Coffee Break Session #120: What Is RAROC?

This episode kicks off our 2026 Outlook podcast series. In this episode, Craig Jeffery speaks with Stephane Lintner of Jiko, Michel D'Abranches of Monkey, and Leo Gil of Bottomline to share fintech perspectives on 2026 predictions, including AI adoption, stablecoins, payment fraud, liquidity strategies, and the rising role of treasury in procurement and risk management. Additional episodes in this series will feature additional fintech leaders, perspectives from banks, and a consultant view from Strategic Treasurer. Listen in for strategic insights to guide your year ahead. Find this and all upcoming episodes at strategictreasurer.com/podcast. Company Websites: Jiko: https://jiko.io Monkey: https://monkeytech.com Bottomline: https://www.bottomline.com   Note: Michel D'Abranches clarified that references to "static discount rate" should be "static rate," and that treasurers are shifting toward multi-funder models to enhance liquidity through competitive rates. His mention of SPVs was meant to highlight the growing focus on risk, transparency, and audit-readiness in 2026.

In this episode, Paul Galloway covers the upcoming Nacha rule changes. He breaks down what's required in 2026, including ACH monitoring, vendor validation, and fraud defense procedures. What steps should treasury teams take now to prepare and stay compliant? Tune in for practical guidance.

In this episode, Craig Jeffery speaks with Debbie Cunningham and John Mosko of Federated Hermes about expectations for 2026. They cover interest rate policy, Fed leadership changes, inflation pressure, and investment strategy. How should treasury teams respond to a slow-growth environment and policy uncertainty? Listen in for insight.   Views are those of Federated Securities Corp. as of December 11th, 2025, and are subject to change based on market conditions and other factors. These views should not be construed as a recommendation for any specific security or sector. Due to various risks and uncertainties, actual events, results or actual performance may differ materially from that reflected or contemplated in any forward-looking statements. Nothing contained herein may be relied upon as a guarantee, or a representation as to the future. Although the information provided in this podcast has been obtained from sources which Federated Hermes believes to be reliable, it does not guarantee accuracy of such information and such information may be incomplete or condensed. Federated Hermes is not affiliated with Strategic Treasurer. You could lose money by investing in a money market fund. Although some money market funds seek to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, they cannot guarantee they will do so. An investment in money market funds is not a bank account and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Bond prices are sensitive to changes in interest rates and a rise in interest rates can cause a decline in their prices. Duration is a measure of a security's price sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than securities of shorter durations. Federated Securities Corp. is Distributor of the Federated Hermes funds. Separately Managed Accounts are available through Federated Investment Counseling.

In this episode, Craig Jeffery explores how behavioral finance applies to treasury. He unpacks key biases like overconfidence, anchoring, and loss aversion and how these influence forecasting, investing, and risk management. How can treasurers spot biases and build better frameworks for decision making? Tune in to find out.

In this episode, Craig Jeffery discusses the GENIUS Act and its impact on treasury, from payment stablecoins and tokenized assets to what treasurers should expect from banks and tech providers. Backed by recent survey results, this episode breaks down the framework, adoption trends, and what to watch as digital asset regulation takes hold in 2026 and beyond. Register for the upcoming webinar on the GENIUS Act and flash survey results here.  

Craig Jeffery talks with Paul McMeekin of Bottomline about the latest Treasury Fraud & Controls Survey findings and what they reveal about today's threat landscape. From AI-generated fraud and deepfakes to payment rail changes and rising losses among small businesses, this episode covers practical defenses for a fast-evolving fraud environment. Access the 2025 Treasury Fraud & Controls Survey and learn more at bottomline.com.

The cost of fraud for banks and credit unions continues to rise, with every $1 lost resulting in nearly $6 in total costs once compliance, operations, and customer trust are factored in. In this interview, Jeff Scott with Q2 will explore how banks can address this growing challenge by shifting from fragmented, reactive defenses to a proactive "Fraud Intelligence" approach. He will discuss how data-driven insights, automation, and integration can reduce inefficiencies, cut the true cost of fraud, and strengthen both protection and customer experience.

In this episode, Craig Jeffery talks with John Mosko and Sue Hill of Federated Hermes about Jerome Powell's final months as Fed Chair and what a leadership change could mean for markets, rates, and policy transparency. They cover potential successors, economic risks, and how treasury teams can prepare for evolving FOMC dynamics and potential impacts in 2026. Views are those of Federated Securities Corp. as of November 7th, 2025, and are subject to change based on market conditions and other factors. These views should not be construed as a recommendation for any specific security or sector. Due to various risks and uncertainties, actual events, results or actual performance may differ materially from that reflected or contemplated in any forward-looking statements. Nothing contained herein may be relied upon as a guarantee, or a representation as to the future. Although the information provided in this podcast has been obtained from sources which Federated Hermes believes to be reliable, it does not guarantee accuracy of such information and such information may be incomplete or condensed. Federated Hermes is not affiliated with Strategic Treasurer.  

In this episode, Craig Jeffery talks with Sue Caras of Bank of America about how treasury teams can lead with clarity in the face of uncertainty. From liquidity and forecasting to automation and payments, they discuss practical ways to strengthen control and build agility. How can treasurers focus on what they can control and prepare for what they can't? Tune in to find out.  

This episode dives into the challenges of managing foreign exchange and interest rate risk and how AI can help. Paul Galloway outlines key market drivers, hedging strategies, and the growing role of predictive analytics, generative AI, and agentic tools in risk monitoring, automation, and decision support. Learn how treasury teams can use AI to stay ahead.