NEW YORK – November 04, 2026 -- Financial institutions should concentrate investment on a smaller core portfolio and extract more value from technology they already own, according to speakers at Finastra's third Innovating Finance Together Summit in New York.
Speakers say adoption has lagged behind innovation
The event gathered North American financial industry leaders to discuss lending, trade and payments. Participants said adoption has not kept pace with innovation as institutions deal with AI, security, geopolitical volatility and changing payments infrastructure.
Existing instant payments infrastructure remains underutilized, speakers noted. They called for modern API-based architecture and accessible data to support growth, and for modernized platforms with better interoperability.
Finastra CEO Chris Walters said, "The conversation is shifting from what's possible to what actually delivers value for customers."
Lenders and payments teams face distinct pressures
In lending, adaptability remains critical as lenders respond to market volatility and shifting risk dynamics across the leveraged-loan ecosystem. Firms must manage continued refinancing activity, tighter economic conditions and operational challenges.
In payments, corporate clients increasingly expect end-to-end observability, with real-time visibility into transaction status and issues without going through layers of customer support. Discussion also covered evolving regulatory and legislative landscapes, including proposals relating to payment systems.
AI deployment must start with a defined business problem
Speakers identified document handling, verification and decision-making as the workflow bottlenecks where AI can help across lending, payments and other banking operations. They urged institutions to begin with a clear business problem, map existing workflows and keep people involved in critical decisions, with security governance and accountability built in.
On security, participants said more sophisticated cyber threats require technology environments that can adapt quickly and address vulnerabilities. Modern architecture, they added, makes it easier to deliver updates and respond to emerging risks.