Another week, another consent order.  

Welcome back to BaaS Island, where regulators keep throwing more bodies at the problem, hoping something will work.

Fintech Business Weekly’s Jason Mikula chats with Alex about the latest consent orders for Piermont and Sutton, as the duo debate whether or not “direct” has lost all meaning. Is it possible to really go “direct” from a fintech company to a bank without middleware? Too much regulatory authority has pushed banks away from doing everything except for technology, so in what form do regulators really want BaaS to survive in this current climate? 

Then, the guys debate whether or not 15% of American households actually use Chime. According to Ron Shevlin’s latest article for Forbes, Chime is poised to IPO with 38 million customers, on par with the likes of Wells Fargo. Does the math… math? Because the math certainly seems to be generous math…

Meanwhile, states want to protect their residents from out-of-state banks charging interest rates above state usury caps. Sure, it sounds like a good thing, but is it actually a good thing for consumers? 

And later, Alex and Simon talk about the misuse of the FDIC logo and the uptick in fintech Twitter trolls. Why can’t we all just get along? Or at the very least, why can’t we all just say nasty things on Twitter without the protection of an anonymous handle? 

01: 45 – BaaS Island

22:15 – Chime

42:27 – Trade Groups vs. Colorado

53:30 – Misusing the FDIC Logo and Debating with Twitter Trolls

Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/

And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.

Follow Jason:

Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/

Follow Alex: 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson