BIG Podcast

Glen offers two more interviews from our continuing Finovate Europe coverage- a chat with GSMA Head of Industry Security Samantha Kight on the latest efforts to combat financial fraud on mobile devices, and the leaders of startup Hagbad unveil a savings circle app with echoes of credit unions' early days.  Also- card interchange solidifies its role as America's misunderstood punching bag.   Links related to this episode: Hagbad: https://hagbad.co.uk/ GSMA's Connected Fintech and Commerce page: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/industries/connected-fintech/ GSMA's Open Gateway financial API initiative: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/gsma-open-gateway/ Part 1 of our Finovate Europe coverage, including interviews with a pair of Best of Show winners: https://www.big-fintech.com/putting-an-accent-on-identity-code-modernization-and-fraud/   Finovate Europe demos are available for viewing: https://finovate.com//videos/?filtertype=&showtypes=FinovateEurope&videostartyear=2026&showlette

Glen shares his takeaways from Finovate Europe, including interviews with two standout demoing companies- Tweezr and Keyless.  Also- $15 billion becomes the new $10 billion, and Illinois' interchange glass looks less than half full.   Links related to this episode: Tweezr: https://www.tweezr.io/ Keyless: https://keyless.io/ Finovate Europe: https://informaconnect.com/finovateeurope/ Payments Dive on the latest Interchange Fee Prohibition Act court ruling: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/judge-backs-illinois-law-on-card-fees/811924/  The CU Daily on proposed legislation to index the Durbin Amendment's $10 billion threshold: https://thecudaily.com/legislation-introduced-that-would-adjust-threshold-for-durbin-amendment-compliance-for-inflation/  Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday February 18 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. This month's session will feature guest Brian Bodell, CEO of Movemint (formerly Digital Store

America's Credit Unions CEO Scott Simpson reflects on his first 90 days in the role and offers a preview of March's Government Affairs Conference. Barlow Research Managing Partner Sandy Hanson shares new and unexpected insights on how SMBs prefer to engage with financial providers.  Also- PayPal's plunge brings another of our 2025 BIGgo squares back into play, and an insider's uncommon take on FTX.   Links related to this episode: America's Credit Unions: https://www.americascreditunions.org/ The Government Affairs Conference, March 1-5 in Washington DC- breakout sessions now announced: https://www.americascreditunions.org/events-training/conference/governmental-affairs-conference/breakout-sessions Barlow Research: https://barlowresearch.com/ Deluxe Exchange: https://www.deluxe.com/deluxe-exchange/ Yahoo Finance on PayPal's earnings miss and Elon Musk rumors: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/paypal-tanks-earnings-miss-could-165640023.html  Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday February 18 at 3pm ET/Noo

Glen connects with Randy Salser to discuss his initial takeaways as NACUSO's new CEO, and why this April's Reimagine conference is a must-attend for credit unions as well as CUSOs. Also- Playing 3-D Chess with Trump Accounts, and a deep-pocketed twist on a de novo CU.   Links related to this episode: NACUSO: https://www.nacuso.org/  NACUSO's Reimagine conference, April 27-30 at the Disney Yacht & Beach Club in Lake Buena Vista, FL: https://reimagine.nacuso.org/ Visa's initiative to enable cash back card rewards to be transferred directly to newborn Trump accounts: https://www.thestreet.com/economy/visas-new-trump-cash-back-move-shakes-up-credit-card-rewards  The CU Daily's coverage of Aven's role in launching Haven Federal Credit Union: https://thecudaily.com/fintech-explains-why-its-donated-millions-to-get-new-cu-off-the-ground/    Check out CU Unplugged, an unscripted, participant-powered gathering designed to foster unfiltered conversation on the topics participants most critical. The event is open

Glen speaks with Karen Houghton, Co-Founder/CEO of Infinite Giving, about how to narrow the financial services gap facing nonprofit entities. Also- the latest on the Credit Card Competition Act and proposed 10% rate cap, and a new forum for tackling the real-time issues facing credit unions.      Links related to this episode: Infinite Giving: https://www.infinitegiving.com/ Karen's book "Funding Your Mission": https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/funding-your-mission-karen-houghton/1148818789 (Chapter 1 is available for free download at Infinite Giving's website) Financial Health Network CEO Jennifer Tescher's analysis of the proposed 10% credit card interest rate cap: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7416861629826482176/ NerdWallet's take on the Credit Card Competition Act: https://www.nerdwallet.com/credit-cards/learn/what-to-expect-if-the-credit-card-competition-act-passes  Last week's episode, featuring more detail on both CU Unplugged and the proposed 10% credit card rate cap: https://w

John and Glen connect with Defense Credit Union Council CEO Tony Hernandez to discuss CU Unplugged, the interactive credit union "un-conference" debuting in late March in San Francisco. Also, Glen surveys the chaos and mixed messaging stemming from the proposed 10% cap on credit card interest.      Links related to this episode: CU Unplugged, March 30 – April 2 at Visa's Market Support Center in San Francisco: https://www.cu-unplugged.com/   The Defense Credit Union Council: https://www.dcuc.org/ Last week's 2026 Predictions episode: https://www.big-fintech.com/2026-do-markets-still-hate-uncertainty/ Financial Health Network CEO Jennifer Tescher's analysis of the proposed 10% credit card interest rate cap: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7416861629826482176/ Marketplace's coverage of the cap's likely impact, including an interview with Bankrate: https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/01/12/trumps-credit-cap-would-dramatically-cut-lending Another "explainer," this one with an MIT financ

The BIGCast Gang ventures into the highly turbulent waters of 2026 fintech and credit union predictions- assessing the bright and dark sides of AI, vibe coding, the outlook for mergers, interest rates and of course, Bitcoin. Glen throws in a Rob Reiner/Stephen King reference for good measure.   Links related to this episode: John Janclaes/The CEO Corner: https://theceocorner.com/  Anne Legg/Thrive Strategic Services: https://www.anneleggthrive.com/ Lou Grilli via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lougrilli/  Money 20/20's "Who the F Knows?" predictions: https://www.money2020.com/content/predictions  Plaid's 2026 Predictions: https://plaid.com/events/fintech-predictions-2026-watch-now/  December's episode grading our 2025 predictions and marking off the BIGGo cards:  https://www.big-fintech.com/calling-bingo-in-a-crazy-year/ Join us for our first CU Town Hall of 2026- Wednesday January 21 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. T

The BIGCast Gang convenes for its annual roundup of the biggest stories impacting credit unions and fintechs (zero points awarded for guessing #1 on the list). Some Q1 headlines seem like ancient history, while others are gifts that just keep on giving. Bitcoin delivered its usual wild ride- but in 2025 it had plenty of company.   Links related to this episode: John Janclaes/ The CEO Corner: https://theceocorner.com/ Anne Legg/ Thrive Strategic Services: https://www.anneleggthrive.com/ Lou Grilli via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lougrilli/  The AI Index John referenced: https://evidentinsights.com/ai-index/ The BIGCast is taking a two-week holiday break; check in for new content on Tuesday January 13. Until then, check out our archives at https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/?c=bigcast for hundreds of past episodes.   Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

We have a winner! John and Glen sort through the squares of our 2025 Bingo (or BIG-Go) cards to assess the "gimme" events, items that occurred but differently than expected, and a few things that didn't wind up happening… yet.    Links related to this episode: Our February blog explaining the BIG-Go game: https://www.big-fintech.com/did-you-have-that-one-on-your-bingo-card/   PayPal/Venmo's merchant relationship with Taco Bell: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2025-06-25-Taco-Bell-Introduces-PayPal-and-Venmo-as-New-in-App-Payment-Options-with-Exclusive-20-Cash-back-Summer-Offer    FedNow transaction volumes- which have already tripled over 2024: https://www.frbservices.org/resources/financial-services/fednow/quarterly-volume-value-stats  The merger of not-quite $10 Billion credit unions: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/04/23/largest-credit-unions-minnesota-colorado-wings-ent-merger-plan Join us for our final CU Town Hall of 2025- Wednesday December 17 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a live and lively interactive co

Glen puts a bow on the 2025 conference calendar, wrapping up interviews with SAP Fioneer Global Head of Payments Carlos Figueredo and banking lifer/Association for Cannabis Banking co-founder Michael Beird. Also- constructive yet cautious takes on AI from a multitude of perspectives.       Links related to this episode:   Fintech Talents: https://www.fintechtalents.com/events/ftt-financial-services-futures/    SAP Fioneer: https://www.sapfioneer.com/    Carlos Figueredo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-figueredo-ba7a745/    Michael Beird's LinkedIn profile and Cannabis Banking playbook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beird/   https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394276265    The Association for Cannabis Banking: https://the-acb.org/      Join us for our final CU Town Hall of 2025- Wednesday December 17 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. In this session we'll recap 2025's major events and tally up our Bingo Card predictions. Th

Continuing our holiday tradition, John and Glen welcome regular contributors Anne Legg and Lou Grilli to share thoughts on the happenings that made them grateful (Fintech and credit union-wise) over the past year. Includes takes on the GENIUS Act, shutdown relief, and the Napster Age of AI.     Links related to this episode:   Thrive Strategic Services- Where Anne Legg Creates More Awesome: https://www.anneleggthrive.com/    Lou Grilli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lougrilli/    Chip Filson's "Just a Member" blog: https://chipfilson.com/    Arnall Golden Gregory's take on the proposed Visa/Mastercard settlement: https://www.agg.com/news-insights/publications/settled-for-certain-the-latest-proposed-settlement-in-the-visa-and-mastercard-mdl-litigation-and-its-likely-effect-on-surcharging/     LAST CALL for our BIG-Go Card: https://bingobaker.com/#67a12342928998c6        Join us for our final CU Town Hall of 2025- Wednesday December 17 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the maj

Part 2 of our VentureTech coverage features Glen's interviews with founders of all three finalists from the main stage event: Matt Dicou of Reset, Cary Fortin of Goodbuy and Jordan Mackler of ScribeUp. Also- Chase pushes forward with its "pay for data" model.   Links related to this episode: Reset: https://www.getreset.co/  Goodbuy: https://www.trygoodbuy.com/  ScribeUp: https://www.scribeup.io  Last week's episode featuring Aries Fraud Solutions, KeySavvy and Remynt: https://www.big-fintech.com/launching-from-obscurity-venturing-into-the-mainstream/  VentureTech: https://myventuretech.com/  CNBC's take on JPMorgan Chase's traction in charging for open banking data: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/14/jpmorgan-chase-fintech-fees.html  William Mills' annual Financial Trade Show/Conference Directory: https://info.williammills.com/financial-trade-show-conference-directory-2026    Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday November 19 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling th

In our first wave of VentureTech coverage Glen speaks with a trio of co-founders, from Launch Party winners Aries Fraud Solutions (unveiling its Obscurity Card) and main stage standouts KeySavvy and Remynt. Also- skepticism meets déjà vu on the proposed Visa/Mastercard settlement.   Links related to this episode:   Aries Fraud Solutions: https://www.ariesfraudsolutions.com/    KeySavvy: https://www.keysavvy.com/    Remynt: https://getremynt.com/    VentureTech: https://myventuretech.com/    Reuters' take on the proposed Visa/Mastercard merchant settlement: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/visa-mastercard-reach-revised-swipe-fee-settlement-with-merchants-2025-11-10/       Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday November 19 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required:  https://www.cutownhall.com/   Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://w

Glen boils down the prevailing themes from this year's Money 20/20 conference, upping the ante via interviews with a pair of compelling startups (Eloquent AI and RentFlow) and Paze's update on securing identity through the digital wallet. Also- Fiserv shakes investors to the core, and open banking continues to ruffle feathers.    Links related to this episode:   Eloquent AI: https://www.eloquentai.co/    RentFlow: https://www.therentflow.com/    Paze: https://www.paze.com/    A credit union-specific take on Fiserv's stock meltdown: https://chipfilson.com/2025/10/a-surprise-for-1254-credit-unions-heads-up-for-everyone-else/    Western Union's stablecoin play: https://ir.westernunion.com/news/archived-press-releases/press-release-details/2025/Western-Union-Announces-USDPT-Stablecoin-on-Solana-and-Digital-Asset-Network/default.aspx    PayPal and Google Cloud's agentic AI gambit:  https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/financial-services/introducing-an-agentic-commerce-solution-for-merchants-from-paypal-and-googl

John and Glen tackle the key takeaways from recent market headlines: Open Ai's commercial relationship with Walmart, the temporary "de-pegging" of so-called stablecoin Ethena (USDe), and the warning flare it sets off for broader stablecoin adoption. Plus- Zelle goes global, and people still have a lot to say about Section 1033.       Links related to this episode:     The Open AI/Walmart partnership: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/14/walmart-openai-chatgpt-shopping.html    The Crypto Times' coverage of USDe's brief "depeg" incident: https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/10/13/ethena-founder-clarifies-usde-stablecoin-depeg-incident-on-binance/    Zelle's move into stablecoin and cross-border payments: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zelle-goes-international-early-warning-expands-1t-payments-network-with-stablecoin-initiative-302593440.html   Payments Dive's article on the deluge of Section 1033 comments: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/cfpb-open-banking-comments-stripe-jpmorgan-mastercard-aba-fta-eta/803

Glen speaks with the Financial Health Network's Andrew Warren about takeaways from the newly minted Financial Health Pulse Trends report, including the persistent challenges in maintaining gains in financial stability. Also- the latest real-time payments data begs new questions, and Glen eats crow on Nvidia.       Links related to this episode:   The Financial Health Network's 2025 US Pulse Trends report: https://finhealthnetwork.org/research/financial-health-pulse-2025-u-s-trends-report/    The Financial Health Network's EMERGE 2026 conference, May 19-21 in Atlanta: https://finhealthnetwork.org/event/emerge-financial-health-2026/    FedNow's Q3 transaction and volume data: https://www.frbservices.org/resources/financial-services/fednow/quarterly-volume-value-stats    RTP's Q3 transaction and volume data: https://www.theclearinghouse.org/payment-systems/rtp    VentureTech in Frisco, Texas November 3-5; A FEW SCHOLARSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE FOR CUs UNDER $250M: : https://myventuretech.com/    The Underground

The Smart Money in Vegas   Glen connects with Money 20/20 CEO Tracey Davies to discuss what to expect from this year’s extravaganza following a year of remarkable disruption and advancement. Also- a not-so-genius stablecoin wake-up call, and why “digital gold” may be a more accurate descriptor for Bitcoin than intended.   Links related to this episode:   Money 20/20, October 26-29 in Las Vegas: https://us.money2020.com/    CB Insights on the Money 20/20 Award finalists: https://www.cbinsights.com/reports/CB-Insights_Money2020-Finalist-Spotlight-2025.pdf   The Underground Collision at Money 20/20 (Saturday Oct 25, separate admission): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-underground-collision-of-contrasts-with-money2020-tickets-1280066426139?aff=oddtdtcreator    USE PROMO CODE “50BIGFIN” FOR A 50% DISCOUNT   Glen’s 2023 blog encapsulating Money 20/20’s eras in t-shirts: https://www.big-fintech.com/the-history-of-money-20-20-in-three-t-shirts/    CNN on last Friday’s crypto hiccup: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/13

https://www.big-fintech.com/the-great-wealth-transfer-great-inheritance-drain/John and Glen speak with Defense Credit Union Council CEO Tony Hernandez about his organization’s rapidly increasing visibility and how the armed forces’ impact on the credit union movement extends well beyond the expected nameplates. Also- the shutdown creates new complexities for earned wage access, Bitcoin breaks the $125K barrier, and plenty of bingo card calls.       Links related to this episode:   The Defense Credit Union Council (including government shutdown resources): https://www.dcuc.org/     The CU Daily’s recent interview with DCUC CEO Tony Hernandez: https://thecudaily.com/the-defense-cu-council-goes-on-the-offense-echoes-a-page-from-cu-history/    Create your own 2025 BIGGo card: https://bingobaker.com/#67a12342928998c6    Our recent interview with earned wage access provider Veep Software (among other startups): https://www.big-fintech.com/the-great-wealth-transfer-great-inheritance-drain/    Our April blog about

Sports metaphors run deep this week, as Nick Evens and Jenny Jackson preview this year’s VentureTech, the annual fintech showcase (and pickleball showdown). Not to be outdone, Early Warning’s Paze digital wallet dials up its marketing efforts with a key NBA partnership. Plus- The Curql Fund does a 360, and HSBC brings real-world application of quantum computing into focus.    Links related to this episode:   VentureTech: https://myventuretech.com/    The Atlanta Hawks/Paze partnership: https://www.nba.com/hawks/paze    Paze: https://www.paze.com/   Three-minute video on HSBC’s quantum computing bond trading breakthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SWMoGqTHoo    HSBC/IBM press release on the algorithmic trading first: https://www.hsbc.com/news-and-views/news/media-releases/2025/hsbc-demonstrates-worlds-first-known-quantum-enabled-algorithmic-trading-with-ibm    BIG’s Innovation Club: https://www.big-fintech.com/innovation-club/      Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday October 15 at 3pm ET/Noo

Our second wave of FinovateFall coverage includes interviews with the founders of Gentreo and Wysh- two young firms aiming to preserve member deposits across life cycles- as well as Veep Software, which delivers early wage access alongside financial education through the FI channel. Also- Glen reveals his Best of Show ballot, and touches on the startling plot twists with Plaid, Chase and open banking (spoilers entirely warranted).        Links related to this episode:   Wysh: https://www.wysh.com/    Gentreo: https://www.gentreo.com/    Veep Software: https://veepsoftware.io/    Veep’s post-interview announcement of its partnership with financial education content provider nudge: https://www.financialcontent.com/article/getnews-2025-9-17-veep-launches-ewa-20-and-announces-first-global-partnership-with-nudge    Videos of all 63 FinovateFall demos: https://finovate.com//videos/?filtertype=&showtypes=FinovateFall&videostartyear=2025&showletters=A-Z    FinovareFall’s Best of Show Winners: https://fi