Fintech Takes

Alex Johnson
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Fintech moves fast. But here at Fintech Takes, Alex Johnson and his rotating panel of guests move faster so that you can stay on top of the latest and greatest news in the industry without breaking a sweat.  Welcome to Fintech Takes—the place where fintech’s biggest nerds come to sit back, relax, and completely geek out. Join Alex and a lineup of fintech’s brightest minds as they dissect what’s happening in fintech and banking.  Each week, Alex and his guests recap the most interesting developments in fintech and explore the industry’s most pressing questions, diving headfirst into the intricate workings of some of the industry’s most ground-breaking business models and unpacking the emerging players that promise to shape fintech’s future. From riveting conversations with fintech’s most relevant operators to comprehensive recaps of the month's most compelling news stories and in-depth analyses of the latest regulatory developments, Fintech Takes is your one-stop-shop for navigating the fintech universe. Subscribe now to join fintech’s nerdiest podcast around!

  1. Fintech Takes: Super Bowl Edition

    12 HR AGO

    Fintech Takes: Super Bowl Edition

    Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast, where I’m welcoming back Jane Barratt, Chief Advocacy Officer at MX, to  talk about Super Bowl commercials and advertising ( and how it overlaps with data privacy, data ownership, open banking, and AI). Fun fact: Jane had a previous career in advertising. What I didn’t know is that Jane used to go on live television and review ads from the Super Bowl the day after. In this episode, recorded the day after Super Bowl LIX (déjà vu vu for Jane), we hand out the inaugural Fintech Takes Super Bowl Ad Awards. Then we pivot to what the commercials (including those that were conspicuously absent) reveal about consumer sentiment, what happens when ads start showing up inside AI tools, and more. We also dig into where U.S. open banking stands after a year of regulatory turbulence around the CFPB’s Section 1033 rule. Highlights include: Why Levi's won Best Use of Money and Coinbase won Biggest Waste of Money Why almost no major banks and fintech companies, or consumer financial brands showed up (and what that missing marketing spend signals about the economy) Why ads inside AI tools are fundamentally different from ads on Instagram or Google Why the biggest banks keep investing in open banking even with the CFPB’s Section 1033 rule still unresolved, and why smaller banks that don’t invest in data-sharing risk asset flight to trillion-dollar institutions This episode is brought to you by Plaid.  Plaid helps lenders approve more creditworthy borrowers without taking on more risk, combining real-time cash flow data with behavioral insights. It’s a fast, familiar experience people trust, and that actually converts. Learn more at www.plaid.com/ftt Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Jane: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janebarratt/   Follow Alex Johnson:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnsonX: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

    1h 8m
  2. Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 2: When Customer Centricity Breaks

    6 DAYS AGO

    Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 2: When Customer Centricity Breaks

    Welcome to Collections Conversations, a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software. The series digs into how generative AI is reshaping debt collections; what it enables, what it complicates, and why it might finally force the industry to retire the word “collections” altogether. In Episode 2, I sit down with Ed Wallen, CEO of C&R Software. We kick things off with a hard truth about fintech companies that pride themselves on being customer-centric: that promise most often breaks at the exact moment customers need the most empathy and the most options.  As Ed puts it, you get the Apple experience of onboarding, where everything is sunshine and rainbows, and then suddenly you get the Mad Max experience in debt collections.  Our conversation unpacks why that shift happens. One day early and one day late feel the same to the customer, but on the inside, they trigger an entirely different playbook. If replacing a customer can cost hundreds of dollars, why treat hardship as a liability instead of protecting lifetime value? What if the real choice was between a churn machine and a loyalty engine? This episode is a blueprint for anyone reimagining collections, servicing, and customer trust. Subscribe to catch more about how generative AI might finally make collections more human. This episode is brought to you by C&R Software.  More than just debt collection, C&R sets the global standard for AI-native, humanized credit management. They simplify the complex with end-to-end credit-risk lifecycle support, powered by automated workflows, AI-native intelligence, and real-time, data-driven decisioning. Learn more at https://hubs.ly/Q03Wl1DY0. Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Ed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwallen/ Learn more about C&R Software here: https://hubs.ly/Q03Wl1DY0

    52 min
  3. Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 3: The System Behind Collections

    6 DAYS AGO

    Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 3: The System Behind Collections

    Welcome to Collections Conversations, a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software. The series digs into how generative AI is reshaping debt collections; what it enables, what it complicates, and why it might finally force the industry to retire the word “collections” altogether. In Episode 3, I sit down with John McNamara, Chief Growth Officer at Avtal. John's career spans the private sector and the CFPB, where he worked on Regulation F, dragging debt collection out of an era when the law literally referenced telegrams. That makes him perfect for unpacking the biggest misconception industry has about regulators, dubious credit repair organizations, and AI fluffery.  We start inside the CFPB itself. John explains what industry constantly got wrong: they didn't understand the voices shaping policy. His benchmark for whether a rule landed? A symmetry of outrage and vitriol. If both sides are pissed, that's probably right. From there, we dig into what John calls the credit reporting mess — why the credit reporting system creates inaccurate data, and how credit repair organizations exploit that through endless dispute loops Plus, John’s first principles when it comes to AI: data governance and permissible purpose matter more than models, and better digital engagement usually beats new forms of automation (if someone's on your payment portal, they don't want to talk to you). Subscribe now to catch what’s next. This episode is brought to you by C&R Software.  More than just debt collection, C&R sets the global standard for AI-native, humanized credit management. They simplify the complex with end-to-end credit-risk lifecycle support, powered by automated workflows, AI-native intelligence, and real-time, data-driven decisioning. Learn more at https://hubs.ly/Q03Wl1DY0. Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mcnamara-75a2982/ Learn more about C&R Software here: https://hubs.ly/Q03Wl1DY0

    56 min
  4. Fintech Recap: Clarity Crumbles, Charters Multiply, and Brex Gets Bought

    4 FEB

    Fintech Recap: Clarity Crumbles, Charters Multiply, and Brex Gets Bought

    Welcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula. Even if we aren’t sailing to BaaS Island, the news keeps flooding in. We kick off with crypto market structure, which nearly cleared Congress before imploding. The Clarity Act would’ve locked in broad crypto rules, including limits on stablecoin yield. Banks had momentum to close a key Genius Act loophole (until Coinbase pulled support at the last second). The backlash was swift: other crypto firms were blindsided, lawmakers were furious, and Brian Armstrong ended up in Davos, facing off with Jamie Dimon (who, reportedly, told him to stop lying on TV).  Then it's onto banking charters. NewBank got conditional OCC approval. Ford, GM, and PayPal all made ILC moves. Affirm filed in Nevada, citing "flexibility and diversification," but this is about control. With rising scrutiny on partner banks and consent orders in the air, a charter gives Affirm cleaner economics and regulatory insulation. Like Square and LendingClub before it, the goal is clear: own the balance sheet, shift volume gradually, and keep options open. From there, Capital One’s surprise acquisition of Brex for $5B. Most commentary focused on the exit. More interesting is what CapOne wants: startup spend volume and a wedge into high-growth business banking. Integration will take time, and as Ramp scales faster on a leaner model, pressure around ROI will be mounting. Plus, in our Can't Let It Go corner, we look at fintech's dumbest lawsuit: Prism v. TomoCredit. A fake cash flow underwriting product. A stolen trademark. Fabricated and backdated blog posts. An agreed settlement … that Tomo then refused to sign or memorialize. Meanwhile, the site still takes credit card details from consumers who can't unsubscribe. And somehow, it's still going! This episode is brought to you by Plaid.  Plaid helps lenders approve more creditworthy borrowers without taking on more risk, combining real-time cash flow data with behavioral insights. It’s a fast, familiar experience people trust, and that actually converts. Learn more at www.plaid.com/ftt Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnsonTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

    1h 18m
  5. Inside Net Interest

    28 JAN

    Inside Net Interest

    Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Marc Rubinstein, author of the fantastic Net Interest newsletter.  In this episode, we bounce through some of Marc’s most insightful writing from the past year (linked below) to spotlight the structural forces shaping 2026. We explore why the U.S. has thousands of community banks, the idiosyncrasies of our 30-year mortgage product, the growing industry focus on agentic commerce, and why stablecoin infrastructure is coalescing around large, permissioned systems — and what all of that reveals about regulatory incentives, institutional power, and the future of financial infrastructure. Highlights include: Why the U.S. has thousands more banks than any other developed market How agentic commerce is being driven more by investor decks than consumer behavior Why OpenAI might accidentally save small merchants Why stablecoins are moving onto permissioned, institution-backed rails (and will be increasingly shaped by players like Stripe). This episode is brought to you by Plaid.  Plaid helps lenders approve more creditworthy borrowers without taking on more risk, combining real-time cash flow data with behavioral insights. It’s a fast, familiar experience people trust, and that actually converts. Learn more at www.plaid.com/ftt Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Net Interest pieces discussed: Community First: https://www.netinterest.co/p/community-first-ca0 The Policy Triangle: https://www.netinterest.co/p/the-policy-triangle Inside the Affordability Crisis: https://www.netinterest.co/p/inside-the-affordability-crisis Agentic Friday: https://www.netinterest.co/p/agentic-friday Ready Layer One: https://www.netinterest.co/p/ready-layer-one Follow Marc: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-rubinstein/ Follow Alex Johnson:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson X: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

    58 min
  6. Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 1: Collections in the Age of AI

    22 JAN

    Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 1: Collections in the Age of AI

    Welcome to Collections Conversations, a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software. The series digs into how generative AI is reshaping debt collections; what it enables, what it complicates, and why it might finally force the industry to retire the word “collections” altogether. In Episode 1, I sit down with Naeem Abraham, Senior Director of Product Strategy at C&R Software. We kick things off with what I call the Collections Abundance Moment, tracing debt collection’s operational powerhouse roots (where empathy was sacrificed at the altar of efficiency) to a world where the old resource constraints no longer apply. The episode dives into the mechanics of building safe, value-adding AI systems. Naeem outlines the “triangular dance floor” of competing pressures (risk, cost, and customer experience) and explains why the winners will be those who treat AI not as a system, but as intelligence.  What if every customer had a personal banker in their pocket?  What if cost no longer forced us to be adversarial?  What if the prize wasn’t collections at all, but financial well-being? This episode is a blueprint for anyone reimagining collections, credit, or customer care in the age of AI. Subscribe now to catch what’s next. This episode is brought to you by C&R Software.  More than just debt collections, C&R sets the global standard for AI-native, humanized credit management. They simplify the complex with end-to-end credit-risk lifecycle support, powered by automated workflows, AI-native intelligence, and real-time, data-driven decisioning. Learn more at https://hubs.ly/Q03Wl1DY0. Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Naeem: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naeem-abraham-b8a0ab10 Learn more about C&R Software here: https://hubs.ly/Q03Wl1DY0

    56 min
  7. Fintech Recap (Bonus): The Rise and Fall of Kontigo

    21 JAN

    Fintech Recap (Bonus): The Rise and Fall of Kontigo

    Welcome back to Fintech Takes for a special bonus episode of Fintech Recap with Jason Mikula; Latin American sanctions evasion expert and author of a splendid ~5,500 word investigation on Kontigo that demands its own episode. If you haven’t yet read Jason’s piece, “Kontigo: Y Combinator's Venezuelan Sanctions Evasion Startup” in Fintech Business News Weekly – the spine of this episode – you should (full link below). This episode is a deep dive into Kontigo, a crypto‑fintech startup operating in Venezuela that marketed USDC off‑ramps and debit cards, raised money from Coinbase (among others!), and leveraged U.S. financial infrastructure (like JPMorgan Chase, Checkbook, Rain, Bridge, Lead Bank, and Stripe) … while operating in a heavily sanctioned environment. The rise and fall of Kontigo raises urgent questions about accountability, compliance, and the risks embedded in stablecoin rails.  We get into: The foreign exchange arbitrage that made the model profitable Why stablecoins are “speed-running BaaS” (but worse) How product market fit in stablecoins can be code for money laundering, sanctions evasion, or financial crime And the surreal online behavior of the CEO (shirtless hype videos included) Plus, in our Can’t Let It Go corner: agave spirit startups, Kontigo’s logo that obviously nods at the Petro (Venezuela's failed oil backed cryptocurrency), and our favorite quote of 2026 so far! This episode is brought to you by Plaid.  Plaid helps lenders approve more creditworthy borrowers without taking on more risk, combining real-time cash flow data with behavioral insights. It’s a fast, familiar experience people trust, and that actually converts. Learn more at www.plaid.com/ftt Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Read Jason’s “Kontigo: Y Combinator's Venezuelan Sanctions Evasion Startup” here:  https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/p/kontigo-ycombinators-venezuela-sanctions Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

    1h 7m
  8. Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 5: Underwriting Was Just the Beginning

    20 JAN

    Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 5: Underwriting Was Just the Beginning

    Hello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations, a miniseries sponsored by our friends at Nova Credit. If you’ve followed my work, you’ll know that I’m obsessed with cash flow data (and underwriting more specifically) because it has enormous potential to positively reshape consumer lending in the U.S.  Cash Flow Conversations tracks that shift, from theory to practical use across the lending lifecycle. In Episode 5, recorded live at Money20/20, I sit down with Doug Swift (Navy Federal Credit Union) and Chris Hansen (Nova Credit) to talk about how cash flow underwriting has evolved over the past 18–24 months. Cash flow data has gone from lenders’ best-kept secret to an infrastructure-supported tool with real traction. The vintages have matured; the use cases have expanded (second look underwriting, line assignment, portfolio management, delinquency support, loan rewrites, extensions, settlements, and credit line changes, to name a few).  And Doug brings it to life with examples from Navy Federal’s collections workflows, which you won’t want to miss.  Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I enjoyed facilitating it!  This episode is brought to you by Nova Credit.  Nova Credit is a credit infrastructure and analytics company that enables businesses to grow responsibly by harnessing consumer credit data. Learn more at novacredit.com. Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishansen10/ Follow Doug: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-s-5794036/ Learn more about Nova Credit here.

    31 min
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About

Fintech moves fast. But here at Fintech Takes, Alex Johnson and his rotating panel of guests move faster so that you can stay on top of the latest and greatest news in the industry without breaking a sweat.  Welcome to Fintech Takes—the place where fintech’s biggest nerds come to sit back, relax, and completely geek out. Join Alex and a lineup of fintech’s brightest minds as they dissect what’s happening in fintech and banking.  Each week, Alex and his guests recap the most interesting developments in fintech and explore the industry’s most pressing questions, diving headfirst into the intricate workings of some of the industry’s most ground-breaking business models and unpacking the emerging players that promise to shape fintech’s future. From riveting conversations with fintech’s most relevant operators to comprehensive recaps of the month's most compelling news stories and in-depth analyses of the latest regulatory developments, Fintech Takes is your one-stop-shop for navigating the fintech universe. Subscribe now to join fintech’s nerdiest podcast around!

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Johnson
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Alex Johnson
  • Show Website
    Fintech Takes

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