Hi 5! The top five fintech stories we’re following today

Big data, big organizational challenges Forget all the discussion about new user acquisition. How about focusing on servicing existing clients? Here’s how Vanguard uses data to deepen relationships with its customers. It’s not easy and requires a lot of organizational discipline, but there’s tangible payoff at the end. Only 3 percent of banks claim they’ve created continuity across all customer touchpoints. It’s no wonder why digital efforts end up so fragmented. The old silos and departmental structures frequently impede change. Top fintech podcasts After we published our recommendations of the best fintech podcasts, readers joked that this wasn’t a best of list – it’s actually all of ‘em. Of course, implied in this bit of listicle-making is a request for you to check out our podcast. (I)nsuring people stay healthy with Fitbit Insurers are just beginning use consumer technology to encourage compliant behavior. For example, John Hancock’s Vitality program provides a feedback loop that encourages exercise. Using a Fitbit and a smartphone app, the insurer incentivizes policyholders to get off the couch and get moving. I like big chatbots and I cannot lie Ron Shevlin, Director of Research at Cornerstone Advisors, has been covering the financial services space for 25 years. At the Tradestreaming Money Conference last month, Tradestreaming editor Zack Miller had the opportunity to pepper him in a game of free association. Unscripted and unrehearsed, he riffed on things like chatbots, the future of the bank branch, credit unions. Cashless societies Physical money has been getting a lot of press recently, thanks to India’s recent move towards demonetization. There are lots of different views on whether the world will really phase out cash, but regardless of which side of the aisle you’re on, here are 3 stranger-than-fiction scenarios that wouldn’t pose a problem in a world without physical currency.