Banking with Interest

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, chair of the House financial institutions subcommittee, shares his vision for leading the Financial Services Committee. He emphasizes the importance of fair banking access for all legal businesses and the surprising support from large banks. Barr discusses the need for regulatory reform in Basel III, advocating for changes that encourage competition and help community banks thrive. He also talks about the impact of stablecoins on the industry and the significance of timely merger approvals to ensure a diverse financial landscape.

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.