In late January, Upbound Group completed its acquisition of Brigit, a leading financial health technology company. This deal brings together Upbound’s established brands like Rent-A-Center and Acima with Brigit’s digital platform that offers earned wage access, credit building products, and financial wellness tools. The combined company now serves approximately four million active customers, including Brigit’s impressive base of over one million paying subscribers.

I’m thrilled to welcome Zuben Mathews, co-founder of Brigit, to our podcast today. Zuben continues to lead the Brigit team as they now operate as a business segment within Upbound Group, alongside his co-founder Hamel Kothari.

In our conversation today, we’ll explore the strategic vision behind this acquisition, how Brigit’s technology will enhance Upbound’s existing services, and what this means for millions of Americans who have been traditionally underserved by mainstream financial institutions. We’ll also discuss how Brigit’s proprietary cash flow underwriting technology and machine learning capabilities might change the landscape for accessible financial products.

Banking digital assistants may be common now, but in 2017, Bank of America was one of the first to be thinking about how they make the firm’s customer experience more powerful. The answer was an in-house build of a digital assistant that required the firm to hire PhDs in linguistics and build a collaboration structure that could facilitate teams from different departments.

In 2024, BofA clients interacted with Erica 676 million times bringing its total interactions since its launch in 2018 to 2.5 billion.

On the show today, Hari Gopalkrishnan, who leads Bank of America’s Consumer, Business & Wealth Management Technology team, joins us to tell the tale of how the firm built its industry-leading digital assistant, Erica.

Hari shares how the firm has gradually expanded Erica’s remit beyond consumer banking to also include multiple lines of business and individual and corporate clients across the firm’s global footprint.

It's a dive into what it takes to push the boundaries in this industry, how the firm thought about development, testing, expansion, and how Erica’s capabilities can be expanded with the recent innovations of Gen AI.

Financial inclusion remains one of the most pressing challenges in today’s economy. Millions of Americans struggle to access basic financial services simply because they lack a credit history or have damaged credit. This gap in our financial system doesn’t just create inconvenience – it perpetuates cycles of financial inequity that can last generations.

In my latest episode of Tearsheet, I sat down with Julie Szudarek, CEO of Self Financial, a company working at the forefront of this challenge. Julie took the helm at Self just over a year ago, bringing over 20 years of leadership experience from companies like Groupon and Atida. Though fintech is a new arena for her, Julie’s expertise in building customer-focused businesses is exactly what’s needed to tackle financial inclusion at scale.

“I’ve never done fintech before,” Julie told me candidly. “But what I bring to the table is a deep understanding of how to build customer-focused businesses that are sustainable over time.” Her mission at Self aligns well with the broader movement toward more accessible financial services: “We are only here to make outcomes for our customers better than before they started working with Self.”

The Big Ideas

Decoupling Secured Credit Cards for Easier Access. “We decoupled the secured card so customers don’t need a credit builder account first. It’s about reducing barriers.”

The Power of Low Deposit and No Credit Check. “Our deposit is $100, and for many, there’s no hard credit check. That makes it much less intimidating for people facing rejection.”

Customer Education as a Core Focus. “About 65% of our customers say they had no financial education. So we focus on teaching them about interest, compounding, and managing credit.”

Expanding Product Offerings to Keep Customers Engaged. “We were limited in what we offered. Now we’re focusing on products that meet customers where they are and help them keep growing financially.”

Partnerships to Reach More Communities. “Regions Bank and Pathway Homes are some of our key partners — together, we’re helping more people build credit who might otherwise be left out.”

Blockchain technology continues to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset ecosystem. Today, we're witnessing a fascinating convergence where decentralized finance protocols are being integrated into user-friendly platforms, making sophisticated financial tools accessible to everyday users.

One of the most significant developments in this space is the ability to leverage crypto assets without selling them—unlocking liquidity while maintaining exposure to potential appreciation. Coinbase has recently launched a groundbreaking product that allows customers to borrow USDC against their Bitcoin holdings in under a minute, all powered by onchain lending protocols.

I'm delighted to welcome Max Branzburg, Vice President of Product at Coinbase, to discuss this innovation. As a key architect of Coinbase's product strategy, Max has been instrumental in developing solutions that make crypto utility more tangible for millions of users. Today, we'll explore how Bitcoin-backed loans represent a pivotal step in Coinbase's vision for onchain financial services, the technical infrastructure making this possible, and what this means for the future of personal finance.

Today we're examining the evolution of asset management and financial advisory services. As technology transforms how we invest and manage wealth, we're exploring the critical balance between innovation and human expertise.

We'll discuss how disruption in the advisory space creates new opportunities for clients and advisors alike, why personal relationships remain essential even as AI expands, and how progressive firms are reimagining compensation models. We'll also look at the hybrid approach resonating with next-gen clients who want both self-directed tools and personalized guidance.

Joining me to explore these topics are Steven Woods, CEO and Founder of Stirlingshire, and Jim Webb, VP of Investments. Their firm is working to remake the asset management model for both clients and advisors. Today, we'll hear about their non-traditional approach to wealth management, how they're balancing technology with the human touch, and why this matters for both financial professionals and their clients.

The Big Ideas:

Challenging the Traditional Asset Management Fee Structure: Stirlingshire allows advisors to keep 100% of asset management fees and commissions with zero expenses. This flips the traditional model where firms take substantial cuts from advisor earnings, creating better economics for both clients and advisors.

The "Advice on Demand" Innovation: Stirlingshire offers a hybrid model between self-directed investing and full management. Clients can self-direct at zero commission but access professional advisors when needed, with advisors only getting paid when their specific recommendations result in profits.

Technology-Enabled Compliance and Remote Work: By embedding compliance directly into their technology systems, Stirlingshire eliminates the need for physical offices and reduces compliance staffing. This automation significantly reduces overhead costs while increasing advisor flexibility.

AI as an Efficiency Tool, Not a Replacement: Rather than replacing human advisors, Stirlingshire uses AI to make them more efficient. Their AI tools quickly analyze portfolios and provide market context, saving advisors time without making actual investment decisions.

Disrupting the Industry to Drive Broader Change: Stirlingshire aims to force change across the entire financial advisory industry, similar to how Robinhood disrupted commission structures. Their goal is to push other independent firms toward more advisor-friendly compensation models by demonstrating a successful alternative approach.

Register to 4dFI's mailing list to stay updated on our investment opportunities, events, news: https://www.library.tearsheet.co/4dfi

Today I'm excited to introduce you to 4dFI Capital Partners — or as we call it, 4dFI — a new initiative bringing together the worlds of traditional finance and innovative fintech.

In this episode, we're diving into three key themes reshaping global financial services:

Hidden Innovations in Emerging Markets

As Russell Weiss points out, "There's some incredible innovations happening in emerging markets, and oftentimes investors and executives in the US and Europe are sort of missing it. They're not hearing those stories. They're not getting access to that technology." We'll explore how companies like Nubank are just the beginning of a wave of groundbreaking financial solutions coming from regions outside traditional financial centers.

From Fintech to Impact Investment

In regions where traditional credit infrastructure is lacking, services like earned wage access aren't just convenient—they're transformative. Josh Liggett explains how these solutions are "where a FinTech turns from a FinTech company to also an impact investment," creating both financial returns and meaningful change in consumers' lives.

Building a Value-Add Investment Community

Beyond just providing capital, Fortify aims to create a network of experienced professionals who can offer expertise, connections, and insights to emerging market fintechs. This collaborative approach benefits everyone involved—investors gain exposure to new models, startups receive valuable guidance, and ultimately, consumers get better financial products.

I'm joined today by my partners Russell Weiss and Josh Liggett, who bring complementary skills in data science, VC deal-making, and fintech expertise to this exciting venture. Whether you're a financial industry veteran looking for new horizons or simply curious about where global fintech is heading, today's conversation offers valuable insights into the future of finance beyond traditional markets.

Let's dive in.

Student debt is a major financial challenge, with U.S. borrowers owing over $1.8 trillion in total. This ongoing debt burden affects millions of individuals. Traditional financial institutions are looking for ways to solve this issue. Meanwhile, fintech innovations are providing solutions. These new technologies are helping to address the problem.

Michelle Tran is the head of commercial at Summer and founder of NYC Fintech Women. She joins the Tearsheet podcast to discuss how fintech is streamlining student loan repayment. The conversation focuses on the improvements fintech brings to the process, highlighting how fintech is powering a new generation of financial wellness programs.

“For many borrowers, navigating student loan repayment is like filing taxes on their own,” Tran explains. “The process is complicated. And a simple mistake can lead to missed opportunities for debt relief.”

Tran highlights how fintech platforms like Summer act as a “TurboTax for student loans,” helping borrowers complete complex federal student loan relief applications accurately. There is a growing demand for employer-sponsored loan repayment benefits. Fintech solutions are helping connect employees with the right programs. These solutions play an essential role in meeting that demand.

The Big Ideas

* Employers Are Becoming Key Players in Student Debt Relief. “Graduates are considering job offers carefully. They are looking for companies that offer student loan repayment assistance. This benefit is becoming a key factor in their decision-making.”

* Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs Are Underutilized. “Many borrowers don’t realize they qualify for loan forgiveness. Fintech is helping them access these benefits more efficiently.”

* Technology Reduces Errors in Loan Applications. “Automation ensures borrowers submit accurate applications, increasing approval rates for federal programs.”

* Fintech Solutions Are Expanding Beyond Student Loans. “Managing debt holistically creates a more secure financial future. The debt includes credit cards and retirement savings.”

* Personal Finance Education is a Critical Component. “Helping borrowers understand their financial options leads to better decision-making and long-term stability.”

I recently sat down with Geoff Charles, Chief Product Officer at Ramp, to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of corporate finance technology. Recently promoted to CPO, Geoff has been with Ramp since its early days when the company was just 10 people. His journey from product manager to C-suite exemplifies Ramp’s growth trajectory as a company now hiring hundreds of employees annually.

The Big Ideas

AI as a Financial Co-Pilot: “The average employee doesn’t have a degree in finance… our models are more accurate than the average employee,” Charles explains, highlighting how AI can democratize financial expertise.

Unified Financial Operations: “Why is it that you see receipts for expenses in one product and accounts payable in another? Makes no sense,” says Charles about the fragmented finance software landscape Ramp aims to consolidate.

Selective Automation: Charles emphasizes their approach to automating what makes sense: “Where there’s high criticality and where humans are very good at it… we need to be very cautious with where we apply AI.”

Financial Data as an Asset: “Because everything happens on Ramp… we know with your location, we know the receipts, we know the actual request,” Charles explains how comprehensive data improves AI accuracy.

Self-Disruption as Strategy: “If you don’t build the thing that kills you, someone else will,” says Charles on Ramp’s proactive approach to reimagining their products in an AI-first world.

“We’re continuing to really push leaders to build capabilities with their reporting lines,” says Charles. “It’s important for us to continue scaling and promoting internally, which is a big part of our culture at Ramp — to find early talent, to mentor them, to grow them, and to give them unlimited growth potential within the company.”

Geoff describes the product culture at Ramp as “intense,” with product managers serving as the “pace keepers and pacemakers” of the tech organization. This culture of speed, decision-making, and customer-centricity has helped position Ramp as an innovator in the corporate finance space. The conversation explores how AI is transforming traditional expense management, the strategic importance of owning transaction data, and the opportunities in automating financial workflows.

Choosing the right bank to work with is a skill that fintechs need to develop and nurture. When the right choices are made, fintechs can find themselves working with banks that not only provide a strong compliance and banking layer but also have opportunities for the fintech to plug into the bank’s infrastructure and become more than just a client.

This evolving landscape is what Citi’s Global Head of Fintech Sales, Chafic Haddad, provided insight on when I spoke to him. He dove into the maturity cycle that fintechs go through by starting from offering basic products like accounts and then eventually growing enough to explore capital markets and investment banking. He also described how Citi helps these fintechs spread their wings beyond their local markets.

Listen to today’s conversation to learn from Haddad’s experience about how the bank helps fintechs grow sustainably and eventually spread their wings beyond their local geographies and the way Citi organizes and manages these relationships.

I recently sat down with Dan Snyder, CEO and co-founder of Lower, to discuss the evolving landscape of mortgage lending. Lower was founded in 2014 and has grown into one of the largest venture-backed home lenders in the United States. Dan is driven by a commitment to simplifying the home financing process through technology.

“We’re not just building a mortgage company,” says Snyder. “We’re creating a comprehensive platform. It will make homeownership more accessible, especially for younger buyers.” Fresh off its acquisition of NeatLabs, Lower’s new proprietary platform, LowerOS, promises to reduce the cost and complexity of mortgage origination. Snyder bootstrapped his startup and went on to raise Ohio’s largest Series A, showcasing resilience and vision. His journey offers valuable lessons in leadership and innovation. It also highlights how to navigate the challenges of a volatile housing market. The conversation explores key topics like the role of venture capital in professionalizing a business, the strategic importance of owning a full tech stack, and the opportunities presented by serving next-generation home buyers.

The Big Ideas

Venture Capital as a Catalyst for Growth. “Raising money allowed us to professionalize the business and access top talent,” says Snyder. He highlights the impact of Accel’s investment.

The Strategic Importance of Owning Technology. “We didn’t want to rely on third-party software that didn’t align with our goals,” Snyder notes. LowerOS is the result of this strategic decision.

Challenges in Serving Next-Gen Buyers. “The average income for first-time buyers is over $200,000. We’re working to bring that down by improving affordability,” Snyder explains.

Adapting to Market Volatility. Snyder highlights that inventory and interest rates are major challenges. But, technology can help reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Combining Tech with Human Expertise. “Even with digital tools, a 15-minute conversation can save hours of back-and-forth,” says Snyder. He emphasizes the value of human interaction.