HR Tech & Fintech Marketplace Health Check with Bryan Bergin & Jared Levine of TD Cowen

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome show alumni, Bryan Bergin and Jared Levine, equity research analysts with TD Cowen, for an annual check-in and Wall Street view into where HR tech and fintech are heading. This conversation goes beyond market performance for a timely look at how the lines between work, money, payroll, payments, benefits, compliance, and employee experience continue to blur. The group highlights the growing convergence of HR tech and fintech, where payroll is increasingly becoming a distribution rail for financial services, and employers are becoming a powerful channel for wallets, earned wage access, banking, stablecoins, cross-border payments, and broader financial wellness. They unpack what is really happening beneath the AI noise, from valuation pressure and consolidation to managed services, compliance complexity, embedded finance, stablecoins, and the growing importance of real adoption over market hype. Plus, why point solutions may face a tougher road ahead, why platform strategies are gaining strength, and how the next wave of innovation will be judged less by promise and more by proof. Connect with Bryan & Jared: TD Cowen research: www.tdsecurities.com/ca/en/themes-2025 Bryan Bergin:   / bryan-bergin-cfa-cpa-456b3aa   Jaren Levine:   / jared-levine-cfa-cpa-08524346   *The annual Payroll Profession Confidence Index (PPCI) survey is open now through September 30, 2026. Payroll professionals and stakeholders interested in participating in the research can complete the survey at: https://www.payrollinfluences.com/ppc.... Connect with the show: LinkedIn:   / hr-payroll-2-0   X: @HRPayroll2_0 X: @PeteTiliakos X: @JulieFer_HR BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social YouTube:    / @hrpayroll2_0   WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-pay... Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward! G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma:   / ryan-kielma