Inside the "Summer of Small Cuts" for Banks

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, breaks down what has changed, the reaction by banks, and whether we've reached the beginning of the end for Basel III Endgame.

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 senior policy reporter at Punchbowl News and editor of its Vault newsletter, breaks down the debate, how it became so contentious, and what will happen next.

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 "recalibration" including everything from whether banks will be required to collect citizenship information to the growing challenges banks face from fraud, scams, and rapidly evolving technologies like artificial intelligence. 

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 "Franken-charters" and the risks he sees in the growing stablecoin market.

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 behind the effort and what it means for banks. He also discusses the CFTC's battle with state governors over prediction markets, the launch of crypto banks and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong's role in the center of the fight over stablecoin yield.

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 crisis" than a lesson in concentration risk, and how diversification and discipline shape long-term resilience. Hoffman also weighs in on deposit competition, fraud and scams, regulatory and political uncertainty, and the growing role of AI in banking decisions.

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 rule, why the Trump administration upped the pressure on Powell, and who it may appoint as his successor.

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 Trump-led push to curb interchange fees and HFSC Chairman French Hill's efforts to pass community bank reg relief.

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 

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.