Suma Wealth: Empowering Financial Inclusion Among Latinos with Insight and Humor with Beatriz Acevedo

The New Mainstream Podcast

The evolution of financial technology, commonly referred to as 'fintech,' has undergone a remarkable surge in recent years, empowering consumers to conduct their banking activities on their terms from any location. So high is the demand for online financial tools that banks like Bank of America, which started shuttering its drive-through teller lanes in 2013 due to low usage, have pivoted to establish robust digital solutions. These solutions are tailored to help consumers manage their personal finances exclusively through online channels. This shift is not limited to central banks, however. Online banks like Ally Bank and neobanks like Chime are also vying for consumers' attention, offering both traditional and non-traditional banking services and greater flexibility than their brick-and-mortar counterparts.

Among the consumers embracing fintech are Latinos, who do so at a higher rate than other demographic groups. This trend can be attributed to a few factors. The Latino population in the U.S. skews younger, and as younger consumers are generally more predisposed to adopting new technologies, fintech becomes a natural choice. Additionally, Latinos may face language barriers and systemic challenges such as discrimination, making fintech options more attractive and accessible.

Regardless of how consumers choose to bank, most agree that understanding and managing one’s finances is essential to building wealth and economic self-sufficiency. For Gen Z, especially those subscribing to the concept of 200%, where individuals embrace their dual identity as both American and Latino and whose motivations for wealth-building differ from their parents and grandparents, using an in-culture digital-first financial platform to demystify complex financial concepts is key to engaging them.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Beatriz Acevedo, CEO and Founder of Suma Wealth, underscores the importance of developing culturally relevant fintech tools to increase financial literacy in the Hispanic community. To download the SUMA App, click here.