Early Warning vs Plaid

Phoenix Suns and Arizona-based Early Warning Services announce multi-year agreement to feature Paze® on all Suns jerseys, succeeding PayPal as the team’s official jersey partner

Partnership Unites Suns with the Arizona Roots of Early Warning, the Company Behind Zelle® – Which Has Become a Vital Part of Everyday Financial Life for Millions of Americans

New Zelle® Research: Gen Z’s Latest Ick? The Price of Dating

Zelle's New Economics of Dating Report, based on a survey of 1,800 Gen Z and millennial adults conducted in August 2026, finds that 84% of daters say rising costs have affected their dating lives. 32% are going on fewer dates, 11% have stopped dating due to cost, and 17% have gone into debt to maintain a dating lifestyle. The report highlights a shift toward budget-friendly, thoughtful dates and financial compatibility as key factors in relationships.

• 84% of Gen Z and millennial daters say rising costs have affected their dating lives.
• 11% of respondents have stopped dating because they could not afford it, equating to roughly 16 million people if applied to the full U.S. Gen Z and millennial population.
• 17% of Gen Z and millennials have gone into debt to maintain a lifestyle with someone they were dating; 20% among Gen Z and male respondents.

Anthropic launches Claude Personal Finance with Plaid integration

Anthropic has launched a new tool called 'Personal Finance' for its AI assistant Claude, enabling users to connect their bank and credit card accounts via Plaid and ask questions about their spending. The tool provides read-only access, so it cannot move or manage funds. It offers spending summaries, categorizes transactions, flags issues like duplicate charges or unexpected fees, and can explain financial concepts. The feature is rolling out in beta in the US to Pro, Max, and Ultra plan users. This move positions Claude as a financial companion, competing with similar capabilities introduced by OpenAI's ChatGPT in May.

• Anthropic launches Claude Personal Finance tool in beta for US users on Pro, Max, and Ultra plans.
• Users can connect bank and credit card accounts via Plaid with read-only access.
• The tool provides spending summaries, category breakdowns, and flags issues like duplicate charges and unexpected fees.

Zest Launches AI Text Concierge for Restaurant Bookings

Zest, the restaurant discovery app founded in November 2024, launched an AI-powered concierge that operates via text messages. The feature, announced on Thursday, allows users to text a dedicated number, and the AI can suggest restaurants based on individual tastes derived from credit card transaction data (via Plaid), coordinate group preferences with an in-thread voting feature, and book tables through OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms. The startup had $1.8 million in pre-seed funding from 776 and Kindred Ventures. The launch reflects the industry trend of conversational AI agents replacing standalone apps. Zest aims to generate revenue through booking and ordering transactions, potentially expanding beyond restaurants in the future. The company tested the concierge last month and added booking capabilities before the public release.

• Zest launched an AI restaurant concierge accessible via text message.
• The concierge integrates with OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms for bookings.
• Zest uses credit card data through Plaid to personalize recommendations.