What's Going On In Banking

Ron Shevlin & Stacey Bryant, Cornerstone Advisors
  • 4.5 (22)
  • Investing

What's Going On In Banking cuts through the noise to bring you the latest in banking, finance, and fintech. Hosted by Cornerstone Advisors' Ron Shevlin, Chief Research Officer, and Stacey Bryant, Director of Client Development, each episode delivers breaking news, industry insights, and unfiltered commentary from two industry experts who aren't afraid to say what they're really thinking. Expect honest opinions, practical takeaways, and just enough snark to keep things interesting.

  1. 2d ago

    Why Banks Must Shift From Speed to Revenue in the AI Era | What’s Going on in Banking Podcast

    Agentic AI is changing banking, but the real competitive advantage may not be AI itself. It may be speed. In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking, Cornerstone Advisors’ Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant dig into how AI agents, generative AI, marketing automation, data and cross-functional collaboration could transform growth strategies for banks and credit unions. Financial institutions have traditionally focused on time to market. Ron argues there's a more important metric: time to revenue. If it takes six weeks to launch a marketing campaign that could have gone live much sooner, the problem isn't simply operational inefficiency. The financial institution may be leaving real revenue and growth opportunities on the table. Ron and Stacey explore why the traditional marketing and compliance workflow can create a serious bottleneck, and why simply adding more people won't necessarily solve it. As generative AI allows marketing teams to produce more content and campaigns, compliance capacity has to keep pace. That's where agentic AI in banking may become especially powerful. They also discuss what implementing this technology actually requires: access to the right data, turning policies and other qualitative information into usable data, modern banking infrastructure, cross-department collaboration, and giving AI-powered systems appropriate authority to act. And this isn't just a big-bank conversation. Stacey highlights how a $3 billion credit union implemented always-on campaigns triggered by signals such as CD maturity, auto loan maturity and potential attrition, demonstrating how community banks and credit unions can use data, analytics and automation to improve customer retention and growth. Then the conversation shifts to another critical banking issue: consumer trust and fraud prevention. What does it really mean for a consumer to trust their bank? Is trust about protecting customers from fraud? Treating them fairly? Being dependable? Keeping their money accessible? Respecting how their personal information is used? Taking responsibility when something goes wrong? Or understanding customers well enough to stop sending irrelevant offers? Ron and Stacey challenge simplistic definitions of consumer trust and discuss why banks and credit unions need to understand the different dimensions of trust and how those priorities vary among consumers. In this episode: ✅ Agentic AI and generative AI in banking  ✅ AI agents for banks and credit unions  ✅ Time to market vs. time to revenue  ✅ Marketing and compliance automation  ✅ Banking growth strategies for 2027  ✅ Community bank and credit union innovation  ✅ Always-on marketing campaigns  ✅ Customer retention and journey orchestration  ✅ The future banking workforce  ✅ Fraud prevention and consumer trust  ✅ Personalization and responsible use of customer data  ✅ How to evaluate banking industry survey research If you're a bank executive, credit union leader, fintech professional, marketer, compliance leader or banking technology strategist, this episode offers a practical look at how AI could reshape financial institution growth, operations and customer relationships. What’s Going On in Banking brings candid conversations about the technologies, trends and strategies shaping the future of financial services. Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82

  2. Nov 5

    What Banking’s AI Boom Keeps Getting Wrong

    What is banking’s AI boom getting wrong? Ron and Stacey debate why bankers don’t need hundreds of agents or another abstract “AI platform" and whether AI governance is necessary infrastructure or organizational overload.  Then the gloves come off over the predicted “agentic bank run.” Stacey argues that AI could expose how much bank loyalty is really administrative exhaustion. Ron counters that more than $3 trillion has already moved since 2020 and that customers need more than a marginally better rate to switch. Their resolution? The winning institutions won’t merely restrict outside agents they’ll build agents that deliver real, demonstrable financial value.  It’s a candid, sharp and occasionally spicy conversation about AI hype, banking bureaucracy, customer loyalty and what financial institutions should actually be building next. Show Notes:  Knicks championship inspires unforgettable baby nameFDIC’s Hill mulls agentic AI deposit impactRon's Substack Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here:  https://qrco.de/bgfUYX   Download the 2026 What's Going on in Banking Report here:  https://qrco.de/bgmHtr   Chapters [00:00] Conference Stories and the Future of Banking [07:28] Why Bankers Are Overwhelmed by AI [11:49] What Banks Actually Need From AI [13:38] The Great AI Governance Debate [21:09] Could AI Agents Trigger a Bank Run? [26:41] Why Customers Really Move Their Money [30:41] The Checking Account Becomes an AI Agent [34:29] Money20/20 Stories and Closing Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82

  3. Oct 15

    Would You Let an Agent Be Your Muse? Or the Other Way Around?

    Would you let an AI agent be your financial muse, or could it influence you more than you influence it? Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant debate Meta’s Muse, the warning that AI agents could accelerate bank runs, and whether anyone would pay $20 a month to move $200 from an account earning 1% to one earning 3%. They also explore how AI helped raise $2.3 million in deposits, what happens when software can open an account for you, and whether an agent can understand trust, community, and personal relationships. It is a candid, sharp, and occasionally spicy look at who could control the future of banking: the customer, the bank, or the agent in the middle. Show Notes:  Is an Agentic Bank Run Coming? | The Daily SparkRon's Substack Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX Download the 2026 What's Going on in Banking Report here: https://qrco.de/bgmHtr Chapters [00:00] Would You Let an Agent Be Your Muse?  [01:30] Could AI Agents Trigger a Bank Run?  [04:45] Would You Pay $20 to Move $200?  [08:20] Stacey Pushes Back: Convenience Has Value  [11:40] Why Better Rates Do Not Always Move Money  [15:00] How AI Raised $2.3 Million in Deposits  [18:10] The Bigger Shift: AI Opens the Account  [21:20] Can an Agent Understand Trust?  [24:05] Stacey Tests an AI Banking Recommendation  [25:00] Creators: Banking’s Overlooked Customers  [28:20] What Comes Next   Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82

  4. Sep 24

    What AI Still Can’t Do: Two Big Banking Narratives Get Tested

    What AI still can't do is at the center of two of the biggest debates in banking right now. Stacey shares a standout Finovate takeaway: a story about a janitorial company that uncovered a business opportunity no AI agent would have spotted. Meanwhile, new research suggests 8 in 10 businesses would consider switching to a financial institution built specifically for their industry. Maybe the future belongs to whoever asks the best questions.  Ron and Stacey debate why human curiosity may become more valuable in the AI era, whether fintech demos are solving real problems or just winning beauty contests, and why banks are increasingly focused on owning workflows instead of chasing deposits. They also break down Chime's acquisition of Stride. Is it a smart strategic move, or a case of "congratulations, now you have bank problems"? Expect candid opinions, sharp analysis, and a few spicy takes along the way.   Show Notes:  Chime Bought a Bank. Now it Has to Pay for One.Ron's Substack Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here: https://qrco.de/bgmHtr Chapters [00:00] Why AI Still Can't Replace Curiosity [08:40] The Real Question: Winning Workflows, Not Deposits [14:30] Ron's Pushback: Creativity, Context & Human Judgment [18:00] Did Finovate Deliver? [21:20] The One Demo That Stood Out [22:50] Chime Buys Stride: Smart Move or Hidden Risk? [27:00] More Money, More Problems? [32:15] Final Verdict Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82

  5. Sep 10

    Stop Calling Banking's AI Adoption a Frozen Middle

    Banking’s AI adoption isn’t frozen. It’s early, uneven, and a lot more complicated than handing everyone a ChatGPT license and calling it transformation. Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant take apart the “frozen middle” narrative, explain why banks need to fund the less flashy stuff like APIs, data access, infrastructure, and process redesign, and warn that giving 500 employees AI tools could create 500 undocumented ways of working. Because apparently “let everyone run amok” is not an AI strategy.  Then they dig into the SoFi playbook credit unions keep overlooking, the student-lending ROI trap, and a 225-mile car-loan story that proves “apply online” does not always mean digital. Candid, sharp, and occasionally spicy, as always. Show Notes: Banking Is Very Wrong About the AI Timeline The Most Important Job Announcement in Banking SoFi Gives Checking Away Too, It Just Sells Something AfterwardRon's Substack Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here: https://qrco.de/bgmHtr Chapters [00:00] AI Isn’t Frozen [00:23] The “Frozen Middle” Claim [02:56] Why AI Adoption Is Just Early [07:45] AI Is Not One Technology [09:24] The Bigger Risk: Banks Standing Still [12:16] 500 Employees, 500 AI Workflows [14:40] Why One Person Can’t Own AI [16:10] Banking’s Most Important AI Hire [18:26] The Two AI Budget Buckets [22:17] Why Community Banks Can’t Wait [23:52] Party Like It’s 1993 [28:12] The SoFi Playbook Credit Unions Can Steal [29:59] The Student-Loan ROI Trap [31:22] Engagement Beats Rewards [34:04] The 225-Mile Car Loan Wake-Up Call Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82

  6. Aug 15

    Kinetic Deposits, the Fraud Stack, and the Inheritance That Won't Arrive

    Is there really such a thing as a "core deposit" anymore? Ron Shevlin isn't buying it. Fresh off the African American Credit Union Coalition conference, Stacey Bryant shares insights on attracting the next generation of consumers and leaders before the conversation turns to stablecoins, tokenization, Visa's $2.4 billion BioCatch acquisition, AI-powered fraud, and why the "Great Wealth Transfer" may not be the windfall many bankers are counting on. In other words: a normal week in banking chaos. Show Notes:  The 'Great Wealth Transfer' Delusion (or Sorry Girls, But You're Not Getting Your Mom's and My Money)  Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX   Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here: https://qrco.de/bgmHtr   Chapters [00:00] Stacey Returns from AACUC Recharged [01:06] Why Representation Still Matters in Banking [03:48] Zillennials, Growth & the Future of Credit Unions [05:41] Stablecoins, Tokenization & Real Use Cases [07:20] The Three-Day Interest Problem [10:24] Why Programmability Matters More Than FedNow [12:10] Deposit Fidgetization Has Entered the Chat [13:23] Sticky Deposits Are Dead [15:12] Visa's $2.4 Billion Fraud Bet [16:17] AI Is Fueling a Trillion-Dollar Fraud Problem [20:21] The Vendor Bundling Dilemma [24:06] The Great Wealth Transfer Delusion [26:28] Where the Money Actually Goes [28:01] The Real Opportunity Isn't the Inheritance [30:22] Parental Financial Management Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82

  7. Aug 1

    What’s Going On in Banking 2026: A Mid-Year Update

    Halfway through 2026, banking’s favorite buzzwords are still buzzing, but the numbers are starting to tell a less flattering story. Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant revisit the industry’s biggest predictions and dig into what’s actually happened. Fintechs are eating the checking account, stablecoins are creating awkward boardroom questions, and the much-promised “AI plumbing” has finally arrived. They also unpack why Chase’s branch expansion may have less to do with retail banking than the headlines suggest, why trust alone won’t save community institutions, and why being well-liked is a lot like being broccoli: admirable, but not necessarily anyone’s first choice. From product strategy and small business lending to the technology investments banks keep avoiding, this is a mid-year reality check packed with data, detours, and plenty of side-eye.   Show Notes:  Don't Fall for the Branch Hype: Chase Didn't Build Those Branches for Retail BankingWhat’s Going On in Banking: A Mid-Year Review2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX   Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here: https://qrco.de/bgmHtr Chapters [00:00] Stacey Goes Back to the Banking Hood [03:25] The Mid-Year Review Ron Avoided for 11 Years [04:29] What Bank Executives Expected From 2026 [06:18] The Economy Drifts and AI Plumbing Arrives [08:07] Fintech Is Eating the Checking Account [09:42] Why Product Architecture Is Winning [10:42] Stablecoins and Mega-Bank Theater [14:03] The Real Threat Is Product Displacement [16:28] Does Every Bank Need a Chief Product Officer? [18:26] What Chase’s Branch Expansion Really Means [21:16] Trust, Broccoli and the 40% Myth [24:56] Small Business Banking: Trust vs. Speed [26:40] Why Fintechs Are Winning the Daily Relationship [29:53] Pre-Building Gets Bumped to the Next Episode Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82

  8. Jul 11

    Trash Cans, Rewards Gaps, and Gray-Zone Lending: This Week in Banking

    This week on What’s Going On in Banking, Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant somehow connect Knicks parade chaos, a questionable trash can decision, JPMorgan Chase, rewards gaps, and SoFi’s move into small business lending. Stacey is still on a Knicks high. Ron is trying to bring everyone back to reality. Together, they debate whether a JPMorgan Chase employee deserved to be fired, why rewards programs may be banking’s version of a gym membership, and whether SoFi’s latest move should have community banks and credit unions sweating. Trash cans were stolen. Rewards went unused. SoFi entered the chat. Just another normal week in banking! Show Notes:  Woman who emptied Knicks trashcan on street — then stole it — is fired from JPMorgan Chase, was DEI execThe Gym Membership Problem Just Ate Your Debit and Credit Card Rewards ProgramsSoFi enters small-business loan market  Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here: https://qrco.de/bgmHtr Chapters [0:00] Welcome Back to What’s Going On in Banking [2:08] The Knicks Finally Win and Stacey Is Not Over It [3:01] The Trash Can Incident That Became a Banking Story [5:20] Was JPMorgan Chase Right to Fire Her? [8:05] Stacey Puts on Her HR Hat [9:24] The Gym Membership Problem in Rewards Programs [12:46] Are Banks Profiting From Customer Inertia? [15:20] AI, 1033, and the Future of Product Recommendations [17:20] Advocacy-Based Value vs. Acquisition-Based Value [21:31] SoFi Enters Small Business Lending [23:31] The Gray Zone Between Consumers and Businesses [25:00] Stacey Pushes Back: Relationship Depth Still Matters [29:12] Can Community Banks Really Beat SoFi on Depth? [30:16] The SoFi Data Advantage [32:43] How Banks Can Use Data to Fight Back Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82

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4.5
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About

What's Going On In Banking cuts through the noise to bring you the latest in banking, finance, and fintech. Hosted by Cornerstone Advisors' Ron Shevlin, Chief Research Officer, and Stacey Bryant, Director of Client Development, each episode delivers breaking news, industry insights, and unfiltered commentary from two industry experts who aren't afraid to say what they're really thinking. Expect honest opinions, practical takeaways, and just enough snark to keep things interesting.

Information

  • Creator
    Ron Shevlin & Stacey Bryant, Cornerstone Advisors
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 What's Going On In Banking
  • Show Website
    What's Going On In Banking

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