Frustrations with gatekeeping, a lack of diversity and the way home appraisal is overseen are spurring many practitioners to call for an overhaul of the industry's governance structure.

Ep. 58: Home appraisers are fed up with how their industry is run

Democrats are disfavored in this year's midterm elections, but several factors are keeping races close. The outcome will affect the bank regulatory trajectory for at least the next two years.

Ep. 57: Can congressional Democrats beat back a red wave?

Congress is expected to pass the SAFE Banking Act by year-end in one way or another. Bankers can learn a thing or two from others who have already taken the plunge.

Ep. 56: Cannabis banking reform is almost here. What happens next? (Updated)

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has isolated the nuclear power from much of the Western economy, worsening already fraught global supply chains and increasing uncertainty. But it can still get worse.

Ep. 55: Should banks be more worried about World War III or Cold War II?

Decentralized finance, or DeFi, could revolutionize the way money works, how it is controlled and how its power is distributed. But is DeFi the future or hype?

Ep. 54: The revolution will not be centralized

The banking industry has been working to beat back a proposal that would require banks to disclose certain customer account information to the Internal Revenue Service. But even if they succeed, the problem of unreported taxable income isn't going away.  

Ep. 53: Banks’ battle against IRS reporting isn’t over

Immigrants transfer billions overseas every year, and that market is dominated by nonbanks, crypto and fintechs. Those services could help banks get more customers in the door, but it’s easier said than done.

Ep. 52: What will it take to get banks back into remittances?

Many fintech companies are offering quality, low-cost services to people who are left out of mainstream banking. But low-income consumers face barriers that technology alone can't solve. Featuring: Jennifer Tescher, President and CEO, Financial Health Network Joseph Bayen, Founder and CEO, GrowCredit Kathryn Petralia, co-founder, Kabbage Jelena McWilliams, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Dan Henry, CEO, Green Dot Terri Friedline,Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Michigan       Darrin Williams, CEO, Southern Bancorp.

Ep. 51: Have fintechs cracked the financial inclusion code?

The Basel III reforms initiated after 2008 and the hard-fought Basel IV provisions completed in 2017 made banks more resilient. International consensus on new challenges like climate change and cybersecurity could be impossible.

Ep. 50: Will there ever be a Basel V?

Hackers are targeting banks more frequently and more effectively. There’s not much the industry or government can do about it. Featuring:  Paul Benda, SVP of Operational Risk and Cybersecurity, American Bankers Association Mark Stamford, CEO, Occamsec Nathan Taylor, Partner, Morrison & Foerster Brian Vecci, Field CTO, Varonis Chris Wolfe, Managing Director, Head of North American Banks, Fitch Ratings

Ep. 49: Banks’ forever war against cyberattacks

Digital currencies are exploding in popularity but are still a long way from being integrated into the financial system.   Featuring:  Marc Hochstein, executive editor, Coindesk Greg Baer, President and CEO, Bank Policy Institute         Karen Petrou, managing partner, Federal Financial Analytics Jo Ann Barefoot, founder and CEO, Alliance for Innovative Regulation   Peter Dugas, executive director, Capco Thomas Hoenig, distinguished senior fellow, Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Ep. 48: Can cryptocurrency become mainstream?

Institutional independence is a big part of what makes the Federal Reserve work. But quantitative easing, new forays into climate and digital currency and a blurring of the line between monetary and fiscal policy might make that independence harder to maintain.

Ep. 47: It's getting harder to keep the Fed out of politics

Indigenous reservations have some of the highest concentrations of unbanked Americans in the country. But tribes are finding ways to get things done — with or without banks.

Ep. 46: Unchartered territory: How Indigenous communities are banking themselves

Europe has encouraged adoption with rules that put consumers in control of the way their data is shared among banks, fintechs and third-party vendors. Whether the U.S. can make similar progress without its own rules is unclear.

Ep. 45: What will it take for open banking to take hold in the U.S.?

Regulators around the world are exploring how to assess banks' exposures to climate change risks. But they'll have to tackle legal, economic and modeling problems that don’t have obvious solutions.          

Ep. 44: Regulators want to stress-test banks for climate risks. Can it work?

Looming defaults and the potential for heavier regulatory scrutiny have prompted banks to pull back from the sector. Is that a good thing?

Ep. 43: Hitting the brakes on subprime auto lending

Retail investors revolted against institutional investors by buying heavily shorted stocks in January, reanimating regulatory concerns about short selling and market manipulation. But is shorting a check on speculation, or a driver of it?

Ep. 42: The long and the short of market manipulation

The Federal Reserve has the authority to lend to nonbanks in an emergency, and it isn't afraid to use it. But is that authority too broad — or too narrow?

Ep. 41: Rightsizing the Fed’s emergency lending powers

Like in the industries its reporters cover, the lack of Black representation in business and financial media has created blind spots. Predominantly white newsrooms often miss stories about systemic racism or fail to reach an audience of more than one demographic. In the wake of this summer's Black Lives Matter protests, there are serious implications for financial services, the reporters covering them — and an emerging group of professionals creating their own media. What can journalists like us learn from these Black voices? 

Access Denied episode 5: The financial media

Asset and capital allocations often exacerbate systemic racism across the financial services in some surprising ways. Innovators in the fields of asset management, banking, impact investing and pensions suggest there are also many ways to disrupt the cycle. Shifting the flow of capital could help reduce or eliminate institutional barriers and racial discrimination.

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