In their first Bank Nerd Corner Squared episode of 2026, Kiah and Alex try their best to keep it light in the face of a lot of tough news.

2026 has been light on serious bank topics to date, but they talk about the interesting trend of fintechs buying banks, especially compared to the de novo charter applications from similar types of companies.

They then hit some of the low points of the news cycle, including President Donald Trump’s proposal to cap interest rates at 10%, the grand jury subpoenas sent to the Federal Reserve Board and the announcement that the Trump family’s cryptocurrency firm, World LIberty Financial, would apply for a national trust charter. To lighten the mood, Kiah closes with a small credit card rant.

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Follow Kiah:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett

Follow Alex:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson

BNC Squared: Bank Acquisitions and Bad News