This post originally appeared on https://www.finopotamus.com/post/2025-holiday-it-wish-list-part-1
For the 2025 edition of the annual Finopotamus “Holiday Tech Wish List” feature, we sat down with forward-looking fintech and credit union executives who shared their tech hopes and forecasted market realities for 2025. Due to a significant number of intriguing responses, this year’s Wish List will be presented in five consecutive installments.
Part 1 features insights from WaveCX, Zeta, Baker Hill, Pulsate and Parlay Finance.
By W.B. King
Wishing to Move Toward Post-Navigation UIs That Embrace Command-Line Interfaces and Generative Search
“It’s 2025 and we need to stop burying important functionality behind endless clicks,” WaveCX CEO Jon Tvrdik told Finopotamus when asked about his tech wish list. “It’s time to move toward post-navigation user interfaces (UIs) that embrace command-line interfaces and generative search.”
The Omaha, Neb.-based fintech provides a customer experience training, feedback and marketing platform for financial institutions (FIs), including five credit unions.
“Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered engagement tools that combine intelligent search with contextual navigation — spanning both public and authenticated spaces — can transform how credit unions serve their members,” he added. “Instead of hunting through menus and pages, a user types a simple query and immediately gets not just an answer, but a guided action to solve their problem. It’s seamless, personalized and efficient. That’s the kind of accessibility and user-centric service we need to focus on.”
When Finopotamus asked about the likeliness of his wish being implemented in the coming year, Tvrdik responded: “The potential is absolutely there, but adoption depends on credit unions embracing the shift. Resource constraints, training teams to adapt to a new way of working and aligning these tools with compliance frameworks will all be challenges getting there. The good news is the technology is ready — it’s just about making it accessible and easy to implement for institutions of all sizes.”
As Tvrdik looks to 2025, his hope for the credit union industry is for executives to lead the charge in “humanizing digital experiences,” which, he said, requires putting “simplicity and personalization” at the forefront. “Fintechs have a huge role to play here by providing the tools and expertise to make these experiences possible. We need to focus on delivering real solutions that build trust and loyalty while keeping financial services intuitive, accessible and proactive.”
Wishing to Prioritize Enhancing Member Experience by Adopting Advanced Digital Features in Card Programs
For Gary Singh, president of banking at Zeta, his top 2025 wish is for credit unions to prioritize enhancing member experiences by adopting advanced digital features in their card programs.
“These features include instant card issuance, family hub card solutions, virtual cards, and personalized payment experiences tailored to diverse member demographics,” he noted. “By offering these innovations, credit unions can meet evolving member expectations and strengthen their competitive edge in the financial services landscape.”
The San Roman, Calif.-based fintech has 1,700 employees, 1,190 who are tech-facing. The company, which operates in the U.S., Middle East and Asia, bills itself as a next-generation banking technology company that offers a cloud-native and fully application program interface (API)-enabled tech stack designed to support processing, issuing, lending, core banking, fraud, loyalty and digital banking apps.
Singh acknowledged that the technology exists to achieve his wish, but the primary challenge for credit unions lies in their dependence on legacy processors and technology providers, which often limit credit unions’ ability to design and manage “bespoke” card programs.
“For instance, launching a student-focused card with tailored rewards and features is a complex undertaking on legacy platforms,” he told Finopotamus. “However, with Zeta’s modern card processing platform, credit unions can easily introduce and manage differentiated card programs, while fostering deeper member relationships.”
As Singh looks toward 2025, he hopes to see credit unions leveraging next-generation technologies to differentiate their offerings and stay ahead in an “increasingly competitive” financial ecosystem.
“By partnering with technology service providers that offer comprehensive, end-to-end card processing platforms, credit unions can innovate faster, launch tailored card products, and provide seamless member experiences,” he continued. “This collaboration can help credit unions not only retain their relevance but thrive by meeting the dynamic needs of their communities.”
Wishing FIs Adopt Technologies That Supports Faster, More Efficient Lending Processes
“My top IT wish for 2025 is for credit unions and other financial institutions to adopt technology that supports faster, more efficient lending processes,” said Mike Horrocks, Baker Hill SVP, corporate and product marketing. “With interest rates on the decline, we anticipate a rise in loan demand, particularly among businesses looking to invest in growth or address immediate funding needs.”
The Carmel, Ind.-based Baker Hill offers FIs configurable, single-platform software as a service (SaaS) for commercial, small business, and consumer loan origination. The fintech counts 56 credit unions as clients and supports 140 employees, 77 of which are tech-facing.
In Horrocks view, the likelihood of credit unions adopting enhanced lending technology in 2025 is promising, but there are challenges.
“While there’s a growing recognition of the importance of automation to handle increased loan demand, credit unions must balance this with competing priorities for tech investments,” he told Finopotamus.
“AI and machine learning are among the top trends reshaping the financial landscape, with significant potential to improve operational efficiencies and enhance the member experience. Many credit unions are exploring these tools to streamline processes, personalize services, and make better-informed decisions,” Horrocks said. “However, these investments require careful planning and resource allocation, which can make it difficult to prioritize other advancements, such as lending technology. At the same time, machine learning tools can be a boon to lending processes, supporting faster decisioning and more consistent risk management.”
For 2025 and beyond, he hopes the credit union industry continues to thrive by balancing innovation with its “deeply rooted commitment” to serving members and their communities.
“Credit unions have always stood out for their personalized, trust-based relationships, and we believe they can enhance this strength by strategically partnering with fintechs that share a commitment to service and member experience that can provide credit unions with access to cutting-edge tools — whether through automation, AI-driven insights, or faster loan decisioning — without compromising the human-centered approach that defines the credit union model,” he added. “These partnerships allow credit unions to remain competitive in an increasingly digital financial landscape while maintaining the trust and loyalty they’ve built over decades.”
Wishing to Defeat the Data Monster
Pulsate CEO Sarah Martin hopes that more credit unions begin to view respective digital banking platforms as complete businesses or potential profit centers, as opposed to “transaction-focused” cost centers.
“With up to 30% of consumers checking their banking apps at least once per day, we’re getting more opportunities to understand and meet their needs than ever before,” Martin told Finopotamus.
The Dublin. Ire.-based fintech offers digital consumer engagement solutions for community FIs, with the goal of helping them build lasting, profitable relationships in a mobile-first world.
“Unfortunately, most digital banking technology is much better at facilitating transactions than at recognizing members’ needs and offering solutions in a real-time, proactive manner, which is a bit like opening a branch in a high-traffic area but failing to hire platform staff or train tellers to cross-sell,” Martin continued. “Meanwhile, the digital-only and neobanks have no choice but to solve the cross-selling and up-selling dilemma, and many have the results to show they’ve done it. Credit unions must leverage the right tech solutions to catch up.”
While Martin believes her wish can come true, the main hurdle she sees is ownership models. “For many credit unions, the digital channels are ‘owned’ by departments with no sales or revenue goals, and because those channels are visible and highly regarded, there may be hesitance to relinquish control,” she noted. “But that could also be a plus, as the path to the C-suite almost always goes through some part of the enterprise that contributes to the bottom line, so ambitious tech leaders should embrace the opportunity.”
For 2025, Martin also hopes the “data monster” will be defeated once and for all, so that data can finally be used to better understand member wants and needs.
“Every time a member logs in, calls in, swipes their card, pays a bill or clicks on a webpage or digital message, they create a datapoint that has the potential of exposing a need, which can become an opportunity for the credit union to suggest a product, provide a service or otherwise meet that need,” Martin continued. “The problem is that the volume of these datapoints is so large, many organizations don’t know where to start. This year, I hope every credit union picks a starting place–just one datapoint, even–and begin using it to benefit their members.”
Wishing for Fintech Innovations That Empower Lenders and the Communities They Serve
This wish, put forth by Parlay Finance CEO and Founder Alex McLeod, requires the creation of “double-bottom-line” opportunities, she told Finopotamus.
“By leveraging more effective technologies equipped with applicant eligibility insights, lenders can not only enhance their profitability, but also expand access to capital and support small business ownership,” she continued. “These innovations can open new pathways for small businesses to thrive, fostering entrepreneurship in historically underrepresented communities.”
The Alexandria, Va.-based Parlay offers credits unions and FIs a white-label business-to-business SaaS platform that generates alternative creditworthiness scoring and creates new loan approval pathways for small business borrowers.
“Ultimately, this approach represents a win-win: Lenders achieve sustainable growth and scalability, while communities benefit from greater equity,” McLeod said. “Fintech’s potential to bridge gaps in access to resources can help build a stronger, more inclusive, and resilient future.”
McLeod is optimistic that her 2025 wish will come to fruition because she and her team see growing momentum around fintech innovations that prioritize both economic empowerment and community impact.
“Increasingly, we’re seeing initiatives such as Delaware’s CAFE program and the rise of mission-driven fintechs that are accelerating inclusive finance,” she noted. “These efforts demonstrate the industry’s commitment to addressing systemic barriers and fostering equitable access to financial resources.”
“In particular, we hope to see credit unions prioritize greater investment in small and medium-sized business (SMB) capabilities, as these businesses represent a significant portion of many credit unions’ memberships. Providing affordable capital will be essential to help these businesses grow and thrive,” she said.
“By aligning products and services with members’ needs, credit unions can unlock expanded member service opportunities and break down barriers to capital access,” McLeod told Finopotamus. “Fintechs will continue to play a pivotal role in this transformation, serving as enablers to bring more potential borrowers forward toward capital access and eligibility.”
