Ask for a definition of a fintech and you’ll get many different answers. Some believe they’re startup companies while others will say well-established companies with a focus on innovation fit the description.

“In the truest sense of the term, it’s a provider of financial technology and we can all agree to that,” says Micheal Herman, president of AdvantEdge Digital, a CUNA Strategic Services alliance provider. “However, I think it goes beyond that. It’s really the mashup of words that signify the innovation culture.”

Herman says fintech disruptors operate with the mindset of continuous improvement through technology innovation.

In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, sponsored by AdvantEdge Digital, Herman speaks about what qualifies a provider to be called a fintech, what the future of disruption may look like, and how credit unions can prepare today for the challenges of tomorrow.

You can listen to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple’s iTunes Store, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher Radio.

In this episode:

1:08: Fintech defined

2:14: Three categories of fintechs

3:44: PayPal: Friend or foe?

7:18: The next fintech disruptor

10:07: Credit unions and embedded finance 

11:45: Secrets to partnering with fintechs