What Does Debanking Even Mean Anymore?

Politico's Victoria Guida and Punchbowl News' Brendan Pedersen break down the sweeping Democratic victories in the midterm elections and what they mean for banks, including the prospect of Elizabeth Warren leading the Senate Banking Committee. They also examine the crypto industry's disastrous political gamble, growing pressure to regulate AI, and whether President Trump and a Democratic Congress can accomplish anything together.

Jason Mikula, author of Fintech Business Weekly, examines the OCC's recent debanking report, why the term has become so politicized, and where banks' responsibility to manage risk collides with customers' access to financial services. He also discusses the potential impact of AI agents on bank deposits and warns that some bank-fintech partnerships still face the same recordkeeping problems exposed by the Synapse collapse.

Brent McIntosh, Citigroup's chief legal officer and corporate secretary, discusses how one of the world's largest banks is deploying AI, from everyday employee tools to agentic systems used in compliance and fraud prevention. He also talks about how AI could transform anti-money laundering efforts and cybersecurity, the risks of giving AI agents real authority, and why banks, energy companies and tech firms recently launched the Alliance for Critical Infrastructure, a group designed to help combat the growing threat of cyber attacks across industry lines. 

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 administration's bank regulatory changes can endure as control of Congress — and eventually the White House — changes hands.

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 this latest effort as deeply flawed because it will weaken community-development obligations for banks nationwide.

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 institutions, core providers, novel charters, CRA reform and the competitive pressures shaping the future of community banking.

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 deposits proved critical after Silicon Valley Bank failed, and what the change means as competition for deposits heats up.

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 rules, and how AI could reshape deposit competition and the banking system itself.

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 political clout is beginning to fade and a potential challenge to Maxine Waters for leadership of the House Financial Services Committee.

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.