The news: Huntington Bank refreshed its brand with new logos, an ad campaign, and a suite of products to meet the evolving needs of its target customers, per a press release. The details: The brand refresh is changing not only the look and feel of marketing materials but thoughtfully addressing the needs of its target audience. Will it work?: The success of the rebranding will depend on preparation as well as buy-in from employees and customers. But what stands out as incredibly strategic are its products that thoughtfully address its target customers’ life-stage-related needs.
The news: We’ve seen TD Bank lean into comedy before to appeal to younger consumers and launch new products. It’s using a similar strategy to educate current and prospective customers about fractional investing services. Can it work? It’s a clever concept that has prompted consumers, who generally like the ad, to question the legality of using snippets of widely recognized logos, per Creative Bloq. The ad’s core strength is how it takes a complex financial concept—fractional investing—and makes it instantly understandable through a simple visual pun. This approach is highly effective in grabbing attention, especially from younger, digitally savvy audiences, who might find traditional financial ads unappealing.
The news: After facing early-career challenges from the Great Recession and then the pandemic, many millennials are now wealthier than previous generations were at the same age. But a significant number remain anxious about their financial future and worry that their wealth could disappear, per The Wall Street Journal. Why this matters for banks: Just as Gen Zers feel they need to earn a whopping $587,800 per year to achieve financial success, millennials may need a reality check from their banking providers so they can productively work toward their financial goals.
The news: According to a recent survey by money management and safety app Greenlight, financial literacy is a top concern among US families. While this type of education is in high demand, 47% of financial institutions (FIs) don’t offer it at all, per the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Our take: Offering solutions that help young families can help build stronger relationships with parents and their kids (who are likely to bank where their parents do). While it’s difficult to quantify the ROI of offering these solutions, the benefits of improved customer loyalty and young customer acquisition can help set up an FI for long-term success.
The finding: Up to one-third of US consumers consider lying on credit applications to be acceptable in some situations or normal behavior, potentially fueled by the rising cost of living, per FICO’s 2025 Consumer Survey. Our take: The rise of first-party fraud means FIs can no longer rely solely on self-reported data. By responsibly leveraging a broader range of data points—such as transactional history, rent/mortgage payments, and utility bill data—within compliance guidelines, banks can build a more comprehensive and accurate picture of a customer's financial health and ability to repay.
The news: JPMorgan Chase and Coinbase partnered to offer Chase's customers new ways to access crypto. This fall, customers will be able to link Coinbase directly to their bank accounts, buy crypto with Chase credit cards, and convert rewards points to USDC, per a press release. Why this matters: This partnership is a big step toward bridging the gap between traditional finance and crypto. By letting customers use their credit cards to buy crypto or redeem their Chase Ultimate Rewards points for USDC, the companies could accelerate crypto adoption. It’s also another salvo from JPMorgan against data aggregators and open banking firms after the bank announced that it would charge these companies to access customer data—particularly around payments. JPMorgan is integrating directly with Coinbase rather than using APIs from a company like Plaid.
The news: British fintech Revolut is reportedly considering acquiring a US bank to rapidly obtain a US banking license, enabling faster expansion, per The Financial Times. It will likely target a low-cost, nationally chartered bank. Our take: Revolut’s potential acquisition of a US bank reflects a growing trend of successful fintechs becoming banks themselves through strategic acquisition rather than merely being disruptors. PYMNTS reported that multiple fintechs—including Wise, Circle, and Ripple—also recently applied for banking licenses with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. This means banks must lean into what differentiates them from the growing competition beyond charters and insured deposits, like long-standing reputations, excellent customer service, and customer-centric products and services.
The strategy: In 2023, U.S. Bank launched a nontraditional campaign to promote Asistente Inteligente, its bilingual Spanish voice assistant that debuted the prior year. The bank co-produced “Translators,” a documentary highlighting the challenges faced by millions of children who act as translators for their immigrant families, particularly in financial matters, per Storyboard 18. Our take: This campaign was a masterclass in purpose-driven marketing that doubles as a long-term business strategy. Many financial institutions (FIs) often overlook or superficially address underbanked and immigrant populations. But the GDP of US Latinos is the second-fastest-growing in the world, next to that of consumers in China, per think tank Latino Donor Collaborative. And 25% of US consumers ages 18 and under are part of the Latino community—offering smaller FIs an opportunity to combat their “age problem.”
The news: Last week, credit unions and their customers participated in the annual #ILoveMyCreditUnion social media campaign, per America’s Credit Unions. During last year’s campaign, over 1,000 organizations across all states and 15 countries reached more than 4 million people. Our take: The industrywide social media blitz underscores the importance of collective action and unified messaging. In a competitive landscape where individual credit unions often lack the marketing budgets of large banks, coming together for a coordinated campaign can amplify their reach exponentially. This collaborative spirit is a core differentiator for credit unions, helping them demonstrate their unique, member-centric value proposition to millions of potential new members.
The findings: Deloitte’s July 2025 ConsumerSignals report gives us a glimpse into US banking customers’ current stressors and banks’ upcoming challenges. We saw that: deposits are about to drop, housing prices stress every generation, consumers are curbing their splurging, and they’re more worried than they were last year. Our take: Though US banking customers are facing a number of stressors, they’re demonstrating resilience and savvy that has helped them pull through. That resilience could be informed by advice from financial experts they trust, including at their FIs.
The news: Persistently high mortgage rates have forced many US consumers—especially younger, first-time homebuyers—to postpone their dream of owning a home. But adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are making a comeback: Their share of all US mortgages has nearly doubled since 2017, reaching 30% in 2025. This could drive a boost in mortgage sales among these hopeful owners. Our take: Financial institutions (FIs) should proactively engage with prospective homebuyers, especially younger demographics, by leveraging digital-first educational content to demystify ARMs. Banks must clearly outline the potential for initial savings and the associated risks of fluctuating rates with interactive tools and accessible FAQ. To build trust and encourage engagement, FIs should offer online consultations with mortgage advisors to explain ARM structures (e.g., introductory periods, caps) in plain language. This in turn helps consumers understand if an ARM aligns with their short- to medium-term financial goals.
The findings: Top performers innovate and grow more quickly than midtier credit unions because of key behaviors, per PYMNTS. Our take: Midtier credit unions are often caught in a reactive cycle, innovating simply to keep pace with competitors. The core takeaway is that top performers innovate to profoundly understand and meet their members' evolving needs—not to keep up with competitors. This shift frees top credit unions from the slow and costly process of building every solution in-house—or foregoing innovation altogether. Instead, they are able to strategically embrace partnerships to rapidly deploy solutions their members truly value, like robust digital features and seamless experiences.
The news: Over 38,600 residential structures were within the flood zone of the Guadalupe River disaster in Texas over July 4th, per Realtor.com. And the aftermath has revealed alarming gaps in locals’ insurance coverage. Our take: To close the gap, they must help customers understand the value of their services and what affects pricing. Insurers should: Build campaigns around why separate flood insurance is needed, educate consumers on the factors that influence flood insurance premiums, and highlight preventative measures homeowners can take to reduce flood risk.
The news: Nearly four in 10 customers aren’t very satisfied with their auto insurers, according to J.D. Power’s 2025 US Auto Insurance Study. This makes them significantly less likely to renew and more likely to shop for a new provider. Even customers with higher premiums, multiple premiums, and long tenures aren’t locked in: Just 51% of customers in this high-value lifetime group said they will definitely renew. Our take: Auto insurers must prioritize the customer experience or risk attrition. And since almost half of their highest-value customers could be considering a switch, making swift changes can help them prevent financial losses.
The problem: Young adults don’t see value in life insurance beyond its death benefits, as we explore in “US Life Insurance Trends 2025.” That narrow view also means they overlook the value of estate planning—a space where life insurers have a strong presence, per Insurance News Net. Our take: Many life insurers offer estate planning services. But even when they don’t, insurers that encourage current and prospective clients to make estate plans can demonstrate their commitment to their customers’ financial well-being and strengthen the relationship.
The news: We’ve covered banking customer anxieties about inflation, tariff chaos, and broader economic warning signs. Banks have been offering products and advice to help customers plan for the future and strengthen their financial standings. But some financial institutions (FIs) may be failing to address customers’ more pressing financial needs. Our take: For customers showing signs of financial stress, banks must pivot from long-term planning advice to addressing immediate financial survival. This requires delivering highly personalized, practical guidance on urgent concerns like budgeting and debt management. To identify customers in need of help, FIs can analyze their financial health, emergency savings, and how often they nearly or completely empty out their accounts to pay their bills. These steps can prove the FI’s value and build trust in the short term.
The news: JPMorgan is reportedly considering offering loans directly backed by clients' Bitcoin and other crypto assets, per Bitcoin Magazine. This would be a first for the big bank, moving beyond accepting only Bitcoin exchange-traded funds as collateral. Our take: As regulations around crypto continue to ease, more financial institutions (FIs) will explore incorporating digital currencies into their offerings. While crypto may not be the best path for all FIs, JPMorgan's move to consider Bitcoin-backed lending signifies a critical inflection point in traditional finance. Banks have seen crypto firms encroach on their territory as they seek banking charters. But an expansion of crypto offerings by traditional banks would allow them to strike back with more-comprehensive lending products their competitors may not yet be able to offer.
The news: Anticipatory banking describes a bank predicting and meeting account holders’ needs before they are communicated, per a recent Alkami explainer. It uses integrated technology and data to bring personalization to the next level. Our take: Anticipatory banking is a fundamental shift FIs must make to stay competitive and relevant. By leveraging AI to predict customer needs, banks can move from reactive service to proactive engagement. The sooner they embrace this transformation, the better they will fit into their customers' evolving financial journeys