PODCAST · news
Banking with Interest
by IntraFi
Banking with Interest, a podcast by IntraFi, features in-depth analysis and insight into the policy changes reshaping the banking industry. With insightful interviews and previews of pending policy challenges, the podcast is an essential listen for anyone connected to the financial services industry. Banking with Interest is hosted by Rob Blackwell, an award-winning former journalist with more than two decades of experience as an expert on financial services policy. He is now Chief Content Officer and Head of External Affairs with IntraFi. The show is produced by Sam Navarro, senior principal writer at IntraFi. The podcast theme song was written and produced by Stellar Tracks. The information, views, and opinions expressed during Banking With Interest belong solely to Rob Blackwell and his guests and do not represent those of IntraFi LLC, its directors, management, or employees. Any ideas and strategies contained within the podcast are for informational purposes only and do not cons
Episodes
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Congress May Flip. What Actually Changes for Banks?
Cam Fine, former head of ICBA, and Ed Yingling, former head of ABA, break down what different midterm election outcomes could actually mean for banks, from congressional oversight and agency confirmations to crypto, the CFPB and regulatory relief. They also examine whether the Trump...
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Is CRA Reform Stuck in a Regulatory Doom Loop?
The OCC and FDIC, but not the Fed, have released a new proposal to rework implementation of the Community Reinvestment Act. Is this one liable to stick when the past two have not? Jesse Van Tol, president of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, offers his take, including why he sees…
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ICBA's Rainey on Crypto, AI and the Future of Community Banking
ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey discusses the failed Senate vote on crypto market structure legislation, community bank concerns about stablecoin yield, and the broader fight over who gets to compete for deposits under what rules. She also weighs in on how AI could help and hurt...
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How New Reciprocal Deposit Rules Help Community Banks Compete
Community banks have more room to compete for deposits following a new law that changes how reciprocal deposits are treated. Drew Keith of Texas Security Bank, Matt Nightingale of Katahdin Trust, and Kevin King of Saint Louis Bank discuss how it changes their funding options, why reciprocal...
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Inside Treasury's Push to Reset Bank Regulation
Former Treasury undersecretary Jonathan McKernan explains why the department took a more active role coordinating bank regulation and what officials hoped to accomplish with a broader regulatory reset. He also discusses lessons from the 2023 bank failures, changes to capital, liquidity and AML...
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How Banks Clouded the CLARITY Act's Future
Brendan Pedersen, financial services reporter for Punchbowl News, breaks down why the CLARITY Act's prospects have deteriorated, including a renewed revolt by community banks over stablecoin yield and growing Democratic resistance to the crypto industry. He also discusses whether crypto's…
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If AI Can't See Your Bank, Does It Really Exist?
Penny Crosman, American Banker's executive editor for technology, discusses why some banks dominate AI-generated answers while others are nearly invisible, including tackling what community banks can do to improve their visibility.
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After Vought's Exit, Will CFPB Return to Normal?
Over the past year and a half, Acting CFPB Russell Vought has sought to largely shut down the CFPB by severely cutting staff, stopping enforcement actions and cutting back on supervision. But with the nomination of a new director, Brian Johnson, is that about to change? Alan Kaplinsky, senior...
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The Affordability Debate Comes for Banks
Lindsey Johnson, president and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association, talks about why affordability concerns are putting renewed political pressure on banks over credit card rates, overdraft and late fees. She also tackles the future of the CFPB, open banking, crypto legislation, agentic AI and...
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The Big Question for Banks: How Durable Is This Moment?
Brian Gardner, chief Washington policy strategist at Stifel, tackles how durable the Trump administration's fast-moving regulatory and other changes are likely to be for banks. He discusses what banks still misunderstand about Washington, why the M&A environment is improving, what Kevin Warsh's...
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What Policymakers Still Get Wrong About Housing Finance
Michael Bright, CEO of the Structured Finance Association and a former head of Ginnie Mae, joins the show to discuss the state of the U.S. housing finance system nearly two decades after the financial crisis. He explains why he does not think the system is fundamentally broken, what policymakers...
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Banks Are Asking the Wrong Question About AI
Alex Johnson, founder of Fintech Takes, details why many banks are thinking about AI the wrong way. He updates his views on stablecoins vs. tokenized deposits, discusses why fintech competition remains a potent threat to banks and talks about why the bigger issue may be how customers use AI to…
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Have Banks Already Lost the Fight Over Stablecoin Yield?
Banks have fought a comprehensive effort to ensure stablecoins cannot offer yield. But the Senate Banking Committee passed a bill that the banking industry still says falls short. Does that mean banks have lost the fight? Will a crypto market structure bill pass this year? Brendan Pedersen of...
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The New Push to Refocus Bank Supervision
Andrew Olmem, managing partner of Mayer Brown's Washington office and a former deputy director of the National Economic Council, talks about how the second Trump administration has moved much faster than the first to reshape financial regulation. He discusses why he believes bank supervision…
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The New Front in the Swipe Fee Fight
Richard Hunt, executive chairman of the Electronic Payments Coalition, discusses the expanding fight over interchange and why the battle is no longer centered only in Washington. He explains what is happening in states like Illinois and Colorado, why the OCC stepped in, and what could happen next...
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Is this the End of the Chair-Driven Fed?
Nick Timiraos, chief economics correspondent at The Wall Street Journal, discusses the unusually fraught transition now underway at the Federal Reserve. He tackles why Jerome Powell's decision to stay on the board matters, what Kevin Warsh will face if he takes over as chair, and whether the…
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AI Is Coming for Bank Deposits
Deposit strategist Neil Stanley sits down with guest host Barb Rehm to discuss how AI is changing depositor behavior, pricing strategy, and the future of bank funding. He explains why static rate sheets and traditional CDs may become increasingly vulnerable as AI tools help customers optimize…
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The Growing Risk of Rogue AI in Banking
Penny Crosman, executive editor for technology at American Banker, talks about the growing risk of "rogue AI" in banking and why generative and agentic AI have changed the stakes for the industry. She discusses how banks are trying to balance the pressure to adopt AI quickly with the need to...
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Banks Can't Wait on AI, Former OCC Chief Hsu Says
Mike Hsu, the former acting Comptroller of the Currency, explains how waiting to adopt artificial intelligence has become a risk for banks and their regulators. He discusses why AI does not fit neatly into existing risk frameworks, how agentic AI is changing the cyber threat landscape, and why…
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The High-Stakes Trap Facing Kevin Warsh
Sam Sutton, author of Politico's Morning Money, discusses Kevin Warsh's nomination to lead the Federal Reserve and the difficult position he could find himself in almost immediately once confirmed. Sutton breaks down how the conflict with Iran, inflation risks, political pressure from President...
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The Battle Over CBDC Has Shifted. The Stakes Haven't.
Nick Anthony, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute and a leading critic of central bank digital currencies, explains why the CBDC fight is not over even as many in Washington have turned against it. He discusses why some opponents are unhappy with the Senate's proposed ban tucked into the…
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An Idiot's Guide to Basel III Endgame
Federal regulators released their third effort at implementing Basel III in three years, with this one taking a radically different approach to the previous two under the last administration. What does this version do and will it stick? John Heltman, Washington Bureau Chief of American Banker,...
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Behind the House-Senate Standoff Over the Housing Bill
Both the House and Senate have passed bipartisan bills designed to promote housing affordability, but the two chambers are now squaring off with each other over a final version, including whether it should include community bank regulatory relief provisions. Brendan Pedersen, financial services...
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The Next Regulatory Swing: Kathy Kraninger on CFPB, AI and Fraud
Kathy Kraninger has seen the banking system from both sides of the regulatory divide. The former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and now president and CEO of the Florida Bankers Association joins the show to discuss whether Washington is undergoing a regulatory…
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Why the Fight Over Preemption is Red Hot Again
Brandon Milhorn, CEO of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, argues that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is pushing beyond its statutory authority in areas including trust charters, stablecoins and mortgage escrow interest. He also discusses the rise of so-called...
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Will the Administration Require Banks to Collect Citizenship Information?
The Trump administration is considering possible executive action that could require banks to begin collecting citizenship information from new and existing customers, according to a blockbuster scoop in The Wall Street Journal. Dylan Tokar, who cowrote the article for the WSJ, talks about what's...
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How Fifth Third Thinks About Scale and Risk
Ben Hoffman, chief strategy officer and head of consumer products at Fifth Third Bank, joins the show to discuss the bank's acquisition of Comerica and what it signals about the future of super-regional banking. He explains why size alone isn't a strategy, why 2023 was less a "regional bank…
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'All Hell Might Break Loose': The High Stakes for the Fed's Future
As the Supreme Court weighs the fate of Fed Gov Lisa Cook and the Justice Department launches a criminal probe into Chair Jerome Powell, the future of the U.S. economy may well be at stake. Victoria Guida, economics correspondent and columnist at Politico, goes in depth on how the high court may...
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The Crypto Market Structure Bill Got Shelved. What's Next?
Bowing to industry pressure, Senate Banking abruptly postponed its vote on the crypto market structure bill last week. Brendan Pedersen, senior policy reporter at Punchbowl News and editor of its Vault newsletter, details the dynamics behind the meltdown. He also discusses the odds for the...
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The Anti-Money Laundering Regime Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?
Juan Zarate, who helped create the current anti-money laundering regime 25 years ago while working at Treasury, assesses the system's faults and the Trump Administration's push for reforms. He outlines what a better system would look like and handicaps the odds of it happening
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What Community Banks Are Facing in 2026
Julieann Thurlow, CEO of Reading Cooperative Bank, talks about the opportunities and challenges for community banks this year. She discusses the economic conditions, how community banks can innovate and where she'd like to see changes by policymakers.
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All I Want for Xmas Is a OCC Digital Charter
As the year comes to a close, the OCC approved five crypto-related firms for new charters, a move that could have big consequences for the banking industry writ large. Ian Katz, managing partner at Capital Alpha Partners, discusses why the approvals happened, what they mean, and why banks may…
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Inside the 2025 Bank Reg U-Turn
It's safe to say 2025 has marked a dramatic change from the Biden-era bank regulatory agenda. The Trump-appointed regulators are talking about rethinking supervision, capital, and the Fed's entire approach to liquidity. What does this mean for banks and the system overall? Karen Shaw Petrou,...
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Is this the End of the CFPB?
The Trump administration is refusing to take funds to pay for ongoing operations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, arguing the funding structure is illegal. What does this mean for the agency's future, including its recent efforts to curb the small business lending data rule and define...
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As Crypto Talks Heat Up Again, Can Congress Cut a Deal?
Senate negotiators have started talking again on a crypto market structure bill after a breakdown in discussions earlier this year. Does the bill have momentum? Brendan Pedersen, the financial services reporter for Punchbowl News, breaks down the latest around the legislation, what it means for...
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Why Gutting the CDFI Fund Hurts Banks, Communities
As the government shutdown drags on, the Treasury Department fired the entire staff of the CDFI Fund, a program with substantial bipartisan support. Dennis Ammann, CEO of People's Bank, a CDFI in Mississippi, and Jeannine Jacokes, CEO of the Community Development Bankers Association, discuss the...
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The Battle Over the Fed's Future
Aaron Klein, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, explains how the Supreme Court is likely to react to President Trump's efforts to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook, and what it means for the central bank's future as well as monetary policy. Klein also details how crypto is fighting banks' attempt…
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HFSC Chair Hill on Agenda, Crypto, Fraud & Housing
More than two dozen bills dedicated to Making Community Banks Great Again have passed House Financial Services Committee. Panel Chair French Hill handicaps which will have the most impact and what is most likely to be enacted. He also discusses the latest on the crypto market structure bill, how...
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Anchorage Digital: Inside the First Crypto Bank
Nathan McCauley, Cofounder and CEO of Anchorage Digital, discusses how his institution obtained the first OCC digital trust charter five years ago, how it has changed his business, and why other crypto firms are rushing to apply for the same charter now. He also discusses stablecoins vs. crypto,...
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Stablecoins, Tokenized Deposits and the Race to Win the Future of Money
Alex Johnson, founder and publisher of FinTech Takes, sorts through what happens now that Congress has passed a new law to regulate stablecoins. Will stablecoins take over finance, and if so, are they a bigger threat to banks or money market mutual funds? What are the use cases for stablecoins…
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What the Fight Over Fed's Powell is Really About
Victoria Guida, economics correspondent and columnist for Politico, talks about President Trump's reported decision – and then quick reversal – of a move last week to oust Jerome Powell as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. She goes behind the scenes on what the president is telling allies…
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Why Crypto Firms Are Lining Up to Charter Banks
Crypto firms often pitch themselves as an alternative to and the future of traditional finance. So why are firms like Ripple, Circle, Wise and Erebor attempting to charter banks? Penny Crosman, executive editor for technology at American Banker, talks about what's going on, how regulators will…
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A Backdoor Way to Merge Bank Regulators?
Todd Phillips, assistant professor at Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business, discusses the latest attempt to merge bank regulatory agencies and what that means for efforts in this area. He also discusses reported discussions by Walmart and Amazon to start stablecoins, and the...
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You Say You Want a (Global Payments) Revolution
Tom Halpin, the regional head of North America Global Payment Solutions for HSBC, talks about how AI and new technologies are changing domestic and global payments—and what that means both for his bank and the industry. He also tackles where AI can help (or hurt), the status of the FedNow roll…
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Are Banks Really Ready for AI?
Kiah Haslett, banking and fintech editor for Bank Director and FinXTech, talks about how Wall Street giants like Bank of America and community-focused lenders are training their teams to be savvy AI users. She also shares insights about an upcoming FinXTech report on why community banks need a...
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After a Fraud, this Bank Refused to Give Her Money Back. Now She's the CEO.
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...
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Politico's Sutton on China Tariff Deal, Behind the Scenes at Milken
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.
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Inside Dems Surprising Turn Against the Stablecoin Bill
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.
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Is This the End of the Fed and CFPB As We Know Them?
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...
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How Tariffs Impact Banks, Bessent's Ambitious Agenda & Stablecoin Fears
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…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Banking with Interest, a podcast by IntraFi, features in-depth analysis and insight into the policy changes reshaping the banking industry. With insightful interviews and previews of pending policy challenges, the podcast is an essential listen for anyone connected to the financial services industry. Banking with Interest is hosted by Rob Blackwell, an award-winning former journalist with more than two decades of experience as an expert on financial services policy. He is now Chief Content Officer and Head of External Affairs with IntraFi. The show is produced by Sam Navarro, senior principal writer at IntraFi. The podcast theme song was written and produced by Stellar Tracks. The information, views, and opinions expressed during Banking With Interest belong solely to Rob Blackwell and his guests and do not represent those of IntraFi LLC, its directors, management, or employees. Any ideas and strategies contained within the podcast are for informational purposes only and do not cons
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IntraFi
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