Mobile banking

Its mobile banking app comes with bank accounts, merchant accounts, and instant credit on invoices. Behind it is a network of community banks that will gather the deposits the app brings in.

Its savings, budgeting, spending and goal-setting tools, combined with artificial intelligence to add smart insights and advice, are a good example of how regional banks are trying to distinguish their mobile products from those of bigger banks with larger tech budgets.

As consumers continue to migrate to banking apps, lenders may be tempted to focus solely on improving that channel. But new data suggests consumers aren't abandoning other platforms just yet.

A partnership between the mobile carrier and BankMobile could help stripped-down banking and deposit transfer services find a footing among U.S. customers.

There are steps financial firms can take to protect their customers in the event a major wireless network is compromised, including reconsidering the use of SMS messaging for account authentication.