Podcast
Fin the Week
Hosted by Indulge · EN
The Friday financial marketing & technology briefing.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What FS marketers should steal from UX London
5d ago00:48:08Tap to summarizeMark's just back from UX London, and this week we dig into what financial services marketers can actually use from it.The headline: stop asking for more research time and start packaging what you already have. We get into validation, falling in love with the problem, not the solution, why failure is a feature of good UX, not a bug, and where AI is genuinely earning its place in the process.If you run marketing or operations in a finance firm, there's a year's worth of customer insight already sitting in your support inbox and your chatbot logs. We tell you how to find it.00:00 Introduction to UX London and Event Overview01:55 What is UK London?02:41 UX is now a board-level concern in financial services05:02 Effective Research and Stakeholder Validation12:28 Using Validation to Drive UX Success21:04 Using keyword research as a source of user validation24:15 AI chatbots as a source of user research26:34 Turning Failure into Opportunity in UX35:04 A framework for organising content37:09 How did UK London address AI?41:22 Key Takeaway: The Power of Validation44:21 Final Reflections and Future Trends
Transcribe →The Economist is working on a website for the 'two-track web' (one for us, one for AI)
2w ago00:48:40Tap to summarizeThis week, we look at the concept of a two-track internet, something floated in a recent article in Digiday about work taking place at The Economist.We dive into the complexities of creating a web environment that caters to both human and AI users, highlighting the need for a strategic shift in website design and content presentation.TakeawaysTwo-track internetAI experience Tone of voice is a trust signalAI chatbots may struggle to convey a brand's tone of voiceChapters00:00 Introduction to the Two Track Internet01:31 The Economist's Case Study on AI and Content05:41 Exploring AI Experience vs User Experience08:01 The concept of AIX (AI Experience)10:59 Designing for Two Different Audiences16:13 Two-track vs one-track web25:46 Can AI agents drive trust?32:03 Navigating Google's Guidelines for Brands36:43 The Future of AI and Brand Representation43:03 The Impact of AI on Advertising and Monetisation
Transcribe →Don't worry about it, it's just SEO...isn't it?
3w ago00:53:27Tap to summarizeGoogle has published a guide on optimising your website for the AI features in Google Search. On the face of it, that's good news; guidance straight from the horse's mouth. In practice, the guide is weak: written in a vacuum, dodging the traffic problem, treating agentic AI as a footnote, and ultimately telling you "don't worry about it, it's just SEO." We aren't convinced.Amelia, Paul, Pat and Russell unpack the document section by section: the jargon (SEO, GEO, AEO, AIO), the technical mechanics (RAG and query fan-out, explained with dominoes), the myth-busting section that's caused half the SEO industry to celebrate, and the bit Google glosses over entirely: agentic AI, and the difference between an AI model's training data and what it pulls in through search. Plus what financial services content teams should actually be doing now, including the compliance challenge of disclaimers being clipped out of AI-generated answers.02:08 Google's New Guidance on Generative AI05:49 What is an LLM compared to an AI Chatbot?08:24 RAG (retrieval augmented generation) and query fan out11:42 Understanding SEO in the Age of AI14:15 Is structure still important?22:15 Google's AEO/GEO mythbusting section27:27 The Evolution of Search: AI and Google31:26 Trusting Google's Guidance: A Critical Perspective34:48 Navigating the New Landscape of Content Creation40:39 Is Google's GEO guide helpful?41:42 The Future of Financial Services Content47:53 The Role of Research and Authenticity in Content50:52 Jargon Busters: Churning
Transcribe →One in three are using AI for personal finance, every week
4w ago00:46:32Tap to summarize28 million UK adults are now using AI for personal finance. One in three of them every week.We dig into Lloyds Banking Group's 2025 Consumer Digital Index and what it means for the FS brands trying to stay visible in a world where ChatGPT is doing the top-of-funnel research.Pat shares what happened when he turned Claude Code loose on a year of bank statements. Russell looks at the UX of trust. Paul plays devil's advocate on the sycophants and the scams. And we tackle the data-privacy question every FS marketer should be asking: when ads land in ChatGPT, what does your bank statement say about you?Plus: a jargon buster on ETFs.TakeawaysAI in personal financeTrust and concerns about AIData privacy and security Monetisation through AI advertisingImpact of AI on financial services brandsChapters00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates04:03 - Exploring AI in Personal Finance08:37 - Trust and Accuracy in AI Financial Advice16:47 - The Future of AI in Financial Planning21:00 - Concerns about data privacy & security26:31 - The Accessibility Challenge of AI Tools27:25 - Monetisation and Advertising in AI28:11 - User Experience and Trust in AI31:13 - Implications for Financial Services Brands35:11 - The Future of Personal AI Assistants39:36 - The Race for Personal and Business Assistants44:05 - Jargon Busters: ETFs
Transcribe →Is friction in a system always sludge?
May 1500:50:08Tap to summarizeThis week we explore the concept of friction in user experience, highlighting its impact on decision-making, user error, and the role of AI-driven systems.We delve into the balance between speed and convenience, safety, and comprehension, and discuss the potential adoption of AI agents in daily life.We look at the concept of friction in user experience, highlighting the role of design in mitigating friction and ensuring accessibility. We also explore the challenges in legacy processes, user research, and the impact of AI as a financial advisor on consumer protection.TakeawaysFriction in user experience can have both positive and negative impacts.The balance between speed and convenience, safety, and comprehension is crucial in the design of AI-driven systems. Friction in user experienceAccessibility and consumer dutyChapters00:00 - Introduction to friction in the user experience04:10 - The balanace of caution and convenience09:35 - Designing for user experience14:23 - AI's impact on user experience15:40 - Progressive disclosure17:59 - The future of AI agents in everyday life27:09 - Consumer Duty and the concept of 'sludge practices'42:01 - Navigating pension transfers
Transcribe →Bad data in, bad results out
May 800:47:28Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, we discuss the impact of bad data on AI, highlighting the definition of bad data, examples of bad data in AI, and the risks and challenges associated with bad data.The conversation delves into the challenges and implications of AI in decision-making, the impact of bias in AI applications, the technical hurdles in AI implementation, the importance of data structure in AI transformation, and the concept of setting guardrails for AI systems. TakeawaysAI Tool PreferenceData Quality and AIAI as a Managerial Tool AI and biasData structure and AIFriction in AI systemsChapters00:00 Introduction and Chat GPT Subscription13:36 The Impact of Bad Data on AI26:23 Data Quality and AI Implementation50:57 Understanding 'Whale' in Finance
Transcribe →Bonus Episode: SEO is sexy again (BrightonSEO 2026 special)
May 500:36:02Tap to summarizeAll of the key takeaways from BrightonSEO Spring 2026.The episode discusses the impact of AI on SEO, the rise of zero-click marketing, challenges in defining success metrics, and the changing user journey. It also explores the impact of bias in AI, the redefinition of search as media, and the changing marketing funnel.TakeawaysAI's impact on SEOChallenges in defining success metricsChapters00:00 Introduction to Brighton SEO06:18 Impact on Brands and Search Results12:13 Redefining Success Metrics25:38 Impact of Bias in AI32:28 Search as Media37:56 Attribution and Long-Term Thinking
Transcribe →Google wants to replace your landing pages
May 100:46:14Tap to summarizeThe episode discusses Google's controversial patent application and its potential impact on web search and user experience. It explores concerns, controversies, and the role of AI in reshaping web content, as well as the implications for financial services firms and regulatory concerns. The conversation also delves into positive impacts, risks, understanding the patent application, the Model Context Protocol (MCP), concerns and distrust of Google, the impact on websites and user experience, and future scenarios and accessibility implications. The conversation delves into the impact of AI on website accessibility, quality of input and output, and the challenges faced by small businesses. It also explores the role of SEO schema, privacy concerns, and the concept of a web for humans and a data layer for AI. The discussion concludes with key considerations for brands and a fun segment on jargon busters.TakeawaysGoogle's new patent application and its potential impact on web search and user experienceConcerns and controversies surrounding Google's patent applicationThe role of AI in reshaping web content and user experiencesThe implications of Google's patent application for financial services firms and regulatory concerns Quality content is crucial for better AI outputSmall businesses may face challenges with AI-driven website changesChapters00:00 Future Scenarios and Accessibility Implications32:12 Impact on Small Businesses39:43 Privacy Concerns and Data Mining45:08 Key Considerations for Brands
Transcribe →I'm going to replace my design team with AI, unless you tell me otherwise...
Apr 2400:45:04Tap to summarizeThe conversation delves into the impact of AI on the design industry, exploring the essence of design, the changing landscape of graphic design, and the role of AI in UI/UX design. It highlights the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in the field of design. The conversation delves into the role of designers in AI production, client concerns about AI, ethical considerations, client perception and acceptance of AI, focus on outcomes and user engagement, AI in UI design and compliance with regulations, frameworks for accessibility and consumer duty, impact of AI on the job market for designers, and a discussion summary with jargon busters.TakeawaysAI's impact on designChallenges and opportunities in design with AI Designers possess empathy and understanding towards end users, making them valuable in AI production.The use of AI in design raises ethical considerations and the need for transparency with clients.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage06:14 The Essence of Design and the Design Process11:59 The Role of AI in Graphic Design and Client Transparency21:21 The Changing Landscape of Graphic Design and UI/UX Design26:22 The Role of Designers in AI Production32:10 Client Focus on Outcomes and User Engagement38:23 Impact of AI on the Job Market for Designers
Transcribe →Pragmatic AI
Apr 1600:42:53Tap to summarizeIt's episode one, and we're kicking off our series on pragmatic AI. What is pragmatic AI and what does it mean for marketers and technology teams in financial services?
Transcribe →