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Challenger Bank Grows by Supporting Financial Inclusion

Stuart Sopp, founder and CEO Current, says the Covid-19 pandemic was the launchpad for the digital bank. It already serves over a million active users a year, and is forecasted to keep growing.

Published on July 2020 in Fintech Banking

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FEATURING: Stuart Sopp, CEO of Current

Most traditional banks were unprepared for the flight to digital that occurred due to COVID-19. Mobile-only challenger bank Current has seen customer growth skyrocket during the pandemic, appealing to lower-wage earners who don’t want to worry about minimum balances or overdraft fees.

Serving over 1 million active users and projected to double in size by the end of the year, Current serves a sweet spot of workers who live paycheck to paycheck and previously frequented very expensive check cashing facilities or risked paying penalty fees at traditional banks.

We caught up with Stuart Sopp, founder and CEO of Current, and previous Wall Street trader, to discuss the strategy of lowering the barriers for financial inclusion to a growing demographic of younger, lower paid consumers who want hassle-free basic banking services. In the episode, Stuart discusses how the pandemic served as a launch pad for the challenger bank and how to differentiate a challenger bank in a crowded marketplace.


About the Banking Transformed Podcast

In each Banking Transformed podcast, host Jim Marous has candid conversations with the world’s foremost leaders on what it takes to transform financial institutions during an age of digital disruption. His guests discuss technology, channels, innovation, customer experience, leadership, culture and competitive forces that are changing the banking industry faster than ever before.

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Jim Marous Profile PictureNamed as one of the most influential people in banking, Jim Marous is an internationally recognized financial industry strategist, co-publisher of The Financial Brand and the owner and CEO of the Digital Banking Report. The Digital Banking Report is a subscription-based publication that provides deep insights into the digitization of banking, with over 150 reports in the digital archive available to subscribers.

As a sought after keynote speaker, author and recognized authority on disruption in the financial services industry, Marous has been featured by CNBC and CNN, Cheddar, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Financial Times, The Economist, The American Banker and has spoken to audiences worldwide. Jim has also advised the White House on banking policy.

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The Financial Brand is your premier destination for comprehensive insights in the financial services sector. With our in-depth articles, webinars, reports and research, we keep banking executives up-to-date with the latest trends, growth strategies, and technological advancements that are transforming the industry today.

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