Fintech Takes Alex Johnson

Simon Taylor’s back in action and ready to break down some of the hottest up and comers in the fintech world with Alex.
 
First, he and Alex discuss Niva, the global business identity platform using AI to help lenders and fintech companies onboard business customers through a Know Your Business (KYB) process. Focused primarily on growth in Brazil and Mexico, the platform claims it can bring the onboarding process for business customers down to 10 minutes. KYB growth is hot in the US— but can KYB hold the same growth velocity in Latin America?
 
Then, it’s the company that sounds like a milk alternative, but we promise isn’t. Meet OatFi, the embeddable Lending-as-a-Service platform for capital loans. Not everyone has a Shopify-sized business to build their own lending process— so how is OatFi’s API helping smaller B2Bs to underwrite their capital loans?
 
Plus, Alex and Simon also discuss Tapi, the Stripe for Latin American countries. How is Tapi filling a major wedge in the LATAM market? And how much does brand really matter when you’re trying to tap into market like this? They also discuss Aven’s series D funding and explain how the company is helping to refinance debt at a lower rate using home equity, before manifesting a few fintech ideas. Isn’t there a better infrastructure where regulatory insights can be shared? Alex and Simon mull over the challenges of confidential data sharing.
 
02:36 Niva
16:37 OatFi
26:36 Tapi
36:06 Aven
49:24 Manifesting Fintech Ideas
 
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 Simon:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/
Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com
 
Follow Alex: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

What is shadow banking? It sounds nefarious… right? But what does it really mean? 
Alex is joined by Kiah Haslett and special guest, Todd Phillips, the assistant professor at the Robinson College of Business at George State University, to break down the topic of shadow banking and to discuss the challenges it poses for bank supervisors, regulators, and consumers alike.
They unpack the inherent risks of shadow banking and explore the role shadow banking played in the downfall of Synapse. What weight does the term “FDIC insured” actually hold? And is there a way to prioritize consumer safety when it comes to shadow banking?
Then, Alex, Kiah, and Todd also chat about the push-pull dynamics of regulator/bank relationships and postulate on the correct balance between regulation and innovation. And later, Kiah has a bone to pick with the CFPB, and she’s determined to figure out a better way to organize their chore chart. 

00:03:10 Who is Christy Goldsmith Romero?
00:08:00 Stabilizing Shadow Banks
00:26:37 Synapse Bankruptcy
00:38:41 Breaking Down Bank Supervision
01:04:59 Go Off, Kiah!
 
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 Todd:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-phillips-b1570110/
 
Follow Kiah:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett
 
Follow Alex: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

He’s been wise. He’s been powerful. But guess what? It’s the first episode we can officially call Jason Mikula an author! Jason chats about his new book, “Banking as a Service: Opportunities, Challenges, and Risks of New Banking Business Models” and reveals what you can expect from his debut book, which is currently available for pre-order. If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, don’t forget to order it here using the promo code “BaaSIsland” for 20% off!
And speaking of BaaS Island, beware of where you set sail because the seas are unsafe with pirates roaming the dark waters. With a massive cyber security breach, a brand new consent order, and a middleware platform partner at the bottom of the ocean, is Evolve trying to win an award for the worst bank ever? 
The guys also discuss the death of Apple Pay Later, and Apple’s announcement that both issuers and Affirm can compete for Buy Now, Pay Later in Apple Pay. What caused the sudden shift in strategy for Apple? Alex and Jason explain how regulatory risk and heightened scrutiny for lending products might have been the catalyst for change. Is Apple Card next on the hit list?
And later, they discuss what the overturning of the Chevron Doctrine means for regulators. Plus, Alex just can’t let it go that Klarna intends to replace its customer service staff with AI. As if we needed one more automated customer service line that doesn’t answer any of our questions…
 
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/
Buy His Book (use promo code BaaSIsland for 20% off) here
 
Follow Alex: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

In this special end-of-season bonus episode, Terry Angelos, former SVP and Global Head of Fintech for Visa joins Alex to break down what Visa’s recent string of announcements might mean for the future of payments.
What is Visa Flexible Credential, and how is it shaping up to change the way we view credit and debit cards? Find out how this innovative technology enables multiple credentials on a single card and gives consumers vastly more flexibility in choosing how they pay.
Terry also shares his thoughts on the future of pay-by-bank and the ongoing experimentation in the space, before diving into the advantages of integrating passkeys and the potential benefits of utilizing data token opt-ins for consumers.
Tune in to discover how these advancements are poised to change the landscape of payments and banking.

00:00:03 - Visa Executive Shares Fintech Insights
00:01:22 - Visa's Latest Announcement Sparks Interest
00:04:05 - Understanding Flex Credentials in Payment Selection
00:14:57 - Future of Bank-to-Bank Payments Technology
00:18:35 - Banking Infrastructure: Cynical vs. Optimistic
00:27:56 - Fast Follower Wins in Fintech
00:28:35 - Visa Introduces Passkeys for Seamless Online Payments
00:39:26 - Amazon Introduces Data Token Opt-In
00:44:00 - Visa's Acquisition Creates Visa Commerce Network
 
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 Terry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tangelos/
 
Follow Alex: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson
 

Alex is joined by Danielle Sesko, Director of Product Management and Innovation at TruStage, to delve into the crucial role of embedded payment insurance in lending and its potential to enhance consumer financial health.
How does payment insurance safeguard borrowers against job loss or disability, lower delinquency rates, and boost lender competitiveness? Danielle and Alex explore the rise of digital lending and discuss why the need for payment insurance across the lending industry has grown over the past few decades.
With consumers one paycheck away from making a loan payment— and unemployed consumers being forced to take out loans while they struggle for months to find a new job— loan payment insurance is more relevant than ever before. So what role can it play in helping consumers to become more financially secure? And is there a way to design a better product that benefits both consumers and lenders? 
To learn more about Cornerstone Advisors, visit https://www.trustage.com/business/insights/financial-trends/embedded-payment-insurance-digital-lending-research?utm_source=fintechtakes&utm_medium=LEN_B2B_cmg_np&utm_campaign=cornerstone-whitepaper&utm_content=link_subject-line_webinar-asset-link&utm_term=june-2024

00:04:46 - Payment Insurance Products
00:06:40 - Protecting Cash Flow with Loan-Connected Insurance
00:07:50 - Consumer Lending and Payment Insurance
00:14:55 - Digital Lending Simplified
00:20:07 - Shrinking Bank Market Share Post-Crisis
00:21:44 - Specialized Lending Ecosystem for Digital Lenders
00:28:46 - Consumer Financial Health’s Impact on Insurance
00:32:39 - Living Close to the Edge: Financial Struggles Across Segments
00:41:19 - Loan Protection Against Economic Risks
00:52:28 - Embedded Payment Insurance Revolutionizes Lending
00:56:03 - Impact of Collections on Business
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 Danielle:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-sesko-cpa-770b3312/
 
Follow Alex: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson
 

You should never take fintech investment advice from podcasters— and thankfully, Alex and Simon are definitely not giving out fintech investment advice on this week’s podcast.
Speaking of things you should never do, comparing yourself to others certainly tops that list. But what if you knew what normal spending looked like amongst your peers? That’s the philosophy that the wealth benchmarking app, Frich is banking on, and you know what? It might actually be a good thing. Targeting Gen Z, the app aims to tackle the gaps between reality and social media by shining a spotlight on how much users make and spend on things like rent, salary, and amenities.
Then, Alex and Simon discuss Constellation, the app striving to improve workflows and automate the creative process in highly regulated industries by creating assets at scale. We have to ask— did we really need this when large-scale corporations have already perfected this process using internal methods? Is it sellable to anyone in fintech or will Constellation figure out a way to go to market through banking partners instead?
And later, the guys break down how daloopa increases your spreadsheet superpowers using generative AI and debate whether or not Jack Dorsey’s Block is still a profitable model. With Apple Wallet becoming the center of gravity for all other apps, is Block’s Cash App still relevant? And why can’t the Block team get Square and Cash App to play nicely together?
Plus, Simon manifests the de novo charter into a US existence and Alex wonders whether or not there’s room for one savings app to rule them all.

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 Simon:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/
Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com
 
Follow Alex: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson