The Future of Fintech Is Interdisciplinary
Systemic financial challenges are not easily solved with technology alone.
A Forbes article on the limitations of fintech caught my attention this week. In it, Nik Milanović delivered a needed reminder that systemic financial problems — wage gaps, lending discrimination, predatory banking, wealth inequality, the pink tax — are not easily solved with pure technology.
Why? These financial problems are symptomatic of bigger issues. As Nik says, “Poverty and inequality present themselves as financial problems, [but] the financial aspect is often symptom, not cause.”
Indeed, the behavioral elements of financial wellness especially require a different point of intervention to improve users’ lives. This reality is often obscured by the constant glitter and shine of what can be automated on a platform.
What are these bigger issues? Relationship functioning, mental health, physical health, family wealth or poverty legacy, education, career opportunities, and more. Relationship intimacy can’t be automated. Policy changes can’t be automated. Corporate responsibility can’t be automated.
Family, business, and government decisions require thought and cooperation. Cooperation between equality-minded technologists and social, philosophical, economic, and political scientists is needed to solve the social issues perpetuating these foundational, financial pressure points.
Annette Miller is the Cofounder and CEO of Enriched Couples, a financial therapy platform that uses psychology to guide couples through unifying their values, financial priorities, and future goals.