In the News

For the second consecutive year, lack of integration between systems tops the list of technology efficiency challenges facing financial institutions, cited by 69% of respondents in Cornerstone Advisors’ 2026 What’s Going on in Banking report.

Elizabeth Gujral, a director at Cornerstone Advisors, says reputational damage could follow if users are steered toward DeFi or crypto products and lose money.

Shifts in deposit behaviour have already occurred, with ~US$3T in deposits (as per Cornerstone Advisors) migrating from traditional banks to fintech platforms over the past five years, across both investment and savings products.

Cornerstone Advisors today announced the release of its latest research report, What's Going On in Commercial Lending 2026, offering new insights into the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of commercial lending.

Cornerstone Advisors’ newest What’s Going On in Banking 2026 report suggests that for many institutions, the big story heading into 2026 may be what happens when AI colides with weak data foundations, rising fraud losses, and a still-intense fight for member growth.

According to a study by Cornerstone Advisors, more than 25 percent of Gen Z consumers and nearly 33 percent of millennials use a digital bank for their primary checking account, writes Cornerstone's chief research officer Ron Shevlin.

A joint report from Cornerstone Advisors and Bloom Credit found that 6 in 10 consumers ages 21--44 rank credit-building as the most valuable checking account feature, while 73% say they would open a new account to access it and 68% would switch their direct deposit--highlighting a clear opportunity for financial institutions to deepen relationships and drive growth.

"If they're being pushed DeFi crypto products and they start losing money, that's where the reputational risk is in play," said Elizabeth Gujral, director at Cornerstone Advisors.

"Expert quote: "The uncomfortable question is whether the existing regulatory framework is equipped to evaluate this kind of deal at all." - Cornerstone Advisors' Elizabeth Gujral. 
Mike Rempel, a senior director for Cornerstone Advisors, told American Banker that the concerns expressed in the letter are not unfounded."

Cornerstone Advisors’ research found that Gen Z and Millennials don’t simply migrate to fintech brokers and only open investment accounts, they consolidate around them.