Artificial intelligence is reshaping financial services, driving automation, smarter decision-making and greater efficiency. As financial institutions seek greater transparency and reasoning in their AI applications, AI-powered decision intelligence is emerging as a critical capability.
According to theCUBE Research’s latest analysis, discussed in “The Next Frontiers of AI” podcast, emerging AI frameworks — most notably, retrieval-augmented generation models, causal knowledge graphs and AI reasoning — are reshaping how financial institutions navigate an increasingly complex, dynamic landscape.
The financial sector has long embraced cutting-edge technologies, leveraging AI to optimize risk management, automate processes and improve customer interactions, according to theCUBE Research’s Scott Hebner. However, as businesses look beyond traditional predictive models, they seek more advanced AI capabilities that provide greater transparency, reasoning and AI-powered decision intelligence.
Hebner, the podcast’s host, was joined by Jayeeta Putatunda, lead data scientist, director – AI center of excellence, at Fitch Group Inc., located on Wall Street. “Financial services have always led from the front in predictive analytics and deterministic models, but we must be cautious in our approach to gen AI,” she said. “Given the industry’s regulatory nature and the high stakes involved, we are adopting AI carefully, ensuring governance and risk control at every stage.”
How AI-powered decision intelligence is transforming finance
AI in financial services is rapidly evolving beyond basic automation and predictive analytics, according to Putatunda. Financial institutions increasingly focus on AI-powered decision intelligence to shape strategy and drive results.
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“We need to solve use cases that actually drive the most value to our clients, users and even our internal teams,” Putatunda said. “If we can help with operational efficiency, reduce manual workload or enhance deep research, we will win in a significant way.”
Ensuring transparency and explainability is a key challenge in implementing AI in finance, according to Putatunda. Traditional AI models often function as “black boxes,” making it difficult for financial leaders to trace how decisions are made. As a result, many institutions are turning to AI-powered decision intelligence to improve visibility into the decision-making process.
“One of the biggest areas of concern is explainability,” Putatunda said. “In predictive models, we had processes to trace back decisions, conduct weight analysis and determine which inputs had the most impact. With AI, it becomes harder to establish that level of transparency.”
Building trust and governance in AI-driven finance
Trust remains critical in AI adoption within financial services, especially given the industry’s stringent regulatory requirements. The integration of knowledge graphs and causal AI can help enhance transparency, explainability and governance, according to Putatunda.
“Causal knowledge graphs create a dynamically adaptable data lineage that allows LLMs to ground their outputs in factual, explainable relationships,” she said. “This improves AI transparency and enhances compliance and governance frameworks.”
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Additionally, AI models need to ensure they are free from biases and provide consistent, reproducible outputs. Unlike other industries, financial institutions require AI models that adhere to strict auditability and regulatory compliance measures, according to Putatunda.
“Financial firms need models that are not only accurate, but also auditable and traceable,” she said. “We must build a safe, sustainable AI pipeline that integrates human oversight at every stage.”
Looking ahead: The future of AI in financial services
The next wave of AI adoption in finance will focus on creating integrated AI ecosystems that combine multiple intelligent agents. These agents will collaborate on complex problem-solving, according to Putatunda.
“We need to move beyond single-task solutions and create goal-based AI agents that can dynamically retrieve and analyze information from multiple sources,” she said.
As RAG, causal AI and decision intelligence evolve, financial institutions can innovate while ensuring compliance and risk control. As AI technologies develop, they will redefine how financial services operate and set the stage for broader applications across industries.
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For a deeper dive into this discussion, part of “The Next Frontiers of AI” podcast series, check out the full conversation:
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Reader question: My spouse has little interest in our financial position. As we age, this concerns me. I try to share some basic information (income, spending, account balances, debt, and so on) each month but rarely get a response. I think graphs or charts might be of more interest to her than a bunch of numbers. What recommendations would you have for illustrating our financial position so that I am not the only person aware of how we are situated? Thanks!
Answer: Your situation is pretty common. Most couples I know develop a division of labor over time, where one person is in charge of financial matters and the other person is less involved. That’s definitely the case for my husband and me. He’s in charge of paying all the monthly bills and preparing our tax returns, but the financial planning and investment decisions are up to me. This type of arrangement might work well for a long time, but can become less sustainable with age, particularly if the “finance person” in the relationship dies or develops a major health issue.
Online tools and mind maps
Illustrating your financial situation with charts and graphs is a great idea that might help your spouse become a little more involved. Morningstar’s Portfolio X-Ray tool includes a variety of images that help illustrate your financial situation. Websites for most major brokerage firms also include some visual tools. Schwab, for example, offers a Portfolio Checkup and a bar graph illustrating your account’s monthly income from dividends and interest income. Vanguard has a Portfolio Watch tool and a variety of performance illustrations, tools, and calculators.
A mind map, which we used with clients when I worked for a financial advisory firm, can be another way to picture your entire financial situation on one page. There are various softwaretemplates for drawing a mind map, or you can simply sketch it out with a large sheet of paper and a pencil. Start with your names at the center of the page. Then draw spokes connecting to various categories, such as names of other family members; investment accounts; real estate and other assets, insurance policies, estate plans, key goals and values, and contact information for accountants, estate planners, and other professionals. It can be helpful to go through the mind map together and make any updates needed at least once a year.
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Other ways to communicate about money
A few other ideas—though not related to charts and graphs—might also be useful.
I like the idea of putting together a net worth statement that itemizes cash, taxable accounts, real estate, retirement accounts, and debt for each member of the couple as well as items owned jointly. It’s a good idea to update this document at least once a year and discuss it as a couple. If you set up the document as a spreadsheet, you can include columns with additional information such as account numbers, what each account is used for, which accounts are subject to required minimum distributions, or tax issues like potential capital gains.
Many couples also put together a binder (sometimes humorously called a “Doomsday Book”) that contains information about where to find important paperwork, insurance policies, how bills are paid, what each account is for, steps the surviving spouse will need to take, final wishes, and any other critical information.
A well-qualified financial adviser can bridge the information gap
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Finally, you could consider working with a good financial adviser, who can help involve your spouse in financial matters while you’re still living and step in to fully manage investments and personal finance decisions if you pass away before your spouse. Make sure the adviser holds the Certified Financial Planner designation and charges fees that are reasonable. Although a 1% fee is still the industry standard for accounts of $1 million or less, it’s possible to find advisers who charge significantly less, including a few who price their services based on hours worked instead of a percentage of assets under management.
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This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.
Amy C. Arnott, CFA, is a portfolio strategist for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast.
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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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If you have ever taken out a mortgage, you’ll know there are a lot of requirements to meet. You may need to put down a certain amount and have a debt-to-income ratio below a certain threshold. You may also run into limits on how much you can borrow or what sources of income the lender will count.
These rules do not apply to all mortgages — just to conforming mortgages, which is what the majority of borrowers take out. However, mortgage lenders are increasingly offering what are known as nonconforming loans, or mortgages that do not “comply with every one of the strict standards put in place after the housing crisis,” said The Wall Street Journal. While “still a small portion,” the “share of mortgages using alternative lending practices” has “doubled in size over the past three years.”
What are nonconforming loans?
A nonconforming mortgage is a “type of home loan that doesn’t meet some or all of the guidelines that make them eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” said Bankrate. These are the government-sponsored entities that “support much of the secondary mortgage market in the U.S.,” meaning they often purchase resold mortgages.
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have “federal rules that limit the purchase of loans deemed relatively risk-free,” said Investopedia. Loans that meet these guidelines are conforming loans; loans that do not are nonconforming. To be a conforming loan, a mortgage must fall under a certain loan amount, and the borrower must meet specific criteria when it comes to their credit score, debt-to-income ratio and loan-to-value ratio.
Effectively, any home loan that does not align with these stipulations is considered nonconforming. Examples include jumbo loans, government-backed loans, bridge loans and interest-only loans.
Why do people get them?
There are a wide range of reasons people may opt for a nonconforming mortgage. For one, “you may have no choice but to choose a nonconforming jumbo loan if you want to buy an expensive property,” said Rocket Mortgage. These loans can also provide more flexibility when it comes to the type of property you purchase, your credit score and your down payment amount.
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Nonconforming loans additionally “offer an opportunity for home buyers who might not otherwise qualify for traditional loans because they are self-employed or hold their wealth in assets such as real estate,” said the Journal.
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What are the drawbacks?
For starters, there are fewer lenders offering them “since they pose a higher risk to the bank or mortgage lender,” said Yahoo Finance. That said, availability can vary depending on the specific type, as “some nonconforming loans (like FHA mortgages) are common, while others (like USDA loans) can be harder to find.”
Nonconforming loans also “generally carry a higher interest rate for the borrower,” said the Journal, given the increased risk to the lender. Still, this can vary by loan type. For instance, “FHA, VA and USDA loans usually have lower interest rates,” while “less common nonconforming loans, such as bridge loans, often have higher interest rates,” said Yahoo Finance. There is also the possibility that a nonconforming loan “could have an unusual repayment schedule or other features that make it harder to repay,” said Bankrate.
