Charlie was a Los Angeles-based digital banking platform built specifically for Americans aged 62 and older. Founded in late 2021 by Oscar Health co-founder Kevin Nazemi, it offered a fee-free FDIC-insured account through Sutton Bank with 3% earnings, early access to Social Security deposits, US-based human support, and FraudShield, a suite of fraud protections designed for the population that loses an estimated $28 billion a year to financial scams. After raising $23 million in 2023, Charlie wound down operations on January 21, 2026.
Kevin Nazemi is the co-founder and CEO of Charlie, a Los Angeles fintech building banking specifically for Americans aged 62 and older. After co-founding the health insurance disruptor Oscar Health and later the retiree health platform Renew Health, he turned to a market almost everyone in fintech ignored: seniors collecting Social Security. Charlie launched nationwide in May 2023 with faster access to Social Security checks, no monthly fees, competitive yields, and fraud safeguards built for a generation that loses an estimated $36 billion a year to financial scams.