Episodes

  • Why Better Predictions Beat Bigger Risk

    Why Better Predictions Beat Bigger Risk
    Jul 22 2026
    What if the biggest advantage in lending isn't taking less risk, but making better predictions? In this episode of Leaders in Lending, host Barry Roach sits down with Sanjay Dutta, President and Chief Capital Officer at Upstart, to discuss how AI-powered prediction models are reshaping lending, why capital matters more than ever, and what today's economic environment means for financial institutions. They discuss:
    • Why Sanjay left Google to help build Upstart
    • Why lending is fundamentally a prediction problem
    • How AI is improving credit decisions
    • The evolving role of capital markets
    • What current economic conditions mean for lenders
    • Where consumer lending is headed over the next five years
    Whether you're leading a bank, credit union, or fintech, this conversation offers practical insights into the future of lending. Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping financial services.
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    34 mins
  • Why a 5% Retention Lift Could Mean 90% More Profit

    Why a 5% Retention Lift Could Mean 90% More Profit
    Jul 8 2026
    Most banks still treat community banking as a regulatory box to check. Queanne Smith, SVP and Group Strategy Manager at U.S. Bank, says that mindset caps growth instead of driving it, and breaks down how a 5% lift in client retention can swing profit by 25 to 90 percent.

    In this episode:
    - Community banking as growth infrastructure, not a side initiative
    - Getting embedded early in the customer lifecycle, pre-loan and pre-deposit
    - Why CRA requirements should be the floor, not the ceiling
    - Building trust and client readiness before the sale
    - Shared KPIs and cross-team accountability
    - Where institutions struggle most with this strategy
    - Balancing short term performance pressure with long term investment
    - The biggest misconception about community banking

    If you lead growth, strategy, or community lending at a bank or credit union, this conversation will change how you think about the ROI of community investment.

    Leaders in Lending is powered by Upstart and features conversations with banking and credit union leaders navigating the future of consumer lending.

    Chapters:
    00:00 What community banking actually means for growth
    00:29 Getting in early, before the loan and before the deposit
    01:25 Turning trust into measurable outcomes
    02:20 Building client readiness and stability from day one
    03:14 Stop treating this as a compliance checkbox
    04:07 CRA is the floor, not the ceiling
    04:34 Community investment and community development are the same thing
    05:27 Build the strategy with community, not for community
    06:10 Shared KPIs, shared accountability
    07:12 Where most institutions get this wrong
    08:01 What the customer journey looks like when it's done right
    08:20 Short term pressure versus long term trust
    09:42 The infrastructure question
    10:09 Where a leader should actually start
    10:45 A 5% retention lift, a 25 to 90% profit swing
    12:12 Readiness and trust are the real revenue drivers
    12:59 The soft and slow myth
    13:49 Intentional partnerships, not just reputation
    #LendingLeaders #CommunityBanking #BankGrowthStrategy
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    16 mins
  • The Pendulum Is About to Swing Back. Are You Ready?

    The Pendulum Is About to Swing Back. Are You Ready?
    Jun 24 2026
    The regulations never went away. The exams slowed down, the enforcement pulled back, but every rule is still on the books. And when the pendulum swings back, everything being done right now is going to get looked at. Mike Reynolds from Zions Bancorporation and Aaron Rakowski from WesBanco co-chair the CBA CFPB Committee and have a clear message: this window is not a vacation. It's a chance to catch your documentation up, plug your compliance resources into product development, and stop yo-yoing your staffing every time the administration changes.

    Recorded at CBA Live 2026, this episode covers:
    • Where CFPB engagement actually stands right now - Why this is the time to shore up your compliance program, not scale it back
    • The state AG and state regulation patchwork filling the federal gap
    • AI oversight and why you can outsource the work but not the risk - Rules that were written before the technology existed - What a durable compliance program actually looks like
    • Why a clear national guideline beats fifty state interpretations
    • What the next iteration of the CFPB might look like If you lead compliance, risk, or operations at a bank or credit union, this is the conversation to have with your team this week
    Leaders in Lending is powered by Upstart and features conversations with banking and credit union leaders navigating the future of consumer lending. #LendingLeaders #CFPB2026 #Compliance #CBALive2026
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    19 mins
  • Innovation Is Moving Faster Than the System

    Innovation Is Moving Faster Than the System
    Jun 10 2026
    Innovation is accelerating across consumer banking.

    AI, digital assets and new payment models are reshaping the industry. But institutions still operate inside established regulatory frameworks.

    In this episode, Kyle Glenn of the Consumer Bankers Association joins Lynn Sauter Beale to discuss how banks can stay proactive as technology evolves and policy adapts.

    If you lead lending, compliance or strategy, this conversation will help you think through what comes next.
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    12 mins
  • Banking Is Commoditized. Experience Is Not.

    Banking Is Commoditized. Experience Is Not.
    May 27 2026
    The banking product is commoditized. The experience is not.

    In this episode of Leaders in Lending, guest host Deepak Bhandari sits down with TJ Steele, director of digital channels at Eastern Bank, to discuss how banks can differentiate when rates, accounts and products look the same everywhere.

    They cover:
    • How to turn the mobile phone into a “wingman” for customers
    • Why AI is just another tool, not a strategy
    • The importance of data, process and infrastructure below the waterline
    • How to pilot emerging technology without chasing hype
    • Why customer experience beats feature checklists
    • Real-time payments, digital wallets and fraud resilience
    • Becoming the customer’s primary bank in a fragmented world If you lead digital, payments or customer experience strategy, this conversation is a blueprint for what actually matters.
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    15 mins
  • Auto Lending Just Hit a Wall. Now What?

    Auto Lending Just Hit a Wall. Now What?
    May 13 2026
    Auto affordability isn't a cycle this time. It's a new baseline.

    In this episode, guest host Deepak Bhandari from Upstart sits down with Eric Earvin from First Commonwealth Bank and Michael Gilbert from Associated Bank, co-chairs of the CBA Auto Finance Committee, to talk about why it's time to stop waiting for costs to come back down and start rethinking how we lend.

    Insurance up 14% year over year. Debt to income ratios squeezed from every direction. Consumers still buying, but shifting downstream.

    And at some point the phone rings and they say here's the car.

    Recorded at CBA Live 2026, this episode covers:
    • Why auto affordability is a permanent headwind
    • How debt to income ratios are being squeezed from every direction
    • The compounding cost problem, insurance, gas, maintenance
    • Where stress is showing up in early payment defaults and fraud
    • The AI arms race between lenders and fraudsters
    • Why auto lenders are self-admitted copycats and what that means for innovation
    • Alternative financing threats and reaching the next generation
    • Subprime repossessions hitting all time highs again If you run an auto lending portfolio or sit on a credit committee, this conversation is the reality check heading into the back half of 2026.
    Leaders in Lending is powered by Upstart and features conversations with banking and credit union leaders navigating the future of consumer lending.
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    21 mins
  • Which Rules Are You Actually Following? CFPB Expert on What's Changing

    Which Rules Are You Actually Following? CFPB Expert on What's Changing
    Apr 29 2026
    Banks don't know if they should be running disparate impact analysis or not. The CFPB is rewriting its own rules. State AGs are filling the gaps. And the legal questions around agentic AI haven't even been answered yet. CBA General Counsel David Pommerehn breaks down what's actually happening and what lending leaders should do about it.

    Recorded at CBA Live 2026 in San Diego, this episode covers:
    - The CFPB under the current administration
    - Reg B and the elimination of disparate impact
    - State AGs stepping in where federal enforcement pulls back
    - Agentic AI and the legal ramifications under Reg E
    - Section 1033 and the data portability rewrite
    - Data sharing versus data security
    - Fraud and scams as a whole government problem
    - Why UDAP reform matters more than you think

    If you are navigating compliance strategy or staffing for the back half of 2026, this conversation matters.

    Leaders in Lending is powered by Upstart and features conversations with banking and credit union leaders navigating the future of consumer lending.

    Chapters:
    00:00 Top legal and regulatory risks for bank leaders
    01:12 How the CFPB has changed under the current administration
    03:48 Reg B and the elimination of disparate impact
    05:49 State AGs stepping in where the CFPB pulls back
    09:54 Agentic AI and the legal questions nobody's answered yet
    11:03 Section 1033, data portability, and the rewrite
    14:10 Navigating data sharing vs. data security
    16:13 What's actually working in fraud prevention
    19:04 The regulation assumption David has changed his mind on
    20:54 Why UDAP reform matters more than you think

    #LendingLeaders #CFPB2026 #CBALive2026
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    23 mins
  • Your Safest Borrowers Might Be Your Biggest Risk

    Your Safest Borrowers Might Be Your Biggest Risk
    Apr 16 2026
    The biggest lending risk in 2026 may not be where you think. Experian Chief Economist Joseph Mayans calls today’s environment a one trick pony economy. Growth is concentrated. White collar strength is carrying the load. And if that shifts, prime borrowers may be the segment to watch.

    Recorded at CBA Live 2026, this episode covers: • The macro outlook into mid-2026
    • AI concentration risk
    • White collar labor exposure
    • Why prime credit could be mispriced
    • Small business formation in the AI economy
    • Why two to three Fed rate cuts are likely
    • Stablecoins and emerging deposit threats

    If you are allocating credit or setting 2026 strategy, this conversation matters.

    Leaders in Lending is hosted by the Upstart lending team and features conversations with banking and credit union leaders navigating the future of consumer lending.
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    21 mins