ABA Banking Journal Podcast

A Lone Star banking perspective

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If Texas were an independent country, its economy would rank as the world's eighth-largest. "France is the seventh largest economy in the world and I ...

A Lone Star banking perspective

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If Texas were an independent country, its economy would rank as the world's eighth-largest. "France is the seventh largest economy in the world and I ...

The incredible shrinking penny (circulation)

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The discontinuation of penny production in 2025 caused operational challenges for banks when the regional Federal Reserve banks said they would stop ...

Cybersecurity in a mobile-first banking landscape

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Philippines is a fast-growing economy, but it lags its peers in the unbanked rate, with more than four in 10 Filipinos unbanked, according to McKi...

Cash in: Simplify deposits with Allpoint

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Discover how Allpoint's cash deposit-enabled ATMs are transforming the way financial institutions serve their customers. In this episode, we explore t...

The 2026 outlook for bank M&A

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The bank consolidation logjam broke in 2025, with several banks, including large regionals, inking major deals amid an accelerated pace for approv...

The outlook for tech-forward community banking

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jon Sisk and Matt Lujano's banks couldn't be more different at first appearance — Sisk is a top executive at a community bank in Santa Cruz, Califor...

The Erie Canal at 200

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Erie Canal — one of the biggest milestones of American history — celebrated the bicentennial of its completion this week. On the latest episo...

Intelligent Origination: Reinventing Lending with AI

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Blend's Intelligent Origination — an AI-powered orchestration layer embedded in Blend's platform that reduces the cost of loan origination, improves...

Why branches are top priority for PNC

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

PNC Bank is the nation's eighth-largest bank by assets and the sixth-largest by deposits, but it ranks fourth in the number of physical branches. In a...

From tractors to drones, how farming tech affects ag lending

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With equipment repair costs up 40% over the past few years, how farmers deploy expensive agricultural machinery is of top concern for ag bankers. With...

Bigger data boosts financial inclusion at Synchrony

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI and the future of BSA risk management

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Banks have been using natural language processing and machine learning applications for years in managing their anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy...

The real difference between stablecoins and tokenized deposits

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of the summer's Genius Act, many banks and nonbanks have announced new stablecoin initiatives. Another digital asset — tokenized deposit...

The 'capacity crisis' in leadership today

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Princess Castleberry began her career in risk management in financial services, and the biggest risk she sees today is that "leaders are in a capacity...

AI, third-party risk and the future of partner banking

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The rapid evolution of the financial services marketplace means the market for banking as a service is also evolving rapidly. From artificial intellig...

Demographic trends shaping the U.S. banking outlook

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. is experiencing a massive demographic shift driven by the aging Baby Boom generation, declining birth rates and shifts in immigration trend...

How institutional banking helps build one regional bank's strategy

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alongside the commercial and consumer markets, institutional banking is one of three strategic pillars of $70 billion-asset UMB Bank. On the latest ep...

The future of careers in risk and compliance

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does the future hold for bank risk and compliance professionals? On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast, Krysti Cunningham of S...

Breaking down the bank-related provisions in the big budget bill

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, hear from ABA experts on how key ABA-supported provisions on tax policy, rural real estat...

Inside ABA's new Treasury Check Verification System API

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

ABA's new online platform to provide members with free access to the Treasury Check Verification System is now live. On a special joint episode of the...

Staying close to clients amid tariff-driven volatility

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Amid tariff-related volatility, how are small and midsize businesses and the banks that serve them faring? On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Jo...

Old National's Jim Ryan on the things that really matter

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jim Ryan has led Old National Bank through a massive wave of growth — through major mergers and organic growth, the Evansville, Indiana-based bank h...

What bankers need to know about 'First Amendment audits'

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So-called "First Amendment auditors" have long filmed themselves trying to provoke police and other public officials into stopping them from recording...

Accelerating banking for quick-service restaurants

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As independently owned and operated small businesses, fast-food restaurant franchisees have unique business needs. They have mobile and often part-tim...

How a Georgia community bank supports government-guaranteed lending nationwide

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Government-guaranteed lending requires special expertise and back-office functionality that grows increasingly expensive for smaller banks. On the lat...

Quantum computing's shakeup in payments, cybersecurity

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Quantum computing is an entirely new way of processing information, and it has the power to solve extremely difficult computational problems much mo...

Why the Fed paying interest on reserves matters

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The payment by the Federal Reserve of interest on bank reserves may sound like an abstruse matter of economic theory, but these payments are critical ...

Travis Hill on the regulatory agenda at the FDIC

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

ABA's Washington Summit just wrapped up, and this episode — sponsored by Intrafi's Banking with Interest — features a main stage conversation wi...

Play ball! Financial education home runs

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

April is Financial Literacy Month, a time when bankers think creatively about how to engage young people on topics of financial wellness. Citi's Mich...

Breaking down the executive order on Treasury checks

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of this week's significant executive order directing the Treasury to eliminate the use of paper checks for federal government disburseme...

What's next for stablecoin policy and tech

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Legislators and regulators are strongly focused on policy related to payment stablecoins, most recently with the passage of the Genius Act in the Se...

How mail theft fuels the check-fraud boom

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The big story of check fraud is not only its vast cost to the country and to individual victims, but simply the remarkable rate at which it is increas...

The pinnacle of American politics: The life and career of Charles Dawes, part 2

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A century ago, in March 1925, Charles G. Dawes was sworn in as vice president of the United States. Being elected vice president of the United States ...

The rise of a celebrated American banker: The life and career of Charles Dawes, part 1

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A century ago, in March 1925, Charles G. Dawes was sworn in as vice president of the United States. Being elected vice president of the United States ...

Bowling 300 on bank policy advocacy

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In rural southeastern New Mexico, bank CEO and varsity bowling coach Ken Clayton often takes his team on 500-mile one-day roundtrips for bowling tourn...

How having joint accounts improves couples' relationships

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A recent article in the New York Times — "Love and Money: Why Sharing Accounts Is Good for Your Relationship" — explores scholarly evidence for th...

The real story on CRE risk management

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — presented by R&T Deposit Solutions — ABA's Jeff Huther and Sharon Whitaker rebut a fa...

One community bank's fight against a mass text scam

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode features a crossover from ABA's brand new podcast series: ABA Fraudcast: Cyber and Fraud with Paul Benda. Community banks can be targe...

How boards can position their banks to navigate change

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From AI and crypto to complex regulatory challenges and increasingly diverse markets, bank executives face increasingly complex strategic decisions —...

The behavioral psychology of the Christmas savings club

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this holiday bonus episode — sponsored by TransUnion — host Evan Sparks digs into the Banking Journal archives to learn more about the "Chri...

Making the feeling 'mutual' for a new generation of bank customers

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Well, your money's in Joe's house, that's right next to yours. And in the Kennedy House, and Mrs. Macklin's house, and, and a hundred others. Why...

Opportunities in the Congressional Review Act, the 'other CRA'

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The rarely used Congressional Review Act provides an opportunity for Congress and the president to overturn regulatory rulemakings — and the GOP tri...

What you need to know about beneficial ownership and customer due diligence in 2025

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Saved by the bell? Millions of American businesses faced a January 1 deadline to register their beneficial owners with the Financial Crimes Enforcemen...

Memory, nostalgia and the power of sonic branding

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Advertising jingles: corny or clever? "Imagine the repetition over years in a community that hears it regularly," says Clark Hook of Financial Marketi...

Why middle market businesses are growing more optimistic

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Middle market businesses don't get the attention of the Fortune 500 or the love that small businesses get from policymakers, but these firms are still...

Tax reform comes into focus for 2025

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Republican sweep of the presidency and Congress, with extremely narrow control of the House, sets up tax policy as a major issue in 2025. With man...

Strategies to help America's agricultural producers

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With commodity prices falling and producer expenses rising, it's a difficult moment for America's agricultural economy. On the latest episode of the A...

Rebuilding 'the great Virginia regional bank'

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Asbury didn't need a new job in 2016, but when he saw an opportunity build something lost in the 1990s — what he calls "the great Virginia regi...

Breaking down crypto investment scams

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Crypto investment scams cost Americans billions of dollars. The scammers start small with confidence or romance scams and gradually work their way up ...

Laser-focused on the customer experience

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do community banks balance the need for cutting-edge technology and the human touch? On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — ...

A place for regional banks: How BOK Financial finds and fills local needs

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As president and CEO of $50 billion-plus BOK Financial, Stacy Kymes spends time thinking about the role of regional banks in the U.S. economy. On the ...

How a Latin American banking franchise is growing in South Florida

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Miami is often described as the northernmost city in Latin America, or sometimes as Latin America's business capital. On the latest episode of the ABA...

When going through a core conversion pays off

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most bankers dread the thought of a core conversion, but once that decision is made, the process can open up new opportunities for strategic growth. O...

'At the end of the day, it's all about financial empowerment'

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As chief corporate responsibility officer for Webster Bank, Marissa Weidner works across the bank's footprints and business lines to help advance the ...

More tools to tackle check fraud

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fraud is front and center for America's banks, and on the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — sponsored by Alkami — ABA's Paul B...

A Canadian bank's versatile business model

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week, VersaBank closed on its purchase of Stearns Bank Holdingford N.A., giving the Canadian point-of-sale lender a point of entry into...

Are credit unions overspending on marketing?

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Consumers everywhere see and hear credit union marketing campaigns, from PenFed's ubiquitous jingle to big stadium and Super Bowl sponsorship deals....

M&A outlook with Paul Davis

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the midpoint of the year, what's the M&A outlook like for community banks? On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast, ABA Banking Jo...

Understanding how monetary policy shapes SOFR

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast, ABA economist Jeff Huther discusses recent dynamics with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, the...

Banking and the American founding era

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To mark Independence Day this week, this classic replay episode of the ABA Banking Journal explores the role of banking and finance in the American Re...

What the C-suite needs to know about redlining enforcement

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"We're seeing banks that have never been scrutinized before for redlining and being told that they have risk that they have not before and risk in way...

A bank CEO's front-seat view of risk, survival and recovery

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Brent Beardall thinks bankers need to be more comfortable with risk. "We're not out there taking crazy risk, but my point is don't be afraid to fail,"...

Building successful careers in bank risk and compliance (part 2)

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"I need people who understand technology and the business more than I need people who understand compliance," says Greg Imm, who recently retired as c...

Building successful careers in bank risk and compliance (part 1)

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a time of heightened regulatory risk and business challenges, "that's where the risk professionals become very important," says David Kelly, CERP, ...

Pathward's road to innovation in financial inclusion

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — sponsored by Biz2X — Anthony Sharett, president of Pathward N.A., discusses how his F...

Maximizing business, client value from SBA loan programs

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What's new with Small Business Administration lending this year, and how can bankers maximize the value of the SBA loan guaranty programs? On the late...

Is it time to kill the paper check?

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Checks have become so marginal that the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Payment Choice relegates them to a category of "other," which, along with...

How a Georgia community bank engaged employees at 3X the national rate

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

According to newly released Gallup figures, just 30 percent of American workers are engaged in their work. The rest are described as disengaged, with...

Tackling big goals for Financial Literacy Month

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For Financial Literacy Month in April, the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — presented by R&T Deposit Solutions — features a conversation on how ban...

The CEO view from Main Street

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What's the CEO-eye view on the U.S. economy, business conditions and the regulatory environment for banks? This week's episode of the ABA Banking Jour...

The Points Guy on why credit card rewards matter

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"These rewards are more than just Amex, Chase, Citi," says Brian Kelly, founder of the popular travel site The Points Guy. "Well over half of America...

Understanding the emerging bank M&A policy landscape

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The banking agencies and the Justice Department are shifting how they assess and review bank mergers and acquisitions. On the latest episode of the AB...

An NFL-player-turned-banker helping today's student athletes

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Forget Tom Brady: Most professional athletes don't play well into their 40s. "You play football for three to four years," says Brandon Ghee. "And then...

'Building the organization around exceptional talent'

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

First Horizon Bank, a regional bank based in Memphis, Tennessee, offers some eye-catching numbers on the bank's gender balance: Women make up 62 perce...

The commercial real estate state of play

02 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — presented by Alkami — ABA's Dan Brown and Sharon Whitaker discuss community bank expo...

How the 'apolitical' Fed moves during presidential elections

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If the past has any predictive power, rate-watchers may want to discount the chance of significant rate movements this election year. On the latest ep...

How flexible is your core? A new tool to help assess

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"We're really focused on increasing competition and innovation in the core provider landscape," says ABA Core Platforms Committee Chair Kristiane Ko...

Reducing the friction in banking

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes there are good reasons for friction in the banking experience: to stop fraud, to comply with laws. But sometimes the friction is a result of...

Getting the GSEs' transition to new credit scores right

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The multiyear effort to change the credit scoring models required by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continues to move forward, and mortgage lenders, cre...

MDI status helps a mutual bank supercharge its strategy

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Late in 2023, Warsaw Federal — a $71 million mutual savings and loan in Cincinnati — was officially designated as a minority depository institutio...

How Esquire Bank reaches an audience that thinks it doesn't need to be convinced

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, the ABA Banking Journal Podcast featured the CEO of Esquire Bank, a nationwide bank with a focus on law firm banking. On the second part o...

How Esquire Bank carved out a profitable niche serving law firms

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Esquire Bank has found a strategy that turns the typical ratio of business client loans to deposits on its head. Through its nationwide vertical of se...

What the OCC's latest report may reveal about 2024 priorities

17 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the final ABA Banking Journal Podcast episode of 2023 — sponsored by R&T Deposit Solutions — John Vivian of Patomak Global Partners and ABA E...

The bank policy outlook for 2024

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From the Basel III endgame to Regulation II to new Community Reinvestment Act and Section 1071, 2023 has delivered a regulatory onslaught for the indu...

How wealth managers can help families navigate difficult transitions

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For high-net-worth clients, generational transitions can be fraught moments — implicating business ownership sales, control transfers, tax situation...

Do joint bank accounts improve couples' relationships?

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For new couples, does the decision of how to organize their finances — separate accounts, a joint account or a blend of the two — matter? On the A...

Bespoke banking for family-owned businesses

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Family-owned businesses — especially those crossing the mark of $10 million in annual revenue — often have unique banking needs. They have the fre...

Building trust by bringing the bank into the workplace

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"When we're able to take banking to them, at a place where they already have trust with their employer, that's a bridge," says Jennifer Huffman of Atl...

Digging into the CFPB's Section 1033 data-sharing proposal

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Banks have long supported consumers accessing their own data, but believe it should be done in a safe and sound way that provides them with control,"...

How fiscal stimulus counters rate hikes and props up capital investment

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Capital investment has surprised a great bit of our economy and the business community," says TD Bank EVP Bill Fink. "As rates go up, how could we be...

Why middle market businesses remain optimistic

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Often, economic change occurs at this level of the economy," says Umpqua Bank EVP Richard Cabrera about the middle market of the commercial sector. "...

Why corporate clients are pushing for more instant payment capabilities

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Corporate CFOs and finance leaders are "best leading indicators." says Stephen Philipson, head of global markets and specialized finance at U.S. Bank....

#BanksNeverAskThat goes bilingual for 2023

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The latest incarnation of ABA's award-winning #BanksNeverAskThat anti-phishing campaign returns for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Octobe...

Credit card rewards are for all people

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the availability of credit card rewards at stake under the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill, bill sponsor Sen. Roger Marshall dismisses consumer...

How employee resource groups support banks' DEI strategies

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Employee resource groups have become an important part of diversity, equity and inclusion strategies at larger companies. On the latest episode of the...

Accelerating bank innovation in the months ahead

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's a lot going on in the innovation space in banking. On the season seven premiere of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — presented by Servbank ...

New tools for arresting rising tide of check fraud

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Check fraud continues to be a growing problem for banks of all sizes — and it's not going away anytime soon. On the latest episode of the ABA Bank...

The mainstreaming of health savings accounts

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly 72 million Americans were covered by health savings accounts at the end of 2022, an increase of 6.5% from the year before, and HSAs are used a...

Maximizing the value of bank-university partnerships

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bank partnerships with colleges and universities hold promise to help banks tackle human resources challenges: creating a pipeline of rising professio...