Banking With Interest

While serving in the Oklahoma National Guard, Jill Castilla returned home to find a family member had stolen her money. The bank refused to give her the money back. Decades later, she now leads that bank, Citizens Bank of Edmond, and has used it to launch a digital bank aimed at servicemembers to ensure others don't suffer the same fate. She also talks about the policy challenges facing community banks right now, how to fix them, and why she remains optimistic about the future.

Sam Sutton, the author of Politico's Morning Money, discusses the impact of the Trump Administration's recent deal to reduce tariffs on China, and what Wall Street and bankers were worried about — publicly and privately — at last week's Milken Institute gathering. 

Brendan Pedersen, author of Punchbowl News' The Vault, talks about why key Democrats withdrew support for a bill to regulate stablecoins, how House Financial Services Committee GOP are targeting CFPB, and why an effort to overturn the medical debt rule appears to have failed for now.

President Trump is flirting with the idea of firing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell while the administration is attempting to lay off 90% of the CFPB's employees. John Heltman, Washington bureau chief of American Banker, and Kate Berry, the paper's consumer reporter, discuss what's next for these two agencies.

Jaret Seiberg, managing director at TD Cowen, talks about how the uncertain economic environment—and changing policies regarding tariffs—are impacting banks large and small. He also tackles Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's bank regulatory agenda, whether the Trump administration can successfully accomplish GSE reform and the significant risks to banks from stablecoin legislation.

Brandon Milhorn, the CEO of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, details his concerns about bills fast-tracked in Congress that would give regulatory guardrails for stablecoins. The state regulators he represents say it would open the door to mixing banking and commerce, disintermediate banks and give too much power to the federal government.

Katy O'Donnell, the financial services reporter for Politico, dives into a series of surprising moves by new FHFA Director Bill Pulte, including firing the CEO of Freddie Mac, appointing himself chair of both GSEs, and cutting programs.

The Trump administration unexpectedly targeted the Community Development Financial Institution Fund, touching off concern among bankers and their representatives that the bipartisan program could be eliminated. Ryan Tracy, who covers financial regulation and banking for Capitol Account, explains what happened, why, and the future of CDFIs. We also discuss the latest legal maneuvers surrounding the CFPB, what Fed Gov. Michelle Bowman's nomination as vice chair for banking supervision means for community banks and more.

Not that long ago, the Treasury secretary mostly took a back seat to the banking agencies in crafting policy, stepping in only during times of crisis. Not anymore. Karen Shaw Petrou, managing partner of Federal Financial Analytics, discusses Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's expansive view of his own role, why he's taking charge, and what it means for banks.

Cam Fowler, the CEO of Zelle parent company Early Warning Services, talks about the peer-to-peer payment system's rapid growth, the furor around fraud, and its new digital wallet, Paze. Fowler explains how the company is working to make the platform safer for consumers and why he believes shared accountability is the best approach to stopping criminals.

Rep. Frank Lucas, the chair of a newly created Congressional task force on monetary policy, discusses the panel's agenda and upcoming hearings, the first of which takes place this week. The Ohio Republican grapples with two separate questions: should the Fed be independent and should it have a direct role in banking supervision? 

The Trump administration wants to fold the FDIC's bank oversight duties into the OCC without congressional approval. Evan Weinberger, a banking correspondent at Bloomberg Law, details the ramifications for community banks, what's already happening at both agencies, and what may happen next.

Victoria Guida of Politico and Brendan Pedersen of Punchbowl News sort through how and why the Trump administration is remaking banking regulation. Is the CFPB neutered for the next four years or maybe forever? Will the OCC take over the FDIC's exam functions? Why did big bank CEOs meet with the Senate Banking Committee? What's DOGE up to at Treasury?

Greg Baer, the CEO of the Bank Policy Institute, argues that bank supervision has gone off course, focusing on the wrong areas and making the system less safe.  He outlines how he and big banks would recommend fixing it. He also discusses stress test and AML reform, new liquidity rules, Basel III, CFPB and more.

Former Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., one of the first lawmakers to sound alarms about the debanking of crypto firms , talks about President Trump's accusation that large banks are systemically debanking conservatives, and what he thinks is really going on. That includes how policymakers could fix the issue permanently and why some proposed solutions might backfire. 

Rep. Maxine Waters, lead Democrat on House Financial Services, discusses how the committee and Congress have changed in her long tenure, her relationship with Chair French Hill, and the importance of community banks. She also unveils the Democratic agenda for this Congress, including housing reform, stablecoin regulation and more.

Brad Bolton, the CEO of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala., discusses the state of community banking right now, including what challenges he and other small institutions face and how they hope policymakers can help. He dives into concerns about new small business lending data requirements and other pending regulations, calls for bank consolidation, and what worries him most.

Michael Barr's surprising decision to step down as Fed vice chair of banking supervision next month allows the incoming Trump administration to make its own pick for the job and raises questions about the political independence of the banking regulators going forward. Andrew Ackerman, senior financial reporter with The Washington Post, walks through the implications for banks and discusses Barr's likely successor.

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu talks about his three-plus years at the forefront of bank regulation, including what regulators learned from the fall of SVB, why we still need new Basel capital rules, and whether regulatory restructuring would be worth the effort.

Evan Weinberger, the banking reporter at Bloomberg Law, talks about the Trump administration's trial balloon to eliminate the FDIC or combine regulatory agencies. He also goes in-depth on the various fights the CFPB is engaged in, how the Trump administration could choose to tackle them, and what that would mean for banks.

Alex Johnson, the founder and publisher of Fintech Takes, tackles several hot-button topics, including how the crypto industry's election victories will influence the next Trump administration, and why hype around stablecoins as a replacement for banks may be misplaced. He also discusses whether banks are really engaging in debanking as a prominent venture capitalist recently claimed. 

Sam Sutton, the primary author of Politico's Morning Money newsletter, goes behind the scenes on why President-elect Trump chose Scott Bessent to lead the Treasury Department. Sutton discusses Bessent's experience and agenda, how his views on tariffs and inflation will play out in the next administration, and how they portend a potential brewing conflict with the Federal Reserve.

Rep. French Hill, a top contender to lead the House Financial Services Committee, details his plan to help banks, including revamping regulators' approach to M&A, ending Operation Choke Point, and encouraging more de novos. He also discusses his views on Scott Bessent, President-elect Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, the mood among GOP lawmakers, how the government can confront fraud at banks, what he thinks Congress can do for banks over the next two years and his takeaways from the Biden-era regulators' final Congressional appearance.

Lindsey Johnson, CEO and president of the Consumer Bankers Association, talks about how the CFPB may change under the second Trump administration. Will a Trump-appointed CFPB director roll back the recently finalized open data rule? What happens for banks and consumers if that rule is left to stand? She also tackles the future of the agency's overdraft proposal and small business lending rule. 

With Republicans set to control the White House, Senate, and House next year, Victoria Guida of Politico and Brendan Pedersen of Punchbowl News dive into the implications for financial services companies. That includes what it means for the Fed, including whether President-elect Trump might try to oust Chair Jerome Powell, and what kinds of leaders will take the reins of the Congressional banking committees.

The rise of generative AI agents have promised consumers a better, safer future. But what happens if those agents act in ways that destabilize the system, causing bank runs or better enable bad actors to commit fraud or hack financial institutions? Todd Phillips, assistant professor at Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business, talks about his new paper looking into how AI could wreak havoc on the financial system.

Kate Berry, a reporter for American Banker, and Christopher Williston, the CEO of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, go in-depth to discuss the CFPB's final Section 1033 rule, which implements open banking. They tackle which institutions are most at risk from the final rule, why trade groups are suing to block it, and how the CFPB is responding to bank fears it will spur more fraud.

Eamon Javers, a senior Washington correspondent for CNBC, talks about his new podcast, “The Crimes of Putin's Trader,” and how Russia is using hackers to infiltrate banks and Wall Street. He goes behind the scenes on the case of Vladislav Klyushin, who was convicted by the U.S. of insider trading, how he was traded back this summer to Russia, and what it means for financial firms here.

Cam Fine, former CEO and president of ICBA, and Ed Yingling, former CEO and president of ABA, discuss and debate the possible outcomes of the election—Presidential, House and Senate—and what they could mean for banking policy. 

Jason Mikula, publisher of Fintech Business Weekly, talks about the ongoing fallout from the failure of fintech Synapse, and banking regulators' efforts to ensure it can't happen again. Are regulators going too far? Is this the end of banking-as-a-service?

Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., the chair of the House Financial Services oversight subcommittee, talks about his agenda if selected as GOP leader of the full panel next year, including looking deeper at artificial intelligence, regulating crypto, and fixing housing. He also talks about his focus on reining in activist investors, what he wants to see the next CFPB director tackle and the limitations of Congressional oversight.

Karen Shaw Petrou, managing partner of Federal Financial Analytics, details how new guidelines by federal regulators to curb M&A could inadvertently increase the market power of the biggest banks and Big Tech.  

Ryan Donovan, the head of the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks, pushes back against criticisms that the government-sponsored enterprises have strayed from their mission. He outlines what the FHLBs want as part of a reform effort by their regulator.

Rep. Andy Barr, the chair of the House financial institutions subcommittee, discusses why he should lead Republicans on the Financial Services Committee next year. He offers a preview of his agenda, including pushing legislation that would prevent banks from denying legal businesses access to financial services and why large institutions are suddenly supporting it. He also details what changes regulators should make in new Basel III capital rules, how regulatory reform for banks could happen, and why M&A approval rules should be revamped.

Jaret Seiberg, managing director of TD Cowen's Washington Research Group, discusses the many policy changes facing banks this summer, including the FDIC's brokered deposit proposal, the Fed's new FAQ on the discount window, a Texas court decision on the small business rule, and the new uncertainties the election poses for the industry.

Alex Johnson, founder of Fintech Takes, discusses the CFPB's race to complete as many regulatory initiatives – on earned wage access products, open data, privacy and more – ahead of the November election. And he talks about why banking as a service has turned into a “high-wire act without a safety net” in the wake of the Synapse bankruptcy.

Rep. French Hill, one of the leading candidates to chair the House Financial Services Committee next year, makes his case for the job, discussing how his former role as a bank CEO would help guide his agenda. He talks about why he's worked so hard on crypto and stablecoin regulation bills, his vision for housing reform, the lessons of SVB, the end of Chevron deference, and his concerns on bank consolidation.

Claire Williams, Capitol Hill reporter for American Banker, and Brendan Pedersen, who covers financial services for Punchbowl News, discuss the latest on financial policy. Will Christy Romero Goldsmith be confirmed to lead the FDIC? Is Basel III Endgame dead? How could Sen. J.D. Vance as vice president impact bank policy going forward?

Phil Mobley, national director of office analytics for CoStar, the leading firm when it comes to commercial real estate, talks about how the market has changed in the wake of the pandemic. He discusses the trends right now, where the market is headed, and what risk office CRE poses to banks.

Pete Schroeder, who covers financial regulation and policy for Reuters, breaks down why federal banking agencies are split on how to finalize new capital rules and explains how policymakers are reacting to a nominee for FDIC chair.

Frank Abagnale Jr., an expert on check forgery and the subject and inspiration for Steven Spielberg's film “Catch Me If You Can,” talks about why check fraud is so much worse in recent years despite the overall decline of use of checks. He talks about why banks are struggling to detect forgeries, how policymakers should address the issue, and why the problem is poised to become even more dire.

Penny Crosman, executive editor of technology at American Banker, goes behind the scenes on a case of Zelle fraud that cost a consumer thousands of dollars—and what it means for a coming policy fight between the big banks and Washington over the real-time payment system.

Andrew Ackerman, a financial services reporter for the Wall Street Journal, discusses what happens next after FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg's surprise announcement that he will resign upon confirmation of a successor. Ackerman also details how regulators plan to dial back the Basel III Endgame proposal, and talks about the CFPB's future after the Supreme Court upheld its funding structure.

Brendan Pedersen, the financial services reporter for Punchbowl News, discusses the critical importance of upcoming hearings to the future of the FDIC and disturbing revelations from a recent report looking into the agency's culture. He also discusses an upcoming House vote on a crypto bill and the latest on financial privacy and stablecoin legislation.

Rep. Frank Lucas, the longest serving Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, makes his case for why he should be the next chair, offering his views on community bank consolidation, whether the Fed should be independent, the dangers of quantum computing and how history informs his view of government agencies and programs.

Hilary Allen, a law professor at American University Washington College of Law, warns that a stablecoin regulation bill could open the door to mixing banking and commerce, allowing WalMart, Amazon or Google to effectively set up their own bank without facing bank-like regulations. She also details issues with the legislation introduced to date, including failures to address critically important issues.

John Heltman and Claire Williams, two journalists with American Banker, discuss the outlet's recent series on populism and how it impacts banks. They tackle why the banking industry is so often the target of populist politicians from both the left and the right, how populism is changing the debate on various bank policy debates now, and what comes next.

Aaron Klein, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Mark Calabria, former director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, debate the best way to address the housing crisis, as well as the dangers of politicizing banking regulation, whether the Fed is too worried about consensus, if the central bank is secretly working on a central bank digital currency and who should play The Sphere next. 

Mark Calabria, former director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Aaron Klein, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, discuss how politics factors into the Fed's monetary policy decisions, decry the rescue of uninsured depositors last year, debate how to fix liquidity rules and weigh in on revamping the FHLBs.

Graham Steele, the former Treasury assistant secretary for financial institutions, offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on regulators' decision to rescue uninsured depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and two other regional banks. He also discusses what policy changes are still needed as a result, the greatest challenge facing the banking industry, and why he's worried about a “catastrophic” cybersecurity event.

One year after the fall of Silicon Valley Bank, the reverberations into banking policy continue. Brian Gardner, Chief Washington Policy Strategist at investment bank Stifel, discusses how the failure impacted bank supervision and the debate over new capital and liquidity rules—and how it will remain a part of the calculus moving forward.