Bank on Wipfli

In this episode of Bank on Wipfli, host Robert Zondag sits down with Shreenath Regunathan, co-founder and CEO of Starlight, and Michelle Joseph to discuss how financial institutions can strengthen customer relationships by addressing financial stress and expanding their role beyond traditional banking products. Together, they explore how institutions can become a trusted partner for overall fiscal well-being. 

Key topics include:

• How financial wellness initiatives can help institutions become more deeply embedded in customers’ financial lives.
• Helping frontline staff connect with members through shared financial experiences and build stronger community relationships.
• Re-engaging indirect or inactive members by offering meaningful financial support rather than leading with product sales.
• How institutions can leverage their unique position of trust to identify signs of financial stress and proactively connect members with assistance before problems worsen.
• How helping members navigate financial challenges can lead to stronger relationships and long-term institutional stability.

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• Programmable money and the future of banking
• Succession planning gives financial institutions a strategic edge. Here’s how to strengthen yours.
• Avoiding adjustable-rate mortgage loan compliance challenges

In this episode of Bank on Wipfli, host Robert Zondag sits down with Justin Seidl, chief technology officer at Coinbax, to discuss the growing role of programmable money and stablecoins in financial services. Together, they explore how financial institutions can safely participate in this emerging payment ecosystem, including:

• How to balance the speed and efficiency of blockchain-based payments with the trust, controls and compliance frameworks customers expect.
• Why stablecoins should be viewed as a payment mechanism rather than an investment vehicle.
• How financial institutions can apply compliance checks, escrow functionality and risk controls to stablecoin transactions.
• Emerging use cases for programmable money, including treasury management, cross-border payments, investor funding, invoice reconciliation and automated escrow transactions.
• Why major core providers such as Fiserv, Jack Henry and FIS are investing in stablecoin infrastructure.

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• Risk Roundtable: Navigating SAR investigations and regulatory expectations with confidence
• For financial institutions, the control environment is no longer just an audit issue
• Stablecoin compliance: What you need to know about the GENIUS Act and PPSIs

In this episode of Bank on Wipfli, host Robert Zondag sits down with Dan Pastron and Cory Vargo, tax partners at Wipfli, to discuss how registered investment advisors can structure the sale of their firm to maximize after-tax value. Together, they explore critical tax and structuring considerations for RIA transactions, including:

• The impact of legal entity structure — asset vs. stock sales, and why most RIA deals are treated as asset sales for tax purposes.
• Key tax planning considerations around rollover equity, including how to preserve tax deferral and avoid unexpected liquidity issues.
• Challenges related to allocating proceeds among shareholders at different career stages, and how entity structure can limit or enable flexibility.
• The importance of early planning, state tax considerations, and involving experienced advisors well before taking a firm to market.

In this episode of Bank on Wipfli, we discuss how financial institutions can strengthen their compliance programs in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Wipfli’s Robert H. Zondag and Tracy Bush explore practical approaches to compliance management, including:

• The role of outsourced and fractional compliance support, and how institutions can leverage outside expertise to fill gaps, manage turnover, or scale effectively.
• A clear breakdown of the three lines of defense — business lines, compliance/risk, and audit — and how they work together to manage risk.
• The five pillars of compliance management
• Key signals that may indicate it’s time to seek additional compliance support, including staffing strain, communication breakdowns, or program maturity challenges.

How will wealth management change in 2026? In this episode of Bank on Wipfli, join Wipfli’s Robert Zondag for a conversation with Diamond Consultants CEO Louis Diamond and Wipfli partner Ron Niemasyk about the evolving dynamics of the industry in areas like recruitment, tech and private equity partnerships — plus how wealth management advisory firms are adapting to keep up.

Listen for a rundown on key trends that will shape wealth management over the next 12 months, including:

• Firms moving towards advisory-focused business models, including why tax and estate planning have become expected service offerings.
• Wealth advisors leaning heavily on technology to drive growth, including AI, CRM integration and a focus on operational efficiency.
• Private equity’s growing interest in the registered investment advisor (RIA) sector, what’s driving record 10-12x EBITDA valuations, and why long-term success can depend on capital decisions.
• Key recruiting and retention strategies, including a holistic approach that embraces flexibility, culture, technology and succession planning.
• Major recruiting red flags, like compensation changes, limited growth support and a lack of integration into the team.

Is your financial institution doing all it can to build and maintain strong, long-term ties with key customer groups? Her Bank tailored specific experiences to reach women customers who lacked a strong banking relationship.

Discover what’s behind launching a niche brand:

• How Her Bank was born during the pandemic to meet the unmet needs of women who lacked strong banking relationships and faced financial uncertainty.
• Why authentic conversations — not just data — are key to understanding customer pain points and building trust across diverse demographics.
• Why success is measured not just in growth, but in integrity, intention and the ability to improve lives.

Insurance companies face significant challenges in keeping up with changes in statutory requirements amid intensifying workforce pressures. Learn about key evolving issues affecting your filings:

• The growing talent gap in statutory accounting, driven by retirements and limited new entrants to the field
• The role of technology in streamlining workflows, improving collaboration and delivering contextual guidance for complex filings
• Why successful filings require more than software — how support and education are critical to reducing stress and improving outcomes

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How can companies deliver secure digital customer experiences without sacrificing customer convenience? In this episode of Bank on Wipfli, we explore how organizations can break the traditional trade-off between security and ease of use in digital workflows.
Wipfli’s Robert Zondag, partner, talks with Tracy Fox, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Botdoc, about the future of secure customer engagement, including:
• The 72% disconnect between companies’ perceived customer experience and
actual customer satisfaction.
• The impact of friction-filled security processes on customer drop-off and delays.
• How COVID accelerated digital transformation and created demand for remote, seamless workflows.
• The role of fluid, modular workflow automation in reducing friction and improving outcomes.
• Why companies must rethink “sharing” vs. “sending” data to meet customer expectations.

When should financial institutions look to integrate AI into their operations, and how should they do it? In this episode of Bank on Wipfli, we explore practical considerations for AI use in the industry, with a focus on security and user experience.

Wipfli’s Robert Zondag, partner, and Matt Sabo, director, talk with Joseph Pellissery, Chief Information Officer at Wescom Credit Union, about AI adoption strategy, including:

• The use of AI in quality assurance for financial institutions.
• The importance of balancing security measures with user experience considerations.
• The growing need for digital access for credit union members.