The digital explosion of small, medium, and large financial institutions only accelerated in 2020 due to in-person restrictions from Covid-19. As a result, many organizations chose to make this a major focus, and the space evolved at a rapid pace, and it’s important your organization takes stock to see where the industry is headed, and how you can make sure your digital presence is competitive. Here are a few trends to consider for your financial institution this year:
Data Visualization for Internal Use
More customer data is available than ever before. On one hand, this data is being made available to the customer in the form of budgeting dashboards. Showing customers information like mortgage amortizations, projected retirement cashflows and recommendations for how they can tweak their budgets are all coming in full force. Similarly, financial institutions are beginning to become more savvy at customer-specific ad recommendations and making major decisions based off customer segments.
However, another area of opportunity lies in quick, real-time education of financial institutions’ staff based on individual customers. Having an abundance of customer information available is only useful if it can be processed and applied in real-time to help aid customer interaction. Financial institutions should focus on making pertinent information about customers easy to identify for their universal bankers. Converging disparate financial pieces (loans, mortgages, monthly expenditures, changes in spending habits) in succinct ways enables universal bankers to inquire, document, and recommend solutions based on an individual’s complex financial picture.
Enhanced Support Amid Open Banking and APIs
The future of FinTech and banking is both clear and uncertain in terms of its trajectory. There is certainty in the idea of tech disruption in financial services, open banking and the sharing of customer information to third parties to add value and create opportunity. However, the specific way these FinTech organizations will impact financial services, and which services/products will offer the most value, remains uncertain. The good news is that financial institutions don’t need to identify the major impact players in this space yet, they simply need to open themselves to these opportunities. Making APIs available to third parties opens the door for “passive” innovation by letting third party tech companies apply your financial institution’s data with their own platforms. Simply put, the time to develop and provide an API to third parties is now in order to be on the front end of coming financial services innovations.
Enhanced Visual Interactions in Banks
Bank and credit union branches feel somewhat enigmatic at the moment. On one hand, consumers are conducting an increasing amount of the bank activity online and through mobile, taking some attention off of bank branches. On the other hand, this puts extra pressure on branch visits to leave a lasting impression and create a customer loyalty bond that is more difficult to do online or with mobile.
The increased use of kiosks give customers an opportunity to self service in ways that are proven to improve customer satisfaction when applied correctly. Additionally, visual screen displays allow for a flexible medium to tap into local events, culture and create a bond that extends beyond a transaction and attempts to form a deeper bond with customers. These factors, combined with a staff of universal bankers armed with customer information has the potential to create an experience that delights customers and creates a unique moment.
Balancing Security With Innovation
As the open API format of financial services continues to evolve, financial institutions will need to find ways to safely utilize the customer data they have historically been entrusted to protect. The PSD2, the second Payment Services Directive being established in the European Union, will likely become an international standard for financial institutions and payment services to operate under. This standard takes some of the responsibility for protecting customer data away from banks and into the hands of customers, with enhanced security checks. In short, this means that banks and credit unions will need to be aware of these changes in security measures, educate their customers, and most importantly, be ready to evolve with the these changes in the market. Traditional financial institutions will see an influx of competition from third party providers, and it is up to these financial institutions to utilize FinTech partnerships and their own offerings to maintain the interest and attention of their existing customer base.
