John and Glen connect with Defense Credit Union Council CEO Tony Hernandez to discuss CU Unplugged, the interactive credit union "un-conference" debuting in late March in San Francisco. Also, Glen surveys the chaos and mixed messaging stemming from the proposed 10% cap on credit card interest.

Links related to this episode:

• CU Unplugged, March 30 – April 2 at Visa's Market Support Center in San Francisco: https://www.cu-unplugged.com/
• The Defense Credit Union Council: https://www.dcuc.org/
• Last week's 2026 Predictions episode: https://www.big-fintech.com/2026-do-markets-still-hate-uncertainty/
• Financial Health Network CEO Jennifer Tescher's analysis of the proposed 10% credit card interest rate cap: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7416861629826482176/
• Marketplace's coverage of the cap's likely impact, including an interview with Bankrate: https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/01/12/trumps-credit-cap-would-dramatically-cut-lending
• Bilt's announcement of a credit card complying with the proposed cap: https://apnews.com/article/bilt-credit-card-interest-rate-cap-trump-1ffb0ffca260445858443beb3ac08eb2

Join us for our first CU Town Hall of 2026- Wednesday January 21 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. This session will tackle 2026 predictions in interactive form, covering additional ground including breaking news .The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

The BIGCast Gang ventures into the highly turbulent waters of 2026 fintech and credit union predictions- assessing the bright and dark sides of AI, vibe coding, the outlook for mergers, interest rates and of course, Bitcoin. Glen throws in a Rob Reiner/Stephen King reference for good measure.

Links related to this episode:

• John Janclaes/The CEO Corner: https://theceocorner.com/
• Anne Legg/Thrive Strategic Services: https://www.anneleggthrive.com/
• Lou Grilli via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lougrilli/
• Money 20/20's "Who the F Knows?" predictions: https://www.money2020.com/content/predictions
• Plaid's 2026 Predictions: https://plaid.com/events/fintech-predictions-2026-watch-now/
• December's episode grading our 2025 predictions and marking off the BIGGo cards: https://www.big-fintech.com/calling-bingo-in-a-crazy-year/

Join us for our first CU Town Hall of 2026- Wednesday January 21 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. This session will tackle 2026 predictions in interactive form, covering additional ground including breaking news since this podcast was recorded. The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

The BIGCast Gang convenes for its annual roundup of the biggest stories impacting credit unions and fintechs (zero points awarded for guessing #1 on the list). Some Q1 headlines seem like ancient history, while others are gifts that just keep on giving. Bitcoin delivered its usual wild ride- but in 2025 it had plenty of company.

Links related to this episode:

• John Janclaes/ The CEO Corner: https://theceocorner.com/
• Anne Legg/ Thrive Strategic Services: https://www.anneleggthrive.com/
• Lou Grilli via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lougrilli/
• The AI Index John referenced: https://evidentinsights.com/ai-index/

The BIGCast is taking a two-week holiday break; check in for new content on Tuesday January 13. Until then, check out our archives at https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/?c=bigcast for hundreds of past episodes.

Follow us on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/