Academy Bank, a family-owned community bank in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri, has released a white paper titled “Budgeting in the Digital Age: The Role of Apps in Financial Wellness.” The report, based on a survey of over 300 U.S. adults, found that 83% follow a budget to some extent, 45% use a budgeting app or digital tool, 98% agree that budgeting helps them achieve their financial goals, and 86% cite overspending or income fluctuations as the most common obstacles to successfully managing finances. The study highlights the greatest potential value of budgeting apps in helping people manage spending and navigate income fluctuations. Over half of the respondents listed “overspending” as their biggest financial challenge, while 30% said “irregular income” disrupted their budgeting. Lack of financial knowledge (28%) also poses a challenge. By addressing these obstacles, budgeting apps can become powerful tools for long-term financial growth. In response to the survey insights and a growing demand for user-friendly, comprehensive digital money management solutions, Academy Bank launched My Finance360, a personal finance tool designed to help clients better understand their spending, build healthy money-management habits, and reach financial goals. The app offers real-time tracking of income, expenses, and debt, smart budgeting and automated savings, the ability to link external accounts for a full view of finances, personalized transaction categorization, goal setting and bill payment reminders, net worth tracking, an easy-to-use interface, bank-level security, and fully integrated with Academy Bank’s mobile and online banking.
Alleviate’s AI dashboard helps people visualize their journey out of debt and toward wealth by offering real-time insights into their account status and progress, upcoming settlements, and action steps through intuitive visuals and curated financial wellness content
Alleviate has launched its new Client Dashboard — a breakthrough AI-powered platform designed to help Americans take control of their debt and chart a smarter path toward lasting wealth. The dashboard gives clients real-time insights into their progress, upcoming settlements, and action steps. It’s designed to increase confidence and engagement through intuitive visuals, helpful automation, and a mobile-first experience — all while reinforcing Alleviate’s core promise: to turn paying off debt into a launchpad for lifelong financial transformation. Michael Barsoum, CEO of Alleviate said “Our Client Dashboard helps people visualize their journey out of debt and toward wealth, one milestone at a time. It’s built to give every client confidence, control, and a real chance to move from debt to wealth. Key features include: All New Client Onboarding – Fast, intuitive and customized with AI; Visual Progress Tracking – Instantly see how far you’ve come and what’s ahead; Live Settlement Updates – Real-time visibility into account status and timing; Integrated Financial Wellness Content – Curated articles, videos, and tools to build lasting money habits; AI-Powered Personalization & Payment Optimization – Smart content and guidance tailored to each user’s journey; Access to Exclusive Financial Products – products built for the debt to wealth journey, every step of the way; and Secure Support Access – Direct communication with in-house support teams, built into the platform. Looking ahead, the Client Dashboard will serve as a gateway to a new generation of exclusive financial products and services – accessible only to Alleviate members.
Fifth Third Bank is surprising families with babies born at certain hospitals in Detroit on May 3 with a special voucher to open a college savings account
Fifth Third Bank announced that it is surprising families with babies born at certain hospitals in Detroit on May 3 with a special voucher to open a college savings account. Each year, Fifth Third celebrates May 3 (5/3) with community service and giving activities. According to the bank, this year, they are bringing the program to Detroit and partnering with the hospitals affiliated with Henry Ford Health, Detroit Medical Center and McLaren Health. The families that have babies born on May 3 will receive a $1,053 voucher for a 529 College Savings Plan, a DoorDash gift card and baby gifts, the bank says. Local labor and delivery nurses will also receive gifts. The bank will also do the giveaways at hospitals in Fort Myers and Naples, Florida.
Startup Rove’s loyalty program allows users to earn airline miles without credit cards by shopping using the Google Chrome extension through affiliate marketing with over 7,000 merchants
Startup Rove claims to be the first universal mile loyalty program. Rove’s loyalty program allows airlines to expand the lucrative business of miles to millions more consumers, Co founder Max Morganroth said. But instead of allowing airlines to share fees with credit cards, Rove gives them a way to make money through affiliate marketing with over 7,000 merchants through the Rove shopping extension for Google Chrome. That’s a business model that’s similar to Honey and Rakuten. Morganroth explained that the points earned from shopping can be converted into airline miles, which hold more value than their equivalent in cash. In addition to the affiliate marketing scheme, Rove also offers its users miles for hotel bookings. Users can combine Rove miles earned on hotel bookings with miles from the shopping extension and even credit card miles if they have a card that earns airline points. The startup’s elaborate scheme may seem complicated, but Morganroth says that earning miles through Rove is straightforward, as long as users book hotels on its platform or shop using the Rove shopping extension. When users are ready to book flights with their miles, Rove’s travel portal helps them find the best award flight deals. The startup’s users can book award travel on about 140 carriers because it is often possible to transfer miles of one airline company to its affiliates in another region. “Gen Z wants to travel more than any other demographic, yet they have the least access to the tools like this that actually make it cheaper,” he said. “They no longer have to wait until they’re 28, have five years of credit history, and $700 fee to get one of these cards; they can just download a Chrome extension, book any of their existing travel through us, and they’ll immediately be in the game.”
Pinwheel’s 2-click Direct Deposit Switching (DDS) to integrate with nCino’s banking solutions- allowing users to authenticate and execute an instant switch with a simple one-time passcode
Pinwheel, a fintech company, has partnered with nCino, a leading provider of banking solutions, to become a Preferred Partner for Direct Deposit Switching (DDS). The partnership will integrate Pinwheel’s Consumer Banking Solution with nCino’s Deposit Switch, aiming to improve deposit switch conversion rates. Pinwheel’s solution, powered by over 1,800 payroll platforms, covers 100% of U.S. workers paid via direct deposit. The PreMatch authentication paradigm, introduced in late 2023, has transformed the DDS experience, allowing users to authenticate and execute an instant switch with a simple one-time passcode. Pinwheel’s PreMatch authentication paradigm has transformed the DDS experience into a seamless, 2-click process, helping banks and credit unions meet their innovation and growth goals. The partnership will help banks and credit unions modernize their operations and enhance customer experiences.
Panaseer’s tool helps enterprises automate compliance management with pre-built dashboards, each mapped to over 200 control metrics
Panaseer has launched the Cyber Frameworks Catalog, a tool designed to automate compliance management for enterprises operating in regulated industries. The tool provides pre-built dashboards and automated controls to help enterprises monitor and report the performance of security controls against significant cybersecurity frameworks and regulations. Panaseer’s research shows that cybersecurity teams spend close to 60% of their time on manual reporting, leading to inefficiencies, increased operational costs, and an elevated risk of audit failures. The Cyber Frameworks Catalog streamlines these processes by introducing a controls measurement-driven, automation-first methodology. It features over ten dashboards, each mapped to over 200 control metrics connected to various regulatory frameworks. The tool’s analytical capabilities allow teams to investigate the underlying causes of compliance failures, prioritize remediation actions, and potentially prevent regulatory breaches. Panaseer’s Continuous Controls Monitoring platform aggregates and validates security data from various enterprise technology stacks, offering a centralized view for security teams. The company aims to support organizations in continuously measuring the deployment and effectiveness of their security controls, promoting efficient resource allocation and improved prioritization of security actions.
Monzo’s new ‘Undo Payments,’ holding window feature offers a configurable delay, ranging from 10 to 60 seconds, before a payment is finalised, during which the sender can halt the transaction
Monzo has started rolling out a new feature that allows users to cancel a bank transfer shortly after initiating it. The tool, known as ‘Undo Payments,’ offers a configurable delay, ranging from 10 to 60 seconds, before a payment is finalised, during which the sender can halt the transaction. The launch follows internal research by the bank showing that around 30% of UK adults have sent money to the wrong person or entered the incorrect amount in the past year. More than three-quarters of those who made a payment error reportedly realised the mistake within one minute. The Undo Payments feature acts as a brief holding window after a transfer is authorised. During this time, users can reverse the transaction directly from the payment confirmation screen, the home screen, or the specific transaction detail page. If the undo option is selected within the chosen time frame, the funds remain in the user’s account and the intended recipient is not notified of the attempted transfer. The default setting gives a 15-second window, though users can adjust this to 10, 30, or 60 seconds, or disable it entirely. According to Monzo’s data, simple mistakes such as typing errors, often involving an extra zero, were responsible for 68% of misdirected payments.
TD Bank to fund access to trauma-informed wellness support and promotes greater health outcomes among First Nations communities using indigenous knowledge and traditions
Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETS) has launched its Mino-Ayaawin Maamawi program, aimed at increasing access to safe, trauma-informed wellness supports rooted in Indigenous knowledge and traditions. The two-year program, funded by $392,800 from TD Bank Group, includes holistic practices such as mindfulness practices, neuro-decolonization, positive affirmations, journaling, yoga, and healthy eating guidance. The funding supports a broader vision for wellness and education in First Nations communities. The program’s development and effectiveness have been supported by research led by Anita Vaillancourt, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Lakehead University. A survey evaluating the first phase of the pilot program found that 98% of participants found the program beneficial, 72% felt more motivated to apply for jobs, 70% reported increased confidence in job applications, and 72% felt more prepared for the workforce. The Mino-Ayaawin Maamawi program marks an advancement in promoting wellness and employment readiness within First Nations communities.
New community program tackles the cliff effect’ of sudden loss of public benefits when income rises; offers monthly bridge payment, support networks and personalized coaching
Springfield WORKS and United Way Pioneer Valley will host a celebration for the Bridge to Prosperity Cliff Effect Pilot Program launch. A community initiative of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, this pilot program is designed to tackle the “cliff effect,” which occurs when families experience a sudden loss of public benefits when their income rises, often leaving them financially worse off despite earning more. The initiative is crafted in collaboration with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. In the pilot program, participants benefit from personalized coaching to help navigate finances, employment, and career growth, and receive connections to additional support in the community as needed. Each participant receives a monthly bridge payment based upon their estimated cliff effect impact, with an additional $10,000 asset-building payment at the end of the program. These payments are designed to stabilize families and will help mitigate potential losses in benefits while they work toward moving up the career ladder and achieving lasting economic security. Our pilot launched in February with 18 participants, seven here in Springfield, and we’re already making a difference,” said Kristen Joyce, Bridge to Prosperity program director. “Bridge payments helped one family stabilize their housing and another purchase food when their SNAP ended. Another participant was able to start training to become a nurse after years of only dreaming of it.” The program is aiming to serve up to 100 families in 2025.
Avio Health’s Agentic AI predicts healthspan by analyzing decades of medical records, lab results, and lifestyle data offering personalized insights and intervention
Avio Health is redefining the future of medicine with Agentic AI, a proprietary deep-learning platform that predicts healthspan by analyzing decades of medical records, lab results, and lifestyle data. Instead of reacting to illness, Agentic AI identifies early shifts in biological aging, offering personalized insights and intervention plans before symptoms appear. Its Clinical Correlation engine acts like a digital health detective, transforming fragmented data into predictive intelligence. It analyzes hormone fluctuations, inflammation markers, cardiovascular metrics, and even long-forgotten test results, weaving them together into a timeline of your biological aging and functional capacity. Designed as an enterprise-grade solution, Avio empowers healthcare institutions and labs to process complex medical data at scale — making proactive, precision medicine a reality. By using AI to connect the dots across fragmented data sources, Agentic AI brings true precision to longevity care, making personalized, proactive healthcare finally scalable. “Avio’s Agentic AI leverages multimodal deep learning to transform fragmented health data into predictive, precision diagnostics — enabling preemptive intervention before clinical onset,” says Dr. Elvin Siew, founder of Avio Health.