Short answer
A core banking system, such as those from Fiserv, FIS, Jack Henry or Temenos, is a bank's or credit union's central system for deposit and loan accounts, transactions and customer records. CRMs integrate with the core to give staff a full view of each relationship.
Core Banking System explained
The core is the system of record for accounts and balances. CRM integration typically brings customer, account and product data from the core into Salesforce or HubSpot, so relationship managers and service staff can see holdings, spot cross-sell opportunities and handle requests. Access is often through the core provider's APIs or middleware.
Core conversions are major projects, and CRM integration should be planned alongside them.
How Vantage Point helps: we integrate core banking data with Salesforce and HubSpot for banks and credit unions.
Frequently asked questions
Can a CRM write data back to the core?
Sometimes, for specific updates such as contact details, depending on the core's APIs and the bank's controls. Most integrations are mainly one-way from the core.
Who are the main core banking providers?
In the U.S., Fiserv, FIS and Jack Henry serve most banks and credit unions, with newer cloud cores gaining share.