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Tag: center of excellence

  • ConnectOne Bank builds data lake in-house | Bank Automation News

    ConnectOne Bank builds data lake in-house | Bank Automation News

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    ConnectOne Bank built its own data lake and data warehouse in-house to allow for access to insights for all departments. 

    One of the first assignments for the $9.8 billion Englewood Cliffs, N.J. -based bank’s Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President Sharif Alexandre was to “build a data lake and a data warehouse so that we can aggregate the data from our various data sources,” he told Bank Automation News, noting, it took approximately nine months to have the data lake and data warehouse fully functional but it’s “an ongoing effort that never really stops.”

    According to Amazon Web Services, a data warehouse stores data in a structured format and a data lake hosts raw and unstructured data. 

    Before the data warehouse, the bank had to export data to other systems that required various formatting. Now, the same data can be organized in a single place and exported out to other systems, said Alexandre, who joined the bank in 2022.  

    “There are obviously systems out there that we could have built off the shelf or customized, but we decided to build from scratch because we wanted to have that control over every part of that architecture,” Alexandre told BAN. By building in-house, the bank controls it all — from how the data is built to the organization of workflows to the analysis of the data. 

    When evaluating the options for the data lake and data warehouse, including cloud-based services, cost was a consideration but the decision to build “was largely driven by our desire to fully manage the orchestration of the data we were ingesting,” he said.

    Bankwide efficiencies

    The data lake serves as a “foundation for everything else that we can build on top of,” he said.  

    For example, with access to structured data, departments can glean information to help with planning, he said. That wasn’t always the case. 

    “For a long time, data was the responsibility of a team, and really one department accessed the data, and now with so many different departments running reports, logging into our data lake, understanding client behaviors … allows us to look ahead very differently,” Siya Vansia, chief brand and innovation officer, told BAN.  

    With an in-house data lake, Vansia said the bank’s team can more easily use data to: 

    • Understand client behavior; 

    Early-bird registration is now available for the inaugural Bank Automation Summit Europe 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany, on Oct. 7-8! Discover the latest advancements in AI and automation in banking. Register here and apply to speak here.   

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • Inside look: BNY Pershing X product pipeline | Bank Automation News

    Inside look: BNY Pershing X product pipeline | Bank Automation News

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    BNY looks to client feedback and demand when planning the product pipeline within its technology arm, Pershing X. 

    “We’re hearing feedback from our clients, and we’re delivering solutions based on what we’re hearing,” Noam Tasch, head of revenue at Pershing X, told Bank Automation News. 

    For example, last year, the bank launched its advisory product and a year later rolled out its investor product Wove Investor, he said. When the advisory tool launched, the bank formed a group of clients and prospects to offer feedback on the solution and one response from the group was, “Don’t stop at advisers — and we didn’t,” Tasch added.

    (Courtesy/BNY)

    Wove Investor, which launched June 4, allows investors to view information from multiple accounts in one place, according to the Pershing X website. 

    “Advisers asked us to create a simple, interconnected portal for their clients, so we built Wove Investor,” Ainslie Simmonds, president of Pershing X and Pershing Global head of strategy, said in a June 4 release. 

    Along with Wove Investor, the bank added Wove Data and Portfolio Solutions on the platform on June 4. 

    “That goes a long way to show not only do we listen and we’re finding pockets of pain points (in the industry), but we’re actually relatively quickly delivering solutions,” he said. 

    Early-bird registration is now available for the inaugural Bank Automation Summit Europe 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 7-8! Discover the latest advancements in AI and automation in banking. Register now.  

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  • Inside look: Fiserv University tech training | Bank Automation News

    Inside look: Fiserv University tech training | Bank Automation News

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    Technology provider Fiserv is expanding its training offerings to clients through Fiserv University, which launched in May. 

    “Many institutions are under pressure to do more with less, which requires a highly efficient and well-trained staff,” Dudley White, president of core account processing solutions at Fiserv, told Bank Automation News. Fiserv University offers tech and process training, he said.  

    Jay Coomes, chief technology officer at Intracoastal Bank, said in a release, “We recognize the importance of leveraging our technology to its full potential and supporting the continued development of our associates’ skill sets.”  

    Dudley White, president of core account processing solutions at Fiserv (Courtesy/Fiserv)

    Fiserv University offers product certifications following a university 100- to 400-level class structure, White said. Certification costs are based on the asset size of an institution — meaning there is no limit to the number of institution employees who can take courses. 

    The university offers training on both banking core platforms and integrated products from the Fiserv suite, White said.

    Demand for tech training 

    Fiserv University evolved from the growing demand for Fiserv’s offerings, including its live events, on-demand courses and consulting services, White said.  

    Before the university launched, more than 3,700 institutions used Fiserv’s training and consulting offerings in 2023, White said. “This number is likely to grow with the expanded set of Fiserv University training options, courses and events to meet the unique needs of our clients.” 

    Dudley said financial institutions find that tech training can help in the following areas: 

    • Bringing new employees up to speed quickly; 
    • Conducting large-scale training following a merger or acquisition; and 
    • Supporting staff retention through continued investment in skills training.  

    Fiserv bank clients include Seattle-based WaFd Bank, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Evermore Bank and Marlborough, Mass.-based Main Street Bank.  

    Early-bird registration is now available for the inaugural Bank Automation Summit Europe 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 7-8! Discover the latest advancements in AI and automation in banking. Register now.  

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  • Synchrony’s AI training strategy | Bank Automation News

    Synchrony’s AI training strategy | Bank Automation News

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    Synchrony Financial is investing in training its employees on emerging technology, with a focus on AI and automation. 

    Training options include “technology certifications mapped to critical skills in areas like cybersecurity, software engineering and UX design,” Tim Christensen, senior vice president of product, digital, innovation and AI at Synchrony, told Bank Automation News.

    Courtesy/Bloomberg

    The $117 billion financial institution offers skills tuition and debt-free tuition up to $24,000 annually, and up to $9,000 annually for technology certifications, according to a recent release from Synchrony. 

    Christensen said Synchrony offers the following training: 

    • Apprenticeship Program: A full-time, 12-month program that allows employees with non-traditional backgrounds to learn and develop skills within technology; 
    • Veterans Leadership Program: A 13-month skills and experience training in cybersecurity and data analytics to a class of veterans; 
    • Business Leadership Program: A two-year rotational program that offers training in tech and operations; and 
    • University Partnerships: Agreements with University of Illinois, University of Connecticut and Syracuse University to help students train in AI, data science and other emerging technologies. 

    “We are responsibly training and hiring our teams to ensure we have the right skills in place to succeed, especially around the use of AI and automation, along with many other emerging technologies,” Christensen said. 

    Aligning with innovation

    Synchrony’s investment in tech training for its more than 20,000 employees aligns with its innovation strategy, Christensen said.  

    “Our focus on AI, and especially generative AI, is driving a need to both upskill existing talent and bring in new external talent, not just in technology, but across other functions like product development and governance,” he said. 

    The FI sees a growing opportunity for AI and automation in finance and is looking to the technology to boost customer experience and overall employee efficiency, he said. 

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  • Southside Bank automates workflows | Bank Automation News

    Southside Bank automates workflows | Bank Automation News

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    Southside Bank is looking to Jack Henry’s Enterprise Workflow solution to automate tasks, freeing up human resources and sparking innovation. 

    Courtesy/Bank Automation News

    After one year of using the solution, the $800 million, Tyler, Texas-based bank had more than 15 automated workflows in production at the end of 2023, Vice President of IT Operations Keith Leonhardt told Bank Automation News.

    The bank has three team members dedicated to creating workflows, up from one last year, Leonhardt said. As more workflows are created, ideas for more workflows seem to spark, he said. 

    Internal teams are now addressing issues with, “‘Can we build a workflow for that,’” he said. One workflow the bank has created is a stop payment automation. 

    As Southside considers workflow ideas, it is also using Jack Henry’s JHA Marketplace, the tech provider’s collaboration center, to see what workflows other Jack Henry clients have created and shared, he said. 

    The bank continues to implement workflow automation using Jack Henry’s solutions, Leonhardt said, noting that sharing ideas with other Jack Henry clients, “that’s a big leg up for us.” 

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  • How BofA approaches innovation | Bank Automation News

    How BofA approaches innovation | Bank Automation News

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    Bank of America’s innovation is never complete since its team constantly updates offerings to meet ever-changing client needs.   “At Bank of America, innovation is everybody’s job,” Jorge Camargo, managing director of mobile app, online banking and Erica AI at Bank of America, told Bank Automation News. “We’re constantly listening to clients and building solutions […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • Small FIs can customize third-party technology | Bank Automation News

    Small FIs can customize third-party technology | Bank Automation News

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    Springfield, Ill.-based bank INB relies on third-party vendors to build most of its technology, then customizes it to meet the needs of INB its clients.  “For our size, we need a good partner,” Chief Operating Officer Mark Donovan told Bank Automation News. “Development talent is a scarce resource … developing a solution that can integrate […]

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    Vaidik Trivedi

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  • Why JPMorgan’s chief data and analytics officer sits on operating committee | Bank Automation News

    Why JPMorgan’s chief data and analytics officer sits on operating committee | Bank Automation News

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    JPMorgan Chase’s chief data and analytics officer sits within its operating committee to keep up with ongoing AI investment and implementation bankwide.   Appointed in June 2023, Chief Data and Analytics Officer Teresa Heitsenrether serves on the $3.7 trillion bank’s operating committee and reports directly to Chief Executive Jamie Dimon and Chief Operating Officer Daniel […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • 3 criteria for innovation at Citi | Bank Automation News

    3 criteria for innovation at Citi | Bank Automation News

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    Financial institutions are looking to new technology, growing their innovation teams and investing in AI and generative AI.   Citigroup goes beyond the technology when starting innovation projects, looking to its clients and existing capabilities.   When the $1.6 trillion Citi is evaluating new tech and innovation, “it’s not just about the innovative idea, it’s […]

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    Vaidik Trivedi

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  • 5 questions with Allison Shonerd | Bank Automation News

    5 questions with Allison Shonerd | Bank Automation News

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    Allison Shonerd, managing director and head of Global Digital Disbursements in the Global Payments organization of Global Transactions Services at Bank of America, is focused on meeting the growing demand for payment solutions through innovation. 

    Allison Shonerd, Bank of America

    The $3.2 trillion bank’s noninterest expenses in the fourth quarter of 2023, which include technology spend, increased 14% year over year to $17.7 billion, according to the bank’s Q4 earnings release. 

    With the growth in tech spend and focus on digital strategies, the Global Digital Disbursements payments solution continues to grow. In fact, the solution was launched in Canada on the bank’s CashPro platform in August 2023 

    In this interview with Bank Automation News, Shonerd discusses her approach to innovation and the roadmap for Global Digital Disbursements. What follows is an edited version of that conversation. 

    Bank Automation News: Global Digital Disbursements is an emerging payment solution. How has the demand for and adoption of this digital capability grown? 

    Allison Shonerd: The demand for digital business-to-consumer payment solutions has surged as companies face growing challenges with legacy paper-based processes — notably the proliferation of fraud — and as consumer payments are increasingly viewed as a way to compete and retain customer relationships. Global Digital Disbursements addresses these challenges and opportunities, leading to consistent growth year after year in client adoption, volume of payments disbursed and in use cases.  

    The increased adoption in peer-to-peer payments is driving the pace of change in the B2C space, with the greatest adoption in the insurance, energy, and education industries, as a way of replacing costly checks that have faced increasing fraud.   

    BAN: How does Bank of America approach innovation on Global Digital Disbursements Technology? 

    AS: We will often start with a “proof of concept,” where we partner with our technology team to experiment and ideally prove our hypothesis that a solution is feasible and will address the customer need we’re trying to solve.  

    Soon we’ll begin a proof of concept around identity as a means to enhance platform access and streamline payee payment experiences without adding unnecessary friction.    

    Making things easier for our clients is a perennial objective of our innovation strategy, and this led to us embedding Global Digital Disbursements into CashPro, Bank of America’s platform that clients use for their transaction banking needs. Now Global Digital Disbursements clients have access to other innovations such as our self-service tool CashPro Chat with Erica, and the cash forecasting solution, CashPro Forecasting.   

    BAN: What is Bank of America’s product development roadmap? 

    AS: For the team that I support, the product roadmap is focused on three outcomes: to enable popular payment rails, to expand our global reach, and to offer value-add overlay services that mask the underlying complexity of digital consumer payments. For example, we’re planning to add to Global Digital Disbursements more real-time and alias-based payment schemes, such as international Pay to Card so that companies can make high-volume, low-value payments to customers’ enabled debit cards globally.  

    Our clients play a crucial role in prioritizing what we develop since everything we do is driven by a desire to solve their needs. In recent times, those needs have included solutions that address security, transparency and ease of integration.    

    BAN: Where does Bank of America stand in terms of Global Disbursements capabilities today, and where do you aim to be? 

    AS: Global Digital Disbursements offers a robust suite of digital payment solutions to clients operating in the U.S. with disbursements through Zelle and PayPal, and internationally through PayPal wallets in more than 90 countries. In Canada, our solution is connected to the Canadian payments rail Interac, which also supports request for payment.  

    In 2024, we’ll continue to advise our clients on best practices for transitioning to digital payments, and in the first quarter, we’ll introduce another disbursement option for payments in the U.S. 

    BAN: How does your industry experience help guide your overall strategy and leadership style? 

    AS: My team continuously evaluates industry trends and brings digital payment experiences to life for our customers, which requires foresight and discipline to deliver on both short- and long-term strategic initiatives. This has helped me to develop a leadership style that emphasizes professional curiosity and openness to new ideas, underscored by a focus on execution.  

    I firmly believe that regular dialogue with customers and focusing on solving their challenges is key to staying on track in such an innovative time, and I couldn’t feel more fortunate to be part of the exciting evolution of payments in an increasingly digital world. 

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  • MSUFCU: Failure is a key part of innovation | Bank Automation News

    MSUFCU: Failure is a key part of innovation | Bank Automation News

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    Financial institutions should expect to fail when exploring new technologies, Ami Iceman Hauter, chief research and digital experience officer at Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, said at the recent Bank Automation Summit U.S. 2024 in Nashville, Tenn.   “We’re trying things, we’re not going to be afraid to fail,” she said, noting that the […]

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  • KeyBank focuses on gen AI COE | Bank Automation News

    KeyBank focuses on gen AI COE | Bank Automation News

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    KeyBank is establishing a generative AI center of excellence to navigate the new technology before it is regulated.  “One of the things we’re hyper-focused on now is really establishing a COE,” Dominic Cugini, chief transformation officer at KeyBank, said March 19 at Bank Automation Summit U.S. 2024 in Nashville, Tenn.   The $189 billion bank is […]

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  • Why Fifth Third is forgoing in-house AI development | Bank Automation News

    Why Fifth Third is forgoing in-house AI development | Bank Automation News

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    Technology buzz, both inside and outside the banking industry, is centered on innovation — including the ongoing ramp of cloud migration and the excitement around the promise of AI, the new kid on the block.   The World Economic Forum in January highlighted how topics such as the application of and disruption from generative AI […]

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  • Envestnet CEO Crager stepping down | Bank Automation News

    Envestnet CEO Crager stepping down | Bank Automation News

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    Bill Crager will step down as chief executive of wealth tech company Envestnet on March 31.  Crager was CEO for 24 years and plans to serve as a senior adviser for the Berwyn, Pa.-based company, focusing on client and partner relationships, according to a Jan. 8 Envestnet release.  Board Chair James Fox will serve as […]

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    Vaidik Trivedi

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  • U.S. Bank looks to other industries to spark AI innovation | Bank Automation News

    U.S. Bank looks to other industries to spark AI innovation | Bank Automation News

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    U.S. Bank technology leaders attend the Consumer Electronics Show every year to spark innovation ideas for the bank’s research and development team; this year the focus was on all things AI.  “What we’re here for is to see what everybody else is doing with [AI],” Chief Innovation Officer Don Relyea told Bank Automation News at […]

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  • United Mississippi Bank frees up internal IT resources through Jack Henry | Bank Automation News

    United Mississippi Bank frees up internal IT resources through Jack Henry | Bank Automation News

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    United Mississippi Bank continues to use Jack Henry’s Hosted Network Solutions to enhance its IT infrastructure without adding employees.  

    In 2017, United Mississippi Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Christopher Maxwell was looking to improve IT operations, including the need for two full-time IT employees, he told Bank Automation News.

    However, adding headcount was costly, with some IT applicants expecting to be paid more than a bank’s chief executive, Maxwell said. “That doesn’t fit” for the $452 million, Natchez, Miss.-based bank, he said.  

    “Hosted Network Solutions (HNS) was specifically designed for financial institutions to host any Windows- or Linux-based servers in Jack Henry’s secure and fully redundant private cloud platform,” Nick Shirk, national director of sales and information security and technology, told BAN.  

    The bank’s third-party service contracts were expiring in 2017 and it was time for a hardware refresh, expected to cost about $1 million, Maxwell said. While determining the best path to improve hardware and virtual servers, Maxwell talked with the Jack Henry team as well as banks that had already implemented HNS. 

    The bank is in its third three-year contract with HNS, Maxwell said. The platform meant the bank wouldn’t need to hire more full-time employees.  

    “By effectively transferring risks and management responsibilities to Jack Henry, financial institutions can free internal IT resources to focus on strategic initiatives to better serve their account holders,” Shirk said. 

    Nashville, Tenn.-based FirstBank and Panama City Beach, Fla.-based Innovations Credit Union are among financial institutions that have moved their network infrastructure to HNS, according to the Jack Henry website.  

    Get ready for the Bank Automation Summit U.S. 2024 in Nashville on March 18-19! Discover the latest advancements in AI and automation in banking. Register now. 

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  • Kasisto’s chatbot does work of 2 FTEs at Meriwest CU | Bank Automation News

    Kasisto’s chatbot does work of 2 FTEs at Meriwest CU | Bank Automation News

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    Meriwest Credit Union’s AI-driven chatbot, Scout, powered by Kasisto’s KAI digital assistant platform, launched in February and accomplished the work of two, full-time, call center employees within its first two weeks. 

    Photo courtesy of Meriwest Credit Union

    The bot — which can hold conversations with the credit union’s 80,000 members, offer self-service capabilities and integrate with digital banking — is also trained to reflect the Meriwest brand through its responses, Gene Fichtenholz, vice president of digital strategy and engagement at Meriwest, told Bank Automation News.

    Between November 2022 and January 2023, the Meriwest team developed questions and answers for Kasisto to integrate into Scout, and the bot went live in February 2023, Fichtenholz said. 

    KAI is a white-label platform that allows clients to personalize the bot and reflect the financial institution’s brand, Kasisto Chief Executive Zor Gorelov told BAN. For example,  as an extension of the credit union’s call center, Scout was trained to respond to customer queries with a distinct, charming and intelligent persona. 

    Through KAI, Kasisto wanted to “democratize financial services using conversational AI to help users make better financial decisions,” Gorelov said.  

    At the $2.3 billion, Silicon Valley, Calif.-based Meriwest, Scout can answer client questions regarding spending or transactions, and it can provide financial advice, Fichtenholz said. 

    Since launching its Kasisto-powered chatbot, Meriwest has found: 

    • In the first month, the credit union saved 250 to 300 hours in telephone calls; 
    • Scout regularly assists 7,000 digitally active credit union members since the launch; and 
    • Scout answers customer questions during nonworking hours.  

    Integrating Scout

    To integrate into the credit union, Kasisto can pull the necessary data through Meriwest’s digital banking platform without direct connectivity into the credit union’s core, Fichtenholz told BAN.  

    This one connection path allows for easy maintenance “which coincided with our architecture,” he said.  

    Kasisto’s KAI is also used by JPMorgan, Standard Chartered Bank and TD Bank, Gorelov said. 

    Get ready for the Bank Automation Summit U.S. 2024 in Nashville on March 18-19! Discover the latest advancements in AI and automation in banking. Register now. 

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  • D.L. Evans Bank saves $1M | Bank Automation News

    D.L. Evans Bank saves $1M | Bank Automation News

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    D.L. Evans Bank has been working with and expanding the use of software company Laserfiche capabilities for 25 years, resulting in paper, monetary and time savings throughout the bank.   Through the tech provider, the $3.2 billion, Idaho-based bank saves roughly $1 million annually, has reduced its FDIC audit time by 50% from four weeks to […]

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  • Fighting fraudulent transactions with Mastercard’s Brighterion | Bank Automation News

    Fighting fraudulent transactions with Mastercard’s Brighterion | Bank Automation News

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    Financial institutions are using AI to mitigate fraud as fraudsters keep pace with evolving technology.  Seventy-four of the top banks in the United States are looking to Brighterion’s Transaction Fraud Monitoring solution, owned by Mastercard, to flag transaction fraud, Amyn Dhala, chief product officer at Brighterion, said last week during a webinar presented by Fintech […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • Gamification for financial wellness | Bank Automation News

    Gamification for financial wellness | Bank Automation News

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    Total credit card debt has surpassed $1 trillion for the first time ever this year, with total household debt reaching $17 trillion, according to a report from the N.Y. Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, the U.S. personal savings rate dipped to 3.5% in July, less than half the average going back to 1959, according to the U.S. […]

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    Vaidik Trivedi

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