The Banker Next Door

With interest rates set to decrease, where can you go for yield?

As interest rates are set to decrease U.S. Treasurys remain a go to investment for income and safety but are there other alternatives? Municipal bonds, agency mortgage-backed securities, and preferred stock are three potential alternatives. An additional consideration, what is better, a tax-exempt municipal bond or a taxable bond?  This episode reviews two articles from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) titled “Three alternatives to U.S. Treasurys that give you safety and yield” and “Tax-Exempt Munis vs. Taxable Bonds: Which has higher return?”

SBA launches 7(a) Manufacturer's Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) Loan Program

The SBA has launched a new loan program focusing on manufacturers. The 7(a) Manufacturer’s Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) Loan Program will offer working capital to small manufacturers, which make up 98% of all U.S. manufacturers. The 7(a) MARC loans of up to $950,000 will have a 0% up front fee. The MARC loan limit will be $5 million. Reviewed in this episode is an article from The Business Journals (subscription required) titled “SBA is waiving many loan fees. But only for one industry,” an SBA press release from 9/3/2025, and an SBA procedural notice. Links to the SBA press release and procedural notice are included below.  
Link: SBA Launches First-Ever Loan Program Dedicated to American Manufacturers | U.S. Small Business Administration
Link: Procedural Notice 5000-870260 7(a) Manufacturers' Access to Revolving Credit (MARC loans)

BND: Strategy Room 9-19-2025

The Banker Next Door (BND) weekly live stream show. Strategy Room provides financial news, commentary, top stories in the business world, economic indicators, and all things banking for the week.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent strikes at the Fed!

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has unleashed on the Fed in his new article “the Fed’s New ‘Gain-of-Function’ Monetary Policy.” The article discusses the Fed’s potential loss of independence, widening inequality in America, how the Fed’s actions have distorted the market, and ends with a call for reform. This article is monumental and historic. Change is coming to the Fed, whether they like it or not.  A link to the article is included below.
Link:  TIE_Sp25_Bessent.pdf

Update on Billionaires in the U.S.

The U.S. now has over 1 thousand billionaires! This episode looks at who some of these billionaires are, what their net worth is, and where do they live. The information covered in this episode comes from an article in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) titled “What we know about America’s 1,135 billionaires.”

History of the New York Stock Exchange

What is the history of the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE? This episode takes us through the humble beginnings of Wall Street in the 1700’s, through the 1800, 1900, and into the 2000’s. The episode reviews an article from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) titled “A History of the New York Stock Exchange’s Ups and Downs.”

Credit Union purchases of Community Banks are harmful!

A new analysis from ICBA shows that Credit Union purchases of community banks do in fact have a harmful economic effect on the communities which they mean to serve. This episode reviews an article from ICBA titled “New Analysis Shows Credit Union Acquisitions of Community Banks Harm the Communities That Can Least Afford It.” The analysis looks at the impact on SBA lending and residential mortgage lending in various communities after a credit union purchased a local community bank.  A link to the article is included below. 
Link: New Analysis Shows Credit Union Acquisitions of Community Banks Harm the Communities That Can Least Afford It

Potentially massive fraud at Tricolor Holdings!

This episode reviews a series of articles from S&P Global Market Intelligence (subscription required) detailing the events of the last week as a potentially massive fraud was uncovered involving a subprime auto lender named Tricolor Holdings. The fraud is alleged because, as of yet, no criminal charges have been filed. The potential losses are currently rippling through multiple banks including JPMorgan and Fifth Third Bancorp.  

BND: Strategy Room 9-13-2025

The Banker Next Door (BND) weekly live stream show. Strategy Room provides financial news, commentary, top stories in the business world, economic indicators, and all things banking for the week.

What is holding up AI adoption for compliance in U.S. Banks?

This episode examines a blog post from PCBB titled “Regulatory gaps slow US AI compliance adoption.” The blog post details how U.S. banks are falling behind global peers in adopting AI for compliance purposes. Federal deregulation and a patchwork of state rules seem to be impeding progress.  Also considered is overall AI adoption and how the adoption is high, but disruption is low. Furthermore, companies have invested a lot of money in AI and so far, are getting zero return. A link to the blog post is included below.
Link:  Regulatory Gaps Slow US AI Compliance Adoption
Link: ai_report_2025.pdf