Miriam Cross

The digital bank for small-business owners went from 300 customers in 2019 to 100,000 this year. As client demands mounted, it developed a virtual assistant and a system for human, in-app communication that experts say surpasses many banks' capabilities.

Bliss, which is part of a suite of apps under development by the mobile technology company Euphoria.LGBT, is working with Jiko to offer a tailored savings account for transgender individuals preparing for their transition.

As the popularity of health savings accounts grew, the Chicago bank decided it needed a more competitive product that tracks spending and uses artificial intelligence to maximize benefits. The high-tech Lively will help BMO soup up its offering.

Fraudsters use different tactics based on their intended victims, and banks like Republic Bancorp and Wells Fargo are targeting the kinds of notices they send — and which channels they direct them to — in response.

Europe has encouraged adoption with rules that put consumers in control of the way their data is shared among banks, fintechs and third-party vendors. Whether the U.S. can make similar progress without its own rules is unclear.

Kikoff, whose investors include Golden State Warriors' star Stephen Curry, provides applicants with a no-fee $500 revolving line of credit they can use to purchase personal finance books and courses from its online store. The company then reports this payment activity to some credit bureaus.

The company’s Tap to Phone technology exists in 30 countries. Visa is piloting the program in the U.S. with a six-city campaign that brings discounts, offers and grants to Black-owned small businesses.

Lorch, who has been with the company since the launch of the online-only First Internet Bank more than two decades ago, will inherit the job from David Becker, who remains chairman and CEO.

Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and United Wholesale Mortgage are among the financial companies teaching employees and recruits technology skills to take on new roles and get better in their current ones.

Majority, a startup with a mobile app that combines a bank account with other benefits such as global remittances and international calling, began by serving the Cuban and Nigerian communities in Florida and Texas. Now it’s available in all states and will use $19 million in seed funding to accelerate its growth.

Sunwest Bank in Irvine, California, lets business customers open new checking accounts completely online, a technology challenge some large and regional financial institutions have yet to tackle.

The suburban New York bank says Skye, its conversational artificial intelligence assistant, is doing the work of 100 full-time employees.

Verizon Family Money is an app and prepaid debit card where children can spend under the limits set by their parents.

The New Jersey bank has been informally funding startups for more than a year. Now it has established Cross River Digital Ventures, which will focus on backing fintechs the bank wants to work with or ones that it feels will benefit the broader industry.

While most financial institutions have been focused on upgrading their digital channels, Andrews Federal Credit Union in Maryland listened to its customers and modernized its newest branch. Among the new features are video teller machines, touch screens offering online and mobile banking tutorials and a game area for children.

A new public-private network is pursuing a more comprehensive approach than other states to cultivate a strong financial technology industry by uniting banks, insurance companies, startups, government agencies, investors, universities and students.

A crop of budgeting apps and challenger banks, including Qapital, Honeyfi and Zeta, are enhancing joint accounts by adding communication tools and other features to help couples manage their finances.

The regional bank wanted to make more timely and relevant offers to its customers, especially in the realm of online and mobile banking. It worked with several vendors on a system to analyze customers’ activity and push out personalized recommendations.

Nearly a quarter of Black business owners seeking Paycheck Protection Program loans last year applied to fintechs — not far behind the percentage that turned to community banks, according to a New York Fed study. Deepening those new relationships could be a major source of growth for online lenders.

The card network's Fintech Partner Connect, which was previously available only in Europe, provides a curated list of companies that Visa clients, including banks, can consult for help opening accounts or aggregating customer data.