The OCC's new Vital Signs initiative gives bankers an important tool to help them assess the financial health and stability of their customers, and to help them build a strong foundation for the future, writes Jennifer Tescher, of the Financial Health Network.

Looking back over my decade-plus covering fintech, I see parallels between earned wage access (EWA) today and the past paths of equity crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending and BNPL. Others in the industry do, too.

As regular readers of this newsletter know, I spend a lot of my time carefully reading the rules set by regulatory agencies and parsing the public statements made by regulators.

The credit landscape for Americans with disabilities is uneven. Low credit scores and lacking credit health are common obstacles for disabled people.

A new Financial Health Network study released last month shows a circular relationship between mental and financial health. While it is well-known that mental health challenges lead to financial issues, financial issues often produce additional mental health concerns.

Years ago, I received a surprise in the mail: a $500 bill for a recent X-ray. I was earning an entry-level media salary at the time (for the uninitiated, that’s equivalent to peanuts), and the shock of having to figure out how to cover an unexpected expense sent my pulse racing with anxiety and my head pounding with stress.

Financial institutions have traditionally left the responsibility for growing deposit amounts to the account holders themselves.

Brenton Peck, Director of Financial Services Solutions at Financial Health Network, stopped by the Studio Lounge just after his opening keynote entitled: "A Little Cup of Happiness."