Deep Dive by Bank Tech Intel

About Deep Dive by Bank Tech Intel

Each month we break down the most important regulatory developments affecting community banks. This podcast reviews new guidance, supervisory priorities, and policy changes from regulators including the FFIEC, OCC, Federal Reserve, FDIC, and other agencies. We explain what changed, why regulators are focusing on it, and what it means for bank executives, compliance officers, and risk leaders. If you are responsible for governance, compliance, technology oversight, or regulatory exams, this monthly update helps you stay informed and prepared.

Publisher

Devon Jones

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Mar 2026

Latest episode

1 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Apr 2026

   April 2026 Regulatory Intelligence Report

   We break down a month that reshaped financial regulation from several angles. First, we track three interagency capital proposals that could lower binding requirements for many banks. That shift matters because it changes how firms plan lending, liquidity, and balance sheet strategy. Throughout the episode, we return to capital reform as the thread that ties the month together. We start with the most consequential move in the report. The FDIC, Federal Reserve, and OCC advanced three connected proposals on March 19. Those proposals cover Basel III endgame changes, the standardized approach, and GSIB surcharge revisions. We explain what changed, who may feel it most, and why capital reform now looks more practical than punitive. Then we look at the details that shape real planning. The standardized approach would lower some risk weights, while larger firms would need to reflect AOCI in capital. We also cover the OCC estimate of a 6.9% aggregate reduction for its supervised banks. As a result, capital reform becomes more than a policy debate. It becomes an operating issue for banks across size tiers. Next, we turn to digital assets and market structure. The SEC and CFTC signed a landmark memorandum of understanding and backed a joint crypto interpretive release. We explain why that matters for product definitions, oversight, and enforcement. We also cover joint FAQs stating that eligible tokenized securities generally receive the same capital treatment as non tokenized equivalents. That guidance reduces uncertainty for institutions building digital asset workflows. At the same time, it doesn’t remove oversight or risk management expectations. Instead, it clarifies how agencies want firms to classify activities and plan controls. So while crypto drew attention, capital reform still shaped how banks may absorb those changes. The conversation then shifts to housing and consumer finance. We unpack the March 13 executive order on mortgage credit and the directives tied to QM, TRID, HMDA, appraisals, and FHLB programs. We also cover why agencies appear focused on reducing process burden while keeping core underwriting expectations in place. From there, we examine enforcement and operational risk. The DOJ secured a $68 million Colony Ridge settlement, while FinCEN pursued a major AML penalty. Meanwhile, CISA and state regulators raised alarms tied to Iran related cyber threats. Those developments show a clear pattern. Even as some rules ease, supervision, enforcement, and resilience still matter. In that context, capital reform sits alongside cyber, sanctions, and fair lending as part of a wider reset. By the end, we pull the themes together. This report describes a system moving away from highly prescriptive frameworks and toward a more tailored model. Yet it also shows that regulators still expect strong controls, documented reasoning, and faster response to risk. That’s why capital reform appears five different ways in the month’s agenda, from policy design to practical planning. We close with the takeaways compliance teams should watch through June 2026. To download the full report visit https://www.banktechintel.com/category/regulatory-updates

2. 

   19 Mar 2026

   A History of AI In Community Banking

   The episode explains that AI isn’t new to banking at all. Community banks have used versions of it for decades in credit scoring, fraud detection, and payment systems. What changed in 2022 was visibility. Generative AI made these tools obvious, conversational, and harder for bank leaders to ignore.A major theme is that community banks don’t usually build their own AI. They depend on large vendors like Jack Henry, Fiserv, and FIS, which creates serious third party and fourth party risk. Even when a bank rents the technology, it still carries the legal and reputational liability if the system fails, discriminates, or exposes customer data.The conversation also focuses on fraud. It covers deepfakes, voice cloning, and synthetic identity fraud, where criminals build fake but credible financial profiles over time. The episode argues that old rule based defenses can’t keep up, so banks need AI systems that analyze context, behavior, and patterns in real time.At the same time, the episode shows how AI can improve growth and service. It highlights examples where AI assistants handled customer calls more effectively, helped process loan applications, reduced manual document work, and gave bankers more time for direct client relationships. The core idea is that AI should act as a relationship multiplier, not a replacement for human bankers.The final takeaway is strategic. Banks that adopt AI with strong governance, clean data, and good execution may gain a competitive edge, while slower institutions risk falling behind or being absorbed. The episode ends by pointing to federated learning as a possible way for smaller banks to improve AI models without sharing private customer data.Visit the full article to get free resources that’ll help you make smarter moves on your AI journey. We’ve pulled together practical tools, guidance, and next steps so you can turn these ideas into action.https://www.banktechintel.com/a-history-of-ai-in-community-banking

3. 

   6 Mar 2026

   March 2026 Regulatory Update: Wells Fargo Enforcement Ends, CRA Reconsideration, and Digital Asset Integration

   In this episode we break down the major financial regulatory developments from late February through early March 2026. The period featured one of the most significant enforcement resolutions in modern U.S. banking supervision, continued regulatory recalibration across agencies, and ongoing efforts to integrate digital assets and modern payment infrastructure into the financial system. We begin with a major milestone in bank supervision. The Federal Reserve terminated the long standing enforcement action against Wells Fargo that had been in place since 2018. Regulators determined that the bank had completed required remediation measures and satisfied the compliance commitments imposed after its governance and risk management failures. The decision closes one of the most closely watched enforcement actions in the history of U.S. banking regulation. The episode then turns to broader supervisory developments across federal banking agencies. Regulators continue reviewing existing rules under the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act process, an initiative aimed at identifying outdated or unnecessarily burdensome banking regulations. At the same time, agencies are reassessing the Community Reinvestment Act framework, including the potential rescission of the 2023 modernization rule and a return to the longstanding 1995 regulatory structure. We also examine the financial condition of the banking sector. Recent FDIC data shows return on assets across insured institutions at approximately 1.24 percent, reflecting strong but moderating profitability as banks face margin compression from higher funding costs and evolving interest rate conditions. Another major theme involves the continued integration of digital assets and modern payment infrastructure into the regulatory framework. Federal regulators are developing supervisory structures for stablecoin activity, tokenized financial instruments, and emerging digital payment systems, while also monitoring financial stability implications tied to digital asset markets. Consumer financial protection activity also remained active during the period. The consumer protection regulator requested public comment on data collection requirements affecting mortgage lenders and other financial institutions as part of broader efforts to reassess regulatory reporting burdens. The episode also covers developments across financial markets regulation, financial crime enforcement, and cybersecurity oversight. Securities regulators continue focusing on investment adviser compliance, market structure reform, and digital asset market oversight. Meanwhile, financial intelligence authorities remain focused on beneficial ownership reporting, anti money laundering modernization, and cross border financial crime coordination. Cybersecurity continues to be treated as a systemic financial stability risk. Federal cyber agencies issued warnings about ransomware campaigns, identity infrastructure vulnerabilities, and supply chain compromises that could affect financial institutions and payment networks. Taken together, the developments from this period highlight a regulatory landscape continuing to evolve. Agencies are recalibrating supervisory frameworks, resolving long running enforcement actions, and building new oversight structures for digital finance and modern payment infrastructure while maintaining strong focus on financial stability and cyber resilience.

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