Friends are creating joint bank accounts for shared experiences and financial goals—a trend inspired by TikTok creator Mad Machen, per NBC News. That means there’s customer demand for shared savings tools that simplify group spending and reinforce social bonds, moving beyond the traditional household-only joint account. To capitalize on this, banks could offer a safer, next-generation product like a dedicated group savings fund. This solution would allow friends to collaboratively save, track contributions, and spend for a shared goal (like a trip) while legally protecting all participants by clearly defining individual ownership and liability.

The news: AI startup Anthropic raised a staggering $13 billion, tripling its valuation to $183 billion, per CNBC. This momentum is driven by enterprise demand for Claude, Anthropic’s AI assistant, and a rapidly expanding customer base that now tops 300,000 businesses. The company’s annual revenues have also jumped fivefold in 2025 to $5 billion. Our take: Anthropic’s ascent is setting a new standard for AI startups—spurring rivals like Perplexity, Mistral, Intelligent Machines, and Safe Superintelligence to chase scale through aggressive fundraising, not quick exits. The message: In this market, go big or get left behind.

The news: Over 78% of internet users globally use at least one fintech service monthly, with user penetration expected to surpass 80% by the end of the year, per Coinlaw data. Our take: Traditional financial institutions (FIs) must act now to stay competitive against fintechs’ continued popularity, particularly with younger generations. We’re already seeing fintech checking account openings outpacing those at traditional FIs. The threat will rise further as digital-only competitors start looking increasingly like banks in the products and services they offer and licenses they acquire. Customer-centric journeys are the key to traditional FIs staying relevant.

The news: In-car voice commerce has the potential to unlock a $35 billion annual opportunity for automakers, according to new research by in-car voice technology provider SoundHound AI. The hands-free tech integrates voice ordering, payments, and navigation directly into vehicles—transforming them into mobile commerce hubs that users are already familiar with. Key takeaway: Marketers and advertisers should prepare for a shift in automotive user interface by integrating voice-first campaigns into connected car ecosystems. Opportunities include forging partnerships with automakers and service providers for branded voice experiences, sponsored suggestions, and frictionless ordering while prioritizing transparency to satisfy safety regulators.

As genAI tools grow more complex, error rates climb—raising red flags for marketers who now face mounting risks from inaccurate, overconfident outputs.

With iPhone prices poised to spike, Apple’s supply chain edge offers a short reprieve, but panic buying reveals deeper economic fears taking hold

Influencers are advising people to take their money from banks and deposit it with a credit union.

Voluntary buyouts in its Platforms and Devices unit suggest a pivot toward AI and cloud as its hardware struggles in a saturated market with slowing upgrade cycles.

By 2026, nine streaming services will generate over $1 billion in ad revenue, up from just two in 2020, according to EMARKETER’s forecast. To build that revenue, players across the connected TV (CTV) space are eyeing more ad dollars, which will have a significant effect on marketing budgets and consumer experiences.

As open banking nears, financial institutions should be thinking about its impact on customers who likely bank elsewhere, too.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what the biggest trend of 2024 will be when it comes to how consumers will spend their time—and money—and what the biggest opportunities for advertisers will be as a result. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and vice president of Briefings Jennifer Pearson.

US ad spend dropped 8.0% YoY in February, according to a MediaPost analysis of Standard Media Index’s US Ad Market Tracker. That marks eight months of consecutive YoY decline as part of a trend that began in July 2022.

From streaming to ad measurement and privacy, 2023 will be a year of transformation. Here are four changes we expect in the new year.