BIG Podcast

Glen speaks with the CEOs of two sub-$100 million CUs  (Josh Urbick and Doug Wadsworth) about their respective efforts to advance the small credit union cause. Also, the latest developments at Anthropic and Coinbase highlight the perils facing CUs- and financial services in general.   Links related to this episode: The NSCUA's LinkedIn page:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-small-credit-union-association/ The Endangered Small Credit Union Defense's LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14776042/  CU Daily's coverage of the NSCUA's formation: https://thecudaily.com/new-group-for-cus-under-500-million-in-assets-unveils-its-name/ Doug Wadsworth's Profitability Guidebook for Small CUs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP4D9FZM Doug's recent CU Daily article: https://thecudaily.com/you-cant-regulate-bad-managers-into-good-ones-but-you-can-do-this/ Wellesley Hill's thoughtful analysis of Coinbase's new Federal Trust Charter: https://www.wellesleyhillsfinancial.com/2026/04/12/coinbase-wins-federal-tr

Glen recaps an action-packed CU Unplugged "un-conference," featuring unique perspectives from leaders of three participating credit unions (Keys FCU, Mid Hudson Valley FCU, State Department FCU) and real-time reflections from Defense Credit Union Council President & CEO Tony Hernandez.   Links related to this episode: Keys Federal Credit Union: https://www.keysfcu.org/ State Department Federal Credit Union: https://www.sdfcu.org/ Jonathan Cilley, CIO of Mid Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathancilley/ The Defense Credit Union Council: https://www.dcuc.org/ Visa's Innovation and Market Support Center in San Francisco's Mission Rock Neighborhood: https://corporate.visa.com/en/sites/visa-perspectives/company-news/mission-rock-market-support-center.html Our recent stablecoin conversation with TruStage Managing Director Brian Kaas:  https://www.big-fintech.com/stablecoins-and-ai-need-we-say-more/  Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday April 15 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a l

Our final batch of America's Credit Unions GAC coverage- Glen speaks with Ncontracts' Stephanie Lyon about the shifting yet inevitable regulatory/compliance landscape. Also- another Domino falls on Paze's roadmap, and Illinois' interchange debacle proves too geeky for prediction markets- but not for a punk rock reference.   Links related to this episode: Ncontracts' blog: https://www.ncontracts.com/nsight-blog   Stephanie Lyon via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-lyon-8a9b6257/ Paze's addition of Citi and Domino's: https://www.digitaltransactions.net/dominos-and-payrange-add-the-paze-wallet-option/ Taft Law's PayTech practice: https://www.taftlaw.com/services/practices/paytech-and-payment-systems/ Our prior GAC coverage, featuring TruStage's Stablecoin and Glia https://www.big-fintech.com/stablecoins-and-ai-need-we-say-more/  and CUltivate AI/ ACU's Economics Team https://www.big-fintech.com/chicken-wings-not-sharp-elbows/    LAST CHANCE! Join us at CU Unplugged, an unscripted, participant-p

Continuing our Americas Credit Unions Government Affairs Conference coverage, Managing Director Brian Kaas discusses TruStage's new stablecoin designed specifically for credit unions, and CEO/Co-Founder Dan Michaeli shares data-driven insights from Glia's new Banking AI Benchmarks Report. Also- fintech's answer to the NBA Slam Dunk Competition. Links related to this episode:  TruStage Stablecoin: https://www.trustage.com/business-solutions/stablecoin Glia's Banking AI Benchmarks Report: https://go.glia.com/banking-ai-benchmark-data-2026 CU Broadcast's segment recorded in DC with Glen, Anne Legg and Lou Grilli sharing their key GAC takeaways: https://www.cubroadcast.com/episodes/gac26-credit-union-industry-thought-leaders-share-their-top-gac-reflections  Glen's November 2023 interview with Penny Finance Founder Crissi Cole: https://www.big-fintech.com/venturing-further-into-venturetech/  CU Broadcast's GAC interview with Penny Finance and Chimney Founders Crissi Cole and Chase Neinken: https://www.cubroadcast

Our first batch of coverage from Americas Credit Unions' Government Affairs Conference features an interview with the three leaders behind CUltivate- the new credit union-owned and curated foundational AI engine- plus our annual meetup with the ACU Economics Team to discuss their take on the outlook for CUs and the US economy overall.    Links related to this episode: CUltivate: https://getcultivate.ai/ Filene Research Institute: https://www.filene.org/ Vizo Financial Corporate Credit Union: www.vfccu.org   Vertice AI: www.verticeanalytics.ai OpenEvidence, the Mayo Clinic's purpose-built AI tool for healthcare professionals cited as a model my CUltivate: https://www.openevidence.com/   America's Credit Unions' Economic Update/Blogs: https://www.americascreditunions.org/blogs/americas-credit-unions/all-about-affordability   Check out CU Unplugged, an unscripted, participant-powered gathering designed to foster unfiltered conversation on the topics participants deem most critical. The event is open to all cr

Glen speaks with two Associate Professors- Anna-Leigh Stone (Samford University) and Jordan Van Rijn (University of Wisconsin) about the recent Credit Union Research Workshop and Stone's paper analyzing the impact of CUs acquiring banks. Also- KYC risks morphing into Know Your Citizenship.   Links related to this episode: Anna-Leigh Stone: https://www.samford.edu/business/directory/Stone-Anna-Leigh Jordan Van Rijn: https://aae.wisc.edu/faculty/vanrijn/  The CU Research Workshop: https://sites.google.com/view/jordan-van-rijn/home/credit-union-research-workshop The Cato Institute on the proposed requirement for FIs to collect account holders' citizenship data: https://www.cato.org/blog/know-citizenship-says-trump-banks TruStage's announcement of its TSDA stablecoin for credit unions: https://www.trustage.com/newsroom/2026-press-releases/trustage-launches-stablecoin  The CU Daily on the latest Alabama brushfire re: a CU acquiring a bank: https://thecudaily.com/bankers-use-latest-cu-purchase-of-bank-to-criticize

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