Disruptors

Apologies to those yearning for escapism, but it is hard to escape turmoil — in financial services, in the economy and in civilization — in this year’s reading list. That said, these weighty topics promise to stimulate the mind: How AI will disrupt employment; dystopian imaginings and real-life histories of societal shifts; the necessity of collaboration; bitcoin’s path from obscurity to relevance; the need for leaders to make sacrifices; and more. Recommendations are courtesy of American Banker readers, editorial staff and BankThink contributors.

Lindsey Argalas will push innovation throughout the Spanish bank and encouraging collaboration across businesses and markets.

The following are some of the noteworthy things we heard at American Banker’s Digital Banking 2017 conference held earlier this month in Austin, Texas.

Compliance, security and data analytics were the themes at this year’s New York FinTech Innovation Lab demo day.

Operational changes may be enticing to investors, but they threaten the very foundation of marketplace lending, potentially shutting out those the burgeoning sector was meant to serve.

The CEO of Citi’s innovation group says she and her staff of industry outsiders are driving change within the 215-year-old bank.

Future Family plans to differentiate itself by tying financing with a suite of products women need as they pursue fertility treatment.

Zack Gipson, USAA’s chief innovation officer, also discusses the challenges of bringing a human touch to digital channels in a brief but candid Q&A.

Vault and Retiremap are launching products this week that are designed to help people stash cash where they can.

First Federal Lakewood has teamed up with the largest banks in Ohio on a fintech accelerator and invested in Eastern Bank’s tech spinoff, with the goal of staying relevant.

Today’s primitive question-and-answer programs will mature into sophisticated conversational agents, which will help customers transact and may even be capable of understanding emotional cues, experts say.

Wells Fargo is expanding its fintech accelerator so it is better positioned to connect with customers through channels like the internet of things.

Fintech still has a ways to go to change the financial world, but it already offers solutions to income insecurity that can be truly transformational right now.

Brendan Dickinson of Canaan Partners says PFM startups have deep relationships with customers, unlike online lenders, but the revenue model isn't as strong.

Fifth Third, Huntington Bancshares and KeyCorp are among the companies backing an effort to bring startups to the Buckeye State.

Despite major fanfare about new challenger institutions or digital-only bank brands, technology and revenue difficulties are among the factors threatening their ability to adapt and grow.

By banding together, banks can negotiate better terms with startups and other tech companies, FIS' chief operating officer says.

The online consumer lender has struggled to bounce back from a scandal that turned its fortunes a year ago.

The fintech company Truebill, which already cancels recurring subscriptions at customers’ requests, is now challenging banks’ late fees and overdrafts.

For all the talk of cooperation and partnerships with banks, financial services startups are doing well in underserved niche markets such as actors and musicians.