Interview with Zak Westphal: Fintech, AI, and the Future of Retail Trading

In this conversation with The Tradable, Zak Westphal discusses the evolution of fintech, the role of AI in the markets, and why user education is just as important as innovation in achieving trading success.

Q1. The financial technology market has experienced massive growth over the last decade. What do you see as the biggest change for retail traders?

For me, it’s access. When I got started, institutions had all of the advantages. They were paying for data feeds that were instantaneous, and they had research departments dissecting why things were happening in the markets. They had automated systems running that could react faster than any human sitting at a computer could.

Retail traders were at a disadvantage. You were juggling delayed charts, clicking around on different websites, and using technology that wasn't built for real-time decision-making. All of that puts you three or four steps behind.

That gap is starting to narrow. Fintech platforms now have access to real-time data, thanks to AI scanners and news feeds that are at retail traders. It’s not exactly level, but we are closer than we have ever been. And that change has transformed what’s possible for the retail trader. 

Q2. StocksToTrade has integrated AI into its offerings. What impact do you think AI is having on trading now?

AI is a considerable innovation in terms of speed and scale. The market produces an overwhelming amount of information, including thousands of tickers, breaking news, SEC filings, and social sentiment. There’s no way to keep up with all of it in real time. AI takes that avalanche of information and repackages it into what might actually matter. 

On StocksToTrade, our Oracle Scanner and IRIS Analytics do just that. They detect unusual volume, technical setups, or shifts in sentiment in just seconds. If a stock associated with breaking news suddenly spikes, it will quickly flag the change before most traders even know that something is happening.

However, I always make a point of reminding people that AI is not a magic bullet. It won't make decisions on your behalf. It will give you a head start. It will show you where to look, but it cannot tell you if that trade aligns with your risk tolerance, goals, and style. 

Question 3: Some people say that you can be too reliant on automation. What is your take on that?

I agree, and I have seen it happen. If you are going to chase every signal, or if you think an algorithm like it’s fool-proof, that can go sideways pretty quickly. The markets are too complicated for a “set it and forget it” mentality.

This is why we really take education seriously. StocksToTrade is not just about sending alerts and then moving on. We explain not only the “why” behind the alerts, but also the factors that should ultimately shape a trader’s thinking. We back this up with tutorials, live webinars, and community discussions.

Ultimately, I want our users to succeed. It is suitable for our users personally, with fewer painful losses and increased confidence. Of course, it’s good for them personally. Fewer painful losses, more confidence. But it’s also good for us as a business. If traders feel they’re learning and improving, they’ll stick around. 

If they are constantly following alerts and blowing up their accounts, they are gone. Education is not a nice-to-have, it is a valuable part of long-term success for everyone involved.

Q4. Outside of AI, what other fintech trends are you paying close attention to?

Two things specifically jump out.

First, regulation. Retail trading has exploded into the spotlight, and regulators are taking a more active role in regulating the activity. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Regulation often protects traders and creates more trust in the system. But it does mean that fintechs need to proceed a bit more cautiously. You can’t just launch flashy tools and hope nobody asks questions. Credibility matters more than ever.

Second, we are witnessing a massive increase in mobile-first adoption. The new generation of traders wants everything on their phone. They want a mobile app that is beautifully designed, simple, and fast. It shouldn’t require a finance degree to use it properly. The challenge is giving them that simplicity without watering down the depth. Whoever nails that balance will set the standard for the next wave of trading platforms.

Q5. What is your vision for the next five years for fintech and trading platforms?

I think the era of single-use platforms is behind us. Traders do not want one app for charts, one app for news, and one app for community. They want everything in one ecosystem. Real-time data, AI-generated insights, risk management, and education all under one roof. 

That is what we are aiming for with StocksToTrade. We strive to simplify complex analysis enough for beginners, yet make it powerful enough for professionals. A platform that can not only tell you what is happening in the markets, but also help you make sense of it so that you can trade smarter.

Stepping back to the broader fintech space, credibility remains a significant issue. Fintech is suffering from a hype problem. Several platforms claim to help you generate massive profits overnight, or they offer tools like trading bots or “black box” algorithms that promise to outperform the market with ease.This type of hype gets a lot of coverage, but it’s mostly snake oil. Both retail users and regulators are becoming increasingly aware of this. And while these platforms do hurt the space, they give legitimate platforms a chance to separate themselves.