The Allied Angle
From digital transformation to compliance (and more), get an inside look at the latest market trends and industry insights to help your financial institution grow its revenue, protect its business and customers, and evolve to stay ahead of the competition.
Episodes

Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Closing the Year with Insights: Credit Union Leaders Talk AI to Gen Z
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
In this unique year-end episode of The Allied Angle, some of the industry’s most innovative and influential credit union leaders join Allied Solutions’ Nikki Warner, Mark Rodriguez, Bill Sarsfield, Anne Holtzman, and Jack Imes for a special “highlight of insights.” From attracting and engaging Gen Z members to navigating the complexities of auto lending, leveraging cutting-edge technology, and delivering member-focused solutions, this episode dives into how credit unions are adapting — and thriving — in today’s rapidly evolving market.
2:07 The challenges in attracting Gen Z customers.3:37 Enhancing the digital experience to attract younger generations.5:01 Making an impact through community involvement and volunteerism.6:56 The credit union promise: The importance of staying true to your mission. 8:46 How do you utilize partnerships to bring innovative solutions to your members? 11:02 The current trends driving rising delinquencies and charge-offs.12:46 The initiatives being taken to navigate a challenging economy. 13:49 How do you balance empathy with financial responsibility?14:50 The digital tools being used to adapt to the changing lending landscape.17:44 How to navigate the current regulatory landscape. 20:47 How credit unions are rethinking their approach to managing delinquency and leveraging technology to strengthen member connections.22:11 Meeting the growing needs of your members while also preparing for a falling rate environment. 23:37 The challenges of retaining top talent and keeping them engaged. 25:27 How credit unions are evaluating opportunities while optimizing innovative tools and partnerships. 28:20 Testing new innovations to help enhance the digital member experience. 29:48 The role of data in improving operations and member experiences. 30:58 Looking ahead to the future.

Monday Nov 11, 2024
Beyond the Storms: Protecting Lenders in a Volatile Environment
Monday Nov 11, 2024
Monday Nov 11, 2024
In this episode of The Allied Angle, we discuss the rising risks facing auto lenders, especially in the wake of recent hurricanes Helene and Milton. Allied's Vice President Claim and REPO Plus Operations Scott Myers and 2nd Vice President RMO Product Management Mike Batchelor dive into the impacts on loan portfolios, the surge in GAP claims, and insurance rate hikes.
00:46 Meet Mike and Scott
04:25 The market trends most influencing auto loans and the risk landscape.
10:01 Why people don't talk about the high cost of auto insurance and the relationship between high insurance costs and high vehicle prices
11:55 The impact of natural disasters on everyone's insurance premiums and how they will affect future claims.
16:59 How financial institutions should adapt their collateral protection strategies to mitigate risks amid current market pressures.
21:00 The advantages of an insurance tracking program for financial institutions and the risks associated with not having one in place.
25:07 What financial institutions should lookout for when utilizing technology to optimize delinquency management and loss mitigation.
28:19 The most beneficial tools to help navigate the future of risk management.

Friday Oct 11, 2024
The High-Stakes World of CPI & GAP: Understanding the Regulatory Landscape
Friday Oct 11, 2024
Friday Oct 11, 2024
In this episode of The Allied Angle, Allied's Chief Legal Officer, Kelly Miller, and SVP Client Experience and Risk Management, Anne Holtzman, address the regulatory and compliance hurdles that lenders face when managing Collateral Protection Insurance (CPI) and Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) programs.
In this episode:
:40 Meet Anne and Kelly
5:46 The partnership between business and legal sides when it comes to risk management.
9:20 A brief history of CPI and the factors that have contributed to its current state.
18:24 How the regulatory landscape has changed regarding CPI and GAP.
25:38 The compliance challenges lenders face when managing their CPI and GAP programs.
30:06 The differences between federal and state regulations.
34:14 Why states don't necessarily follow federal regulations.
37:34 Litigation risks lenders face related to CPI and GAP.
42:09 Advice for lenders on mitigating the risk of class action lawsuits related to CPI and GAP product refunds.
44:39 Best practices for handling product refunds and potential regulatory penalties for not managing them properly.
48:11 Staying ahead of regulatory changes and avoiding penalties.
50:51 The future for risk management products and how lenders should prepare.

Friday Oct 11, 2024
Risk & Repos: The Current State of Auto Financing & Delinquencies
Friday Oct 11, 2024
Friday Oct 11, 2024
In this episode of The Allied Angle, Allied's VP of Recovery Services Brooks Stewart along with special guest Melinda Zabritski, Head of Automotive Financial Insights for Experian Automotive, join the show to discuss the rise of delinquency rates and the cost of buying a vehicle in today's market.
In this episode:
00:42 - Meet Brooks and Melinda
04:14 - The trends that are contributing to the rise in delinquency rates.
06:35 - How are FIs adapting their risk management strategies to adapt to the rising delinquency rates?
09:27 - The reasons behind the increased costs of purchasing a new vehicle.
14:45 - How consumers have responded to these increased costs.
17:39 - How are credit unions balancing competitive rates with the need to manage risk in the current market?
21:46 - The changing demographics of borrowers and the generational changes impacting the buying process.
26:33 - Are younger generations more likely to lease or buy?
28:05 - How these demographic changes are influencing lending strategies and product offerings.
30:33 - What impact have these younger generations had on delinquency rates?
35:47 - Predictions on what the future holds for both delinquency and auto finance rates.
38:07 - Advice for lenders on navigating this challenging time for auto lending.

Wednesday Aug 14, 2024
Getting B2B (Back2Branding)
Wednesday Aug 14, 2024
Wednesday Aug 14, 2024
The Allied Angle is back with Amy Level-Hearn, VP of Marketing & Communications. Tune in as she shares insights on the evolution of marketing in the financial sector, the importance of branding post-banking collapse and the rise of generative AI and digital transformation.
In this episode:
00:41 - Meet Amy Level-Hearn
03:33 - Amy's path to leading the marketing team for a company that supports financial institutions.
05:25 - How has the credit union industry changed from a marketing perspective?
08:13 - What are the marketing challenges financial institutions face today, even with the evolution of technology?
09:33 - The stressors a VP of Marketing faces.
12:44 - What goes into laying the foundation for a successful corporate brand?
16:56 - The main focus credit unions should have when building and maintaining a strong brand.
18:33 - How has the digital transformation impacted marketing strategies for FIs?
20:07 - How credit unions can use data to attract the attention of Millennials and Gen Z.
21:33 - What are some of the must have tools that any FI or credit union could benefit from?
23:02 - What current marketing trends are you stoked about?
24:39 - Marketing trends: Fab of Fad?
32:18 - What will marketing look like in the future?

Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
PART 2: Two Ears, One Mouth: Are you listening to your members?
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Lending is continually evolving and changing, but what are the top concerns facing financial institutions today regarding lending? Learn how leveraging data, technology, and the impact of AI is changing the lending landscape in this panel discussion featuring Allied Solutions’ Mark Rodriguez and Jack Imes, along with special guest Josh McAfee from Callahan & Associates. This episode is part 2 of 2 in our discussion.
In this episode:
00:27 What practices should FIs be adopting to handle these changes?
05:55 In this constantly changing landscape, what does the future of lending look like?
14:38 How borrowers attitudes and expectations are changing when it comes to delinquencies.
20:33 What FIs should do to keep their members in mind during difficult times, while keeping their portfolios in mind as well.
27:08 Advice you would give on how to navigate the current state of lending in 2024.

Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
PART 1: Two Ears, One Mouth: Are you listening to your members?
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Lending is continually evolving and changing, but what are the top concerns facing financial institutions today regarding lending? Learn how leveraging data, technology, and the impact of AI is changing the lending landscape in this panel discussion featuring Allied Solutions’ Mark Rodriguez and Jack Imes, along with special guest Josh McAfee from Callahan & Associates. This episode is part 1 of 2 in our discussion.
In this episode:
00:21 Meet Mark, Jack, and Josh!
05:05 The top 3 topics, or concerns, you're hearing from FIs in regard to lending.
09:23 Why lenders are so concerned. Should they be more concerned?
15:34 How has this list of concerns changed since the start of the pandemic?
20:42 How high interest rates and costs are affecting delinquencies.
27:38 Leveraging data to mitigate risks associated with delinquencies.
33:44 The impact of emerging technologies on delinquency rates, charge offs, and loan loss provisions.

Tuesday May 14, 2024
Ripe for Change: The Evolution of Financial Risk Management
Tuesday May 14, 2024
Tuesday May 14, 2024
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so the question is: How can you do more in that time to improve outcomes? Allied's Senior V.P. of Risk Management Operations, Doug Falvey, joins The Allied Angle to discuss innovation in RMO.
[:26] Meet Doug Falvey
[2:42] What is Risk Management Operations?
[5:13] What does "staying innovative" mean when it comes to RMO?
[7:45] The RMO team are problem solvers and solutions deliverers.
[9:45] What needs are you seeing from the market right now, and how often are they changing?
[11:30] How will AI impact RMO and what are the risks?
[13:08] How important is the user experience when it comes to RMO?
[15:16] New products are like fruit ripening in the field.
[18:17] Tell us about Asset Recovery Management (ARM) and why it was developed.

Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
Take Care of Borrowers and Keep Regulators at Bay
Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
Let's talk regulatory compliance. Governing bodies are cracking down on ancillary product refunds and more. Allied's Peter Krall joins us to dissect the regulations and discuss how financial institutions can keep their borrowers protected.
In this episode...
[:27] Meet Peter Krall
[4:20] What is Product Refund Liability?
[6:51] The state of Product Refund Liability in Q1 2024
[7:51] How do consumers know they could receive a refund?
[9:41] How are current market conditions affecting Product Refund Liability?
[11:53] What should be a top priority when dealing with increasing regulations?
[15:43] The conditions that caused the increased scrutiny from regulators.
[19:03] Allied's role as a leader in this period of increased regulations.
[20:12] Advice for an auto loan servicer navigating through the refund process.
[22:41] What can servicers do to reduce their risk?
[24:19] The role innovation plays in managing product refunds.
[27:50] Who regulates the dealers?
[29:02] The top challenges clients are facing.
[31:09] "Take care of your borrowers, or the regulators will take care of you."

Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Achieve Organizational Success Through a Coaching Culture
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
The financial industry is not immune to challenges in company culture and employee retention. That's why sales coaching, leadership training, and other key investments are critical to ensuring your financial institutions are set up for success. Allied's own Julie ann Wessinger, Director, Client Performance Strategies, joins the podcast to discuss the ROI benefits of improving your culture.
In this episode...
[:20] Meet Julie ann Wessinger
[2:51] What role has learning and development played since COVID, and why the increasing demand for it?
[3:22] The need for training and mentoring tools
[3:40] COVID and remote work shed the spotlight on the lack of sufficient management training.
[4:00] Managers are promoted many times with little or no formal training.
[4:58] Did you see that time (COVID) really weeding out a lot of managers?
[5:31] Are you seeing that companies are trying to get this coaching?
[6:08] Why cultural transformation is so vital and what challenges or gaps are you seeing?
[7:16] Employees need to embrace a growth mindset.
[7:49] Helping leaders understand how to communicate with diverse generations and styles.
[9:21] 88% ROI with training with coaching, can you explain that for us?
[10:26] How is technology changing the selling process for companies?
[11:50] When it comes to the salesperson, what kind of training and development are crucial to handling this new type of consumer?
[12:34] The ability to build genuine trust is more important for salespeople than ever.
[13:05] What business leaders are looking for in today’s landscape, and how does the salesperson of today provide value?
[14:51] Do you see the older generation of salespeople will retire earlier, or adapt to the new ways?
[15:59] Three pieces of advice for leading today’s salesperson

Grow. Protect. Evolve.
Partnering with financial institutions since 1978, we are focused on helping more than 4,000 clients grow or enhance their bottom line, protect their business and consumers, and evolve to stay ahead of the competition