10-Q, Member Exclusive

The changing tides in the Gen Z-traditional FI relationship

  • With the rise of new-age, youth-centric non-bank financial firms, traditional banks might find themselves at the end of the line in the eyes of Gen Z.
  • Some banks are now stepping out of their comfort zones to adapt and stay competitive with the largest generation, who are currently their customers and also the talent of tomorrow.
close

Email a Friend

The changing tides in the Gen Z-traditional FI relationship

    Legacy banks are stepping out of their comfort zones to co-exist with non-banks and win over Gen Z

    Lit, sick, gucci — how do traditional banks measure up in Gen Z lingo? Likely, they’re not even a contender among these words that scream cool and trendy. With the rise of new-age, youth-centric non-bank financial firms, traditional banks might find themselves at the end of the line.

    It’s not that banks are oblivious, but their longstanding focus on security, slow-moving steps, regulations, and compliance tends to saddle them with a serious and boring image in the eyes of Gen Z.

    Banks are now implementing tangible actions to adapt and stay competitive with the largest generation, who are currently their customers and also the talent of tomorrow. Growth begins where comfort ends — keeping this in mind, banks are overhauling their strategies related to employment, internal policies, and marketing. However, when it comes to products and services, some are opting for strategic partnerships. 

    We explore each of these areas to see how some banks are approaching things differently, and, in a few cases, even diverge from the norm and conventional routes.

    1. The most unusual fusion of traditional banks and TikTok


    subscription wall for TS Pro

    0 comments on “The changing tides in the Gen Z-traditional FI relationship”

    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    ‘Payroll is one of the most direct and impactful entry points for embedded finance’: Green Dot’s Crystal Bryant-Minter on the firm’s embedded finance strategy

    • Green Dot's rapid! is wiring earned wage access and real-time payouts into Workday’s payroll and HCM systems.
    • Green Dot sees payroll and payouts not just as an end in themselves, but as the on-ramp to embedded finance at scale.
    Sara Khairi | September 15, 2025
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    What’s left in the shadows: The Oklahoma institution that grew by keeping its head down

    • In today’s 10Q edition: What’s left in the shadows, we shine a light on the less-talked-about publicly traded names in the industry that do their own thing but remain integral to the banking ecosystem.
    • One of these shadow giants is BOK Financial [BOKF]. Founded in 1910, this Oklahoma-born institution has spent more than a century weaving itself into the economic fabric of the Midwest and Southwest.
    Sara Khairi | September 08, 2025
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    Citizens sharpens its open banking edge with a new API design

    • Citizens Bank rebooted its open banking API this year, updating the framework for today’s needs.
    • Citizens’ Head of Product Management for Access & Delivery Channels unpacks the launch of the bank’s revamped open banking API framework and the problems it tackles.
    Sara Khairi | September 03, 2025
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    Chime, SoFi, Nubank: How three different roads are converging into one digital banking paradigm shift

    • The digital banking story in 2025 is a mix of triumph and tension. 
    • In 2024, talk in digital banking centered on neobanks facing higher rates, fading VC, and stiff competition. Mid-2025 shows the outcome: yes, but only a handful.
    Sara Khairi | August 25, 2025
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    How Coinbase is putting a crypto spin on old-school finance

    • Coinbase, once a Silicon Valley outsider pitching crypto as an alternative to the banking system, is now doing business with the very institutions it was supposed to 'disrupt'.
    • The roles are shifting: banks are moving closer to the chain, and Coinbase is evolving beyond being just a crypto trading platform.
    Sara Khairi | August 11, 2025
    More Articles