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.