A spark ... from the city of Gaudí

Hello from Barcelona where I'm taking a few days off to recharge. As I continue to learn to unplug (a challenge that I am clearly failing miserably), let's kick off the week with some slightly more positive news ...

Have you heard of the American Women Quarters Program by the U.S. Mint? It's a special four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by American women. Since 2022, we've seen 10 amazing women being featured on new quarters, including Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, Anna May Wong, Bessie Coleman, Edith Kanaka'ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar, and Maria Tallchief.

For 2024, we will be expecting Rev Dr. Pauli Murray, Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Celia Cruz, and Zitkala-?a. You can read more about the program and the 5 women who will be featured this year here.

What I'm reading ... on personal finance

Have we entered a new era of 'loud budgeting'? (I'll admit, I have not heard the term till this weekend.) According to Axios , "loud budgeting encourages being vocal to family and friends when something doesn't fit into your budget and not caving to peer pressure."

What's your tip to set boundaries and stay in control of your finances?

... on artificial intelligence

Meanwhile ... the EU looks set to adopt their new AI Act in the coming months, after the member state representatives voted to confirm the final text of the draft law. The regulation will include a list of prohibited use cases of AI, including social scoring, as well as governance rules for high risk cases.

... on financial inclusion

The topic of bank branches has continued its drumbeat for quite a while now. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence data, the number of active branches stands at 77,690 as of November 2023. As the net number of branches continues to decline, however, it is also interesting to note that new branches are being opened in more affluent areas.

I've reading about mobile branches on and off for the past two years. Can these 'branch on wheels' be a partial answer to regions that are underserved?

What I'm listening to:

A fantastic conversation between Franklin Manchester, CPCU and Lisa Wardlaw on artificial intelligence, coopetition, and more. The insurance industry made a promise and we need people at the table. It will take all of us!

Wait, where is the bourbon roundtable? Asking for a friend :)

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Join us at Finovate Europe in London, 27-28 February, where we dive deeper into artificial intelligence and more.

Register now and use discount code FKV2477SPK for 20% off. AI is indeed in the air :)

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Super psyched to participate in an upcoming webinar with the fabulous Diana Rothfuss on enterprise decisioning. Sign up here!

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This week on One Vision Podcast ...

How do you build a customer-centric financial institution? Being hyper-focused on your customers’ needs definitely tops the list. Especially in an environment where financial uncertainty is keeping many consumers up at night, banks are in the best position to act as an empathetic and trusted partner for those in need.

In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Barb MacLean and I chat with Rochelle Nawrocki Gorey, co-founder and CEO of SpringFour, a social impact financial wellness fintech company. By connecting consumers to vetted financial resources, this B-Crop enables consumers to meet their financial objectives, reduce household expenses, and avoid payment delinquencies. It’s a win-win solution, and one that is much needed.

Give this episode a listen and let us know what you think. ??

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