Banking in 2021: Experts chime in on recession-focused solutions, gamifying savings, and digital payments
- Experts share upcoming banking trends to look out for in the new year.
- This article delves into the realities of ecommerce growth, personalization in banking and commoditization.

Banking has seen dramatic shifts in 2020 with unprecedented growth in digital. With 2021 on the horizon, Tearsheet asked experts to predict what retail banking trends we can expect in the coming year.
Recession focused solutions
Asoka Dissanayake is the senior vice president and head of strategic partnerships at BBVA Open Platform.
“If unemployment continues on an upward trajectory, at some point we will see consumer buying habits decrease dramatically. Merchants will be focused on their cost base and will look to optimize their cash positions to help them get through the recession. We could see funding flow to fintechs that are focused on delivering recession-focused solutions such as working capital solutions, supply chain financing, dynamic discounting, small business loans, etc.”
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Gamifying savings
Adam Moelis is the co-founder of Yotta Savings
“As interest rates continue to stagnate, retail banking customers will search for new ways to earn interest on their deposited funds. Earning a few basis points is insignificant to most people. In turn, I expect we’ll see banks gamify the savings experience. Instead of paying everyone a meaningless amount of interest, banks will pool customers’ earned interest together in order to offer larger, more exciting payouts to a smaller number of depositors. This has already achieved high levels of popularity in other countries including the UK, New Zealand, and South Africa, and I believe the current low-interest rate environment will help the concept take off in the U.S.”
Digital payments
Jennifer Tramontana is the executive director of the Canadian Prepaid Providers Organization.
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