Bank of America

The Best of BAI Retail Delivery 2009

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: ANZ Bank, BAI Retail Delivery, Bank of America, Market Research & Metrics

imageLast week, I attended the BAI Retail Delivery conference in Boston (for more background on the event, see note 1). I enjoyed the show tremendously.

What’s not to like? Famous speakers, new products, several thousand attendees, statistics galore, and a floor filled with new bank tech. For me, the only disappointments were the non-industry keynoters, who are not why I attend, but are something to tell your friends and family about when you get home (note 2).

Like last year, I’ll cut to the chase and hand out my personal awards for the event. I saw only a tiny fraction of the companies, so the list below shows merely my favorites culled from about two dozen company interviews. 

The Netbanker awards

  • Biggest buzz: Person-to-person payments (we’ll cover it in Online Banking Report soon) 
    Runner up: Mobile banking and payments
  • Most likely to make the cover of FastCompany: Cardlytics (will cover next week)
  • New solution most likely to be used by 1000 financial institutions: Continuity Engine’s semi-automated, compliance task-management service
    Least likely: Microsoft Surface, as cool as it looks, I just don’t see banks deploying it in large numbers
  • Most audacious business plan: Moneta, winner of this very award last year, but did indeed appear in Boston with a major client win, SunTrust (see Celent’s Jacob Jegher’s not-at-all enthusiastic post on the announcement)
  • Best ah-ha moment: When Joe Salesky, Clairmail founder, observed that mobile banking is a 100% solution, meaning it’s for every customer NOT just the half that do online banking
  • Biggest surprise: The buzz around person-to-person payments and relative lack of buzz around online PFM
  • Most-talked-about vendor without a booth: PayPal which announced partnerships with three large bank tech companies: S1, FIS, and First Data’s STAR unit
  • Coolest online feature, not yet available: Credit card available-balance meter displayed directly on the user’s PC desktop, powered by Worklight
  • Coolest new GUI feature: Fiserv’s ebill snapshots
  • Best demo (I’d not seen before): Dynamic Card Solution’s instant issue of a credit card with my picture on it along with a background image I chose from hundreds available
  • Best-attended breakout session (that I attended): Checking 2.0 which analyzed what the product might look like if NSF/OD fee revenues are materially limited
  • Best number: From the opening remarks by BAI director, Debbie Bianucci: According to BAI research five years ago, one-third of consumers preferred to deal with their bank remotely; now, two-thirds do
    Runner up: Bank of America’s Doug Brown revealed in his presentation that BofA has 3.5 million active mobile banking users (see recent monthly growth below)image
  • Scariest number: A prediction from Sherief Meleis (Novantas) that new regulation could wipe out 20% to 40% of total checking account revenue
  • Missing in action: Security solutions
  • Coolest new event technology: Real-time text voting in the Checking 2.0 session
    Runner up: Wifi available conference-wide for the first time ever
  • Most intriguing co-brand opportunity: Getting the bank logo on PayPal messaging (FIS, S1) to payment recipients or during payment sessions (FirstData STAR)
  • Product I most wanted to use now: Digital Insight’s (Intuit) FinanceWorks with Turbotax integration
  • Best screenshot: Lamping on the iPhone (powered by ClairMail); I call it the “little red number” superimposed over iPhone icons, that tells you how many messages are available (see inset)
    Runner up: Worklight’s visualization of its widget running in four environments with essentially the same GUI (see below)
  • Best party: Geezeo’s blowout at Lucky’s
  • Best freebie on the floor: Fresh lemonade from the wonderful people with a booth by the front entrance
  • Netbanker spotting: Quote in BofA’s Doug Brown’s Powerpoint regarding BofA threepeat (in the mobile marketplaces)

And I’m always collecting usage stats and other numerical detritus delivered during the presentations. Here are my notes with (source in parenthesis):

  • 27% of U.S. households are now mobile only (Doug Brown, BofA)
  • New mobile customers at BofA last 3 months: 150,000 (Sep); 210,000 (Aug); 220,000 (July) (Doug Brown, BofA)
  • In U.S. and worldwide, text message volume has surpassed voice call volume (Doug Brown, BofA)
  • 99% of mobile users view balances, 90% view transaction detail, about $10 billion of funds have been moved via mobile transfers/bill pay; 15 million location-based searches being performed (annual run rate)
  • BofA has 35% of all mobile banking users (Doug Brown, citing ComScore numbers in 2009)
  • BofA has added 150,000 new checking accounts due to mobile offering
  • BofA seeing voice calls decline among mobile users, but online banking usage holding steady
  • In pilot, 94% of the users of TurboTax within FinanceWorks chose their host banks to deposit tax refunds (Digital Insight/Intuit)
  • More than 50% of iPhone users have used mobile banking in past 30 days (Javelin Strategy)
  • 33% of mobile banking users monitor accounts daily, 80% wee
    kly (Javelin)
  • Customer willingness to pay fees for (Novantas):
    — Teller transactions 8%
    — Bill pay 12%
    — Mobile banking 12%
    — Paper statement 19%
    — ID protection 27% 
  • At ANZ, 65% of its Yodlee-powered PFM (launched Oct 2008) users visit daily; 89% visit weekly (Doug Brown, ANZ; not a typo, there really were two Doug Browns)
  • 81% of its PFM users rated the service at least 7 points on 10-point scale (31% rated 9 or 10; 50% rated 7 or 8)
  • ANZ’s PFM is a standalone free service that can be used by anyone; so far, 20% are non-ANZ customers; the business case for the service was built on customer acquisition, but they also may charge certain users for certain functions
  • Yodlee-powered PFM users spend twice as much time online at the bank than regular users, and only 1.5% leave the bank each year compared to 7% of regular online banking customers 
  • Worklight case study results:
    — 8% to 15% of online customers install widgets within the first year
    — 95% of widget users are active
    — Customers conducted 15 to 30 sessions/month via widgets

Worklight widgets running on a variety of platforms (4 Nov 2009)

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Notes:
1. About BAI Retail Delivery Conference 2009
BAI Retail Delivery is an annual rite of passage for bank tech strategies, delivery system analysts, and product managers. At the peak, in 1999/2000, there were as many as 10,000 people there (attendees + exhibitors) and close to 500 exhibitors stretching perhaps three or four city blocks in each direction through cavernous exhibit halls. It was a little like Times Square but without the highrises. Some exhibitors had massive 10,000 square foot booths filled with hardware. And the show-floor routinely sold out.

Financial institutions brought teams of people to pour over the new machines and software solutions, be inspired at the general sessions where Bill Gates, Roll Perot, Scott Cook, and other tech-industry luminaries showed up to win over the bankers.

Fast-forward a decade. It’s still an awesome event which I highly recommend. I thoroughly enjoyed every conversation I had and most every session I attended. But the event has downsized considerably. This year, you could walk across the exhibit hall in a few minutes. And if you wanted to, you could have spent five minutes with all 180 companies during the show hours. That would have been impossible last year with around 300 exhibitors. But all-in-all, I’d say there was more energy on the floor this year because the attendee per square foot ratio seemed much better.

2. Unfortunately, on Thursday both Al Gore (planned) and Jack Welch (unplanned back problems) phoned in their keynote addresses via sat-link.

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Numbers: Remote Deposit Penetration at Randolph-Brooks FCU

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Bank of America, Best of the Web, Market Research & Metrics, Mobile Banking, mShift, Remote Deposit Capture, USAA

image In an article in today’s Austin Business Journal about the coming launch of mShift-powered mobile remote deposit at Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, the CU revealed its penetration number in its EasCorp-powered, home-scanner-based service, eDeposits:

Total members: 300,000
Total checking account customers: 202,000
% of checking using remote deposit: 5%
Number of remote deposit users: 10,000 (derived)
% of members using remote deposit: 3+% (derived)

The San Antonio, TX-based credit union expects more mobile users than in-home users. The product, which debuted at Finovate on Sep. 29, is currently being tested with employees before it rolls out to select customers.

imageUSAA was the first major financial institution to launch mobile remote deposits in August.  But WV United beat them to market in July earning our OBR Best in the Web award. And this week, speaking at BAI Retail Delivery, Bank of America’s Doug Brown was bullish on the feature, leading many to believe that the giant would add the feature to its mobile offering at some point (see note). And if that happens, it’s not inconceivable the feature could show up in television commercials, either from BofA or Apple.

Note:
1. In response to an audience question after his presentation, Brown said that the bank was seeing 1 million envelope-free deposits made at ATMs every day, and “there was an obvious use-case in mobile”. Note that he did not specifically say, or even directly imply, that BofA would launch it, but he also didn’t dismiss the idea. 

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myFICO Forum Wins 2009 Forrester Groundswell Award

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Bank 2.0, Bank of America, Intuit, Social Media

image Fair Isaac’s popular forum (powered by Lithium; screenshot below) which supports its myFICO retail credit score/report unit, took first prize among 16 entrants in the Business-to-Consumer Supporting category in the recent Forrester Groundswell awards (winners list).

The Groundswell awards are based on business results using various social technologies. In total there are 16 categories.

The myFICO forum is currently receiving:

  • 120,000 unique visitors in Sep 2009, up almost three-fold from a year ago (see chart below)
  • 20,000 new posts added each month…with more than 500,000 posts archived
  • 400,000 searches per month
  • 10,000 new registered users per month

image According to information supplied with the application, the forum is helping Fair Isaac in the following ways:

  • Lowering call-center volumes: Total call center volume was down 1% in 2008 compared to a 23% gain the prior year.
  • Reducing call-center talk time: 10% of callers are referred to the forum for more information and/or help from other users.
  • Driving traffic: Traffic to myFICO.com from the forum equals about 40% of the volume from search engines.
  • Improving sales: The average amount spent by a customer grows by two-thirds after they join the forum and 13% of all myFICO sales online involve a forum view.

While myFICO was the only financial services winner, Bank of America was one of four finalists among 23 entries in the B2C Talking category for its Morris on Campus student-banking campaign as was MasterCard Brazil for What’s Priceless to You? 

Significance to Netbankers: myFICO’s busy forum shows that despite the proliferation of blogs and social media, an old-school online forum is a good way to build a community and off-load the tech support burden. Of course, forums don’t run themselves, and you’ll spend a considerable time moderating them. But considering the alternative, it’s an expense worth considering, especially if community-building is part of your strategic goals. Intuit has also had great success with its community forums, attracting 130,000 monthly unique users (see chart below).

myFICO forums (link, 29 Oct 2009)

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Website traffic for myFICO and Intuit forums from Compete (link, 29 Oct 2009)

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For more info:

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Bank of America Offering 1 Year Free McAfee Internet Security at Online Banking Logout

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Advertising & Promotion, Bank of America, Login/logoff marketing, Security & Privacy

image This is one of the most valuable freebies I’ve ever been offered simply for being a customer. Bank of America online banking customers, new or existing, are being given a one-year free subscription to McAfee, worth $70 at retail.

The fine print is relatively clear (reprinted below, after the screenshot). The main “catches:”

  • Must not have a current McAfee subscription (see Results below)
  • The subscription auto-renews at $34.98/yr, a 50% discount
  • While in progress, the BofA offer never mentions number of users covered (the normal $69.99 subscription from McAfee covers three users, see note 1); however, during checkout, after accepting BofA’s offer, the product description confirms three users are covered with the subscription

Bank of America is also publicizing the offer on its main website (here). To accept, users must log in to online banking first.

Results: I signed up for the account this morning and was surprised to find that you are not required to use Bank of America for payment. In fact, BofA is never mentioned again after leaving the original landing page (see second screenshot). The McAfee cart offered the usual choice of Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal and others. 

Opportunity for financial institutions: Assuming you can swing a deal with McAfee that requires no out-of-pocket expense, offering your customers a year’s worth of anti-virus protection is a win-win. The primary downsides are a few extra calls to customer service and a few irritated existing McAfee customers who do not qualify for the freebie.

Bank of America logout screen (21 Oct 2009; 7 AM Pacific)

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Fine print on bottom of page above:
This exclusive offer is available only to Bank of America Online Banking customers. Online Banking customers receive McAfee Internet Security for PC free for 12 months, a $69.99 value. At the end of the 12-month period, Online Banking customers are eligible to renew for another 12-month period at 50% off MSRP or $34.98. Customers with a current McAfee subscription are not eligible for this offer. Bank of America reserves the right to modify this offer and eligibility requirements at its discretion.

Landing page (link)

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Same offer on BofA website (link)

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Notes:
1. The service is currently offered at a discount at Intel’s software store for $32.95 for one year for three users. Intel’s offer was positioned via paid ad at the number-one position on a Google search for “McAfee Internet security.”
2. For more information on online banking security, see Online Banking Report: New Security Techniques (Sep 2008)

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Bank of America Cleaning Up its Customer Records at Login, but Why the Phone Call?

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Bank of America, Customer/Tech Support, Login/logoff marketing, Security

This is a somewhat perplexing message to receive after logging in to online banking. It seems almost phish-like (especially with that old-school corded phone in the picture):

A recent review of your account indicated that we are missing your date of birth. We use this information to help verify your identity. Please call us at the 1.800 Customer Service number on the back of your credit card so we can update your file.

I guess I can understand the bank wanting my birth date, but it brings to mind several questions:

  1. Why are they asking me now? I’ve three accounts there, with one dating back to the 1980s. Is something wrong? Has my account been accessed by someone else? Then my more cynical side thinks, did this request come from the marketing dept. or the security folk?  Bottom line: the bank should provide a more detailed explanation via a “more info” link.
  2. I have to CALL, really? Why can’t I do this online? Will I have to endure a cross-selling session when I make the call? Will I have to go through the entire phone tree to get to an operator? The least the bank could do is provide a direct line for the task.

The whole thing seems like a ridiculous waste of time. A five or ten-minute journey through call center menus in order to provide six numbers to a live operator. Plus, won’t this extra call-in requirement drastically reduce user response? 

Bank of America interstitial after logging in to online banking (14 Oct 2009, 5 PM Pacific)

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Bank of America Promotes Small Business Online Community at Logout

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Advertising & Promotion, Bank of America, Login/logoff marketing, Small Business

image Logging out from my Bank of America credit card account (both personal and business accounts), I was greeted with this pitch for the bank’s small business community (see first screenshot). The pitch is straightforward and emphasizes three benefits:

  • Get answers to your business questions
  • Exchange ideas with other entrepreneurs
  • Free

Clicking the red Join Today button drops users onto the Forums page at the small business site (see second screenshot).

Bottom line: The logout effort is a good brand-building exercise for Bank of America, and it should drive much-needed traffic to the site. According to Compete (see chart below), in August the small business community site had an estimated 70,000 unique visitors, two-thirds more than the 40,000 a year ago. But traffic was down almost a third from the springtime peak.

Bank of America logout screen (23 Sep 2009, 4 PM Pacific)

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Landing page (link)

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Compete traffic estimates, Aug 2008 through Aug 2009 (link)

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Banking Apps in the Google Android Market vs. Apple iPhone App Store

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Android, Apple, Bank of America, Google, iPhone, Mobile Banking

image A few weeks ago, we noted a milestone at Apple’s iPhone App Store, 1000 apps available in the finance category (U.S. store). I was been curious how that compared to Google’s Android Market so today I did a quick comparison.

The Android market now has a respectable 211 apps in the finance category. However, few financial institutions have staked a claim. Only, Bank of America and Alliant Credit Union, had branded apps (see note 1, 2).

In comparison, the iTunes App Store has 11 U.S. banking apps and 3 from U.S. credit unions. That’s up from 6 banks and no credit unions when we published our most recent report on the subject (see note 3).  See the the following table for details. Did I miss any? Let me know in comments or email jim@netbanker.com

  Google Android (Rank) Apple App Store (Rank)
Number of finance apps 211 1,089
Number of U.S. bank-branded apps (note 1)

(number shown is rank in the finance category)

 #2 Bank of America #1 Bank of America
#2 USAA
#3 Chase
#4 Wells Fargo
#10 E*Trade
#13 Citibank
#28 & 32 PNC Bank
#43 BBVA Compass
#156 IBC
#409 1st Mariner Bank ATM/Branch locator
#962 Plaza Bank Mtg Calc
Number of CU-branded apps #30 Alliant CU — ATM Locator #185 Tech CU
#327 CUloc8 (TDECU)
#411 iDeposit (WV United FCU)

Source: Online Banking Report tally, 24 Aug 2009

1. In addition, Qualcomm’s Firethorn unit has an app that works with several dozen banks and card issuers including Citi, Chase, Wachovia, SunTrust and USAA. It’s ranked tenth in the Android Market and 15th in the iPhone App Store. Also, in the Android Market, Visa has a beta app that works with Chase cards ranked #77. However, according to commenters, that test is ending in September.
2. There are another 15-20 international banks listed in the iPhone App Store.
3. Our Online Banking Report on iPhone Mobile Banking was published March 11, 2009.

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Bank of America to Eliminate Wire Transfers from Branches, Moving Volume to Online Banking

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Bank of America, CashEdge, Funds transfers

image When I logged in to Bank of America’s online banking Saturday, I was greeted with a pitch encouraging me to use the bank’s new online wire and electronic funds transfer (ACH) capabilities. Consumer online banking can now be used to move money electronically to most anyone in the country. Previously the bank allowed consumers to transfer funds only to their own accounts (funds transfer FAQs), either within Bank of America or at other U.S. financial institutions.

This is a capability offered by many major banks including Citibank, ING Direct and others, often powered by CashEdge. What I almost missed was the more interesting news in the last paragraph:

Beginning this summer, wire transfers will no longer be available in your local banking center… (emphasis added)

I haven’t been able to confirm whether this is a nationwide change or something that impacts only certain markets or customers (note 1). On the FatWallet forum a member reported seeing the same message Aug 1 on his account. Another member tested the service and reported that the fees were $3 for a 3-day ACH, $10 for next-day ACH, and “varied” for same-day wires.

The bank’s online wire transfer FAQs (for California) still point customers to online banking or their local branch.

What it means: When the nation’s largest online bank starts talking about reducing branches and takes steps to eliminate a traditional (and labor-intensive) branch-based service, you have solid evidence that branch banking growth has stalled (note 2). 

Bank of America login message (15 Aug 2009, 1:30 PM Pacific time)

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Note:
1. I was served this message when logging in to my business credit card account. When I logged in to my Washington-based checking account (which runs on a different, and much less feature-rich system, than the rest of BofA), I saw no such message.
2. But not everyone agrees. Rob Cox and Antony Currie argue in today’s New York Times that the bank branch still has legs, in part because capital market financing has become more expensive, therefore elevating the importance of retail deposit gathering, a branch strength.   

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Bank of America Implies that Branch Network Could Shrink 10% in Next Three Years

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: ATMs, Bank of America, Branch Banking, Metrics & Market Research, Mobile Banking

imageIn what will surely be the first in a long string of similar headlines, the top of  yesterday’s Wall Street Journal Money & Investing section declared:

BofA Plans to Cut 10% of Branches

The article, which has been picked up by nearly 100 news sites in the past 24 hours, reported that Bank of America was planning on reducing the size of its 6,000-branch network. There were no details on timing or whether the bank was retreating from certain markets or was simply pruning overlapping branches broadly.

But in later interviews with bank execs, it sounded like Bank of America was merely predicting a gradual shrinkage in its branch network over the next three years, and had no firm plans for specific closures. Here’s a followup quote from president Liam McGee as reported by Charlotte NPR station WFAE:

“I think <CEO Lewis> was asked a question, ‘Boy, could there be x-percentage less branches in the next few years?’ And he was just saying, ‘Yeah, could be, and if there was it would be in magnitude of this as opposed to a much higher number.'”

McGee says the bank is going through a 3-year evaluation process that could result in fewer branches, but that no particular number is targeted. He says customers’ changing habits are driving the process.

What I found more interesting in the debate were some of the numbers the bank tossed out showing the growth of it’s non-branch delivery:

  • Nearly 50% of deposits are made in ATMs…up amazingly from 33% six months ago. The bank didn’t say whether this was NUMBER of deposits or VALUE of deposits, but it’s likely the former. Also, it’s unclear if remote deposits made via scanner are included in the total. That new technology is making a significant dent in branch-based deposits at many financial institutions.
  • 2.8 million customers are now using the mobile channel which was introduced in mid-2007. That’s an average of about 120,000 new customer per month. However, growth appears to have accelerated slightly this year. In early Feb, the bank said it had 2 million mobile banking customers; so in the past 5.5 month, growth has been just under 150,000 new users per month.   
  • The bank has a 60% market share in online bill payment; an amazing penetration for a bank with 12% of the country’s deposits. 

Note:
1. See our Online Banking Report: The Demise of the Branch (April 2006), for more on the long-term trends in the mix of branch and alternative delivery.

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Bank of America promotes retirement planning at logoff

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Advertising & Promotion, Bank of America, Deposits, Checking, Savings, CDs, Retirement savings

image After viewing my credit card statement (personal and business) I was greeted with the following retirement planning pitch from Bank of America. I’ve recently seen similar banners on the bank’s homepage (though not today).

It’s not easy getting consumers interested in looking at their retirement situation when they are in the middle of an Internet session. There’s always something more pressing or entertaining to be done than worry about some distant event. 

So it takes extra effort to entice clicks. BofA has a good approach. The “Stop Guessing About the Future” hook is a good way to grab attention. And the colorful slider-based tool is easy to use and, most importantly, takes only a few seconds to deliver some meaningful results.

1. Bank of America logoff screen (2:25 PM, June 16)

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2. Landing page of promo (link)

The BofA tool uses a short bit of audio to get your attention and explain how to complete the short, five-step wizard. Users may turn off the audio using the button in the upper right. 

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3. Step 1 of 5

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4. Results page

  • Calculates your “retirement number,” the amount you need to have to bring your cash income during retirement to 85% of today’s value (similar themes have been used by Wells Fargo (here) and ING (here))
  • Shows range of possibilities based on a range of potential investment returns
  • Has two handy boxes showing when you’ll run out of cash and how much you need to add to your monthly savings to avoid that (also expressed in ranges)
  • Action plan in the lower right leads to some suggested courses of action, that the bank can help with, such as rolling over a 401(k)

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Note: For more information see our Online Banking Report on Selling Behind the Password, published in April.

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Apple iPhone Print Advertisements Feature Personal Finance Apps

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Apple, Bank of America, iPhone, Mint, Mobile Banking, Personal Financial Management

image_thumb8Apple must be one of the more lucrative advertisers these days at the Wall Street Journal. Apple has bought the back page more times than I can count to show off the iPhone and more-importantly, the diversity of applications available (see inset, note 1).

Lately, Apple has run “theme” ads showing applications related to a single category. Last week (Thurs, 9 April), the back of the A section showed personal finance apps (see left column below). Yesterday, the apps all supported small business and ran on the back of Marketplace (B) section (see right column below).

The only app to make both lists: personal finance superstar, Mint, which even scored top billing in the personal finance page, occupying the upper-left corner, where it’s blurb would likely score the highest readership. 

The Apple website also has themed app guides. The managing money page (see screenshot below) features again features Mint, which gets the biggest graphic, Bank of America, who’s app was featured in dozens of Apple ads in 2008 and earlier this year, Bloomberg, Gas Cubby, iXpenseIt, Save Benjis, and Home Finder.

Bottom line: Financial institutions should think about how to add similar money management functionality to their mobile and online offers. As Aite’s Ron Shevlin pointed out in a comment here last week (emphasis added):

…..(the FinovateStartup participants) you talk about are helping people manage their financial lives, while the banks are [still] focused on helping people manage their financial accounts.

Big difference.

Table: iPhone apps listed in recent WSJ ads (clockwise from upper left)

Personal Finance Theme Small Business Theme
Helping you stretch your budget, one app at a time. Helping you run your small business, one app at a time.
Date: 9 April 2009 Date: 15 April 2009
Mint.com (PFM) Credit card terminal
Gas Cubby (mileage tracker) Print & share (document management)
Spotasaurus (parking finder) FedEx Mobile
RepairPal (mechanic finder) Jott (voice recording/transcription)
AllRecipes.com (recipe finder) iXpenseIt (expense report mgmt)
GoodGuide (product finder) Jobs – Time Tracking
WootWatch (cheap gadgets) Analytics App (website analytics)
Save Benjis (shopping comparison) LinkedIn
RN Dining (rewards dining) LogMeIn (remote computer access)
Find an Apartment YellowPages.com
Cellfire (mobile coupons) Mint.com
Barista (how to guide) Quicksheet (spreadsheet)
Wi-Fi finder Air Sharing (file manager)
CompareMe (price calculator) Nomina (name/trademark search)
Loan Shark (loan tool) SimpleMind Xpress (brainstorming)
Small Spend (mini PFM) Keynote Remote (presentation tool)

Apple’s Money Management page on its Website (link, 16 Apr 2009)

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Notes:
1. My apologies for the image quality, taken via iPhone naturally.
2. For more info, see our latest Online Banking Report: Mobile Banking via iPhone.

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RIM’s New Blackberry App World Includes Wells Fargo, E*Trade, Fidelity, and Bank of America

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Bank of America, Blackberry, E*Trade, Fidelity, iPhone, Mobile Banking, Wells Fargo

image_thumb[12]It will be a long time before the new mobile application markets, Google’s Android Market and RIM’s Blackberry App World, get anywhere close to Apple’s App Store in breadth or depth. Currently, there are 162 apps listed across all categories in the Android market and 88 for the Blackberry (North America), compared to more than 25,000 for the iPhone (U.S.).

However, Blackberry already has tied the iPhone in one sub-category, big-name U.S. financial services companies. As of today, each has four. Bank of America is the only one supporting both.    

iPhone App Store Blackberry App World*
Bank of America Bank of America
Chase Wells Fargo
Citibank E*Trade
PNC Bank Fidelity Investments

*Blackberry App World also has an Obopay mobile payments app with ties to Citibank.

Financial institution opportunities: The list of participating financial institutions won’t stay short for long. You must support iPhone and Blackberry users, the sooner you do so, the more free publicity you can garner. For more information, see our latest Online Banking Report, published today, Mobile Banking 2.0: iPhone Edition.

Blackberry App World Finance & Banking section
(9 March 2009, 10 PM Pacific)

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