She Beat the Algorithm at 96 – Personalization Won’t Be the Same

By Baron Conway, Chief Strategy Officer, Finalytics.ai

I recently saw an Instagram post about a 96-year-old woman who wrote a sarcastic thank-you letter to her bank for “bouncing her check.” The story quickly became a classic.

Whether or not the story is true, it was both humorous and unexpectedly insightful.

In her letter, she critiques the modern banking experience with notable precision: highlighting excessive automation, fees triggered by minor timing gaps, and customer service that treats human interaction as a premium. Her witty response, requesting a named employee to handle her payments personally and provide a notarized background check, delivers a memorable punchline.

It’s funny because it’s true.

Despite decades of digital transformation, financial institutions (including credit unions) have often confused efficiency with empathy and selling with connection. We’ve used data to streamline transactions; however, that does not necessarily build trust. We’ve automated touchpoints, but rarely personalized experiences. And while the word “personalization” now appears in every strategic roadmap and vendor pitch deck, it’s often defined too narrowly – as marketing automation or “next best offer” prompts rather than a genuine understanding of a member’s needs.

What might the future of personalization look like if we learn from the 96-year-old’s call for genuine human connection?

From Selling to Serving

Most “personalization” today still feels impersonal. For example, if you view auto loans, your home page displays car offers. Opening a checking account often leads to credit card upselling.

While this is one form of personalization and has value, much more is possible. Personalization should move beyond asking, "What do we want the member to do next?" and instead consider, "What does this member actually need next?"

For example, rather than sending a generic “refinance your auto loan” ad, recognizing that a member’s recent car payoff, age, and savings behavior may indicate an upcoming retirement allows for more meaningful support. One approach pursues a sale; the other supports a life stage.

Data With Dignity

A key irony in modern finance is that institutions know more about their members than ever, yet members often feel less understood.

Banks and credit unions have access to spending habits, credit scores, paycheck timing, savings goals, and geolocation data. However, this insight is often trapped in silos, with marketing systems not integrated with lending platforms, CRMs not syncing with online banking, and digital engagement tools personalizing only one page at a time.

The future will favor institutions that use data to honor members, rather than simply target them.

Imagine a credit union that notices increased pharmacy spending and offers a financial check-up for upcoming medical costs. Or an app that congratulates you for reaching your savings goal and suggests a relevant community cause for donation, recognizing generosity as part of your values.

This is personalization with dignity, where data supports rather than sells. Sales remain important for growth, but when members feel understood and supported, they are more likely to remain loyal and expand their relationship. This creates mutual benefit.

The Rise of Empathic AI

The next advancement in human-centered personalization will likely come from AI. This will go beyond current uses, as AI learns emotional patterns and applies behavioral science principles, not just transaction history and interactions.

Early examples are emerging in fintech. Cleo, an AI budgeting assistant, uses humor and conversational engagement to help users manage finances, emphasizing emotional intelligence alongside financial management. Capital One’s Eno chatbot similarly flags duplicate charges in a friendly, conversational manner.

For credit unions, the potential is even greater. Digital assistants could recognize changes in payment patterns and respond compassionately, guide members through first loan applications with reassurance rather than jargon, and automatically celebrate new jobs or life milestones.

This is not science fiction; it is becoming reality. Agentic AI systems, which act autonomously and empathetically within defined guidelines, will enable these capabilities in the coming years. The primary challenge is designing these systems with a focus on trust, transparency, and care.

The Human Touch, Powered by Digital

The 96-year-old writer’s frustration was not with technology itself, but with its application. Her concern was that automation replaced understanding and empathy.

This is where credit unions have a natural advantage. “People helping people” is not just a tagline; it is a foundational principle. The opportunity is to extend this philosophy through data and AI.

A well-personalized experience does not remove human involvement; it enhances it. For example:

• Branch staff could receive predictive insights before a member visit, showing recent life changes or digital activity.
• Lending officers could be alerted when a member’s spending suggests financial stress, enabling a proactive call instead of a collection notice.
• Marketing teams could orchestrate messages that evolve with context, tone, and emotion, not just click behavior.

When human empathy combines with digital intelligence, personalization evolves from a business tactic to a member-focused philosophy.

From Funny Letter to Future Vision

The 96-year-old’s letter highlights an important point: people do not expect perfection from their bank or credit union, but they do value presence and attentiveness.

In a world of real-time payments, predictive analytics, and machine learning, successful institutions will use these tools to enhance, rather than reduce, human interaction.

The future of personalization in banking is not about delivering the “next best offer,” but about providing the next right moment.

The true ROI of personalization is measured not only in new accounts or loan volumes, but also in trust, loyalty, and advocacy.

It is when a 96-year-old writes a letter not to complain, but to say, “You made my life easier, and you actually understood me.”

That is the kind of note worth framing, and it represents the future vision of Finalytics.ai. Stay tuned.

Connect with Finalytics.ai to learn more.

Source: Instagram post