The one about the future of banking experiences
- Your fitness tracker helps you improve your physical health.
- Your calendar helps you manage your time.
- Your bank helps you __ __. đ¤
Iâve spent the last 6 years working with some of the worldâs largest banks. Using technology, design, and behavioural psychology make financial services more human - from mortgages anyone can understand to investing platforms that donât require a finance degree.
While this work has been deeply rewarding, I canât help but feel weâre only scratching the surface of whatâs possible when we truly align financial technology with human wellbeing.
Everyone has a bank account. But most people have never experienced banking designed to actively improve their financial wellbeing.
Imagine ifâŚ
đ Mon 8:45 PM: While shopping online, your bank overlays a small notification: âThis exact item was 30% cheaper last month and has followed a seasonal discount pattern for 3 years. Historical data suggests waiting 3 weeks could save you ÂŁ67. Would you like us to alert you when the price drops below ÂŁ120?â
đ Wed 8:15 AM: A forgotten subscription is about to renew. Your bank sends a âStill using this?â reminder with one-tap cancellation.
âď¸ Thu 12:30 PM: Youâre browsing holidays. Your bank calculates a âpossible byâ date based on your savings, and offers to add ÂŁ1 for every ÂŁ10 you save toward this goal.
đ Sun 9:15 PM: Your weekly financial summary arrives: âGreat job this week! you spent 12% less on your âstuff I donât really needâ spending and moved your home purchase timeline forward by 2 weeks. Weâve automatically distributed the ÂŁ157 you saved: 60% toward your emergency fund, 40% to your home purchase goal, and added a bonus 5% from us to your âfun moneyâ space as a reward for staying on track.â
AI can analyze your spending patterns to give you insights youâd never see. It can recognize when youâre ready to save for a home before you do. It can nudge you toward financial wellness in moments when youâre most receptive.
The technology exists. The behavioral science is proven.
Whatâs missing isnât innovation - itâs imagination about what banking could be.
The most exciting financial innovation wonât be a new payment method or credit card - it will be the fundamental shift from profiting from financial products to profiting from financial progress.
Perhaps the most important question isnât directed at banks, but at us as customers: What would we demand if we truly believed our financial institutions could be partners in prosperity rather than just processors of transactions?
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This post was adapted from my original LinkedIn post published in March 2025.