Episode Summary

In this conversation, Melinda Huspen discusses her journey into journalism, her insights on Experian's new credit scoring model, and the implications of open banking on credit scoring. She highlights the potential of cashflow-based underwriting to serve underserved communities and shares advice for fintechs looking to gain media attention. The discussion also touches on future trends in fintech and the challenges of entering the US market.

Melinda's article in American Banker found below

https://www.americanbanker.com/news/how-experian-scores-thin-file-borrowers-with-cash-flow-data

Takeaways

• Melinda's journey into journalism was facilitated by networking opportunities.
• Experian's new credit scoring model combines various methods into a single score.
• Open banking adoption will accelerate the use of cashflow-based scoring models.
• Consumer lenders will be the first to feel the impact of cashflow underwriting.
• Cashflow data can help underserved communities access credit more easily.
• Fintechs should focus on the banking angle when pitching stories to journalists.
• Regulatory changes are significant news for the banking industry.
• Cybersecurity and fraud are major concerns for banks today.
• The entry of non-US fintechs into the US market is a growing trend.
• The evolution of cashflow underwriting will be influenced by regulatory changes.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Melinda's Journey to American Banker
• 02:39 Experian's New Credit Scoring Model
• 07:32 The Impact of Open Banking on Credit Scoring
• 11:31 Cash Flow Underwriting and Underserved Communities
• 13:59 Advice for Fintechs Pitching to Journalists
• 16:40 Future Trends in Banking and Fintech

Want to work with Propagate Fintech? Fill out a contact form at www.propagatefintech.com

In this episode, I sit down with Glenn Bolstad, President of Vikar Technologies, to unpack what modern bank lending should look like—and why so many digital transformation efforts fall short.

Glenn shares how Vikar approaches lending origination differently: orchestrating the full journey from application to underwriting, decisioning, closing, onboarding, and core integration. We discuss why point solutions continue to create friction, how complex commercial lending exposes the limits of legacy LOS platforms, and where AI is beginning to meaningfully impact lending workflows today.

If you’re a bank executive, lending leader, or fintech operator focused on growth, efficiency, and experience—this conversation will challenge how you think about lending transformation.

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About Propagate Fintech

Propagate Fintech is an end-to-end fintech and banking marketing agency helping financial institutions and technology providers clarify their story, strengthen awareness, and drive growth.

From brand positioning and messaging to websites, video, conference presence, and go-to-market execution, Propagate partners with banks and fintechs across the full marketing lifecycle.

Learn more at https://www.propagatefintech.com

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Topics covered
• Why lending is the true front door to the banking relationship
• Where legacy LOS platforms still break down
• Straight-through processing vs manual dropouts
• Best-of-breed vs orchestrated lending platforms
• AI’s real impact on underwriting and decisioning
• Change management and fatigue inside banks
• Designing lending experiences that scale

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About the guest

Glenn Bolstad is the President of Vikar Technologies, a fintech platform helping banks and credit unions modernize lending and deposit origination through a unified, end-to-end experience.

Learn more at https://www.vikartech.com

Want to work with Propagate Fintech? Fill out a contact form at www.propagatefintech.com

In this episode, Roland Howard sits down with Har Rai Khalsa, Co-Founder of SwayStack, to unpack one of the most expensive and overlooked problems in banking today: inactive and unfunded accounts.

Har Rai shares how SwayStack identified a major gap after account opening, where 25–40% of new accounts go dormant despite acquisition costs that can reach $500 per account. The conversation explores why customers open accounts but never fully switch, how friction in moving direct deposits and subscriptions keeps people stuck, and why financial institutions often end up paying ongoing costs for relationships that never activate.

The discussion expands into primacy, questioning whether direct deposit alone should define it, or if product depth and engagement matter more for traditional banks and credit unions. Roland and Har Rai also dig into open banking, Section 1033, digital identity, and how legacy core and digital banking providers may be the real bottleneck to progress.

Har Rai shares practical, non-theoretical advice for bank and credit union leaders, including:
•The first actions institutions should take immediately after account opening
•Why simple communication like welcome emails still matters
•How incentive-aligned checking products can drive real engagement
•Where and how SwayStack stands out against the plethora of account origination tools
•What bankers can do in-branch that doesn’t scale, but dramatically improves retention

The episode closes with a look at where onboarding, engagement, and digital banking are headed, and why institutions that align incentives and reduce friction will win the next phase of deposit competition.

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Topics covered include:
 • Dormant account economics
 • Customer acquisition cost vs lifetime value
 • Direct deposit switching challenges
 • Open banking and data ownership
 • Redefining primacy in banking
 • Incentive-based checking accounts
 • Onboarding beyond account opening

If you’re a bank or credit union leader thinking about engagement, deposits, and retention after the account is opened, this episode is for you.

Want to work with Propagate Fintech? Fill out a contact form at www.propagatefintech.com

In this episode of the Propagate Fintech Podcast, Roland Howard sits down with Zack Forbes, Founder of ImpactFi Advisors, to unpack what really happens behind the scenes of bank technology decisions and why so many institutions struggle with growth, modernization, and core conversions.

Zack shares his journey from a decade at Fiserv into launching ImpactFi Advisors, driven by a desire to make a real, measurable difference for community banks. The conversation explores how banks should think about best-in-class technology, when flexibility becomes a liability, and why underutilized platforms are often self-inflicted wounds.

They dig into:
•The realities of “best of breed” vs best of bundle strategies
•Why poor vendor support is one of the biggest drivers of core conversions
•How banks can create leverage by acting as true reference partners
•What it actually takes to prepare for a core conversion that may only happen once every 15–20 years
•Why real-time banking expectations are colliding with legacy batch-based systems

This episode is a candid look at technology strategy, vendor dynamics, and long-term planning for community banks navigating modernization, M&A pressure, and generational change.

To learn more about ImpactFi Advisors and their approach to helping banks navigate complex technology and strategy decisions, visit www.impactfiadvisors.com or connect with Zack Forbes on LinkedIn.

To learn more about Propagate Fintech, go to Propagatefintech.com.

Want to work with Propagate Fintech? Fill out a contact form at www.propagatefintech.com