” Tune in to the latest podcast episode to hear Hunter and Nathan discuss his hope for community banks and credit unions to remain front and center in their communities and beyond. ### More About Nathan Nathan Baumeister is the CEO of ZSuite Technologies, a Mass.-based provider of digital escrow products built for specific commercial verticals that financial institutions can offer to their clients. Baumeister provides strategic direction while working to grow the business and the product line. He loves growing culture-driven businesses, working with financial institutions, and being a part of the digital innovation going on in the financial sector. He is married to the love of his life and is a devoted father to three children. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 40: New Paths To Credit](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-40-new-paths-to-credit/) **Published:** February 21, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Alpa Lally - Experian](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/02/Alpa-Lally-headshot-1024x1024.jpg)**Alpa Lally** VP of Data Business, Experian**100 million people.** Our recent guest, Alpa Lally, discusses a common, yet staggering, credit statistic: 100 million people are said to be excluded from the credit ecosystem because they lack a traditional credit history or experience with traditional credit products. Alpa’s background as a structural and civil engineer led her toward a passion for data, and she has now been with credit powerhouse, [Experian](https://www.experian.com/), for nearly eight years. Her work revolves around helping consumers and financial institutions leverage data to better inform their financial decisions. The company’s products have evolved from simply a credit score service to a more complex algorithm that enable customers to add data to their credit file so they can achieve access to better credit terms. Beyond using traditional data to assess credit scores, Experian layers alternative data in order to create a fuller picture of consumers, and users can allow access to banking information that show past reliable payments. Alpa relays that 80% of consumers are now willing to provide more data to lenders if it translates to approval or improved interest rates on credit. Listeners can learn more about specific credit products like [Experian Boost](https://www.experian.com/consumer-products/score-boost.html), Experian Lift, and [UltraFICO Score](https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-the-difference-between-ultrafico-and-experian-boost/#s2) that are evolving the way we leverage our data personally and professionally. Through these products, Experian is helping a portion of the 100 million population step foot inside the door to credit access. Alpa emphasizes that Experian’s team is continuously searching for novel ways to use data. In the future, she is excited for more opportunities to provide lenders with the data they need to fully evaluate a consumer’s position and involved risk. Consequently, Alpa is looking forward to see more consumers take the driver’s seat in their credit journey. Listen to the latest episode to hear Alpa and Hunter discuss how more consumers are assuming control of their credit. ### More About Alpa Alpa Lally is the Vice President of Data Business for Experian’s core business in North America. She is responsible for product management related to Experian’s core and alternative data assets which includes, but is not limited to, credit scoring models and tools. Over the past seven years, Lally has driven new product innovation by bridging technology and business strategy and driven double-digit revenue growth. Prior to joining Experian, Lally worked in the civil and structural engineering field, in Canada and the United States, where she led design, engineering and development for construction projects. She has a dual bachelor’s in civil and structural engineering from the University of Calgary and her Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 41: The Foundations of Financial Literacy](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-41-the-foundations-of-financial-literacy/) **Published:** March 19, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Sarah Ryan - SECU MD](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/03/Sarah-Ryan-SECU-MD-scaled.jpg)**Sarah Ryan**SECU MDThe core values of [SECU Credit Union](https://www.secumd.org/) are based on the philosophy of people helping people and giving back to the community. In order to strengthen these values, SECU created a foundation to build a stronger Maryland. Sarah Ryan, Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement at SECU and Director of [SECU MD Foundation](https://www.secumdfoundation.org/), joins the Financial Experience Podcast to discuss the foundation’s broad impact on education, health and wellness, and community development. As director, Sarah manages corporate and philanthropic giving, which includes sponsorships and employee volunteer efforts. The foundation started in 2017, and within the past four years it has grown exponentially. Since the onset of the pandemic, SECU members searched for a way to support the multitude of grant and scholarship programs. Sarah details the challenging transition of large foundation gatherings like their finance fairs and speaking events to solely virtual. Although they could no longer be held in-person, the foundation wanted their online presence to be just as impactful. Sarah speaks to the foundation’s goal of providing financial literacy to all ages. Your relationship to money is understandably personal, but the foundation seeks to provide adults and the younger generations with the necessary products and services to achieve their goals. The organization wants to become a trusted advisor in the cycle of financial education for adults and children alike, with the hopes of encouraging habits that will positively impact their financial futures. The SECU MD Foundation aims to be an approachable and open-door environment, and they desire to be present in communities of the underbanked and underserved. Sarah believes that banks and credit unions are in a position to make a substantial impact with the tools they offer, and she is excited to be a part of helping people feel empowered and achieving financial freedom in the years to come. Tune in to the latest podcast episode to hear Hunter and Sarah discuss more about the SECU MD Foundation and their efforts to help community members achieve their financial goals. ### More About Sarah Sarah Ryan is Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement at SECU, the largest chartered credit union in Maryland. Recently, she was also named the Director of the SECU MD Foundation. In her role she is responsible for the strategy and coordination of SECU’s strategic partnerships, sponsorships, in-kind donations and employee volunteerism, while also organizing the SECU MD Foundation’s programming, grants, and fundraising. Prior to her current role, Sarah held roles as a Community Market Leader and Community Relationship Manager at SECU. Helping to grow and develop market presence, she planned, developed and implemented programs to support awareness and financial literacy. With more than ten years of community outreach experience, she was actively involved with companies and their employees to ensure they were aware of the credit union difference while providing financial education to members. She also worked at PNC Bank as a Business Development Officer. Sarah prides herself on her support of the communities where she lives and works. Volunteering her time and talents, she participates on numerous planning committees to ensure programs, events and ideas are implemented with a goal of improving and enhancing the region. She sits on the board of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, where she served as President in 2018/2019. Sarah graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing and currently resides in Cockeysville, Maryland, with her husband, Jamie, and their three sons. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. vacationing at the beach, and enjoying time outdoors with her young children. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 42: Less Widgets, More Value Creation](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-42-less-widgets-more-value-creation/) **Published:** March 24, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Joe Welu - Total Expert](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/03/Joe-Welu-headshot-Square-300x300.jpg)**Joe Welu**CEO, Total ExpertOn the latest podcast, Hunter virtually sits down with Joe Welu to discuss why undergoing a digital transformation can be difficult, why financial companies are often misaligned with what the customer needs, and what value creation looks like in a modern financial organization. Joe, CEO of [Total Expert](https://totalexpert.com/), the first marketing and customer engagement platform built for the financial services industry, has built his business going “a level deeper” with clients and created a company that’s stood out in a crowded field. When asked what quality sets Total Expert apart from the rest of the software space, Joe explains their focus on caring for the customer relationship. From the early stages, Joe knew the importance of creating trust, spending time with customers, and keeping customer success as their top core value. Looking toward the future of financial services, he states the mission for Total Expert as centered around the ability to empower customers and increase financial wellness. If the company can guide consumers to make better decisions through education, Joe believes there will be a smoother movement toward modern banking. Hunter and Joe also discuss the conversation surrounding Big Data and the chain that can become broken without proper communication and alignment within your organization. Joe explains the three-step process that entails collecting data, creating data insights, and taking action. If organizations cannot continue through to the latest step of action, they will be unable to create value. He explains the significance of simplifying your audience and breaking down goals into smaller increments to drive outcomes. Listen to the latest episode to hear more from Hunter and Joe as they talk about building lifelong financial relationships, delivering value, going a layer deeper in your customer’s journey to accomplish a successful digital transformation. ### More About Joe Joe Welu is the founder and CEO of Total Expert, the fintech software leader that launched the first customer experience platform purpose-built for modern financial institutions. Since 2015, Joe has led Total Expert’s vision, culture and growth to nearly 300 employees today. The company powers CRM, marketing and customer engagement for more than 150 companies—from leading community banks and credit unions, to 3 of the nation’s top 10 banks, and 9 of the top 15 mortgage lenders. Total Expert’s growth has skyrocketed since its inception; in 2020 alone, it ranked #17 in the Inc. 5,000 Most Successful Companies in the Midwest, #3 in the [Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2020 Fast 50](https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2020/10/22/2020-fast-50-total-expert.html), and #82 in the [Deloitte Tech Fast 500](https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/us-tmt-fast-500-2020-winners-list.pdf). **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 43: Clearing The Smoke Between Cannabis and Banks](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-43-clearing-the-smoke-between-cannabis-and-banks/) **Published:** April 7, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Kevin Hart, CEO, Green Check Verified](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/04/Kevin-Hart-Headshot-1024x1024.png)**Kevin Hart**CEO, Green Check VerifiedIn an ever-changing industry with evolving rules and regulations, it is vital to have a well-oiled compliance rules engine. That is, at least, what Kevin Hart would say. The latest Financial Experience Podcast guest is the CEO of [Green Check Verified](https://www.greencheckverified.com/), a company that has modernized how cannabis businesses and financial institutions work together. Kevin entered the cannabis industry to solve one of its largest operational problems – access to financial services. His team created a web-based platform that enables financial institutions to identify and onboard compliant cannabis businesses. The point of sales system was manufactured to analyze financial activity and present information with clear visibility, which helps lessen the fear of getting involved in this growing industry. Cannabis-related businesses have to juggle variability in rules between states (or even cities and counties), and Kevin explains that some of these rules could change overnight. At the heart of what Green Check does is their compliance rules engine, which helps financial institutions form compliant partnerships. To handle the different regulations, their system helps with safely accepting deposit dollars, monitoring accounts, enabling regulatory reporting, and tracking the exact point in time of transactions. As the industry continues to transform, Hunter asks how to prepare for the future. Kevin vocalizes, “The future is today.” He assures that with a defined program and management of your cannabis portfolio of accounts, you can bank cannabis today. Looking forward to the next few years, Kevin is most excited about the growing momentum in legislation and seeing more people involved in the scaling cannabis industry. Tune in to the latest podcast episode to hear more from Hunter and Kevin on Green Check Verified and their move to modernize cannabis banking. ### More About Kevin Kevin Hart is the Founder & CEO of Green Check Verified, a compliance technology and services company enabling banks and credit unions to safely, efficiently and profitably offer banking services to cannabis-related businesses. Kevin brings four decades of enterprise software experience as part of his founding vision for Green Check. He has worked in the C-Suite for a variety of software companies with global clients and partners, and he has led two companies to successful exits with publicly traded companies, as well as another to an IPO. With decades of experience at the helm of venture backed companies, Kevin has brought together an unmatched team to help him lead Green Check to its leading position in the cannabis financial services market. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 44: A Shift To Niche](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/a-shift-to-niche-nymbus/) **Published:** April 26, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Liz High - Nymbus](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/05/liz_high_small.jpg)**Liz High**EVP of Strategy and Marketing, Nymbus“You don’t start with the bank. You start with the customer. And most importantly you start with some really good data.” Liz High, EVP of Strategy and Marketing at [Nymbus](https://www.nymbus.com), recently joined the growing team at the rapidly-scaling financial technology company and can’t believe “this is really her job.” Creating twelve ready-to-launch brands in a matter of months, she and her team are redefining what it means to “build or buy” technology. Liz talks through the process of identifying, validating, and building a niche to serve. For many technology buyers of the past, the user experience didn’t always align with a thoughtful marketing program. Nymbus is changing that. With their creation of Nymbus Labs, a marketing services group inside Nymbus, Liz and her team work with financial (and non-financial) companies to transform how the identify and go-to-market with a financial brand. It’s a balancing process of finding the niches that stay “true to your roots” while also pulling your financial institution into new customer bases. Liz and Hunter discussed some of Nymbus’ niche concepts, including [Hitched](https://hitchedmoney.com/): a financial planning app for couples. As traditional financial institutions look to new communities outside of their immediate geography, finding a focus can be incredibly powerful. Liz and her team work hard to connect new customer bases emotionally to these brands, create a much stronger bond than a traditional financial product relationship. Dive into the this episode to learn why niche is the new normal. ### More About Liz For nearly three decades, Liz High has used data and insights to create elevated customer experiences for some of the world’s most enduring brands. As Nymbus’ executive vice president of marketing and strategy, she’s helping accelerate growth for banks and credit unions by reimagining the customer experience through innovative new approaches to products, services, delivery and markets. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 45: A De Novo For A New Era of Banking](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-45-a-de-novo-for-a-new-era-of-banking/) **Published:** May 14, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Keith Costello - Locality Bank](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/05/Keith-Costello-headshot-5135-4-1024x1024.jpg)**Keith Costello**CEO“There really is a need for both: the fintech with technology and the community bank with relationships and local ties to the community,” Keith Costello outlined a new vision for a new style of community banking about to launch in south Florida. [Locality Bank](https://localitybank.com/), a de novo that is expected to go live later this year, has the strategic advantage of launching at “an opportune time,” much like Keith’s previous bank that came to life out of the Great Recession. As de novo activity continues to sputter along nationally and M&A activity over the last decade removed many of south Floridian business owners’ favorite community banks, Locality’s stakeholders saw a clear need. ![Corey LeBlanc - Locality Bank](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/05/Corey-LeBlanc-COO-CTO-of-Locality-Bank-IO_headshot-1.jpg)**Corey LeBlanc**COO/CTOBut this de novo also presents an opportunity to look at technology and customer experience in a different way. Corey Leblanc, COO and CTO at Locality, is charged with building on a “first principle concept” of what a modern, “digital-native” community bank should be. Corey talks about the misconception that “everything has to have a physical component” to create personalized experiences. Whether it’s physical real estate or bankers in chairs sitting with a business owner, Locality is challenging some of the long-held assumptions(and costly fixed costs) inside community bank. “We’ll never ask you for a document twice,” Keith summed up what it means to create a more frictionless experience for small business customers. Listen to the latest episode for more insight on how Keith and Corey are approaching this novel de novo. ### More About Keith Keith Costello is currently CEO of Icon Financial Holdings, Inc. an entity formed to start a de novo community bank in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the proposed President and CEO of Locality Bank (In Organization). He served as the President & CEO of First GREEN Bank, a community bank headquartered in Orlando, FL from May 2016 until its successful sale to Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida in October 2018. The bank at the time of sale had $800 million dollars in assets and six branches in Central Florida and one in Fort Lauderdale. Prior to his role at First GREEN, he was president, CEO and an organizing director of Broward Bank of Commerce, one of the last banks chartered in Florida in January of 2009. The bank was successfully sold in 2014 to Centennial bank where Keith served as Division President for one year. He also had senior roles at Bank of Florida, City National Bank and Nations Bank. He started his business career as a financial consultant at Merrill Lynch in 1987 after leaving active-duty military service in the U.S. Army, where he attained the rank of Captain. Keith holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tampa and an MBA from the University of Miami. He has his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute. Keith has been involved in several local charities and organizations and served on Fort Lauderdale’s Economic Development Advisory Board, the Broward County Continuum of Care Board for the Homeless and served as chairman of the board of directors of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce in 2017. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Broward Workshop and is currently a member of Vistage and the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of United Way. ### More About Corey Corey LeBlanc is a catalyst for CX advancement in the banking industry and a steadfast advocate in the mission to transform small business banking. He is COO and CTO for the newly formed Locality Bank IO, a community bank with a vision to solve the problem of capital allocation for small and medium-sized businesses through being a relationship-based, multi-channel, comprehensive business resource. Or more simply put, “Empower SMBs to maximize their potential” efficiently through a modernized bank experience. Previously LeBlanc served as Chief Digital & Innovation Officer at Origin Bank, where he developed strategic roadmaps that aligned digital initiatives with business-wide objectives, cultivated external partnerships, and leveraged a data-driven approach to digital transformation. He brings over twenty years of experience that consists of roles such as CTO, VP of IT, and Director of Infrastructure + Security. LeBlanc serves on the Client Advisory Board for MX and was awarded 20 Under Forty by Banking Exchange Magazine in 2018. He served six years in the USAF, leading as Infrastructure & Security Lead for Bolling Air Force Base and the USAF Academy. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 46: The Keys To Staying Independent](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-46-the-keys-to-staying-independent/) **Published:** June 2, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Jeff Marsico, The Kafafian Group](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Jeff-Marsico-3-White-Background-edited-1.jpg)**Jeff Marsico**President, The Kafafian GroupDo you know your customer cohorts that deliver the most value? Are you developing a curriculum for internal succession? Do you augment products with unique tech offerings that attract new customers? It takes a lot of work to operate an independent community bank and our latest podcast discusses what factors are critical today. Jeff Marsico, recently joined the podcast to talk about “operating discipline” and how banks can stay independent in a time of great change amidst a number of pressures on customer loyalty. Jeff used his decades of experience this past year (and some extra time in lockdown) to write a new bank strategy book: [Squared Away: How Can Bankers Succeed as Economic First Responders](). He touches on a number of the principles within the book throughout our discussion, crossing strategy, execution, and culture. Hunter and Jeff walk though the fact that financial institutions “have more information on their customers than Google does” and have to find “focus” and “sub-focus” that drives profitability. The mentality that people “will keep walking in our branch” no longer works, but you can find elegant solutions that augment your legacy products. Many community financial institutions are serving four or five generations of family members and the needs are so varied that it can be difficult to execute and even harder to define a clear strategy. Tough decisions have to be made and Jeff has one that might have a few exiting the podcast halfway through. Tune in! ### **More About Jeff** Jeff has been with [The Kafafian Group](https://kafafiangroup.com/) since its inception and is a founding shareholder. He oversees and works in all lines of business and areas of expertise, with a focus on strategy, profitability, and financial advisory. He began his banking career in 1985 and his experience includes: financial institution mergers and acquisitions, consulting and capital formation with Tucker Anthony Sutro Capital Markets (now RBC Capital Markets); retail branch management and merger integration with First Maryland Bancorp (now M&T Bank Corporation); IT and trust operations with Northeastern Bank of Pennsylvania (now PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.). At The Kafafian Group, he has analyzed and facilitated hundreds of strategy development engagements for community financial institutions, resulting in documented strategic plans to guide client employees and improve performance. He has negotiated, analyzed and advised boards of directors regarding whole bank, branch and fee-based lines of business acquisitions resulting in more than four-dozen successful transactions with over $2 billion in value. Jeff received his B.A. from the University of Hawaii and his M.B.A. from Lebanon Valley College. Professional education includes the AMIfs Institute, NASD Series 6 and 7, and the U.S. Navy systems administrator designation from the University of West Florida. He is the author of *Squared Away-How Can Bankers Succeed as Economic First Responders* ([Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/Squared-Away-Bankers-Economic-Responders-ebook/dp/B08YFFFVMY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1619551605&sr=8-1) | [Paperback](https://www.amazon.com/Squared-Away-Bankers-Economic-Responders/dp/0982693826/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1619551605&sr=8-1) | [Hardcover](https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/jeffrey-marsico-and-kate-young/squared-away/hardcover/product-462m52.html?page=1&pageSize=4)). He also serves on the faculty of various state associations’ executive development programs. He is a frequent speaker and commentator at industry events, and is a recognized community financial institution blogger. Jeff interrupted his banking career and served seven years as a Military Intelligence Analyst in the United States Navy, earning three Navy Achievement Medals, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, Sea Service Ribbon, and other various commendations. He was a leader in starting the girls’ lacrosse program in his community, and is a certified U.S. lacrosse coach. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 47: Financial Wellness Grows Inside The Workplace](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-47-financial-wellness-grows-inside-the-workplace/) **Published:** June 25, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![BNF - Truist](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/06/Brian-Ford-Head-Shot_LinkedIn-edited-scaled.jpg)**Brian Nelson Ford**Head of Financial Wellness, Truist“It doesn’t make sense to worry about things we can’t control because we can’t control them. On the other hand, it doesn’t make sense to worry about the things we can control because we can control them.” Brian Nelson Ford shared this key piece of advice on our recent podcast as a reminder to us all in periods of great uncertainty. He’s used this principle and others to build a personal finance education company that has become a key facet of workplace financial education inside [Truist Bank](https://www.truist.com/). Brian and Hunter discuss how the subject of personal finance can be intimidating and how it’s become one of the leading causes of stress. Ford saw an opportunity inside companies to improve their cultures, increase feelings of financial confidence, lower financial stress and, ultimately, save personal relationships. During his time in business school, the passion he had for personal finance led him to a lightbulb moment in creating a company called 8 Pillars. Ford’s 8 Pillars centered on research-based, affordable and deliver financial literacy in a fun, engaging way. He explored the actions of financially confident people, and he developed the 8 Pillars from their answers. These research-based principles enabled his company to cut through the white noise and information explosion that consumers face. And ultimately Suntrust Bank (and now Truist Bank) saw the benefits of integrating Ford’s philosophies into workplace financial education programs. When asked what he is looking forward to in the coming years, retirement planning tops Ford’s list. One of the most exciting ideas to Ford is the integration of workplace financial wellness programs into HRIS. Teaching employees about the importance of emergency funds and continuing to normalize the trend of an employer-sponsored emergency savings account is what inspires him. Tune in to the latest episode of the Financial Experience Podcast to hear more on improving financial wellness through the workplace. ### More About Brian Nelson Ford Brian Nelson Ford serves as the Head of Financial Wellness at Truist Financial Corporation. He assumed his current position in December 2019, upon the closing of the merger of equals between BB&T Corporation and SunTrust Banks, Inc. In his role, Mr. Ford is responsible for the design and implementation of internal and external financial well-being programs, including Truist Momentum, a financial wellness program for the companies of all sizes. Mr. Ford served as Financial Well-Being Executive at SunTrust beginning in 2015. Prior to joining SunTrust, he was the founder and CEO of 8 Pillars Financial Education Company – one of the leaders in Workplace Financial Wellness. As a result, Mr. Ford has been widely recognized as one of the foremost experts on the design, implementation and measurement of Workplace Financial Education Programs for employees. He is often featured in national media publications, including: Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, CNN, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, and Forbes. Mr. Ford is an accomplished and well-respected author and speaker. He has authored The 8 Pillars of Financial Greatness, a book focused on helping individuals and families put their financial lives in harmony with their deepest values. He has also authored an award-winning children’s book titled Marshmallows and Bikes – Teaching Children (and Adults) Personal Finance. Among the companies that he has delivered keynote addresses to, include: The Home Depot, Holiday Inn, CFPB, Chevrolet, Overstock.com, Delta, Mr. Ford earned Bachelor’s Degrees in Business Management, and Marriage, Family & Human Development from Brigham Young University, as well as a Master’s Degree in Personal Finance from the College for Financial Planning. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 48: Frich Makes Money Social and Accountable for Gen Z](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-48-frich-makes-money-social-and-accountable-for-gen-z/) **Published:** July 13, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Katrin Kaurov, CEO](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/07/Katrin-Kaurov-headshot-edited.jpg)**Katrin Kaurov** CEO and Co-founderIn the latest episode, Hunter talks with the co-founders of a revolutionary app geared toward Gen Z. Katrin Kaurov and Aleksandra Medina, two young entrepreneurs who have traveled across the world and now settled in New York City, noticed a pattern of poor spending habits while building and maintaining a social life in each new place. The price of coffee dates, dinners, and cocktail hours adds up, and they wanted to break the cycle of financial stress for social generations like Gen Z and millennials. So, they started building [Frich](https://getfrich.com/). Frich is the first social finance app, and its purpose is to **make money social**. After trying other finance apps, Katrin and Aleksandra were inspired by the fitness apps that made exercise social and accountable. They created an app that adds secure, social accountability to personal finance, allowing friends to tackle social spending together. The co-founders saw a generational difference in how people discuss money, and they observed younger generations are more willing to admit their financial flaws and failures to friends. ![Aleksandra Medina, CPO](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/07/Aleksandra-Medina-2-edited.jpg)**Aleksandra Medina** CPO and Co-founderFrich makes budgeting fun and incorporates the support of your peers. Users can create spending challenges with friends, set savings goals, split bills, and receive rewards for meeting goals. Confronting your finances can be uncomfortable, but the app makes the process easier by encouraging positive spending habits while being held accountable by your friends. Katrin and Aleksandra enjoy learning more about the start-up ecosystem daily, and they are confident that “people are ready” for an app experience like Frich. This fall, they are launching a campus ambassador program as students return to campus. Universities are a logical insertion point for Frich as young adults gain independence, form friendships, and start defining their style of budgeting. Tune in to our latest episode to hear more from Frich’s co-founders on how to involve your friends with your finances. ### More About Katrin Co-founder of Frich. Worked as a model from the age of 15 which took me everywhere in the world – from London to New York, Hong Kong to Sydney. I started my first company at the age of 19 and after that created an app called Modelclub which was a social app for models & influencers. Inspired by that I left the fashion industry, got a Master’s at Harvard and worked at a late stage fin-tech company before starting Frich. ### More About Aleksandra Co-founder of Frich. After completing an Interactive Media Design degree that equipped me with technical and design skills. I chose to develop an expertise in design and brand strategy working across Europe, Asia and the US building global brands with McCann. Additionally, I have built comprehensive PR strategies for brands such as Audi and Warner Music focusing on the Gen Z customer, before starting Frich. You can check us out now on [www.getfrich.com](http://www.getfrich.com/) as well! **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 49: Connecting the Chasm Between Banks and Fintech](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-49-connecting-the-chasm-between-banks-and-fintech/) **Published:** July 23, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Trent Sorbe, Central Payments](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/07/Trent-Sorbe-Central-Payments-Headshot-edited.jpg)**Trent Sorbe**Central Payments and Falls FintechTrent Sorbe joins the Financial Experience Podcast to discuss innovation in the fintech space, payment partnerships, and why banks should act like a toaster. Yes, a toaster. The comparison will make more sense after you tune in. Our latest guest is the founder and president of [Central Payments](https://www.central-payments.com/), the country’s fastest growing prepaid card issuer, and the co-founder of [Falls Fintech](https://www.fallsfintech.com/), a 12-week accelerator program for fintech startups. Trent visualized Central Payments as a way to fuel bank growth while still connecting consumers who didn’t have full access to great financial products. The platform company was born after taking a focused look into improving banks’ payment infrastructure and how “to be essential” as a tech provider. Falls Fintech was developed to make difficult partnerships easier and “connect the chasm” between banks and fintechs. The early-stage fintechs in each cohort are given opportunities beyond an investment – including an extensive education and a network of expertise during a high-stress period. As they approach their fourth cohort, Trent shares a special interest in companies that fix a payment pain point, and he notices how product concepts have morphed over a short period of time with more companies offering non-card based solutions. He also talks about “real” Banking-as-a-Service and what it means to provide this type of solution to companies across the country. In the coming years, Trent is excited to add feature functionality to the Central Payments platform to remain essential and relevant. He is also looking forward to building more dependable partnerships with companies searching for an enablement solution. Listen to the latest episode to hear more from Hunter and Trent on fintech innovation and the accelerator environment. ### More About Trent Trent Sorbe is the President and Founder of Central Payments, the payments subsidiary of Central Bank of Kansas City. He was an architect of Central Payments’ Open\*CP Fintech API MarketplaceSM, one of the only true bank-as-a-service payment platforms and the technology responsible for Central Payments’ rise to the fastest growing prepaid card issuer since 2015.\* With more than 28 years of debit, credit, and prepaid payments experience, Trent is responsible for products garnering nine Paybefore Awards, three of which garnered Best in Class or Category. He is also the inventor on 14 patents related to consumer financial services. Trent previously held senior positions at three nationwide payment card issuers and the FDIC. In 2016, Trent was named to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Community Bank Advisory Council and chaired the agency’s Cards, Payments, and Deposit Markets Committee. He is a co-founder of Falls Fintech, a startup accelerator program committed to bridging the bank-fintech partnership gap and sits on the Board of Directors for the Central Bank of Kansas City. LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/in/tsorbe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsorbe?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BDgY9XoNsRpWKa4svS6cWrw%3D%3D) \*Source: *The Nilson Report*, 2015 to 2019. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 50: Wealth Tech for Main Street](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-50-wealth-tech-for-main-street/) **Published:** August 9, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/07/margaret_j_hartigan-edited-1.jpg)**Margaret J. Hartigan**Founder and CEO, MarstoneMargaret Hartigan created [Marstone](https://www.marstone.com/), a digital wealth management platform, to humanize and demystify finance. She founded the company on solid pillars, including the desire to address a lack of financial literacy. She worked as a former financial advisor for ten years, and she noticed a substantial number of people who weren’t financially literate or knowledgeable about their own investments. After this observation, she started to build a platform that both provided education and strengthened financial inclusion. She knew that she wanted to work with the “backbone of the financial industry” – custodians and core processing companies – to fix problems of the future. In the early planning days, the founder asked herself if there was a way to take the modern technological advancements around us, marry them with financial services, and provide a consumer-driven experience as the end result. She discovered the answer was yes, but it was going to be a long journey. Margaret describes peoples’ aversion to trailblaze into a new space. She says, “Pioneers get arrows and settlers get land,” and she admits that she narrowly avoided some arrows herself. The wealth tech environment “shakes contenders out,” but Marstone took the long road of a B2B2C model which led to success in the long run. The multi-custodial platform empowers more organizations with the ability to offer digital wealth services to their clients. The tech platforms previously reserved for the largest banks are now available to smaller credit unions and community banks. Margaret enjoys working with community banks because their strong vision for educational and inclusion opportunities aligns with the mission of Marstone. Looking toward the future, Margaret sees that most people are over their fear of tech. She envisions the possibility of massive change and innovation, but wants to see a deepened ecosystem of investments, banking, and planning instead of separate siloes. Marstone is a flexible platform and able to work with any financial service, so she is also interested to see the development of plug-and-play finance. Tune in to the latest episode to hear more from Hunter and Margaret on their thoughts for the future of wealth tech. ### More About Margaret Inspired to help demystify finance for investors and enable institutions to better engage and retain clients, Margaret founded Marstone, a digital wealth platform available for financial institutions to white-label and offer to their clients. For the retail investor, the Marstone platform puts users at ease with their financial lives by offering holistic account analysis, personalized portfolio creation, and an unparalleled user experience. For institutions, the Marstone platform augments client acquisition, enhances asset retention, and improves operational productivity. Marstone is fully integrated with leading custodial and technology platforms including BNY Mellon Pershing, Fiserv, and Interactive Brokers, among others. Marstone is also a proud strategic partner of BlackRock, Deloitte, and IBM Watson. Prior to starting Marstone, Margaret was a top quintile financial advisor for 10 years in the Global Wealth Management Group at Merrill Lynch, split between New York and San Francisco. A graduate of Brown University, Margaret is an active leader in the alumni and major development efforts at both Brown University and Phillips Exeter Academy. She’s a member of the Milken FinTech Advisory Committee, serves on the NPX advisory board, and is a former trustee of Sonoma Academy, in Santa Rosa, California. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 51: Solving The "I'll Pay You Back" Rift](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-51-solving-the-ill-pay-you-back-rift/) **Published:** August 19, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Haafiz, RiftPay](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/08/Haafiz-Abdurrahim-edited.jpg)**Haafiz Abdurrahim** CEO and Co-founderIf you’ve felt uncomfortable while asking a friend to split the dinner bill, reminding a roommate to reimburse you for utilities, or hearing an unfulfilled promise of, “I’ll pay you back,” you’re not alone. Our recent podcast guests, Haafiz Abdurrahim and Adoba Yua, co-founded their fintech [RiftPay](https://www.riftpay.io/) to solve this timeless problem. Generation Z and money are both seen as very social, but Haafiz and Adoba agree that payments are not. Often, people attach an emotional component to payments, and the founders explain the psychology behind owing people money – it’s a promise, not a guarantee. As a result, they set out to build a future of real-time, social payments for our generation. They believe there is an efficient, fair way to make payments without damaging relationships. Their future plans and passion for RiftPay are inspiring, but the beginning of their founders’ story is one of the most interesting parts. Adoba is originally from Nigeria and immigrated to the United States during high school. Haafiz met Adoba in college, and they started to build this venture together. As an immigrant entrepreneur, Adoba explains his mindset as “working hard is almost the only thing you can do.” Entrepreneurship is full of challenging roadblocks for everyone, but he sees it as the most rewarding way to achieve his life goals. ![Adoba Yua, RiftPay](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/08/Adoba-Yua-1-edited.jpg)**Adoba Yua** Co-founderAfter Adoba and Haafiz spent time in the fintech and product building world, they discovered that finding the right partner is essential. It can be difficult to gain access to the “niche club” of payment tech, but they needed a banking infrastructure to scale and gain compliance support for their company. They differentiate themselves through their ability to communicate both the size and relatability of the modern pain points they’re aiming to solve. Looking toward the future, the founders are curious to see how regulation and legacy institutions respond to the increasing demand for real-time solutions. They see fintechs leading the way toward open banking for the United States and consumers having more options as a result. *The Financial Experience Podcast*’s latest episode covers more on “the next Venmo” and payment technology development from Hunter, Haafiz, and Adoba. Tune in! ### More About Haafiz A Dallas native, Haafiz graduated from Highland Park High School in 2016 and went on to pursue medicine at Austin College. Halfway through college, he switched career paths and majored in business finance. He started his first company 3 days after he turned 18 and founded RiftPay with his co-founders in late 2019. Since then, Haafiz has secured $300,000+ in investments and lead partnerships with MasterCard, The Central Bank of Kansas City, and Northwestern Mutual. Haafiz is a CrossFit athlete, enjoys playing the violin, and likes to read and learn new skills in his free time. ### More About Adoba Adoba is originally from Nigeria, and he came to the US in the summer of 2016 and attended Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas, Texas. He attended Austin College where he graduated with a degree in Computer Science and Political Science from Austin College in spring 2019. He started RiftPay with his co-founders in 2019 where he has continued to work in payments. Adoba enjoys reading, exploring fintech, and actively researching the public and private securities markets in his free time. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 52: Digital Customer Service Is Now Table Stakes](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-52-digital-customer-service-is-now-table-stakes/) **Published:** September 2, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Dan Michaeli, Glia](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/08/Dan-Michaeli-edited.jpg)**Dan Michaeli**CEO & Co-founderDan Michaeli and Rick DeLisi saw a shift in the way that businesses interact with customers nearly a decade ago. As digital interactions (and the complexity of these interactions) continued to evolve, customers expected easier, faster, and more responsive experiences from their financial institutions. And ultimately, [Glia](https://www.glia.com/), an award-winning digital customer service platform was born. While developing the platform, their main research focuses were customer effort and the creation of an effortless experience in the digital world. Customer service, and most importantly digital customer service, continues to battle tension between its legacy tools (e.g. IVR phone systems) and the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI), modularization, and on-screen voice. Today, customers of all ages expect websites to move beyond brochureware and to give them deeper context based on where they are in their decision-making process. This means giving them choice in how they communicate as well (via messaging, voice, video, and screen sharing, etc.). ![Rick DeLisi, Glia](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/08/Rick-DeLisi-2-edited.jpg)**Rick DeLisi**Lead Research AnalystWith digital customer service, there are clear increases in efficiency, conversion rates, and customer experience scores through delivering a valuable, specific solution. Dan and Rick see digital customer service as a future standard for how FIs interact with their customer, and they believe that our days of “waiting to press the number eight to ask a question about our debit card” are over. Tune in to the latest episode to hear more on the rise of digital customer service as a critical component of the digital customer experience today. ### More About Dan Dan Michaeli is CEO and co-founder of Glia, the New York-based technology company that has become an industry leader in Digital Customer Service. The Glia platform helps businesses reinvent how they support customers in a digital world. He is an award-winning speaker who has been a contributor to numerous publications including *Forbes*. ### More About Rick Rick DeLisi has been researching customer service and customer experience for the past two decades. He is the lead research analyst for Glia and co-author of the bestselling book *The Effortless Experience*, and has written several pieces published in the *Harvard Business Review*. Prior to working in customer service he was a journalist, winning four Associated Press awards for outstanding feature reporting. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 53: The Launch, Test, Scale Strategy for Building Digital Banks](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-53-the-launch-test-scale-strategy-for-building-digital-banks/) **Published:** September 29, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - Quick Take ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/09/Hunter-Young-headshot-color-crop-copy-1024x1024.png)**Hunter Young**This week, we are taking a slight detour from our regularly scheduled programming on the Financial Experience Podcast. Podcast host and founder of HIFI Agency, Hunter Young, breaks down an important strategic lens through which banks and fintechs should view their new digital bank efforts. There seems to be a “moving target” for how to define a digital bank strategy. This is probably the result of many swings and misses on how to launch effectively, test smartly, and scale wisely. There have been a few success stories this past decade, but many of those successes have stalled. As more banks and fintechs increase the diversity of their offerings and the size of their digital marketing investment, it’s time to step your game up if you’re thinking about launching a digital bank. Hunter narrows down his strategy to three major concepts: Launch, Test, and Scale. It may sound simple, but not everyone gets it right. Tune in to the latest episode to hear more on testing enhancements and markets, digitally extending your footprint, and efficient scaling for growth. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 54: Small Business' New Data Story Starts With Normalized Accounting Data](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-54-small-business-new-data-story-starts-with-normalized-accounting-data/) **Published:** October 13, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![Sohaib Zahid, Railz](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2021/09/Sohaib-Zahid_Cofounder-CEO-edited.jpg)**Sohaib Zahid**CEO & Co-founderIn the latest episode, Hunter and Sohaib Zahid dig deep into the topic of accounting data. Sohaib and his co-founder set out with a mission to enable financial institutions, fintechs, and developers to built better applications for SMEs. In response, they founded [Railz](https://www.railz.ai/), an API that enables FIs and fintechs to have on-demand access to their customers’ accounting data. Sohaib saw that the movement of data from one repository to another wasn’t solving the problem, and the problem was the “bottleneck” of data itself. He says that “good, clean data tells the story of a small business,” but it often requires connecting your accounting system with an FI to give a holistic, 360-degree view of your “complete operational excellence.” For solopreneurs and SMEs, there are multiple data streams coming from multiple different systems. To make the data “talk back” and tell the story of your business, the accounting data needs to be normalized in a universal language for everyone to understand. Sohaib discusses the encouraging initiative of open banking and the movement toward open data, and he believes that “the more data siloes we unlock, the better we get at understanding these data sets and telling the story of a small business.” Railz empowers FIs and fintechs to deepen relationships by creating a solid foundation of financial data, along with meaningful insights and analytics for FI and fintechs’ partners. In the next 3-5 years, Sohaib is looking forward to seeing what can be built on top of data and the increased availability of better tools for developers. As part of Railz’s philosophy, normalizing data creates building blocks for the developer community. In turn, this allows developers to make better products for SMEs. Tune in to the latest episode to hear more from Hunter and Sohaib on empowering small businesses through normalizing data. ### More About Sohaib Sohaib Zahid is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Railz. Sohaib is a serial entrepreneur with a decade of successful experience in building teams, products and companies. He focuses on Sales and Marketing. Prior to founding Railz, Sohaib founded Vanhawks, where he led product, sales and operations. Vanhawks was acquired in 2016. Originally from Pakistan, Sohaib dropped out of medical school to pursue entrepreneurship and is a strong believer of open access to data. Outside of work, Sohaib enjoys time with his family, and nerds out on air-cooled engines. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 65: Making Data Visible](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-65-making-data-visible/) **Published:** June 3, 2022 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** - On This Episode ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/05/Kim-Snyder-1.png)**Kim Snyder** CEO, KlariVisKim Snyder, CEO and founder of [KlariVis](https://klarivis.com "https://klarivis.com"), has always sought ways to make data as accessible and transparent as possible. After years of working in numbers as an accountant and as a CFO at a community bank, she recognized that a simple, clear solution for data visibility in banking didn’t exist. So, she decided to do something about it. Kim shares her thoughts on increasing accountability through data. If data is more accessible to everyone, a company is able to use information in a way that makes sense for them. Kim explains, “The problem isn’t that \[financial institutions\] don’t have the data, the problem is that they don’t have a way to get to the data and actually leverage it for action.” Data analysis isn’t a new issue; it’s long felt like a hard-to-tackle project that most people would rather push down their list of strategic priorities. It’s for this reason that Kim and her team are passionate about making a seemingly overwhelming data issue as simplified as possible. Many banking executives have experienced the drawn-out technology project at some point in their careers, and it stifles innovation and hurts morale. A critical component to KlariVis’ success (and their clients’ success) is simplifying the ingestion and transformation of the most important data points inside an organization. Listen to the latest episode to hear more on Kim’s enlightening entrepreneurial growth story, how financial institutions can leverage data more effectively, and what’s possible when data becomes an asset inside a company. ### More About Kim Kim Snyder is the founder and CEO of Roanoke, Virginia-based KlariVis, an enterprise dashboard and analytics solution designed for bankers, by bankers. KlariVis lets you **see your data** in a way that empowers you, your team and your customers to live and work better. KlariVis helps you and your team say “goodbye” to hours wasted sifting through spreadsheets and focus on what’s most important: your customers. Snyder is a veteran community banker, having served as EVP/CFO for Valley Bank, a $900 million publicly traded community bank in Roanoke, VA for 10 years. She has served as the Tennessee Bankers Association CFO Forum Facilitator for the past 3 years and is a notable speaker, having spoken at many industry conferences such as Bank Director’s Acquired or Be Acquired, VBA Connect, VBA CFO Conference, NCBA Bank Director’s Assembly to name a few. She earned a BBA in Business Administration from James Madison University and is an alumni of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Ep. 67: The Changing Credit Union from the CFO Chair](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/ep-67-changing-credit-union-from-cfo-chair/) **Published:** July 19, 2022 **Author:** Hunter Young **Content:** - On This Episode ![](https://hifiagency.com/app/uploads/2022/07/Steve-Arbaugh_Headshot-edited.jpg)**Steve Arbaugh**CFO, SECU MarylandSteve Arbaugh, CFO and EVP of Finance at [SECU](https://www.secumd.org/ "https://www.secumd.org/"), has a long background in the finance world. Steve shared some of the key aspects of his job, and of the financial industry as a whole, that he’s seen change and develop in recent years. Technology is bringing the biggest changes for credit unions, as it is constantly evolving and progressing. However, for credit unions, the money that goes into acquiring new technology can be a difficult task to manage. Steve explained that credit unions can embrace this challenge by focusing on “technology that’s going to do the most and improve our member experience.” Credit unions value the community aspect of finance and strive to have a close relationship with their members, and this was harder to maintain during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, through technology, institutions could take advantage of virtual capabilities that allowed them to maintain close communication. Another aspect of ongoing transformation is the evolution of data management software. Data management, which involves analyzing, evaluating, and organizing data into usable information, can help a credit union be more effective at serving its members’ needs, but requires the right people and culture built from the top-down. Having more access to readily usable and accurate data also helps companies make better decisions for their clients. Steve explained, “Data management at credit unions needs to continue to be high on their priorities because I think it’s going to give them the advantage to know their members.” Knowing members is something on which the CU industry has long prided itself, but as more members move to digital channels, the challenge to know and understand member needs becomes more data-driven. Looking forward, Steve is excited to see how else technology will change the financial industry. Steve also encouraged future generations to sharpen their technical skills and embrace the digital revolution. Listen to this episode to hear more about how the financial industry is adapting to the digital revolution with Hunter and Steve. ### More About Steve Steven L. Arbaugh is the Executive Vice President of Finance and Accounting and the Chief Financial Officer of SECU, the largest credit union in Maryland. He graduated from Towson University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and from Loyola College in 1983 with a Master’s Degree in Finance. Prior to joining SECU in 2008, Steve spent 30 years in commercial banking working for Provident Bank of Maryland, starting as an accounting clerk in 1978 and working his way to the position of Director of Asset/Liability Management and Treasury Operations. Utilizing the fundamental principles of business, he learned while at Towson and Loyola, Steve developed leadership skills in strategic planning, enterprise risk management, asset/liability management, mergers and acquisitions, investment and derivative portfolio management and organizational change management. Steve is a past Chairman of the CUNA FinanceCouncil (2018-2020) where he also served as Chairman of the Membership and Regulatory Committees and on the CUNA Councils Executive Committee. He worked directly with the NCUA in restructuring the 5300 Call Report and the Financial Accounting Standards Board in the development of CECL standards and on accessing the potential impact on credit unions. He co-founded the Maryland/DC Credit Union Association CFO Roundtable, along with Bill Kennedy, which meets quarterly with CFOs from Maryland/DC and surrounding states to share ideas and discuss challenges in maintaining the safety and soundness of their respective financial institutions. Steve served as Chairman of Maryland Council on Economic Education and on the Board of the Maryland Coalition on Financial Literacy, whose purpose is to educate teachers and promote financial literacy throughout the state of Maryland. He served as Treasurer on the Board of the Credit Union Foundation of Maryland and the District of Columbia, responsible for providing resources to credit unions and the communities they serve with an emphasis on financial literacy, small credit union support, leadership development and education. Steve served on the Towson University College of Business and Economics Advisory Board and was Chairman of the Fund-Raising Committee. He was a volunteer for Big Brothers of Central Maryland where he mentored young men to improve their well-being and safety. Steve was the Smart CEO MagazineCFO Executive Management Award winner in 2014, is an honorary member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society and was the 2016 Towson University Alumni Volunteer Service Award winner. In 2019, Steve was awarded the Best in Finance: CFO Award by the Baltimore Business Journal. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ### [Podcast Roundup: The Top Casts of 2021](https://hifiagency.com/podcasts/podcast-roundup-the-top-casts-of-2021/) **Published:** October 18, 2021 **Author:** Ellie Verchick **Content:** It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of 2021. It’s been a year to rethink many assumptions about the future of banking and finance. We’ve been lucky enough to host some of the people and companies reshaping this industry. Check out our top podcasts of 2021 from the Financial Experience Podcast below. - [A De Novo for a New Era of Banking](https://hifiagency.com/ep-45-a-de-novo-for-a-new-era-of-banking/) (ft. Keith Costello & Corey LeBlanc) Keith Costello (CEO, Co-founder) and Corey LeBlanc (COO/CTO, Co-founder) of Locality Bank joined the podcast to discuss their vision for a new style of community banking set to launch in south Florida. “There really is a need for both: the fintech with technology and the community bank with relationships and local ties to the community,” Keith commented on the episode. This de novo is expected to go live later this year, and it has the strategic advantage of launching at “an opportune time.” Over the last decade, M&A activity removed many south Florida business owners’ favorite community banks, and as national de novo activity continues to sputter along, Locality’s stakeholders saw a clear need. - [Clearing the Smoke Between Cannabis and Banks](https://hifiagency.com/ep-43-clearing-the-smoke-between-cannabis-and-banks/) (ft. Kevin Hart) In this episode, Hunter chats with Kevin Hart, CEO of Green Check Verified. The company modernizes how cannabis businesses and financial institutions work together. In an ever-changing industry with evolving rules and regulations, Kevin emphasizes how vital it is to have a well-oiled compliance rules engine. They discuss scaling the industry and momentum in legislation because, as Kevin says, “The future \[of cannabis banking\] is today.” - [Frich Makes Money Social and Accountable for Gen Z](https://hifiagency.com/ep-48-frich-makes-money-social-and-accountable-for-gen-z/) (ft. Katrin Kaurov & Aleksandra Medina) We hosted two young entrepreneurs: Katrin Kaurov (CEO, Co-founder) and Aleksandra Medina (CPO, Co-founder) who tackled the social aspect of finance with a new Gen Z-focused service. Katrin and Aleksandra traveled across the world and noticed a pattern of poor spending habits while building and maintaining a social life in each new place. They decided to build their app Frich to help solve this problem. - [Solving the “I’ll Pay You Back” Rift](https://hifiagency.com/ep-51-solving-the-ill-pay-you-back-rift/ "https://hifiagency.com/ep-51-solving-the-ill-pay-you-back-rift/") (ft. Haafiz Abdurrahim & Adoba Yua) Our podcast guests, Haafiz Abdurrahim and Adoba Yua, co-founded their fintech RiftPay to solve a timeless problem. If you’ve felt uncomfortable while asking a friend to split the dinner bill, reminding a roommate to reimburse you for utilities or hearing an unfulfilled promise of, “I’ll pay you back,” you’re not alone. - [A Shift to Niche](https://hifiagency.com/a-shift-to-niche-nymbus/) (ft. Liz High) Liz High, EVP of Strategy and Marketing at Nymbus, discusses why niche is the new normal. The rapidly growing fintech is redefining what it means to “build or buy” technology, and they have helped financial (and non-financial) companies develop go-to-market strategies with a financial brand. Liz explains, “You don’t start with the bank. You start with the customer. And most importantly, you start with some really good data.” - [Wealth Tech for Main Street](https://hifiagency.com/ep-50-wealth-tech-for-main-street/) (ft. Margaret Hartigan) Hunter and Margaret Hartigan discuss what it takes to bring wealth tech to Main Street. Margaret Hartigan created Marstone, a digital wealth management platform, to humanize and demystify finance. But the road wasn’t typical of today’s VC-backed fintech stars. By leveraging the “backbone of the financial industry” – custodians and core processing companies – to fix problems, her team has built a consumer-driven experience deliberately. **Categories:** Financial Experience Podcast --- ## Work categories ### [Brand](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/brand/) --- ### [Strategy](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/strategy/) --- ### [Content](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/content/) --- ### [Digital](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/digital/) --- ### [Media](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/media/) --- ### [Design](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/design/) --- ### [Analytics](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/analytics/) --- ### [Video/Motion](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/video-motion/) --- ### [Websites](https://hifiagency.com/work_categories/websites/) ---