|
JANUARY 27, 2026 |
|
First choice: Which feature ranks highest among consumers who use retirement mobile apps? |
|
A) Security settings B) Account balance information C) Account statements D) Transaction confirmations |
|
|
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here. | | | |
|
BANKING |
|
|
|
Affirm filed applications last week with the Nevada Financial Institutions Division and the FDIC to create Affirm Bank, a Nevada-chartered industrial loan company (ILC). |
|
In December, PayPal filed with the FDIC and Utah Department of Financial Institutions to form PayPal Bank. Its rationale may be the same as Affirm’s: Offer savings accounts, offer more financial services for small businesses, and connect directly with card networks. In direct competition with Affirm, PayPal may finance its growing buy now, pay later program with its bank’s own balance sheet. |
|
Affirm said the ILC charter “would also spur opportunities to introduce new products and services over time.” ILC charters allow a bank to offer savings accounts and loan products but not checking accounts—which would stop it short of offering a complete digital banking product set. But it can lean on sponsor banks to issue products the charter doesn’t allow for. |
|
|
|
| | | |
|
DIGITAL PAYMENTS |
|
|
|
Capital One will acquire the business banking and corporate finance fintech Brex in a cash and stock deal worth $5.15 billion, the bank announced with its Q4 2025 earnings. |
|
Capital One will use Brex’s card issuing, expense management, and payments capabilities to expand its commercial payments offerings. The acquisition is expected to close in mid-2026. |
|
Excluding Discover, domestic card purchase volume grew 6.2% YoY. (Including Discover, volume surged 39%.) And 30-day delinquencies sank YoY to 3.99%. |
|
|
|
| | | |
|
BUY NOW, PAY LATER |
|
|
|
OnePay will deploy Swipe to Finance, which lets customers retroactively turn OnePay debit card purchases into installment plans within the OnePay app. Klarna will facilitate the buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans, per a press release. |
|
It’s unclear whether OnePay users will have access to both pay in 4 and interest-bearing loans post-purchase or how long after purchase cardholders can convert purchases to installments. |
|
|
|
| | | |
|
PODCAST |
|
|
|
Our analysts compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how AI will automate credit card rewards personalization and what happens when agentic AI turns mobile banking into a personal financial concierge. |
|
| |
| | | |
|
CHART OF THE WEEK |
|
|
|
Key stat: 28% of US adults under high financial stress used a digital wallet for their most recent retail purchase in Dec 2025, up from 13% just 10 months earlier, according to PYMNTS.com. | | | |
|
