From boom to bust: considerations for the securities lending industry

Disruption of incumbents has accelerated in recent decades as a secular trend across all sectors of the economy. This trend is evident in the average tenure of companies in the S&P 500 Index. The average lifespan of a US S&P 500 company used to be 67 years. Now it’s 15 and expected to shorten further.¹ Additionally, information technology companies in 1969 made up a small portion of the S&P 500, only 16 firms, but now tech firms dominate the sector. This shift portends even more disruption in the future as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and quantum computing have the potential to remake markets and reshape operating models. 

President Trump signs the nation’s first federal digital asset regulation into law

On July 18, 2025, President Trump signed into law the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act, also known as the GENIUS Act. The GENIUS Act marks the first US federal law providing a broad legal framework for digital assets products, including oversight and requirements for payment stablecoins. In doing so, it aims to establish an environment that encourages responsible innovation and adoption by establishing prudential, risk management, and compliance requirements.

How can reimagining today's workforce help banks shape their future?

A high-performance bank needs a high-performing workforce, with dynamic talent, modern employee value propositions and advanced systems that engage and bring out the best in all workers.

In response to economic pressures and market uncertainty, many banks are focused on reducing their labor expenses. But cost-cutting isn’t the answer at a time when banks face critical talent shortages in key domains. Rather, banks can redirect talent investments to drive more value for the business and build a strategic and high-impact people function.

Stablecoins: adoption, optimism and regulatory clarity

The passage of the GENIUS Act marks a turning point in the evolution of digital payment infrastructure and transaction processing. By providing a framework for regulatory clarity, it unlocks new opportunities to reduce costs, accelerate transaction speed and improve liquidity across corporate, cross-border and consumer payments. Stablecoins — powered by blockchain and backed by real-world assets like cash and U.S. Treasuries — are emerging as a new tool for growth and innovation in global financial markets. 

While the U.S. Senate debated this landmark legislation, EY-Parthenon team surveyed 350 corporate and financial services executives to assess their plans, optimism and current usage of stablecoins. The results confirmed what many suspect

Addressing AI bias: a human-centric approach to fairness

Despite the amazing advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), and in particular, in large language models, AI still relies on humans for creation and regulation because people can recognize when AI doesn’t have the full picture — or worse, when it portrays a flawed or false picture. Bias can sneak into AI systems, potentially rendering the systems harmful to people and society.

Bias in AI systems refers to systematic and unfair discrimination that arises from the design, development and deployment of AI technologies. It can manifest in various forms, including algorithmic bias, data bias and human bias, leading to outcomes that disproportionately affect certain groups of people based on characteristics such as race, gender, age or socioe

Five ways banking CROs are increasing agility

Given the fluidity in risk priorities and the variety of stakeholders (including boards, business leaders and regulators) chief risk officers (CROs) must support and satisfy, agility has become more important to effective risk management today. The 2024 EY/Institute of International Finance (IIF) global bank risk management survey of CROs provides insights into how CROs are seeking to instill that agility in their operations. These efforts are multi-dimensional – involving enhanced policies, controls and frameworks, as well as new processes, technology and talent. These proactive actions will better prepare CROs and business leaders to respond more rapidly and purposefully to shifts in the risk landscape and other market developments. 

The Path Forward for Fair Credit Scoring Competition

With changes underway at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, what could competition between credit score models mean for mortgage bankers?

By Julie May

FICO® Score 10T Decisively Beats VantageScore 4.0 on Predictability

An analysis by FICO data scientists has found that FICO Score 10T significantly outperforms VantageScore 4.0 in mortgage origination predictive power. 

By Jim Wehmann

FICO® Score Credit Insights: Trends and intelligence for the credit economy

The FICO® Score Credit Insights report is a biannual publication designed to be the definitive source for credit score benchmarks and insights into the U.S. credit economy. Drawing from proprietary analytics of quarterly credit data and a FICO-sponsored consumer survey, this report delivers a comprehensive view of U.S. consumer credit health, awareness, and behaviors – both above and below the surface.

FICO® Score 10T Materially Outperforms VantageScore 4.0

New analysis proves FICO® Score 10T’s superior performance for homebuyers, mortgage lenders and investors. This white paper reveals how FICO® Score 10T – the company’s most predictive and inclusive credit scoring model to date – overwhelmingly outperforms VantageScore 4.0 in mortgage origination predictive power.

• FICO® Score 10T overwhelmingly beats VantageScore 4.0 on predictability
• Based on enhanced prediction, use of FICO® Score 10T rather than VantageScore 4.0 will drive significantly more loan approvals for prospective borrowers and lower costs for borrowers
• VantageScore's comparison analysis used Truncated Data, creating an illusion of significant lift versus FICO

Reimagining the future of banking with agentic AI

Agentic AI is coming of age. And with it comes new opportunities in the financial services sector. Banks are increasingly employing agentic AI to optimize processes, navigate complex systems, and sift through vast quantities of unstructured data to make decisions and take actions—with or without human involvement. “With the maturing of agentic AI, it is becoming a lot more technologically possible for large-scale process automation that was not possible with rules-based approaches like robotic process automation before,” says Sameer Gupta, Americas financial services AI leader at EY. “That moves the needle in terms of cost, efficiency, and customer experience impact.”

Four regulatory priorities to drive financial institutions' focus in 2025

The ground beneath the feet of banks and financial services firms is always shifting. However, the past year has seen a convergence of risk factors that together make the outlook for 2025 particularly uncertain.

Globally, elections – culminating in the US election on November 5 – have provided a key vector for change, pushing policy in new directions that directly impact the role of the finance industry. Increased trade and geostrategic friction between the US and China appear baked in for 2025, alongside much greater use of tariffs. Risks in the Middle East and Ukraine remain elevated, while continuing concerns in many economies over weak growth and lingering inflation are likely to see financial firms drawn deeper into governments’ growth

Unlocking AI insights: how AI is transforming financial services

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the landscape for financial services leaders by delivering both cost savings and enhancing customer experience. Agentic AI, the next wave of innovation, promises business process orchestration and autonomous digital employees. While progress has been made, challenges remain on the road to fully realizing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

An EY team conducted a broad, cross-sector survey in the first half of 2025 that included leaders in wealth and asset management, retail and commercial banking, and insurance. The aim was to better understand how these firms are exploring and/or implementing GenAI applications. We’ve segmented the results by sector to illustrate the unique differences

How AI in banking can result in major transformative benefits

Generative AI (GenAI) continues to rapidly evolve, driving significant investment and optimism across banking institutions. The 2025 edition of the EY-Parthenon Generative AI in Banking survey reveals substantial progress since 2023, with 77% of banks having now actively launched or soft-launched GenAI applications vs. 61% in 2023. Concurrently, interest in agentic AI is gaining traction, attracting resources and attention. 

Digital audit | Insights, case studies & services | EY - US

The EY Digital Audit delivers more than market-leading technology — it’s the catalyst for new perspectives within the audit. Powered by our EY Helix analyzers and connected technology platform, our auditors are equipped to ask better questions, drive continuous improvement and execute high-quality audits. 

Industry is our edge. What will be left of financial services tomorrow?

A storm is brewing in global finance. As capital fractures from geopolitical tensions, technological advancements and demographic trends, the boundaries of global commerce are being redrawn and financial services business models have to adapt. Not only are there more variables in play than usual, but the sector’s pace of change (adaptation) is increasing to a speed never imagined. Executives are trying to manage through the complexities of a multi-shock world where the only thing firms can be certain of is uncertainty.

The Coexistence Imperative: Bridging Traditional Finance and Emerging Digital Asset Infrastructure

In this article, DTCC’s Nadine Chakar, Managing Director and Head of DTCC Digital Assets, explores the integration of tokenization within traditional financial systems to modernize markets enhancing efficiency, compliance and access, while maintaining vital legal and regulatory protections.

2025 J.S. Held Global Risk Report

The recommended focus for businesses in 2025 across the global landscape is adaptation, driven by political transitions, technological advancements, evolving operational risks, anticipated regulatory shifts, and changing economic conditions.

Through our work advising Fortune 100 companies, Global 200 law firms, top insurance companies, financial institutions, and government agencies – and understanding some of the most impactful topics on people’s minds, along with the external factors expected to influence organizations – we have curated insights to help clients navigate risks and capitalize on emerging opportunities this year.

Trading beyond the bell: Strategic and operational impacts of 24/5 trading

As global capital flows surge and investor demand for real-time access intensifies, the move toward 24/5 trading is reshaping the landscape for market participants, regulators, and technology providers alike. Deloitte’s latest article explores how extended trading hours could unlock new liquidity, reduce overnight risk, and drive global competitiveness—while also introducing fresh challenges in operations, compliance, and risk management. Discover how AI and automation are poised to play a pivotal role in navigating this transformation, and what strategies firms should consider to stay ahead in an always-on marketplace.

Making Sense of Corporate Shareholder Communications for Clients

Chris Nobles, in WealthManagement.com’s 2025 Midyear Outlook, highlights that modern technology streamlines shareholder communications, increasing investor confidence and reducing anxiety.

No matter what the rest of 2025 brings, advisors can give investors financial peace of mind with innovative technology.

Historically, our industry’s concept of investor communications has revolved around the broad idea of “shareholder engagement”—distributing proxy materials and encouraging investors to vote and participate in annual meetings. But investors often don’t understand the shareholder documents they receive, or how the corporate actions outlined in these documents affect their portfolios.