Last June, I wrote about disappearing rainbows. This June, I'm thinking about what followed - and what it cost. #PrideMonth 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ tinyurl.com/5jzz8ejb

Wishing you a safe and meaningful Memorial Day weekend.

Time is running out! The @Finovate Awards nomination deadline is this Friday, May 22, 2026. This is your last chance to showcase your #fintech innovation and gain the industry recognition you deserve. buff.ly/LPIFiwY

On my way to historic Bretton Woods. In 1944, delegates from 44 nations sat inside this ornate hotel and built a framework for a world changing faster than anyone could fully predict. That’s essentially what I’ll challenge @NEFMA attendees to do in the age of AI.

This month's Bank Forward: AI is already on the job inside a regional bank. A fintech bought a charter. A crypto exchange is building the infrastructure banks depend on. And Google just moved agentic commerce closer to checkout. A lot happened in May. tinyurl.com/yjkbxjdp

"...each time we make choices from a place of fear and wishful thinking, we consign ourselves and our organisation to the slow lane." 💯 Don't miss this from @ledaglyptis.bsky.social buff.ly/lg7enQl | @Fintech_Futures

📚 Happy World Book Day! 📚 To celebrate, Fintech Book Club is launching the Fintech Book Library—a curated hub of the books shaping the future of finance (explore it here: lnkd.in/gpTSg5Gt). Your hosts: @stessacohen.bsky.social @strategistjim.bsky.social @efiglobal.bsky.social

In financial services — where women make up roughly 61% of the workforce — the topic of menopause is a talent strategy issue the industry can't afford to keep avoiding. I wrote about it — and I'd love it to prompt a conversation at your bank, credit union or fintech. tinyurl.com/yee2fe7r

I'll be delving into the latest fintech trends and news at #FinovateSpring. Join me there and save 20% with my code FKV2794SPK app.ingo.me/q/tekss #Finovate #fintech

Bank Forward is live from @alkamitech Co:lab - This month's focus: visibility to customers, to AI agents and to the market. www.linkedin.com/pulse/bank-f... via @LinkedIn

Day 1 of @alkamitechnology.bsky.social Co:lab with two of the sharpest minds in the industry - @psbdc.bsky.social and Tiffani Montez. The conversations here aren’t about chasing trends — they’re about making sense of what actually matters. If day one is any indication… this is going to be epic. 💯

Fed mulls FedNow x-border use The Federal Reserve proposed letting participants in the real-time payments system use intermediaries to make cross-border fund transfers. www.paymentsdive.com/news/fed-mul... #FinTech #FinServ #Banking #Payments #PayTech

👉🏼 JD Power U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study just confirmed what many community banks are starting to feel: ‘soft switching’ is real. Customers now hold 3 deposit accounts on average—and 20% are already moving money. The risk isn’t losing accounts. It’s losing relevance. buff.ly/yapsGbC

"Just in case you were wondering how long you’ve got before this is a thing. It’s a thing. You are out of time." - 💯 @ledaglyptis.bsky.social Agentic commerce: Where the rubber hits the road buff.ly/nS1YBi2 | @fintech_futures

Yep — that is me hanging upside down to kiss the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that since the 15th century, the stone grants the gift of eloquence to those brave (or foolish) enough to give it a kiss. As someone who makes a living speaking, I figured it was worth the risk. Happy St. Patrick’s Day 🍀

March brought three developments that don't obviously connect — but together they raise a question every community institution should be asking: are we structured to compete in a system that's being rebuilt around us? #BankForward tinyurl.com/2vjzzv4v

Today is #IWD2026 — and the theme, "Rights, Justice, Action," is a powerful reminder of the work yet to be done. To the #WomenInBanking and #WomenInFintech who fight for equality and justice — in boardrooms, branch offices, and everywhere in between — your work matters. Thank you 🙏🏼

Just wrapped up my talk on #AgenticAI at the @IndianaBankers Cyber, Fraud & Physical Security Conference. Meanwhile in the real world: Affirm + Stripe are combining BNPL with agentic commerce. Signals of where payments are headed: buff.ly/9jbkLQj

I'm excited to be a part of the upcoming @mibankers #MBABEST Conference on May 11-13 at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Traverse City! Join my session as we dive into #AgenticAI. Check out the program details and secure your spot by registering here: bit.ly/MBABESTConfe....

"Primacy is dead...Too many bankers continue to think about this through the old model — where we can gain a relationship and own it forever." - Jim Perry How to Build Customer Relationships When Checking Accounts No Longer Confer Primacy buff.ly/Gt1RxSn | Nick Holland

AI in education isn’t a crisis — avoidance is. Students will use AI. The real question is whether they’ll learn to use it well. Graduates who can’t work alongside AI will be at a disadvantage in every field. Framing it as “cheating” misses the point. We need to educate the educators.

Don't miss @JimMarous discussing the most critical insight from the 2026 Retail Banking Trends and Priorities research: 2026 Banking Trends Reveal a Dangerous Execution Gap buff.ly/0TufjBU | @FinancialBrand

This month’s Bank Forward looks at one big question: who controls deposits — and where they live next — as stablecoins, consolidation, and charter activity reshape the competitive landscape for community banks and credit unions. tinyurl.com/5cdx5aya via @LinkedIn

ICYMI: @Money2020 USA has a new home - moving to the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2027 - setting the stage for a revitalized experience that’s bigger, bolder, and more meaningful than ever before.

"Institutions that endure the next three years won’t be the ones making minor updates to failing systems." Why Incremental Banking Improvements No Longer Work - Don't miss @JimMarous' conversation with @Alkamitech's Ben Conant buff.ly/FFXiEnt | @FinancialBrand

"The first 60 to 90 days of a relationship are increasingly viewed as the make-or-break window, and better onboarding tools are one of the most measurable ways to improve that outcome." - @strategistjim.bsky.social Why small banks, credit unions are buying onboarding tech tinyurl.com/4p7hwk2v

Looking forward to joining a great group of speakers on the Marketing Track at @ilbanker’s ONE Conference next month. I’ll be sharing a session on “The Emerging Consumer: What’s New? What’s Next?!” Hope to see some familiar faces there. buff.ly/abkazZJ

On my flight back from #AOBA26, I read Brett King's latest thoughts on why #AI may upend the assumptions that have anchored capitalism for centuries—and why “waiting for proof” of disruption could be dangerously late. #FuturistFriday 👉🏼https://tinyurl.com/3jsjyz7d

As #AOBA26 wrapped up: Santander to acquire Webster Bank for $12.2 billion, allowing the group to achieve 18% RoTE in the U.S. by 2028

My day two takeaways from @BankDirector's #AOBA26 —on execution, culture, and what bankers really expect in 2026 buff.ly/gbZFd6h

ICYMI: While many of us enjoyed the warm, sunny days at #AOBA26, #PunxsutawneyPhil saw his shadow at Gobbler's Knob in PA, predicting 6 more weeks of winter. 🥶 Happy #GroundhogDay

Shared a few takeaways from day one of @BankDirector’s Acquire or Be Acquired conference—on M&A readiness, shrinking deal pools, and why banks need to think beyond their own vertical. 👉🏼 buff.ly/UFqxlbG #AOBA26

Reason enough to be at the airport this morning at 5am 🥶 for a predawn flight to #AOBA26 ☀️ in sunny Arizona.

"the biggest constant is the need for a community of like-minded people for the journey." Thank you, @ledaglyptis.bsky.social, for 10 years of #LedaWrites buff.ly/j2Q64Zo | @Fintech_futures

Banking leadership has always been demanding—but the nature of that demand has changed. My colleague, Joe Sullivan, reflects on the strain leaders carry today, and why approaches centered on clarity & resilience are often dismissed—even as they become more necessary. 👉🏼 tinyurl.com/4mny4cy6

Commercial banking is at an inflection point: relationships still matter—but friction is no longer forgiven. 👉🏼 This report from @alkamitech on 2026 trends is a solid snapshot of how expectations are changing and what community institutions need to think about next. buff.ly/U4mPoxz

No surprise here, but important data 👉🏼 U.S. Population Growth Slows Due to Historic Decline in Net International Migration - Population growth in the United States has slowed significantly with an increase of only 0.5%, between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025 buff.ly/51kq1Cc

From @BainandCompany: As Fifth Third CEO Timothy Spence noted about the bank’s recent merger with Comerica, “the outcome must be a company that is better, not just bigger.” Banking M&A’s Modernization Moment: A Double Helix of Scale and Scope buff.ly/BS1CDH0 #AOBA26

A week from today I'll be in Phoenix for #AOBA26. Looking forward to catching up with clients and colleagues—and yes, I’ll also happily accept a temporary escape from snow and subzero temperatures. 🥶 See you in the desert. 🌵

How Bank of America's Erica does the work of 11,000 people

From @SpencerFane: "AI is now a permanent feature of the M&A landscape in banking and financial services. The key question is not whether it will be used, but how."

Bessent tells banks deregulation makes up for 10% rate cap

In an industry that moves fast, it helps to slow down and read. The Fintech Book Club’s new site is live → fintechbookclub.com cc: @stessacohen.bsky.social @efiglobal.bsky.social

Credit Unions See AI’s Promise, but Readiness Lags Adoption - Data quality, governance and system connectivity consistently emerge as the main constraints preventing pilots from becoming enterprise capabilities. buff.ly/ST2YzPS | @pymnts

From @BarclaysCIB: Humanoid robotics is moving from experimentation and into a true economic inflection point. Breakthroughs across the “three Bs” — brains, brawn, and batteries — position humanoids as a viable automation solution.

Something @psbdc.bsky.social posted reminded me that honoring Dr. King’s legacy isn’t just about reflection—it’s about action. 🫶🏼 Small, human acts matter. Volunteering a few hours, supporting a local organization, or simply checking in on a neighbor all help strengthen the fabric of our communities.

Martin Luther King Jr. understood better than almost anyone that racial justice and economic justice are inextricably intertwined. Watch his powerful call to end poverty from his final Sunday Sermon.

Valley Bank’s ‘That’s How’ Campaign Takes People’s Needs at Heart A new go-to-market brand campaign, “That’s How,” marking an evolution of the bank’s identity as it approaches its 100-year anniversary in 2027.

Recently, @JimMarous made this point: “Serving the underserved is no longer optional for financial institutions.” This map shows just how much of the country that statement applies to — and why it matters for growth and relevance.

"States with lots of banks, such as TX, IL, OH, MN and PA, are likely to see continued consolidation. Regional plays will continue, particularly among $10 billion- to $100 billion-asset banks" M&A in 2026 may put more distance between big, small banks buff.ly/rsKt5kU | @BankingDive