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

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 exec [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2026%2F06%2F23%2Fbusiness%2Fwoman-who-emptied-knicks-trashcan-on-street-then-stole-it-was-dei-exec-worked-at-jpmorgan-chase%2F&data=05%7C02%7Chkelly%40crnrstone.com%7C594cd07d682848de17a508ded8577454%7C7b03cf0db84343a0a7e18d3494ca0c5f%7C0%7C0%7C639186067290195855%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EQdp0neXvo8CCbU5R7omK182pUMj%2Bdqq2%2FE9fdoKkt8%3D&reserved=0] * The Gym Membership Problem Just Ate Your Debit and Credit Card Rewards Programs [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fronshevlin.substack.com%2Fp%2Fthe-gym-membership-problem-just-ate&data=05%7C02%7Chkelly%40crnrstone.com%7C594cd07d682848de17a508ded8577454%7C7b03cf0db84343a0a7e18d3494ca0c5f%7C0%7C0%7C639186067290215317%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iqhLqMBEUG1ubJ31dVHqxF6pYbKMBYmSTWsI4MpRls8%3D&reserved=0] * SoFi enters small-business loan market [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bankingdive.com%2Fnews%2Fsofi-enters-small-business-loan-market%2F824234%2F&data=05%7C02%7Chkelly%40crnrstone.com%7C594cd07d682848de17a508ded8577454%7C7b03cf0db84343a0a7e18d3494ca0c5f%7C0%7C0%7C639186067290225274%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ZaDewwQFyTZQdkl4loU8STN6%2B8ISzRLitd9YlyujqUY%3D&reserved=0]  Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX [https://qrco.de/bgfUYX] Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here: https://qrco.de/bgmHtr [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 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2286250/fan_mail/new] Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82 [https://qrco.de/bgfV82]

From the Garden to the Branch: A Knicks Win, a Chase Misquote, and the Zillennial Investment Opportunity

The Knicks finally gave New York manners, Chase got wildly misquoted, and banks are still out here pretending branches are the main character. Stacey Bryant and Ron Shevlin break down what JPMorgan Chase’s branch expansion is actually about, why community banks should stop copy-pasting big bank strategy, and why zillennials might be the investment opportunity financial institutions keep missing while they argue about checking accounts like it’s 2009.  Also, Ron officially hates the term “white paper,” so please update your records accordingly. Show Notes:  * Don't Fall for the Branch Hype: Chase Didn't Build Those Branches for Retail Banking [https://ronshevlin.substack.com/p/dont-fall-for-the-branch-hype-chase] * The Zillennial Opportunity: Credit Unions’ Traditional Investing Imperative in the Crypto Age [https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/research/the-zillennial-opportunity-credit-unions-traditional-investing-imperative-in-the-crypto-age] Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX [https://qrco.de/bgfUYX] Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here: https://qrco.de/bgmHtr [https://qrco.de/bgmHtr]  Chapters [0:00] Welcome: New Orleans, Conferences & Banker Concerns [4:37] Fiserv’s Agent OS Enters the AI Agent Race [8:07] What “Agentic AI” Actually Means [10:26] Operating System or Orchestration Layer? [12:13] Commercial Lending & AML: The First AI Agent Use Cases [15:50] How AI Could Change Commercial Lending [19:20] Bringing AI Skeptics Along [22:00] The AI Capability Continuum [23:42] When AI Should Act Autonomously [25:08] Culture, Risk & the Future Banking Workforce [27:31] Why Bank Leaders Can’t Ignore AI Decisions [31:04] OpenAI + Plaid: ChatGPT Enters Personal Finance [33:03] Why Ron Is Skeptical of AI Financial Advice [37:20] Small Business AI Adoption & Customer Behavior [40:59] Advice vs. Execution: Where AI Finance Gets Valuable Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2286250/fan_mail/new] Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82 [https://qrco.de/bgfV82]

Board Seats, AI Clones, and Stablecoins: What the Headlines Keep Getting Wrong

What are the headlines getting wrong about banking right now? In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking, Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant take on three big debates: whether Gen Z belongs in the boardroom, why AI executive clones may be more illusion than innovation, and why SoFi’s stablecoin story is really about Galileo’s B2B infrastructure play, not just consumer crypto hype. From credit union branding and board diversity to executive judgment, authenticity, tokenized money, and stablecoin strategy, this episode cuts through the surface-level takes and gets to what financial institutions should actually be paying attention to. Subscribe for more candid, sharp, and occasionally spicy conversations on what’s really going on in banking.    Show Notes: * AI Clones in the C-Suite: A Productivity Solution to the Wrong Problem [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fronshevlin.substack.com%2Fp%2Fai-clones-in-the-c-suite-a-productivity&data=05%7C02%7Chkelly%40crnrstone.com%7Caa840a890b7e41cf07e108dec240fe9f%7C7b03cf0db84343a0a7e18d3494ca0c5f%7C0%7C0%7C639161781592498831%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=N7n3v1%2Fy1wr3vdQSlDvw4IDtQMYfiRMbWfn2tHdWxFs%3D&reserved=0] * SoFiUSD Is the Bait, Galileo Is the Hook [https://ronshevlin.substack.com/p/sofiusd-is-the-bait-galileo-is-the] * Ron's Substack Account [https://substack.com/@ronshevlin]     Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX [https://qrco.de/bgfUYX]   Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here: crnrstone.com/wgoib2026 [http://crnrstone.com/wgoib2026]     Chapters [0:00] Intro: Knicks Energy, Boston Betrayal & Banking Banter [3:24] Stacey’s Conference Aha Moment [4:08] A Gen Z Board Member at a $2B Credit Union [5:44] Should Credit Unions Drop the “Credit Union” Name? [6:39] Ron’s Pushback: Gen Z Isn’t a Board Strategy [9:30] Representation vs. Real Board Expertise [11:46] Diversity of Thought or Market Research? [13:25] Ron’s Substack Era Begins [14:32] AI Clones in the C-Suite [16:20] Why AI Can’t Replace Executive Judgment [17:10] Authenticity, Trust & the “Real Slim Shady” Test [20:20] When AI Clones Actually Make Sense [24:20] SoFi’s Stablecoin Story: The Headlines Got It Wrong [26:20] Why Galileo Is the Real Stablecoin Play [28:21] Stablecoin Strategy: Rails, Role & Reach Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2286250/fan_mail/new] Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82 [https://qrco.de/bgfV82]

AI Agents Are Here. Is Banking Ready?

Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant are back with a conversation on AI agents, vendor hype, and what banks actually need to solve before adding another layer to the tech stack. They start with Fiserv’s Agent OS and the broader AI agent race in banking, including where tools like this may fit, where the wording gets fuzzy, and why commercial lending and AML look like early proving grounds. From there, they get into the harder part: getting boards, executives, and teams comfortable with AI without pretending it is either magic or a threat to every job. The episode closes with OpenAI and Plaid’s move into personal finance inside ChatGPT, and whether AI powered advice has real value without the ability to take action for customers. Subscribe for practical, skeptical, and occasionally spicy conversations on what is actually going on in banking.   Show Notes: * For Small Banks in AI, Here's How to Bring Skeptics Along [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthefinancialbrand.com%2Fnews%2Fartificial-intelligence-banking%2Fsmall-banks-ai-bringing-skeptics-along-197351&data=05%7C02%7Chkelly%40crnrstone.com%7C0dc0a75016fd4441d07d08deb4e58105%7C7b03cf0db84343a0a7e18d3494ca0c5f%7C0%7C0%7C639147094984293524%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=yOO8si%2B%2FK9za%2BITDXmOfVNPXU11lQ4a8kZb%2FiGdhhRM%3D&reserved=0] * The AI Agent Race in Banking: Fiserv Steps Up To The Starting Line With agentOS [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fhome%2Fpost%2Fp-197694499&data=05%7C02%7Chkelly%40crnrstone.com%7C0dc0a75016fd4441d07d08deb4e58105%7C7b03cf0db84343a0a7e18d3494ca0c5f%7C0%7C0%7C639147094984341891%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=VG1JcuRxuitAuUvOO9xwGcZ7BFpk0B5ULBFuWzi22Bk%3D&reserved=0] * OpenAI Wants to Help With Your Finances. It Wants Your $100/Month Even More [https://ronshevlin.substack.com/p/openai-wants-to-help-with-your-finances]   Subscribe to the "What's Going On In Banking" podcast here:  https://qrco.de/bgfUYX [https://qrco.de/bgfUYX]   Download the 2026 "What's Going on in Banking" Report here:  crnrstone.com/wgoib2026 [http://crnrstone.com/wgoib2026] Chapters [0:00] Welcome: New Orleans, Conferences & Banker Concerns [4:37] Fiserv’s Agent OS Enters the AI Agent Race [8:07] What “Agentic AI” Actually Means [10:26] Operating System or Orchestration Layer? [12:13] Commercial Lending & AML: The First AI Agent Use Cases [15:50] How AI Could Change Commercial Lending [19:20] Bringing AI Skeptics Along [22:00] The AI Capability Continuum [23:42] When AI Should Act Autonomously [25:08] Culture, Risk & the Future Banking Workforce [27:31] Why Bank Leaders Can’t Ignore AI Decisions [31:04] OpenAI + Plaid: ChatGPT Enters Personal Finance [33:03] Why Ron Is Skeptical of AI Financial Advice [37:20] Small Business AI Adoption & Customer Behavior [40:59] Advice vs. Execution: Where AI Finance Gets Valuable Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2286250/fan_mail/new] Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82 [https://qrco.de/bgfV82]

Speed, Cost, and Control: What Banks Need to Know About AI Agents

A bank CEO used an AI clone on an earnings call…and that was just the start. Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant get into what AI agents could actually mean for banking, from back-office automation and decision-making to governance, blockchain, and why most banks are still asking the wrong questions about AI. Real talk on where the industry is headed and what community banks should actually be paying attention to.   Show Notes: * This bank CEO let his AI clone handle an earnings call — now he's signing an OpenAI deal [https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/this-bank-ceo-let-his-ai-clone-handle-an-earnings-call-now-he-s-signing-an-openai-deal/ar-AA21OPMH?ocid=BingNewsSerp] * Agents are starting to operate real systems — who’s actually in control? [https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/p/agents-are-starting-to-operate-real] * Ron's Substack [https://substack.com/@ronshevlin] Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYX [https://qrco.de/bgfUYX] Chapters [00:00] Intro + Banking Conference Talk [02:22] Bank CEO Uses AI Clone on Earnings Call [03:39] Ron’s Take on the OpenAI Deal [06:05] Governance & Compliance Concerns [07:06] The Bigger Conversation Around AI Agents [08:14] “Who’s Actually Controlling the AI?” [10:03] AI Identity, Blockchain & “Know Your Agent” [12:28] Stablecoins, Payments & AI Agents at Scale [13:43] Why Banks May Be Overthinking AI Risk [15:25] AI Agents Won’t Start With Payments [17:13] The REAL Strategic Question for Banks [18:28] AI’s Biggest Advantage: Speed [20:09] Cost, Change Management & Operational Risk [22:08] Stacey’s Argument for Blockchain in Banking [25:12] Ron: “Don’t Invest in Blockchain” Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2286250/fan_mail/new] Subscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfV82 [https://qrco.de/bgfV82]