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Today’s financial institutions are increasingly open to the adoption of digital technologies to enhance the customer experience. A good example of this is QR Codes. A number of banks and credit unions have started using QR codes to provide consumers with a new way to make payments. This innovation should be applauded, but also qualified; there may be some additional ways in which financial institutions could be making use of QR codes, including for marketing. Right now, these additional applications are largely being neglected.

The banking industry is ever in flux… and as we settle into a new year, one of the big priorities that many institutions are facing is an adjustment to the increased prominence of digital banking.

In any business, companies can only move as fast as the slowest part of the process. For mortgage lenders, the slowest part of the loan process – outside of regulatory mandated waiting periods – has often been the limitations of physical paper. Whether it is the printing, delivery and fulfillment of paper-based disclosures and closing packages or the transfer of data from a paper application to an underwriting system, manually completing any task dramatically slows down a lender’s efficiency.

When it comes to new digital lending, point-of-sale technology(POS) is a trendy topic. Every lender wants a shiny, intuitive POS for their borrowers so they can apply for a loan anywhere, at any time.

Credit unions require constant vigilance against disparate lending practices. Specifically, there is a need to ensure that different members are given fair and equal treatment through all lending services. This goal is simple in theory but sometimes challenging in practice; to that end, MeridianLink recently hosted a webinar, providing our credit union and banking clients with digital banking tips and best practices for avoiding disparate impact in indirect lending.

In the age of the Internet, there’s arguably no resource more valuable than user data. By harvesting and exploiting this data, companies can hone in on the individuals most likely to purchase their product; and, they can create laser-target messaging based on user demographics, interests, or purchasing histories.