2026 Holiday IT Wish List - Part 5

For the 2026 edition of the annual Finopotamus “Holiday Tech Wish List” feature, we sat down with forward-looking fintech executives who shared their tech hopes and forecasted market realities for 2026. Due to a significant number of intriguing responses, this year’s Wish List will be presented in five consecutive installments.

Part 5 features insights from Samaha & Associates, Informed IQ, Ncontracts, Nymbus, Member Loyalty Group, DeepTarget and Rapid Finance.

By W.B. King

Sabeh Samaha, founder and CEO of Samaha & Associates, wishes that credit unions increase their competitive edge by gaining more market share through “highly attractive and intuitive electronic delivery channels,” as well as better developing defenses against digital fraud and hacking.

“I think improvements will come but will be limited by the offerings available to credit unions at this time,” Samaha said of the likelihood of his wish coming to fruition. “The hope is that offerings will continue to evolve as fast as those from very large financial institutions who are able to develop them internally.”

The Miami-based Samaha & Associates works collaboratively with financial institutions to develop, manage, and execute technology-related optimization strategies. Samaha explained that the firm specializes in vendor searches, negotiations, and comprehensive end-to-end implementations for core systems, cards and payment systems, digital banking, and lending systems. Other services, he added, include mergers and acquisitions, process improvement and implementations, revenue optimization, comprehensive technology planning, business resumption planning and special projects.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, Samaha noted: “My hope always is that the credit union industry will flourish because I truly believe in its ethos. To do that in the digital age, we need to be best-in-class at both product and support levels in digitization—in addition to the traditional offerings as well.”

Informed IQ’s Vice President of Customer Success in Lending Jessica Gonzalez wishes more credit unions adopt modern verification systems that can detect cross-institutional fraud patterns.

“Modern verification platforms examine transaction timing, cross-reference document authenticity, and tap into cross-lender intelligence networks to catch fraud that manual review misses,” she told Finopotamus. “These systems process applications in seconds while creating the audit trails and transparency that compliance teams need, helping credit unions to protect portfolios, reduce losses, and strengthen compliance outcomes.”

The Belvedere Tiburon, Calif.-based fintech offers a solution that instantly verify applicants and reduce fraud with historical loan data and AI, Gonzalez explained.

In her estimation, her wish has a good chance of coming true. “The current market is making advanced verification unavoidable. Last year, auto-lending fraud losses reached approximately $9.2 billion, the highest ever recorded, with some experts warning of even greater losses for 2025,” she continued. “Adding to this, December often sees increased fraud across all lending from year-end sales pressure, aggressive funding targets, and seasonal staffing adjustments, creating conditions where verification shortcuts increase and fraud detection weakens. Industry analysis shows that fraud undetected during December peak periods often translates directly into first-quarter losses.”

Looking past the first quarter, Gonzalez told Finopotamus that she hopes that credit unions gain access to the same sophisticated fraud detection capabilities that “major lenders” have successfully deployed.

“The best verification technologies are already helping large auto lenders detect complex fraud schemes, and credit unions should benefit from these same innovations,” she said. “Modern platforms can provide community institutions with enterprise-level fraud intelligence while preserving member privacy.”

Rafael DeLeon, SVP of industry engagement at Ncontracts, wishes that financial institutions (FIs) integrate compliance automation that eliminates manual spreadsheet management and transforms compliance from a reactive function into a strategic competitive advantage.

“Our latest survey of 183 institutions reveals that manual compliance processes are creating a dangerous performance gap,” he said. “Institutions relying on spreadsheets report seven times more examiner concerns and four times lower satisfaction with strategic involvement compared to their automated peers.”

Based in Nashville, Tenn., Ncontracts provides risk management and compliance solutions for financial services companies, including credit unions.

Implementation of his wish varies dramatically by institution size, but the urgency, he said, is universal based on several key factors, including lean staffing, budget pressure, and succession planning.

“Credit unions that embrace compliance automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will establish sustainable competitive advantages in risk management, operational

efficiency and regulatory relationships. This means institutions must shift from viewing compliance as a cost center to recognizing it as a strategic differentiator that drives organizational trust and operational excellence,” he continued. “Early adopters of compliance technology are already demonstrating superior examination readiness, resource optimization and strategic alignment with institutional goals.”

Jeffery Kendall, chairman and CEO of Nymbus, wishes that credit unions recognize that core modernization isn't about upgrading legacy technology – it's about seeking platforms built for the future.

“Modern, cloud-native platforms with built-in AI capabilities eliminate the manual workarounds that slow innovation, streamline integration processes that make M&A successful, and provide the digital infrastructure that today's growth strategies demand,” he said.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nymbus bills itself as offering best-in-class products and services that provide a modern alternative to traditional business models for banks and credit unions.

“Legacy cores hold credit unions back while modern banking platforms offer proven cloud-native infrastructure, comprehensive integration capabilities, and AI-ready architecture that meets regulatory standards,” he noted. “Institutions can even implement sidecar core environments to test new digital offerings without risking their entire operation, providing a pathway to modernization that balances innovation with operational security.”

For 2026, Kendall’s hopes credit unions pursue core modernization as a transformational opportunity. “The retirement of many legacy platforms over the next 12-36 months creates unprecedented disruption, but credit unions should leverage this transition to migrate to next-generation cores designed for growth and innovation, gaining competitive advantages they would never achieve with another legacy system,” he continued. “Modern cores will make it easier for credit unions to leverage data, automate routine work, strengthen compliance, and improve fraud prevention and member experiences.”

Member Loyalty Group CEO Michelle Bloedorn wishes that credit unions deploy technology that accelerates member experience improvements, without losing what makes credit unions different.

“With AI, digital wallets and fintech competition continuing to reshape expectations, the opportunity isn’t just to digitize, but to design systems that help staff and systems understand members better, anticipate their needs earlier, and act faster across every journey,” she told Finopotamus. “Whether it’s AI tools that surface patterns in feedback, platforms that reduce journey friction, or automation that eliminates repetitive staff tasks, the goal should be to simplify, personalize, and humanize the experience.”

The Vernon Hills, Ill. -based Member Loyalty Group, which serves more than 200 credit union clients, was established to solve a common credit union problem: measuring, managing and taking action on member feedback, noted Bloedorn.

When Finopotamus asked if her wish would come true, Bloedorn said she is cautiously optimistic. “Many credit unions are actively working to modernize and explore new platforms, especially around analytics, journey measurement, and AI-powered tools. But progress isn’t always linear,” she continued. “Legacy system complexity, regulatory pressure, and the sheer velocity of tech innovation can make prioritization difficult. The biggest challenge may be focus, and with so many options, it’s easy to chase features instead of asking, ‘Does this improve the member experience in a measurable way?’”

Her hope for 2026 is that credit unions continue to lead with purpose by “delivering experiences that feel personal, responsive, and deeply human,” even as the financial landscape becomes more digital.

“Being member‑driven must remain the north star. Technology is simply the means rather than the mission. Credit unions were created so members could work together to ensure fair, affordable access to financial services and support one another’s financial well‑being,” she said. “The real goal is to use modern tools to strengthen that cooperative promise, now, when many of our members need it most.”

DeepTarget CEO Preetha Pulusani wishes that credit unions move beyond "digital transformation" and fully embrace “intelligent revenue automation,” making the use of data and AI pervasive across every single member touchpoint.

“Leveraging this technology to enhance member experiences while simultaneously growing retention and revenue. For too long, ‘personalization’ has just been a buzzword. My wish is for 2026 to be the year credit unions finally use their rich data to drive intelligent, real-time decisions that improve member experiences in both physical and digital ‘branches’ while increasing retention and revenue,” she said. “When a member walks into a branch or logs into an app, the experience should be seamless, predictive, and uniquely theirs.”

The Huntsville, Ala.-based fintech offers FIs solutions to increase loan demand, promote product adoption and support intelligent marketing through advanced data mining and analytics.

Noting that the technology to make her wish come true exists, for it to be fully realized, proactive credit union leadership is required. “The challenge lies in credit union leaders recognizing that AI and data utilization are no longer ‘nice-to-haves’ but existential necessities,” she shared. “The risk isn't in trying new technology; the risk is in getting left behind in a financial services environment where competitors are already using these tools to win over members.”

Explaining that she has been fortunate to work with “highly progressive credit union leaders who are already writing the playbook for the future,” Pulusani hopes to see a "contagious collaboration" in 2026. “Where these leaders actively spread their knowledge and success stories to their peers, reinforcing the cooperative spirit that defines this industry. When peers see results, it inspires the industry to open their eyes to new possibilities and to modernize.”

Will Tumulty, CEO at Rapid Finance, wishes that more credit unions implement embedded finance capabilities to make their small to medium-sized business (SMB) lending initiatives more accessible.

“Rather than managing all aspects of the SMB lending process (i.e., underwriting, risk assessment and loan servicing), credit unions should consider partnering with third-party providers specializing in purpose-built platforms for these areas,” he said. “Traditionally, credit unions and other financial institutions shy away from SMB lending due to the cost and tediousness of building their own infrastructure and systems. Through embedded finance, credit unions can effectively scale their infrastructure without heavy investment and add fully formed SMB lending programs to their portfolios without developing new systems.”

Based in Bethesda, Md., Rapid Finance bills itself at offering fast, flexible funding solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S., including credit unions.

“I believe credit unions are getting closer to this becoming a reality, but it really boils down to an institution’s technology selection,” he said of his wish. “The market is flooded with third-party vendors offering similar services and products, which makes it difficult for credit unions to choose the ones that best serve their SMB financing needs. Integration and risk tolerance are another major obstacle.” He added that depending on the technology a credit union implements, it can be challenging to integrate new systems into older infrastructure. 

For 2026, he hopes more credit unions can “pair that strength with technology solutions that let them serve SMB members quickly and without friction.” He continued. “SMB owners often need capital at a moment’s notice to maintain or grow their businesses, and it makes sense that they would want fast applications, clear decisions and less paperwork. Credit unions can deliver that, but not if they try to build every process internally since the operational burden is too high.”