![BNPL-Blog-Image[83]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BNPL-Blog-Image%5B83%5D.png?width=932&name=BNPL-Blog-Image%5B83%5D.png)
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has emerged as one of the most discussed and fastest-growing areas in consumer lending. What has been surprising is the unwillingness of many financial institutions to add it to their product offerings, according to a recent survey by IntraFi Network. Though BNPL upstarts like Klarna and Affirm continue to claim new territory, the survey indicates that 80% of community banks have no plans to add these services.
Topics: Digital Banking, Vendor Contract Negotiation, Bank Vendor Management, Credit Union Vendor Management, Buy Now Pay Later, BNPL, Installment Loans
![Crypto-Blog-Image[57]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Crypto-Blog-Image%5B57%5D.png?width=932&name=Crypto-Blog-Image%5B57%5D.png)
Volatility tends to be a two-way street, so the recent price correction in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies shouldn’t come as a shock. Still, that doesn’t take the sting out of the size and speed of the recent decline in Bitcoin, which lost more than half its value between mid-November and late January.
Topics: Vendor Contract Negotiation, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Bank Vendor Management, Credit Union Vendor Management, Digital Assets
![ESG-Blog-Image[19]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ESG-Blog-Image%5B19%5D.png?width=932&name=ESG-Blog-Image%5B19%5D.png)
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors play an increasing role in bank and credit union decision-making. Climate considerations, whether the result of government mandates, shareholder activism, or environmental shifts, have altered risk assessment models. Additionally, the prospect of regulators adding ESG metrics to examination criteria is gathering steam.
Topics: Vendor Contract Negotiation, Bank Vendor Management, Credit Union Vendor Management, Gen Z, Brand Loyalty, ESG, Climate Change
![AOBA-Blog-Image[93]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AOBA-Blog-Image%5B93%5D.png?width=931&name=AOBA-Blog-Image%5B93%5D.png)
After a two-year hiatus, Bank Director's Acquire or Be Acquired was back with an in-person event in Scottsdale, AZ, last week.
Topics: Fintech, Vendor management, Automation, Cryptocurrency, Mergers & Acquisitions, Expense Management
Financial institutions should brace for substantial regulatory change in the year ahead.
Turnover at the top of several federal agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), foreshadows more scrutiny for FIs.
Everything seems to be on the table, including timelines for implementing the Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) accounting standard, data privacy, and Bank Secrecy Act compliance.
There are, however, several areas that we believe merit the most attention in the coming months.
Topics: Vendor management, Cryptocurrency, Interchange, Regulations, Mergers & Acquisitions, Overdraft
![Key-Considerations-Crypto-Blog-Image[40]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Key-Considerations-Crypto-Blog-Image%5B40%5D.png?width=932&name=Key-Considerations-Crypto-Blog-Image%5B40%5D.png)
Many of you will remember the initial fear experienced when the Internet debuted in the 1990s. At the time, the popular narrative was that every business, no matter how big or small, would be on the information superhighway by the year 2000, replacing conventional media forms like newspapers, billboards, and the yellow pages. Fast forward nearly 30 years, and now everyone’s life is touched (and in many ways, sustained) by the Web.
Topics: Vendor management, Cryptocurrency, Fee Income, Deposits
![CBDC_FedComments_Blog_Image[13]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CBDC_FedComments_Blog_Image%5B13%5D.png?width=932&name=CBDC_FedComments_Blog_Image%5B13%5D.png)
Creating a US central bank digital currency (CBDC) could have several benefits; however, it would also cause a plethora of systemic challenges for the existing financial system.
Topics: Vendor management, Cryptocurrency, CBDC, Federal Reserve, Blockchain
![Recruitment_Blog_Image[27]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Recruitment_Blog_Image%5B27%5D.jpg?width=932&name=Recruitment_Blog_Image%5B27%5D.jpg)
Financial institutions (FIs) of all sizes struggle to recruit and retain younger employees and customers – a challenge exacerbated by the rise of neobanks that offer enhanced experiences, streamlined processes, and faster decisions.
Topics: Payments, Vendor Contract Negotiation, Bank Vendor Management, Credit Union Vendor Management, Rewards Programs, Gen Z
![Loyalty_WP_Blog_Image[61]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Loyalty_WP_Blog_Image%5B61%5D.jpg?width=932&name=Loyalty_WP_Blog_Image%5B61%5D.jpg)
So many assumptions about banking – and business in general – have shifted over the past 20 months that it’s reasonable to question whether long-held beliefs about consumer loyalty need to be revised as well.
Topics: Vendor Contract Negotiation, Bank Vendor Management, Credit Union Vendor Management, Branding, Loyalty, Sustainability
![Stablecoins_Blog_Image[20]](https://blog.srmcorp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stablecoins_Blog_Image%5B20%5D.jpg?width=932&name=Stablecoins_Blog_Image%5B20%5D.jpg)
Most of the excitement surrounding cryptocurrency has focused on Bitcoin and similar altcoins. This is understandable, as this asset class accounts for over 95% of the market value assigned to digital currencies and has been responsible for eye-popping returns in recent years.
Topics: Vendor Contract Negotiation, Cryptocurrency, Bank Vendor Management, Credit Union Vendor Management, DeFi, Stablecoins, CBDC
