The ripple effects from the Office of the Comptroller of Currency announcing it would accept applications for banking licenses from fintechs are still being felt.

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently released research aimed at demonstrating the importance of digital transformation in corporate banking. In the research, BCG underscored the notion that for lasting and meaningful digital transformation, banks need to develop a clear vision for the future of banking, formulate a comprehensive strategy of how they will evolve alongside it, and plan their initiatives accordingly.

BBVA Compass gives customers the ability to take control of their finances with its latest Mobile Banking App release which integrates BBVA Compass Financial Tools.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, sending money was a tedious, often time-consuming task. Now, with the advent of the smartphone and mobile banking apps, sending money doesn’t need to be time consuming or burdensome. With the BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App sending money is easier than ever.

BBVA’s efforts to foster product sales through its digital channels have been well received by customers. Customer adoption of digital channels -and sales across these channels- have seen increasing growth month after month.

There has been a healthy amount of debate regarding a national fintech charter that was announced last week by the Office of the Comptroller. The U.S. Treasury has also been in the spotlight among columnists in the financial industry.

BBVA, a pioneer in the area of immediate private customer enrollment, has enhanced the sign-up process over its digital channels. Last year, the Bank announced the creation of Veridas, a technology company, specializing in the development of new identification and authentication systems. BBVA founded the new company with Das-Nano, a startup based in Spain’s northern Navarre region. The joint venture has borne fruit: now any person – whether a private individual or a self-employed worker – can sign up as a customer, from anywhere and at any time, by simply sending the bank a photograph and video.

World Finance Magazine and European CEO Magazine pay tribute to the BBVA unit’s achievements in customer experience and digital transformation. Garanti has been named as “the Best Retail Bank in Turkey” by World Finance Magazine and as “the Best Retail Bank in Europe” by European CEO Magazine in recognition of the quality of customer experience it delivers, the digital transformation of its branches and innovative projects and solutions such as its instant e-commerce loan.

Updating the preferred contact information on file with your bank shouldn’t be a long, tedious or frustrating process that involves weaving your way through an automated phone system. With the BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App, it’s not.

As Jorge Soto noted in conversation with BBVA, increasing connectivity is making developing economies a hotbed of innovation in financial services: “It is empowering startups to create relevant solutions to the bigger and more significant challenges that still exist in those markets, which have largely already been solved elsewhere.”

The fintech world boasted big news this week.

BBVA Bancomer is the first bank in Mexico to use artificial intelligence integrated with WhatsApp’s technology. Its virtual assistant facilitates the bank’s communication with both customers and non-customer users, answering questions about branch location, how to open an account, and suggestions on how to use the bank’s digital services.

Cristina de Parias holds an undergraduate degree in Law from Universidad de Sevilla and an MBA from IESE. Since her appointment as Head of Spain in 2014, she’s tackled some major challenges, such as the integration of Catalunya Caixa in 2016 and expediting BBVA Spain’s digital transformation efforts.

Her career has always been linked to the financial industry, where she started working more than 25 years ago. She joined the BBVA Group in 1998 as head of Personal Banking and Methods of Payment. Between 2004 and 2008 she served as Managing Director of Uno-e.  In 2008 she was appointed Head of Digital Businesses, Innovation and Development and in 2011 she became the first woman to head a Territorial Directorate, the Central one.

Born in Seville, married and mother of four, she travels constantly across Spain. Her associates define her as a thoughtful, very intuitive and approachable person. She loves going on walks, reading, film and travelling with her family. Great Place to Work recognized her as the Best Manager of 2016.

BBVA’s Garanti Bank was singled out as the only Turkish bank among the ‘Most Honored’ financial institutions in this year’s Emerging EMEA Executive Team: Leaders survey by Institutional Investor Magazine (IIM). Garanti CEO Fuat Erbil and IR Head Handan Saygin were also recognized.

Computer programs that automate processes are already common in banks. They cut costs, improve efficiency, but what is more important is that when combined with artificial intelligence, they open the door to greater advances.

The latest developments in the world of fintech show promise in certain areas, and concerns in others, according to reports coming out of top credible outlets.

Garanti Bank has been driving digital banking growth for 20 years in Turkey, leading the development of mobile banking in the country. Bora Uludüz, Garanti’s senior vice-president of Digital Banking, says the Turkish bank set digitization as one of the pillars of its strategy, dedicating relevant resources to the development and deployment of new technologies.

BBVA Compass recently announced the launch of two new industry-leading fraud prevention and account reconciliation products, BBVA Compass RealTimeARP™ and BBVA Compass RealTime Positive Pay™. Shortly after the launch, we took a closer look at Positive Pay. Today, we put the bank’s ARP product under the microscope.

Last year’s Open Talent global Financial Inclusion award winner, ePesos is connecting more of Mexico’s unbanked population with the financial services they need. BBVA speaks to Alex Martin, Director of Strategic Partnerships, to find out more about how ePesos has continued to contribute to the evolution and transformation of the economy in Mexico.

Fund managers are easing their way into the digital world but will have to up the ante as customer experience and customized offers become a must for their survival.

Garanti Bank has been recognized as the “Best Bank in the Central and Eastern European Region” in this year’s edition of the Awards for Excellence organized by Euromoney, one of the world’s leading finance magazines.

The future of the financial sector lies in its seamless integration into all sorts of devices. Biometrics, APIs and chatbots… there is mounting evidence that we might be in the early stages of the new era of  everywhere banking.

With Independence Day settling in during the middle of the week, Fintech news across the country still popped up consistently like 4th of July fireworks.

Garanti Bank’s modernization drive has now put the fruits of the burgeoning digital world at the fingertips of customers at 500 of its branches just a year after its revolutionary service model was introduced. The transformation effort of its entire branch network, which is on track for completion by year’s end, aims to allow one-stop, fast and easy access to a wide array of services.

Thanks to machine learning, chatbots are already becoming much more than a mere “always-on” tool used for interacting with the bank.

Last month, Revolut became one of only five fintechs in Europe to achieve unicorn status, following a $250 million Series C funding round.

BBVA Compass Head of Business Development Pepe Olalla recently spoke with Bank Innovation’s Tatjana Kulkarni in an interview posted in two articles, Zelle and Insurance on the Roadmap for BBVA Compass’s Mobile App and How the Innovation Team at BBVA Compass Focuses on Needs, Revenue.

Every Friday, BBVA Compass, a leader in the U.S. digital banking revolution, publishes its weekly Fintech Friday article, giving you headlines you might have missed in the world of fintech across the U.S.

In the Arizona desert, rainfall is few and far between. While the Valley of the Sun has a dearth of precipitation, banking solutions and digital innovation run together and flow consistently in this extremely hot corner of the country.

BBVA’s Global Head of Customer and Client Solutions, Derek White, has been interviewed by leading Spanish newspaper Expansión.

Over three days experts in finance, fintech and technology debated in Salzburg (Austria) the import of the challenge posed by technology for the economy and the financial sector. The disruption brought on by the massive adoption of new technologies has quickened the pace of change facing institutions. They also face the task of attracting customers in an environment in which there is much more supply.

Blockchain, more regulations, emerging niche markets such as ‘insurtech’ y ‘regtech’… The future of fintechs has yet to be written but the trends shaping their future in the short- and medium-tern are already clear.

BBVA’s digital customers have once again set new records in their adoption of the groups digital channels and offerings, the bank is reporting.

We are witnessing the birth of a new generation of consumers. The latest generations – “millennials” and “centennials” – and those who are no longer so young but have quickly migrated to the new technologies, are setting the course for the economy in general and for banking in particular. Their new patterns of behavior and consumption create needs that change as quickly as the digital environment. It is essential that banks understand these needs so that they can help their customers make better financial decisions.

Fintech expert Chris Skinner shared the stage with Carlos Kuchkovsky, CTO New Digital Businesses at BBVA, at Desafío Ingenia, where they debated the arrival of technologies such as artificial intelligence, the importance of data and new entrants in the financial services market.

On the back of increased web attacks, the priority of cybersecurity has increased for businesses and banks worldwide. How do financial institutions balance this risk with the need to expand their digital services?

Picture walking up to a digital banking kiosk, opening up an account, and subsequently receiving your personalized debit card almost immediately. Take a trip to the other side of the world, and you’ll discover that this is now a reality. But is there a place for something like this in the United States?

BBVA’s mobile banking app has been named a leader in Europe. According to the report published today by Forrester Research, ‘The Forrester Banking Wave: European Mobile Apps – Q2 2018’ BBVA has the top-ranked app with an overall score of 87/100. Forrester assessed 12 mobile banking apps from top financial institutions on the continent. Garanti, BBVA’s Turkish franchise, took the second spot in the same evaluation. BBVA also took the top spot in last year’s analysis also published by Forrester.

A study reveals that banking applications in the U.S. are already being used to the same degree as social media and weather apps.

Digitalization is revolutionizing financial services, with the PSD2 directive speeding up the transformation. What role will traditional banks, fintech, and tech giants play in this new environment?

One of the recurring themes at this year’s Money 20/20 Europe conference was undoubtedly the power good data has to help businesses evolve.

Data is often cited as being the new oil when it comes to the question of what is the world’s most valuable resource.

Consumer habits have changed. Users are increasingly demanding and want services that understand and meet their needs in the moment. How do banks adapt to this new paradigm? Eugenia Gibbons, the Global Head of Digital Sales and Customer Engagement BBVA, explained during the Adobe Summit 2018  that the key lies in creating one-click, intelligent and customized products.

This year’s edition of the European event will bring together some of the most brilliant minds of today’s tech scene: from legends like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to the founders of some of the most successful fintech solutions, like Alipay. BBVA will also play a prominent role in the event, where it will share its view on the financial services of the future and its collaboration with the fintech ecosystem.

When your debit or credit card is lost or stolen, it can take time and effort to report it as such – time that you might not have when trying to avoid fraudulent charges. With the BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App you are in control of your financial life, which means you can quickly and easily report your card lost or stolen, directly in the app.

At BBVA Compass, digital transformation has been taking place across the bank from Engineering to Talent & Culture. Leading the charge for the transformation of the bank’s products and services has been the bank’s Business Development unit, under the leadership of Pepe Olalla.

It’s a challenging enough road for small businesses to navigate in order to cultivate success in a competitive atmosphere. Tangling that web even further is the strong momentum of the digital wave.

José Manuel González-Páramo took part in a panel discussion on the future global financial regulation at the spring meeting of the IIF (Institute for International Finance) in Brussels. In his opinion, the new regulatory framework should be based on five pillars: 1) focus on risks and activities rather than institutions themselves, 2) have an holistic approach, 3) be transversal and coordinated, 4) be flexible y 5) have a skeptical approach to technology with regulators focusing not on technology itself but on its use and effects.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González thinks it is necessary to establish “a new global regulation,” one that could benefit society as a whole with all the opportunities the digital era has to offer.  “We are living an unprecedented revolution, that could bring a never-before-seen level of well-being if we manage to make progress in a new legal architecture,” he pointed out during a meeting at the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Brussels.

BBVA has unveiled Valora View, the first app in the European Banking sector using augmented reality to help prospective buyers or renters find a home. With this new free service, available for both customers and non-customers of the bank, BBVA launches a tool that, harnessing the power of big data, is capable of providing users with recommended purchase or rent prices for a specific property. And not only that: The application can also provide advice on whether it makes more sense to buy or rent, and even run mortgage simulations.

In Europe, 2018 has been off to a busy start in terms of regulation, with major changes that affect a broad range of industries, including the financial sector. First, in January, the second payments services directive came into force, while the new general data protection regulation (GDPR) will kick into force in May 25. Although the connection between both regulatory initiatives may not be evident, they pursue common goals: To allow citizens to control their personal data and increase security.

BBVA’s independent venture capital business, Propel Venture Partners, has announced a new investment into UK online mortgage brokerage Trussle.

Digital banking offers both customers and clients alike massive potential. The accessibility, control and extra insights being a digital banking user can deliver are huge, and for BBVA it’s a model it can use to help people make better, more informed decisions.

Mobile means digital, which means real time access, anytime, all the time. Paper statements that show transactions from a month ago may no longer make sense. The BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App allows customers to decide for themselves.

Imagine a Spanish SME asking for a loan in Germany; an Italian easily transferring money to Portugal or a French person taking on a mortgage in the Netherlands.   All of this forms part of the fledgling European capital markets and banking union. What remains to be done? BBVA is one of the few European banks to address these issues at the joint conference of the European Commission and the European Central bank held today in Frankfurt.

The changes and updates to functionality in the BBVA Compass Mobile Banking app continue to impress customers, judging by a stout 30 percent year-over-year jump in mobile active customers.*

Payroll doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App, small business owners can pay employees directly through the app.

As a business owner, you’re constantly on the go. Adding the BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App to the arsenal of tools you use to manage your business can help.

In April 2017, BBVA Compass underwent a new chapter, launching a new website with the aim to improve transparency and make its information and services accessible to everyone.

BBVA Chairman Francisco González presented ‘The Age of Perplexity. Rethinking the World We Knew,’ the tenth book in the annual collection published by BBVA through its OpenMind project. In this publication, 23 internationally renowned and well-respected intellectuals address the big economic, political, and social questions raised by the technological revolution.

BBVA Compass recently announced the launch of the digital BBVA Compass Express Personal Loan to customers and prospects across its footprint.* The timing of the announcement was auspicious given that it was released nearly one year after the date from when the bank booked its first ever end-to-end digital loan. Now, just over a year later, the bank has achieved a record for one-week consumer loan production, with online originations officially exceeding branch production in that same week.

Check deposit is a key component to the functionality of the BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App.

Depositing checks is a common transaction for many, and one which can be done from wherever the customer might be, with the BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App. With mobile deposit via the app, customers can deposit their hard earned money anytime, anywhere. The app takes customers through the process, step-by-step, even helping snap the picture of the front and back of the check.

BBVA’s Garanti Bank has been named Silver Stevie Winner in the category of ‘Best Use of Technology in Sales’ for its new onsite banking application. The new platform greatly enhances the mobility of sales teams by allowing them to carry out direct, independent and face-to-face, off-branch business with customers where the customers are.

Digital transformations are most effective when customers are not aware their bank has undergone one, says BBVA Compass Head of Retail Banking Çağrı Süzer.

The global head of Customer Solutions (CS) closed BBVA Colombia’s quarterly planning meeting in an ‘All Hands’ session with 300 participants representing all areas of the bank. The message is clear: the transformation is accelerating.

The BBVA Compass Mobile Banking App has won multiple awards for its functionality, including most recently being recognized as a 2017 Mobile Banking Leader for Ease of Use by Javelin Strategy & Research.

From depositing checks to setting up direct deposits from the app and transferring funds, BBVA Compass has worked hard to put the power of the bank in customer’s hands, giving them always-on access and powerful functionality to conduct their financial lives as they see fit. With so much functionality, and more constantly being added, BBVA Compass has created a series of videos that explains the functionality and empowers the consumer to stay in control of their own financial journey.

BBVA’s transformation into a digital business is continuing at pace, the latest statistics from the bank show.

When it comes to moving money, speed is of the essence. One of the clearest – yet invisible – obstructions to money movement is a national border. Every time a transaction must cross a border, it encounters a number of points of friction that slow it down. These can be currency exchange, platform changes, new settlement rules, or more.

Garanti Bank has pioneered the digitalization process in the banking sector in Turkey over the past 20 years and its efforts as a stand-out player in this field have been widely recognized internationally. Garanti continues to lead digital banking growth through its investment in  multi-channel technology, the fruit of which is seen in its excellent customer experience track record.

Garanti Bank recently launched the opening of brokerage accounts via digital channels, with the new process requiring only a few clicks and less than 5 minutes to complete. This is a great advance over the old process, which required signing dozens of forms and took 60 minutes to complete.

For small business owners, time and money are two key components to running a smooth operation. Figuring out a way to save on those two things can be challenging – so why not start with BBVA Compass Remote Deposit Online®?

BBVA Compass customer David Everett never imagined when he deposited his Christmas bonus via the BBVA Compass Mobile App that he’d be rewarded with $10,000 simply for doing so.

So, when he got the January phone call saying he was the bank’s Sign In & Win Sweepstakes grand prize winner, Everett didn’t believe it. According to Director of Multi-Channel Sales and Promotion Cody Sparks, the fact that it was so easy to deposit his check – and in the process win $10,000 – is precisely why the bank conducted the sweepstakes.

Derek White, Global Head of Customer and Client Solutions at BBVA, took part in Money 20/20 Asia, the landmark event for the fintech sector, where he shared his take on the debate of who will corner the banking business in the future: Banks or Big Tech?

Representatives of the Government of Singapore, a beacon of innovation in Asia, and BBVA met at the institution’s headquarters in Madrid to share digital experiences and strengthen cooperation. The Government of Singapore inquired about BBVA’s digital strategy and set out its views on fintech and cybersecurity regulations.

BBVA will be taking part in the Money20/20 Asia event in Singapore this week, with a range of involvement ranging from keynote speeches to a fintech start-up competition.

January 2017 saw a new era begin for BBVA Compass, the U.S. subsidiary of BBVA, when Onur Genç took the reigns as the bank’s CEO and country manager.

The BBVA Group has joined a Series B funding round in digital platform solarisBank, a pioneer in the ‘banking as a service’ concept.

BBVA’s digitization process in South America solidly advances. At the end of January 2018, 49.9% of customers in South America interacted with the bank via digital channels. This represents an increase of 26% from last year’s figures. The increase stands at 43% if we reference customers who connect using mobile devices. “BBVA’s mobile banking has seen such intense growth that it indicates where the consumption habits of the bank’s customers are going. That’s where we’ve been headed for some time now,” explains Antonio Bravo, director of Business Development and Digital banking for BBVA South America.

Garanti continues to break new ground by making pension fund product available through its digital channels Garanti Internet and Garanti Mobile. This digital freeway enhances the speed and ease in which customers can carry out pension product transactions.

BBVA is to increase its stake in UK digital bank Atom, after the Global Financial Group agreed to inject more capital into the mobile focussed business.

Some 42% of BBVA Spain’s sales were carried out through digital channels in January 2018, a record figure that far surpasses the same period a year earlier (24.5%) and is almost four times that of only two years ago (11%).

BBVA’s drive towards delivering a world class digital banking experience has taken another step forward. Over the past year the bank has seen an almost twofold year on year increase in the number of products and services its customers and clients are taking-up via digital channels.

BBVA has presented the case of its digital transformation at the 13th Asia-Pacific High Level Meeting on Banking, held in Singapore. José Manuel González-Páramo explained BBVA’s digital business model to representatives of Asia’s most important central banks and financial institutions. He also discussed some of the regulatory challenges the region is facing, noting the need for international coordination on digital regulation in the financial sector.

At BBVA Compass, helping customers adapt to an increasingly digital reality is an effort being undertaken by all customer facing units of the bank, including telephone agents.

Historically a role that provided traditional customer service support, the agents are now doubling up to  combine service ​support with digital sales & self serve (DIY) education. According to BBVA Compass Director of the Contact Center Deborah Catley, the agents’ ultimate goal is to contribute to digital transformation in two parts: reinforcing the learning the customer receives from their in-branch bankers and guiding and answering questions related to applying for new products through digital channels.

Brussels attempts to organize member initiatives through the creation of the Blockchain Observatory—a technology the EU has invested in since 2013 through its Research and Development programs.

Since it was launched in 2016, the FCA’s regulatory sandbox has supported 60 firms to test their innovation with real customers in the live market under controlled conditions. Now, it is assessing different options to scale up the model at global level to solve the challenges of operating internationally in the fintech market.

In a fast-paced world, Swiss financial institutions are well-prepared to lead the transformation of the finance industry, particularly in private banking, where they are a clear reference in the world. The combination of accumulated experience, talent and availability of capital are decisive factors to facilitate this change.

Four members of BBVA’s design team were invited to participate in Interaction18, the biggest technology and design event in France, to explain how design contributes to organizational change.

BBVA’s presence in Switzerland dates back 25 years – a quarter century during which the bank has accompanied its clients, advising them on the management of their wealth and the diversification of their investments. It’s the only bank in the BBVA Group devoted exclusively to private banking, offering a superb value proposition in international asset management.