Banks failing in personal finance online proposition

Although Quicken has been around for decades, it's new tool is just another example of how innovation in the online personal financial services sphere is being driven, not by banks, but by more imaginative outfits (often newcomers such as Mint and where Wesabe). The result: banks are steadily surrendering their franchise in personal finance as the population gets younger and more tech-oriented.

Most activity in Banking 2.0 is taking place outside the traditional banking sector. Those who are making efforts are typically the giants and, like giants, they are rather its slow on their feet. This is somewhat ironic as technology allows fast implementation of stunning front-end offerings. That is why there is absolutely no reason why banks of all shapes and sizes cannot stake their claim in the new banking landscape.

There is a tremendous opportunity to make extraordinary technological leaps and implement Banking 2.0 on incredibly cost-effective basis. Genuinely interactive personal finance tools and software, customer education through rich media, webcasting, social media - are now extremely easy to implement within banks' online offerings. The difficulty, perhaps, is redeployment of human resources within banking organisations, internal evangelising and cultural changes necessary to service the new front end.

Customers are looking for two things:

1. Insight into the critical financial decisions they have to make

2. Delight in the experience

Both are eminently deliverable with some little effort and imagination.