What's Going On In Banking

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.

What's Going On In Banking is a business podcast hosted by What, with 42 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

What hosts What's Going On In Banking, a business show with 42 episodes published.

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  What's Going On In Banking

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

  Sep 24, 202633 min

  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

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  What's Going On In Banking

  Stop Calling Banking's AI Adoption a Frozen Middle

  Sep 10, 202639 min

  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 Afterward 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] 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

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  What's Going On In Banking

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

  Aug 15, 202632 min

  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

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  What's Going On In Banking

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

  Aug 1, 202631 min

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

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  Episode #13

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

  Jul 11, 202636 minS4

  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 exec The Gym Membership Problem Just Ate Your Debit and Credit Card Rewards Programs SoFi 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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