Financial institutions face constant pressure to expand their product suite. A new rewards card. A new lending product. A new digital feature. The instinct is often to add more in order to compete. But recent data suggests the answer isn’t more products, it’s better alignment.
According to research by FIS, 47% of consumers say their top priority is access to a single platform where they can manage all of their financial services activity across providers. That statistic is telling; consumers aren’t asking for a broader menu, they’re asking for cohesion.
The financial institutions that win won’t necessarily be those with the most offerings. They’ll be the ones that understand how their account holders actually behave and act accordingly.
Feedback is helpful. Behavior is definitive.
Traditional product strategy often relies on surveys and direct feedback. While that provides useful insight, it only captures stated preferences, not actual financial movement.
Behavior tells the real story.
For example, 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. Nearly six in ten hold a checking account with their fintech brokerage firm, half maintain a savings account and one-third carry a credit card from that same provider.
Investing becomes the entry point, engagement becomes the anchor and over time, deposits and loyalty follow. This doesn’t happen because account holders announce they’re leaving. It happens quietly, through recurring transfers heading outside of the financial institution, new habits and convenience.
The implications are measurable and for financial institutions willing to examine the outflow data closely, the signals are already there.
Start with an asset outflow analysis
Before deciding to add a new product, financial institutions should know where account holders' money is going when it leaves the institution.
An asset outflow analysis can reveal things like:
- The most common external transfer destinations
- Frequency and volume of recurring transfers
- Generational differences in deposit movement
- Whether funds are leaving for investing, high-yield savings, crypto, or lending platforms
This kind of review moves strategy from assumption to evidence. The strategic question isn’t “what can we add?” It’s “what are our account holders already trying to do somewhere else?”
For example, if account holders disengage during major financial milestones, simplifying lending workflows may have more impact than expanding loan options. If account holders are sending deposits to third party investing platforms, adding another rewards checking product won’t solve that, but embedding digital investing within the existing banking experience might.
When leadership teams can see patterns clearly, prioritization becomes easier and product decisions become grounded in observable behavior.
Designing around real financial lives
Account holders don’t think in product silos. They think in goals: building wealth, buying homes, managing debt, planning for the future. They want visibility and control without juggling multiple apps.
At InvestiFi, our approach follows this same principle. We analyze how consumers move money, where friction occurs and where deposits migrate. That insight shapes how we support financial institutions in introducing the right services, in the right place, within their existing digital ecosystems.
Sustainable growth doesn’t come from expanding the catalog; it comes from identifying behavioral gaps, prioritizing strategically and building solutions that reflect how account holders actually manage their financial lives.
Author Bio:
Albert joined InvestiFi as a seasoned veteran in the credit union space with over 10 years experience. He was the Vice President of Deposits and Business Relations at CapEd Credit Union where he was responsible for the strategic planning of the deposits portfolio and applicable revenue streams. In his nearly a decade of experience at CapEd, he oversaw Treasury Management, Consumer Deposits Operations, Quality Assurance and Wealth Management. He also served as a member of CapEd Credit Union’s Asset and Liability Management Committee which was responsible for effective balance sheet management to mitigate risks, optimize profitability and achieve strategic objectives for the credit union. Prior to CapEd, he was AVP, Treasury Management for Zions Bank where he optimized revenue generation within assigned portfolios.
