The online giant has succeeded in disrupting every area of retail, but in banking it faces a high barrier to entry and fierce determination from banks like Citizens Financial and Bank of the West to keep upping their games.

Timothy Zimmerman is optimistic about regulatory relief and the capabilities of the association's next CEO, but he remains wary of nonbank competition and cybersecurity risk.

American Express Ventures has become an investor in the startup EverCompliant, which helps financial institutions root out e-commerce websites backed by terrorists and drug cartels that are laundering money through payments-processing networks.

Many of the companies in our inaugural Best Fintechs to Work For ranking share a willingness — even an eagerness — to involve rank-and-file staff in decisions about how the company is run.

Democratic infighting over a bill to curb the reach of the Dodd-Frank Act dominated discussion this past week, but Amazon still made waves in its disruptor role. Also: Our 'Best Fintechs to Work For' debuted.

The tech giant is reportedly in talks with JP Morgan Chase and Capital One about creating a checking account product, and two analysts say that could create major challenges for credit unions.

The retail lending unit of Marlette Funding meets regularly to make sure all employees are invested in its quarterly goals.

The venture capital firm Anthemis seeded 21 fintech startups in its first discretionary fund, which raised $106 million. It favors management teams made up of people from all walks of life who have fresh ideas about shaking up banking and insurance.

Disruptors would get a powerful new competitor if Amazon began offering checking accounts, but such a move would also validate the notion that fintechs are the future.

With the U.S. military in mind, the Texas banking product provider's CEO, Gabe Krajicek, created a corporate culture where employees name themselves after the legendary warriors and operate under a mission to "win the war."