Skip to content

AI Shopping Assistants: A 180-Second Thinking Exercise

AI is no longer just powering back-end processes, it’s shaping front-end experiences, including how consumers shop.  Google, Amazon, and other platforms are rolling out AI-powered shopping assistants that personalize recommendations, filter options, and streamline purchases.  This shift isn’t just about convenience, it’s changing how people interact with brands, make decisions, and even perceive value.  For … Continued

180-Second Exercise: New CFPB Ruling

We talk with financial executives every day about the challenges and opportunities surrounding regulatory changes, and the new CFPB rule to close overdraft loopholes is no exception. This initiative, aimed at saving Americans billions in fees, is a timely and significant shift in the financial landscape. For institutions, it raises important questions about compliance, revenue, … Continued

180-Second Exercise: Generational Shifts

Every generation is different, and businesses must constantly evolve to meet changing customer preferences.  Millennials and older Gen Zs have been using financial services for a while.  For this 180-second thinking exercise, consider Gen Alpha.  Born between 2010 and the present, they will be the next big generational topic.  As a reminder, 180-second exercises are … Continued

Vendor Relationships: Signs You Should Be More Strategic

Vendor and partner relationships are essential to financial institutions, therefore we are reposting this blog in light of recent conversations with our clients.  Taking a strategic approach to these important relationships can better position the organization for future moves, boost performance, save resources, and maybe even lessen the total number of relationships required.  Optimizing these … Continued

180-Second Exercise: Micro-Practices Add Up

Let’s start the new year off with a different kind of 180-second exercise.  Set a timer for 3 minutes and write down ten (or more) instances in which you are proud of how you showed up in 2023.  We’ll wait.  Were you able to come up with ten?  How did it feel to take time … Continued

180-Second Exercise: Amazon One Palm Scanning Opportunities 

Biometric authentication methods are one the newest generations of security measures and one of the latest iterations can be found at your local Whole Foods.  The next time you are buying organic kombucha, you may find yourself in front of an Amazon One sensor alongside the register. Amazon One sensors enable consumers to use their … Continued

Market Forces Have Raised the Stakes for ODP – Things to Consider

4 minute read – Competitive pressure on Overdraft Protection (ODP) has become immense.  What started as an incoming tide in mid-2021, has turned into a tsunami of pressure at the start of 2022 as more financial institutions are creating market pressure by completely revamping their position with respect to these types of fees. The growing … Continued

Prepare for the Impact of Big Change

4 minute read – The following blog post was written by c. myers and originally published by CUES on June 23, 2021. We often talk about personalization and connecting with the customer, especially as digital adoption grows, but there could be emerging opportunities that are not about forging direct relationships. Consumer behavior continues to shift, … Continued

Strategic Thinking Exercise – Banking as a Service

3 minute read – Banking as a Service (BaaS) is gaining more attention as FinTechs and non-financial companies look for opportunities to provide financial services to their customers without having to become a financial institution.    The Apple Card is a common example of BaaS where the consumer does everything through Apple, and Goldman Sachs handles everything on … Continued