Expanding access to financial health in local communities across the U.S.

Imagine a bus pulling into a neighborhood where the nearest bank branch is miles away. Inside, residents can open a checking account on the spot, step into a private consultation pod, or meet with a credit counselor. And with SpringFour integrated directly into the experience, a quick zip code search instantly surfaces local financial assistance resources for housing, food, employment, childcare, and more. What might otherwise take hours is resolved in minutes.

That’s the Financial Empowerment Mobile, or eBus. And it’s what makes our partnership with Fifth Third a tangible expression of financial health win-wins in action.

A bank that shows up that its community members

Fifth Third has been serving individuals, families, and businesses since 1856 and was recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies this year. Its footprint across the Midwest, with continued growth in the Southeast, reflects a longstanding commitment to expanding opportunity and removing barriers to economic mobility, and that commitment shows up in how Fifth Third delivers support.

The problem we’re solving together

Around 19 million U.S. households are underbanked, according to the FDIC. Bank deserts, food insecurity, and other logistical and economic barriers make consistent financial support hard to come by for too many communities. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, household debt balances reached $18.8 Trillion at the end of 2025.

SpringFour and Fifth Third are a solution to these challenges, connecting customers under financial stress to timely, local, vetted resources, a good practice and a win-win for both customers and the business.

“We know if we can touch two to three people on the bus with resources like we’re going to give through SpringFour, we can make a life-changing impact,” said Aleta Young, vice president and corporate social responsibility strategies director at Fifth Third in Banking Dive.

What our partnership looks like on the ground

Since its 2024 tour, the eBus, with SpringFour’s integration, has traveled thousands of miles across Fifth Third’s 11-state footprint, stopping in 18 communities, especially in areas where traditional access points are limited. (See the partnership launch featured in Banking Dive and Tearsheet.)

The model is simple and effective: bring the tools, guidance, and resources into the same space and remove friction that might make financial services feel inaccessible. Since the beginning of the partnership, Fifth Third has delivered thousands of financial health referrals in categories such as food savings, financial counseling, housing counseling, rental resources, and down payment assistance.

Celebrating Fifth Third Day with Community Engagement

May 3, Fifth Third Day, is a fitting moment to celebrate what this partnership has built and where it’s headed. Now in its third year, the work continues to evolve with a consistent focus on expanding access and creating financial opportunity for those who need it.

Congratulations to the Fifth Third team for proving that banking can meet people where they are, and for making a measurable difference when it does. 

Delivering real-time support and real results when customers needed it most.

When financial pressure hits, speed matters.

During the 2025 federal government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, millions of households suddenly faced paused paychecks and benefits, alongside mounting uncertainty. Financial institutions had a choice: wait, or act.

OppFi acted.

Through its partnership with SpringFour, OppFi quickly connected customers to trusted local resources, delivering meaningful support at scale while strengthening engagement and repayment outcomes.

A mission rooted in financial inclusion

OppFi has long focused on expanding access to safe, affordable credit for underserved consumers and building pathways to financial stability for millions of Americans.

As CEO Todd Schwartz shared, financial inclusion is at the core of OppFi’s work not just through credit access, but through the resources and support that help customers move forward financially. As part of its broader social impact strategy, OppFi partners with SpringFour to ensure customers have access to tools that reduce expenses and avoid falling further behind.

Meeting the moment during the shutdown

When the federal shutdown began in October of 2025, SpringFour was already in place to enable partners like OppFi to respond immediately. 

As conditions worsened, SpringFour expanded its efforts with ready-to-send outreach, expanded resources for SNAP recipients and federal workers, and new tools like the Finding Food Assistance Guide. This rapid response positioned SpringFour as a primary source of support for both consumers and the institutions serving them. 

OppFi moved quickly to activate that support.

Rather than waiting for customers to seek help, OppFi launched a proactive campaign connecting them directly to SpringFour resources. The results were immediate and measurable:

• 300,000 emails sent
• 44% open rate
• Thousands of searches and clicks

OppFi customers were taking action, and the top needs they searched for, employment services and food savings, reflected real financial pressure. 

These results, also highlighted in American Banker’s coverage of the shutdown response, show what happens when support is both visible and accessible. By connecting customers to resources that reduce everyday expenses, OppFi helped them stabilize faster. And when customers stabilize, they are better positioned to stay current on their obligations.

A win-win approach to financial health

The shutdown may have ended, but financial pressure hasn’t. With ongoing economic uncertainty and the potential for future disruptions, the need for proactive support continues to grow.

We see it every day, and OppFi proves it: When financial institutions connect customers to meaningful support, the impact extends beyond the moment of need. Customers reduce expenses and regain control, and institutions see stronger engagement and better outcomes.

That’s good for people trying to get by, and it’s good business.

Congratulations to the OppFi team for demonstrating what’s possible when financial inclusion is paired with real-time, actionable support.

Giving students and alumni effective digital tools to support their financial health.

This March, we’re recognizing Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) as our Partner of the Month, for their delivery of critical financial health support and real business impact. Through its partnership with SpringFour, MSUFCU demonstrates how responding to members’ needs and interests drives measurable business results.

Empowering members to find financial freedom

Founded in 1937, MSUFCU has a national reputation for excellence and has received several top industry and workplace awards, including being named a Best Credit Union to Work For® by American Banker for the sixth year, a Top Workplace by the Detroit Free Press for 13 consecutive years, has been recognized by the Credit Union National Association and earned first place for the people-helping-people philosophy Louise Herring Award. 

Now serving over 397,000 members through 36 branches with more than 1,200 employees and over $8.4 billion in assets, MSUFCU has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to its community. Giving back is one of the company’s core values. It shows up through support for entrepreneurship, financial education programs, access to stable housing, fostering access to the arts, and youth empowerment initiatives. 

A partnership built on responding to the community’s needs

With many Americans grappling with a cost of living crisis, the situation is even more precarious for students. According to Inside Higher Ed, approximately 48% of students who experience financial challenges while enrolled in higher education say they have difficulty concentrating on academics because of their finances. 

MSUFCU heard this reality from its members, many of whom were having a hard time keeping up with bills and staying on top of their personal finances. Those who sought out resources on their own reported that the results of online searches were populated with sponsored advertisements and services offered at a premium, making it that much harder to find trustworthy assistance. 

Initially, SpringFour and MSUFCU partnered on a pilot program where a select group of members were given access to a self-service, digital gateway to local financial wellness resources. The results were astounding. 

MSUFCU members embrace SpringFour’s resource hub

Members responded overwhelmingly to the pilot, with strong engagement, a solid conversion rate, positive member sentiment, and high interest. 

Now, under the extended partnership, all MSUFCU members have access to S4connect, SpringFour’s all-in-one direct-to-consumer self-serve financial wellness solution. Through S4connect, MSUFCU members can access thousands of curated and vetted local government and nonprofit financial health resources through a centralized hub. 

Resources included student loan support, rental and debt assistance, food and utilities, mental health and transportation, available digitally as well as while visiting the credit union’s Michigan and Illinois branches. Through the self-serve tool, members can quickly identify and act on vetted, reliable resources.

Delivering a win-win solution for financial health

With the results of the pilot program, this expanded partnership offers an exciting new opportunity. 

Now, MSUFCU members can find what they need for their most pressing challenges. SpringFour dramatically improves accessibility to localized resources, addressing the challenges of time-consuming and confusing searches.

As a facilitator of practical, local solutions, MSUFCU’s collaboration with SpringFour under this new program has the potential to deepen member trust and encourage even broader engagement.

Congratulations to the MSUFCU team for serving as an example of truly listening to members, prioritizing their feedback, and committing to supporting their future financial health. 

AI is fast becoming the front door to banks. When customers need help, they will soon be more likely to start online than at a branch.

As industries worldwide moved to adopt agentic AI, the financial services sector emerged as a leader. The technology is ubiquitous in every capacity, from customer service to marketing, fraud management, compliance, and productivity: more than 50% of industry executives report using AI agents across organizations.

So, how well are they working?

At SpringFour, we decided to put bank AI agents to the test. We interacted with AI chat agents at major banks with simple, human needs: “I can’t pay my bills.” “I need help with rent.” “Where can I find financial assistance?” 

The results were disappointing. We were redirected to bill payments, sent to account FAQs, or given answers that missed the point of the query altogether. 

When someone says they can’t pay their bills, they’re not asking how to schedule a payment. They’re seeking help, and the quality of response can make or break the relationship between a bank and their customers. Data from Deloitte suggests there’s a significant trust gap. Just over a quarter of respondents say they trust the technology for financial advice. This is because interactions often leave customers with extra steps and unanswered questions.

Not only do these AI interactions leave bank customers feeling frustrated and unheard, they’re also representative of a major missed opportunity.

The gap in today’s AI experiences

A truly responsive AI agent should go beyond the basics to provide immediate assistance and an actual solution to the user’s inquiry. 

According to one recent study, customers rank financial wellness as a top life priority — even higher than health and family relationships — and 84% say they would be motivated to switch banks if it meant they’d receive timely, relevant financial insights. When the information is easily accessible, it’s even more attractive. Consumers can find resolution without human interaction, bringing efficiency and cost-savings to banks. 

With SpringFour’s verified, low-risk data-powered digital tools and agentic AI integration, this is possible in a way that delivers great outcomes for customers and solves the governance challenge for businesses.

Across the industry, AI agents are optimized for efficiency, not meaningful assistance. About 93% of consumers say they prefer interacting with a human instead of AI. Though the virtual agents deliver on convenience, they lack personalization, which includes the ability to provide actionable next steps for financial assistance.

When someone asks for help with paying their mortgage, the system has nowhere meaningful to send them. Why? Because most institutions haven’t built — or can’t maintain — a real-time network of financial assistance resources. They may not even realize it’s something customers want to see.

That work is complex. It requires constant vetting and updating, so it gets deprioritized, leaving customers no closer to improving their financial health.

But there’s a better way. When done right, AI can deliver real assistance at the exact moment it’s needed most. It can offer compassion, reduce friction and shame, and shorten the time it takes customers to get back on track. Best of all, it can do these things instantly, at scale.

What AI-driven financial support looks like

The infrastructure to make this happen already exists. SpringFour maintains a secure, structured data source that’s consistently-updated with vetted nonprofit and government financial assistance programs — localized by ZIP code and organized by real life needs.

When embedded into AI, SpringFour’s digital tools instantly connect customers to relevant, vetted resources from trustworthy organizations, and they don’t get lost in a sea of generic advice, hallucinated content, dead ends, and unscrupulous actors. For teams, adopting SpringFour’s solution is decidedly low-risk, doable with very little tech support, no personal identifiable information (PII) required, and it can be deployed in fewer than 21 days.

There is a clear business case for getting this right. When people receive help more quickly, they stabilize faster, leading to reduced delinquency and improved repayment rates. Plus, they feel positively about the organizations that provided them with assistance — leading to better customer retention. 

Despite the sector’s tendency to approach business from a transactional lens, we know that empathetic, compassionate banking drives value through increased customer understanding  and loyalty. It’s what customers miss most when interacting with AI chatbots.

Delivering real assistance through AI is therefore a winning combination. Teams save time by making work more efficient for human agents and as a result, retain customers, decrease missed payments, reduce delinquency, solve the governance challenge, and see better performance overall.

Now is the time for on-demand AI that responds with real-life solutions

In 2025, around 70% of financial institutions were deploying agentic AI in some capacity – a number that’s only expected to grow. At the same time, consumers are experiencing new levels of distress, with a lack of savings safety nets, a worsening affordability crisis, and rising delinquencies. 

There’s no doubt that AI agents are already speaking for banks; the real question is whether they’re actually helping. Financial assistance doesn’t have to be complicated. It needs to be available. 

SpringFour is poised to transform the sector with AI agents that provide meaningful responses and meaningfully address customer needs in real-time. It’s critical that financial institutions start empowering their customers with financial health. The future of AI in banking isn’t just in smarter answers. It must deliver better outcomes for all. 

Driving Member Engagement Through Timely Financial Health Support

We’re excited to kick off our new Partner of the Month series by highlighting a standout organization delivering meaningful financial health support and driving real business impact: Golden 1 Credit Union.

Through its partnership with SpringFour, Golden 1 demonstrates how prioritizing member wellbeing deepens trust and engagement and reinforces long-term loyalty.

A National Leader with a Community-First Mission

With more than 1.1 million members and over 2,000 employees, Golden 1 is one of the largest credit unions in the United States. In 2025, it was recognized with national distinctions both for excellence in business service and outstanding company culture. 

As a member-owned, not-for-profit institution, Golden 1 goes beyond quick fixes and invests in the communities it serves, offering financial education workshops that help members build healthy financial habits, and supporting neighborhood-based organizations that strengthen the communities they serve.

A Partnership Built on The Business Impact of Putting Members First

Golden 1’s partnership with SpringFour is rooted in a shared belief that financial services should deliver both measurable results and meaningful impact.

That alignment existed even before our formal partnership. Both SpringFour and Golden 1 were named two of the three Fast Company 2023 Brands That Matter in the financial services category — a reflection of a shared commitment to improving financial wellbeing through purpose-driven innovation.

When financial institutions proactively connect members with timely, relevant financial support, the results extend far beyond the moment of need. This approach reinforces confidence in the institution and creates a more engaged member base.

Golden 1 Credit Union’s commitment to financial wellbeing shows how delivering the right support at the right time is both mission-driven and business-smart.

Expanding Access to Support When It Matters

In 2025, Golden 1 expanded access to SpringFour resources during key moments in members’ lives:

• During tax season, Golden 1 proactively made SpringFour resources available to help members find rent relief, food assistance, and other essential savings programs when seasonal expenses were high.

• During the government shutdown, Golden 1 launched a Payroll Assistance Loan program for members experiencing disrupted pay, waived early withdrawal penalties, and offered loan payment assistance options – a coordinated response designed to stabilize members financially during prolonged uncertainty.

As part of these efforts, Golden 1 directed members to SpringFour for personalized financial health resources, making it possible for members to access trusted, local resources that reduce household expenses.

Strengthening Engagement Through Comprehensive Support

By pairing financial products with actionable, local resources, Golden 1 helps members reduce expenses, stabilize their finances, and stay on track — helping drive stronger member engagement, deeper trust, and more resilient financial relationships.

This integrated approach reflects a company culture deeply rooted in member wellbeing and delivers clear value for both members and the institution.

A Win-Win Approach to Financial Health

We see it every day: organizations that choose to deliver financial health resources are making the smartest business move available. Golden 1’s approach shows how supporting members’ financial wellbeing is not only the right thing to do — it’s a powerful driver of sustainable impact. When members can reduce expenses and stabilize financially, they stay loyal and better positioned to meet their financial obligations.

Congratulations to the Golden 1 Credit Union team for setting the standard and kicking off our Partner of the Month series with a powerful example of what’s possible when organizations lead with a commitment to their customers’ financial health.

2025 was a year of results for SpringFour and the partners who trust us to deliver financial health solutions when it matters most. Through student loan resumptions, a federal government shutdown, rising foreclosures, and climbing household debt, SpringFour remained laser-focused on our mission: connecting people and organizations to the resources that solve real financial challenges.

The impact is clear: 7.9 million financial health referrals delivered, 1.8 million consumers served, and real-time leadership and crisis response featured in The Hill, American Banker, Axios, and more. When economic pressures peaked in August and October, SpringFour and our partners met their customers exactly where they needed support and saw measurable business results because of it.

Our metrics prove this every day: delivering financial health to customers is a smart business move. Stronger engagement, improved portfolio performance, reduced delinquency, and measurable ROI follow when financial wellness becomes central to strategy.

Read this report to learn more about:

➡️ 2025 impact at a glance
➡️ SpringFour’s leadership during national disruption
➡️ Powerful partnerships delivering results
➡️ How we’re embedding financial health into collections in new ways
➡️ The rebuilt S4direct with more insights and impact
➡️ The business case for financial health

Thank you, as always, for your partnership,