Why the Chime IPO Is Scaring All the Big Banks

How much do you enjoy spending a lunch break in line at the bank? Well, in the future, you won't have to.

A little company called Chime came to solve that problem. And we could get a Chime IPO as early as this year.

Owning this stock will be a play on the future of banking.

Really, that's how big the stakes are right now. Banks are starting to look less like a big, walled fortresses and more like little friends that fit in your pocket.

All-mobile banking will disrupt more than you think too. We're not saying it will totally disappear massive corporations like Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) or Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC), but it sure as heck will give them a run for their money.

Chime stock will be one of the first to benefit. Here's all you need to know between now and when the Chime IPO comes.

What Is Chime?

Chime is a mobile banking platform delivering banking services for BankCorp and Central National to the palm of your hand.

It was founded in San Francisco in 2014 with a public launch on the Dr. Phil Show.

This is one of the first and finest banks without any brick-and-mortar locations. Mobile-only operations give "neobanks" like Chime an advantage over those clunky institutions, since they don't have to pay as much in rental or upkeep costs.

As a result, they can afford to offer higher-yielding savings accounts than your traditional bank of choice. That helps attract customers as well.

The company has become popular with younger, more tech-savvy crowds, especially since acquiring Pinch in 2018. Pinch was an app that made it easier for millennials to report on-time rent payments and improve their credit scores.

As of 2019, the company is partners with the Dallas Mavericks - so it could be safe to say that the Mav's owner and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban like Chime. In a 2020 press conference, Cuban said that he has always worked to introduce technologies that help people get ahead. He said Chime is "as emblematic of that as you can possibly find."

And the case for that is being made in front of our eyes...

How Chime Is Doing So Far

Chime really is one of the most interesting FinTech companies on the market right now. And it's got the funding to show for it.

It raised $3.8 million around when the company was founded. And within the same decade, it raised more each year until making $700 million in 2019.

This kind of institutional interest is a reason to be excited about a company. And Mark Cuban's stamp represents an added plus.

These people might be big-time investors, but you can learn a lot by looking at what they like or don't. They're watching the same trends as everybody else, just maybe with an ear closer to the ground.

According to Tipalti, 60% of banking customers want to use an app to transact with their bank. That means there is plenty more ground to cover for this company as it scales.

Today, especially while we come out of a pandemic, people have gone out of their way to avoid physical contact with others. Like many of the trends that are not restricted to the pandemic alone, this will most likely linger in some way.

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For example, we've talked about how remote work increased during the pandemic - over 20% of people teleworking during the pandemic still plan to do so.

That's not because they're now suddenly hypochondriacs; it's because remote work was already inherently desirable for many people to begin with.

Likewise, the convenience of mobile banking solutions will carry on well beyond COVID-19.

As this company plans an IPO sometime in late 2021, here's what you should know about Chime stock...

Should You Buy Chime Stock?

Right now, Chime is growing. It serves over 8 million customers today.

And by all other indications, Chime appears to be taking off in the great FinTech wave projected to swell in the next few years.

Gen Z stands as one of the most technocratic generations yet, with 64% claiming to be "constantly online" and 54% saying they "feel insecure" without their smartphones.

You can bet most of those people would rather not make a trip to see the bank teller.

Finally, COVID-19 was a boost for Chime. But this is an even bigger trend. And if any other pandemics arise, Chime will still be there.

Expect to hear more from us about this company's financials over the next few months as we get closer to its IPO. You might even be able to buy this stock on Robinhood with its new IPO Access feature.

If you want to get ahead of the future of finance, getting shares of Chime stock at its IPO could be your best bet.

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About the Author

Mike Stenger, Associate Editor for Money Morning at Money Map Press, graduated from the Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University. He has combined his degree in Economics with an interest in emerging technologies by finding where tech and finance overlap. Today, he studies the cybersecurity sector, AI, streaming, and the Cloud.

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