The Banker Next Door

Episode 402: Is an MBA degree still worth it?

This episode examines an article from The Business Journal (subscription required) titled “Employers put a price on master’s degrees. It’s changing pay scales.” An MBA degree used to be a sure-fire way to the executive ranks and a big salary. Not so much anymore. Employers’ opinions on the value of an MBA are changing. Some value it and some do not. These opinions influence pay and advancement. Is an MBA degree still worth the investment?

Episode 401: How should AI be regulated?

This episode examines a blog post from Bank Director and an article from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) titled “The Giants of Silicon Valley are having a midlife crisis over AI.” As the major players in Silicon Valley battle over dominance in the AI space, the rest of us are left to wonder, how will AI be regulated?

Episode 400: Crypto in your 401(k), bitcoin checkout, and memecoin dinners! (Crypto Series Part XXI)

This is part 21 of the crypto series. In this episode we review the potential for crypto in your 401(k), Block’s bitcoin checkout in Vegas, Circle’s IPO, Trump Media shares drop as it decides to buy bitcoin, and President Trump’s memecoin dinner.  

Episode 399: Review of Cornerstone Advisors Report the Journey Toward 2030

This episode reviews a research report from Cornerstone Advisors title: The Journey Toward 2030: Becoming a Smarter Bank. The report details 5 pillars that are key to becoming a smarter bank. They include hyper-efficient, data-driven, nimble, differentiated, and opportunistic. The pillars address the biggest challenges banks and credit unions face today, offering a blueprint for the journey toward 2030. If you would like to download a copy of the report, a link is provided below.
Link: Smarter Bank 2025 Report | Cornerstone Advisors

Episode 398: Review of FED Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey for April 2025

This episode reviews the Federal Reserve Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS) on bank lending practices for April 2025. Some of the key findings of the report include tighter lending standards and weaker demand for C&I loans, unchanged lending standards and weaker demand for CRE loans, and loans for RRE, HELOC, credit cards, and other consumer loans remain tepid. A link to the report is included below.
Link: The Fed - The April 2025 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices

Episode 397: Review of ICBA white paper on Industrial Loan Companies

This episode reviews a white paper issued by the Independent Community Bankers Association (ICBA) on Industrial Loan Companies (ILCs). This white paper outlines the history of the ILC charter, the growth of the ILC industry, why ILCs are a threat, and finally why the ILC “loophole” should be closed. A link to the report is included below.
Link: ilc-white-paper.pdf

Episode 396: Review of FDIC 2024 Annual Report of Activities

This episode reviews the FDIC 2024 Annual Report of Activities. This report details the activities of the Office of the Ombudsman within the FDIC. What is the Ombudsman and what do they do? The Ombudsman serves as a confidential, neutral, independent, and informal liaison for the banking industry and the general public by facilitating the resolution of problems and complaints against the FDIC related to its regulatory activities in a fair, impartial, and timely manner. A link to the report is included below.
Link: Office of the Ombudsman 2024 Annual Report of Activities

Episode 395: Review of FDIC Risk Review Report for 2025

This episode reviews the FDIC Risk Review Report for 2025. Some of the key findings from the report include economic conditions remained solid in 2024, banking industry was resilient in 2024 despite the challenges of an inverted yield curve and higher interest rates, market risks continue to challenge the banking industry, and credit risk varied by loan type. The report also covers consumer lending, residential real estate, small business lending, agriculture lending, energy, corporate debt and leverage lending, non-depository financial institution lending, and private credit. A link to the report is included below.  
Link: 2025 Risk Review

Episode 394: Review of OCC Interest Rate Risk Statistics Report for Spring 2025

This episode reviews the OCC Interest Rate Risk Statistics Report for Spring 2025. The report shows that smaller financial institutions are very sensitive to an upward movement in interest rates. EVE is also very sensitive to upward interest rate shocks. Larger banks appear to be less sensitive to upward interest rate shocks. Non-maturity deposits could potentially be a problem for large banks, while smaller banks see stability in their deposit base. A link to the report is included below.  
Link: Interest Rate Risk Statistics Report | OCC

Episode 393: Review of FED Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024

This episode is a review of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors annual Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 report. Some of the key findings from the report include inflation continued to be a top financial concern, the labor market remained solid, people continued to earn money doing gigs, emergency savings measures remained similar to the previous two years, and financial fraud continues to be a big problem. A link to the report is included below.
Link: Federal Reserve Board Publication