Money Matters: No Fees, One-Click Loans, and Free Stocks: The Impact of Big Fintech on the U.S. Consumer That Banks Feared and Regulators Missed

Fintech promised to break Wall Street’s grip on our wallets with zero overdraft fees, instant paycheck deposits, and fractional stock trading. It delivered on convenience, but the hidden cost came in the form of phantom loan debt, gamified investment losses, and customer service bots that vanish when accounts get frozen. Here is the real trade-off facing everyday Americans.