BIG Podcast

Glen connects with Early Warning’s Chief Partnerships Officer Eric Hoffman about the latest progress of Paze’s digital wallet, and Payfinia GM Keith Riddle on his firm’s deal to bring Paze to credit unions. Also- yet another twist in the open banking road, and hints of momentum for de novo institutions.     Links related to this episode:   Paze:  https://www.paze.com/ Payfinia: https://tyfone.com/payfinia/  Our interview with Paze’s Head of Operations Catherine Murchie at Money 20/20 last October: https://www.big-fintech.com/onboarding-and-offboarding-at-money-20-20/  Planet Money’s episode on Fortuna Bank’s de novo journey: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/1236538076/new-bank-startup-regulations-entrepreneur  Our recent conversation with the CU De Novo Collective’s Denise Wymore: https://www.big-fintech.com/starting-simple-small-and-with-purpose/  Payments Dive on the CFPB’s plan to “substantially rework” its Open Banking rule: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/open-banking-consumer-financial-protection-bur

Glen connects with TTV Capital Partner Sean Banks and Technology Association of Georgia CEO Larry Williams to unpack the state of fintech venture capital investment, Georgia’s role in the global ecosystem and the upcoming Fintech South conference. Also, Illuma Founder/CEO Milind Borkar responds to Sam Altman’s warning flare than voice authentication has been “defeated.”     Links related to this episode:   TTV Capital: https://ttvcapital.com/   Fintech South, August 19-20 in Atlanta; Use code BIGCast25 for a registration discount: https://www.fintechsouth.com/  Illuma’s response to Sam Altman’s statement that AI has “defeated” voice authentication: https://illuma.cx/article/ai-growing-threat-to-digital-channels/  Axios’ coverage of Altman’s comments at a Federal Reserve event: https://www.axios.com/2025/07/22/openai-chatgpt-sam-altman-ai-fraud Our 2025 Fintech Predictions BIGgo Card: https://bingobaker.com/#67a12342928998c6  Glen’s recent blog on Real Time/Same Day payment volumes midway through 2025: https

As we await the next Fed Open Market Committee readout, Glen speaks with CD Valet’s Mary Grace Roske about deposit rate trends that aren’t as straightforward as one might expect. Also- stablecoins are officially GENIUS, CBDCs are still the Antichrist, and the big money keeps flowing into real time payments.   Links related to this episode:   CD Valet: https://www.cdvalet.com/  Glen’s blog assessing the midyear state of RTP, FedNow and Same Day ACH: https://www.big-fintech.com/real-time-payments-rapid-ascent-continues-with-some-odd-footnotes/ Ledger Insights’ take on the Anti-CBDC Surveillance Act: https://www.ledgerinsights.com/anti-cbdc-surveillance-act-shouldnt-prevent-wholesale-cbdc-tokenized-reserves/   Our data-rich January interview with Bancography: https://www.big-fintech.com/without-data-its-all-just-vibes/  Finovate, September 8-10 in NYC:  https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/    Check out https://www.bigmerger.ai/ for details on how BIG has turbocharged its 20 years of credit union M&A ex

Glen unpacks key provisions of the recent US tax/spending bill with help from his expert friends: the Defense Credit Union Council’s Jason Stverak on $1,000 newborn accounts, and credit union lifer Lou Grilli on the “no tax on tips” details. Also- has Big Tech determined that regulation isn’t so bad after all?    Links related to this episode:   The DCUC’s call for the US Treasury to include credit unions in the newborn account rollout:  https://www.dcuc.org/news/dcuc-to-treasury-include-credit-unions-in-trump-accounts-rollout-for-newborns  Bloomberg’s coverage of JPM Chase’s plan to charge for open banking data: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-11/jpmorgan-tells-fintechs-they-have-to-pay-up-for-customer-data?embedded-checkout=true  The Wall Street Journal on tech firms’ desire for federal AI regulation, and why it’s unlikely by 2026:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-setback-tech-firms-renew-push-for-federal-ai-regulation-cc2b26d5  Labor/Employment law firm Littler’s take on the “No Tax o

Glen speaks with the CU De Novo Collective’s Denise Wymore about the grassroots groundswell of interest in starting new credit unions, overcoming the challenges of progressing from concept to market, and why a voice for CU creation is needed to counter a one-way trend. Also- Fiserv’s stablecoin play, The FTA’s attempt to preserve open banking, and how AI regulation became a budget issue.                Links related to this episode:   The CU De Novo Collective: https://www.cudenovocollective.org/    The University of North Carolina’s student-led credit union initiative: https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2025/06/university-student-credit-union  George Washington University’s initiative: https://gwucui.com/  America’s Credit Union Museum: https://www.acumuseum.org/ (check the Herstory exhibit) Finovate’s take on Fiserv launching a “bank-friendly stablecoin”: https://finovate.com/fiserv-launches-stablecoin-for-banks/  The Bank Policy Institute/Fintech Association Open Banking standoff: https://thecudaily.co

Glen chats with the Atlanta Fed’s Claire Greene about the latest Diary and Survey of Consumer Payment Choice and the messy realities of dealing with real world data. Also- next steps in the stablecoin saga and…Fintech’s answer to GameStop?            Links related to this episode:   The Atlanta Fed’s Survey and Diary of Consumer Payment Choice: https://www.atlantafed.org/banking-and-payments/consumer-payments/survey-and-diary-of-consumer-payment-choice/2024-survey-and-diary The Fed’s 2024 SHED Survey: www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/2024-report-economic-well-being-us-households-202505.pdf  The FDIC’s 2023 Survey of Un/Underbanked Households: https://www.fdic.gov/household-survey/2023-fdic-national-survey-unbanked-and-underbanked-households-report Our recent episode on consumer data gathered by the Georgia Fintech Academy: https://www.big-fintech.com/are-younger-generations-branching-out/ Glen’s Genius Act/Stablecoin blog: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-stroke-of-genius-regulation-comes-full-circle/

John and Glen ruminate on a pair of major events reshuffling the fintech world- The Circle IPO’s impact on venture funding, and the Big Beautiful Bill’s unorthodox approach to throttling AI regulation. Also- John gets “spun out on quantum,” and admits a surprising change of heart regarding his outlook for AI.           Links related to this episode:   Glen’s blog on the Circle and Chime IPOs: https://www.big-fintech.com/what-the-chime-and-circle-ipos-mean-for-fintech-investment/ The Senate alters the House budget provision curtailing states’ ability to regulate AI: https://rollcall.com/2025/06/05/ai-regulation-moratorium-dropped-in-senate-budget-package/  Axios’ story about AI’s newfound ability to blackmail: https://www.axios.com/2025/05/23/anthropic-ai-deception-risk  CNBC’s take on the Genius Act: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/13/what-the-genius-act-could-mean-for-crypto-and-other-investors.html  TechCrunch’s recap of Chime’s circuitous path to a successful IPO: https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/12/chime-a

Glen speaks with Georgia State University Finance Professor Jonathan Godbey about new student-led consumer research that yields some unexpected findings about Gen Z banking attitudes. Plus- Circle’s IPO is roundly celebrated, Illinois kicks the interchange can down the road, and the AI Easter Egg hiding in the Big Beautiful Bill.          Links related to this episode: The Georgia Fintech Academy: https://georgiafintechacademy.org/ The Technology Association of Georgia’s Fintech Ecosystem Report: https://www.tagonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-Fintech-Ecosystem-Report.pdf Fintech South- in Atlanta August 19-20: https://www.fintechsouth.com/ Contact Georgia State Finance Professor Jonathan Godbey at jgodbey@gsu.edu Payments Dive’s coverage of Illinois’ Interchange Fee Prohibition Act extension: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/illinois-legislature-delays-interchange-fee-ban-law/749526/ Circle’s IPO: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/circle-stock-surges-15-extends-gains-for-third-day-in-a-row-si

Glen speaks with Edelman Smithfield’s Deidre Campbell to explore her firm’s new Financial Services Trust Barometer and the (mostly) positive signs for banks and credit unions. Also- the latest Gen AI fiasco has a familiar ring, Illinois’ unworkable interchange law moves bizarrely close to reality, and why the CFPB’s withdrawal of its open banking rule isn’t necessarily cause for celebration.     Links related to this episode:   The 2025 Edelman Financial Services Trust Barometer: https://www.edelmansmithfield.com/trust/2025/trust-barometer/report-financial-sector  Our February conversation with Deidre on global trust overall: https://www.big-fintech.com/scams-grievances-and-the-enduring-value-of-trust/  The Chicago Sun-Times’ mea culpa for printing invented book titles: https://chicago.suntimes.com/press-room/2025/05/20/chicago-sun-times-response-to-may-18-special-section  Our May 2023 “Package Delivery Blues” episode exposing some familiar AI shortcomings: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3njgklKC8n2fehQr

Recapping this month’s Finovate Spring event, Glen connects with Steven Ramirez (Beyond the Arc) and Elias Kruger (Long Range AI) to compare notes on the standouts and key takeaways- such as agentic AI- from San Diego. Also- Coinbase packs a year’s news into a single week, and Nevada looks to enter the payments fray.   Links related to this episode:   Finovate Spring demo videos: https://finovate.com//videos/?filtertype=&showtypes=FinovateSpring&videostartyear=2025&showletters=A-Z    Beyond the Arc: https://beyondthearc.com/blog/category/fintech    Long Range AI Consulting: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekruger1/    Our 2023 interview with Crissi Cole of Penny Finance: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tFFHhmaXPlPO2TbjobAEw    Glen’s blog on Coinbase’s wild week: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-tale-of-two-coinbases/   Payments Dive’s coverage of Nevada’s proposed legislation to create “Payments Banks”: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/nevada-bill-would-charter-new-payment-banks-retailers-swipe-f

Glen connects with Paylume’s Andrew Gomez to unpack the burgeoning pay by bank model, explore lessons learned from other countries’ rollouts, and consider the pros and cons facing banks and credit unions. Also- a possible open banking do-over, more stadium naming rights, and resisting the urge to spike the ball before the goal line.    Links related to this episode:   Andrew Gomez/Paylume: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-andrew-gomez/    Nacha’s Remote Connect, June 6-9: https://payments.nacha.org/remote-connect    Part One of our Nacha Payments conference coverage: https://www.big-fintech.com/getting-direct-about-ach/    CU Daily’s coverage of a positive sign for CUs’ tax exemption: https://thecudaily.com/in-victory-for-credit-unions-cu-tax-exemption-not-targeted-in-committees-bill    The recent CU Town Hall on which we debated implications of the tax exemption: https://www.cutownhall.com/    Bloomberg Law’s coverage of potential Open Banking (Section 1033) reconsideration: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ba

A pair of conversations from last week’s Smarter Faster Payments conference- Glen’s annual check-in with Nacha CEO Jane Larimer, and PASA CEO Ghita Erling shares insights on modernizing South Africa’s payment system through collaboration rather than mandate. Also- AI shopping agents, Uber discovers paper, and the vultures circle around checks.    Links related to this episode:   Nacha: www.nacha.org   Payments Association of South Africa: https://pasa.org.za/    Glen’s blog on 2024 Faster Payments volumes: https://www.big-fintech.com/zelle-hits-a-trillion-same-day-ach-says-hold-my-beer/    TechCrunch on Visa and Mastercard’s new AI shopping agents: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/30/visa-and-mastercard-unveil-ai-powered-shopping/    Payments Dive on Uber’s expanding acceptance of cash: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/uber-expands-test-with-an-exotic-payment-cash/746464/        Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday May 7 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the

Continuing our NACUSO Reimagine coverage, Glen speaks with Silvur founder Rhian Horgan about the “social journey of retirement” and how credit unions can play to their strengths in transitioning their biggest borrowers into their biggest depositors. Also- more of John’s conversation with cybersecurity expert Emma Zaballos about DeepSeek’s rise and the broader operational concerns around AI.   Links related to this episode:   Silvur: https://www.silvur.com/   CyCognito: www.cycognito.com/     NACUSO: https://www.nacuso.org/   Our first batch of NACUSO coverage featuring interviews with Next Big Idea winner GoodBuy and CUSO law leader Brian Lauer: https://www.big-fintech.com/big-ideas-cut-through-the-chaos/      Part 1 of John’s interview with CyCognito’s Emma Zaballos: https://www.big-fintech.com/deepseek-bytedance-and-the-ai-arms-race/   Honey, I Shrunk the NCUA Board (not a laughing matter): https://www.big-fintech.com/honey-i-shrunk-the-ncua-board/   Former NCUA Board Chair Todd Harper’s recent LinkedIn p

Live from NACUSO’s Reimagine conference Glen speaks with the co-founders of Next Big Idea competition winner Goodbuy, Cara Oppenheimer and Cary Fortin. CUSO lawyer Brian Lauer shares his insights on the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, and then as if on cue the tectonic plates shift….   Links related to this episode:   Goodbuy: https://www.trygoodbuy.com/   Messick, Lauer & Smith: https://www.cusolaw.com/   NACUSO: https://www.nacuso.org/   Our recent interview with Next Big Idea runner up Scamnetic: https://www.big-fintech.com/scams-grievances-and-the-enduring-value-of-trust/    The CU Daily’s ongoing coverage of the NCUA board upheaval: https://thecudaily.com/white-house-reportedly-fires-two-democrats-on-ncua-board/   Glen’s reflections on the NCUA commotion: https://www.big-fintech.com/honey-i-shrunk-the-ncua-board/   The NCUA’s memo claiming it can function with a single board member: https://ncua.gov/newsroom/press-release/2025/ncua-releases-staff-message-current-ncua-board   Former NCUA Bo

In this week’s episode of the BIGcast, host John Best sits down with Emma Zaballos, cybersecurity expert and Product Marketing Manager at CyCognito, to unpack one of the biggest surprises in generative AI: the emergence of China's DeepSeek. Emma and John dive deep (pun intended) into the implications of DeepSeek’s rise, the broader cybersecurity concerns around AI, and what it all means for credit unions and financial institutions navigating the AI landscape.   Links related to this episode:   CyCognito: https://www.cycognito.com/   Wiz Research Uncovers Exposed DeepSeek Database Leaking: https://www.wiz.io/blog/wiz-research-uncovers-exposed-deepseek-database-leak Security Scorecard’s blog A Deep Peek at DeepSeek: https://securityscorecard.com/blog/a-deep-peek-at-deepseek/   Join us for the next CU Town Hall meeting on Wednesday 7th, at 12pm PT/3pm ET for your regular dose of lively interactive discussion and best practice sharing on the hottest topics impacting credit unions nationwide. We look forward to

Glen speaks with Nacha’s Stephanie Prebish and Devon Marsh about the upcoming Smarter Faster Payments conference in New Orleans, as well as Same Day ACH’s remarkable sustained growth and the rising tide that lifts all riverboats. Also- First reflections on Americas Credit Unions’ leadership change, and… No Tariff Talk!    Links related to this episode:   Smarter, Faster Payments in New Orleans April 27-30: https://payments.nacha.org/   Year-End 2024 ACH growth stats: https://www.nacha.org/news/same-day-ach-passes-major-milestone-2024-ach-network-shows-higher-growth   The CU Daily’s coverage of Americas Credit Unions’ CEO Jim Nussle’s plan to retire: https://thecudaily.com/americas-credit-unions-ceo-jim-nussle-announces-plans-to-retire/    Glen’s blog on the recent Executive Order phasing out paper checks to/from the federal government: https://www.big-fintech.com/executive-order-to-eliminate-checks-isnt-worth-the-paper-its-printed-on/     Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday April 9 at 3pm ET/Noon

Glen speaks with Frank Diekmann, Founder and Publisher of the newly minted The CU Daily, about his latest venture and the need for “hard news” reporting in the credit union space. Also- a ray of light for CDFIs, grandstanding against paper checks, and splitting hairs on CBDCs.   Links related to this episode:   The CU Daily: https://thecudaily.com/   The CU Daily’s article on Treasury’s CDFI response: https://thecudaily.com/facing-budget-axe-from-wh-exec-order-treasury-says-cdfi-programs-should-remain/   Last week’s discussion with Jason Stverak on tax status and CDFIs: https://www.big-fintech.com/defending-and-debunking-credit-unions-tax-status/   Trump’s Executive Order supposedly eliminating paper checks from/to the Federal Government:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/modernizing-payments-to-and-from-americas-bank-account/   Reuters on World Liberty Financials proposed USD1 Stablecoin: https://www.reuters.com/technology/trumps-world-liberty-financial-crypto-venture-says-it-will-l

Glen connects with the Defense Credit Union Council’s Jason Stverak to discuss the dual threats- not-for-profit tax treatment and CDFI designation- facing the industry, and the bizarre misrepresentations surrounding each. Also- Klarna’s IPO parade, and an acclaimed entry in the Credit Union Film Festival.      Links related to this episode:   The Defense Credit Union Council: https://www.dcuc.org/   Jason’s CU Insight article on the tax issue: https://www.cuinsight.com/banks-tax-hypocrisy-will-hurt-main-street-not-credit-unions/   CU Strategic Planning President Stacey Augustine’s article on CDFIs: https://thecudaily.com/cdfis-the-impact-is-obvious/   Don’t Tax My Credit Union website: https://www.donttaxmycreditunion.org/#take-action   This month’s GAC interview with Americas Credit Unions’ Economic Team: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-taxing-week-in-washington/   “The Barber of Little Rock”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1amOPUn49aM   Fintech Business Weekly’s coverage of Klarna’s IPO filing: https://f

Our second wave of interviews from the recent Governmental Affairs Conference features Glen’s interviews with company founders Paul Fiore (CU WealthNext) and Kian Sarrashteh (InvestiFi), plus Candescent’s new Chief Product Officer Gareth Gaston on digital banking lessons to be gleaned from fields like travel.   Links related to this episode:   Candescent: https://www.candescent.com/   CU WealthNext: https://cuwealthnext.com/   InvestiFi: https://investifi.co/   Last week’s GAC interview with Americas Credit Unions’ Economic Team: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-taxing-week-in-washington/   Glen’s latest blog on The Existential Threat: Glen’s CUBroadcast interview with Mike Lawson about industry predictions and Bingo cards: https://www.cubroadcast.com/episodes/gac25-154-advisors-glen-sarvady-talk-regs-tech-and-bingo-cards   Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday March 26 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. The site a

Glen recaps an action-packed Government Affairs Conference, featuring our annual interview with America’s Credit Unions’ Economics Team on the coming year’s outlook. An “existential threat” to the industry’s income tax exemption headlined a packed agenda, but the CFPB, NCUA and interchange legislation were also on the menu- not to mention tariff whiplash and market uncertainty.       Links related to this episode:   America’s Credit Unions’ Monthly Economic Updates: https://www.americascreditunions.org/data-tools/economic-data-bank-comparisons/economic-update-video-archive   The Don’t Tax My Credit Union Advocacy/Resource page: https://www.donttaxmycreditunion.org/ CrossState CUA’s explanation of why credit unions offer better rates: https://www.crossstate.org/about/communications/blog/why-do-credit-unions-have-better-rates/ Glen’s blog covering the GAC’s key takeaways:   Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday March 12 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling