BAI

2026 Banking Outlook.
Our latest Executive Report uncovers how both financial institutions and consumers are preparing for the year ahead.

Inside this month’s edition:
• How banks are competing for deposits in a shifting rate environment
• Why younger consumers respond to more than just financial incentives
• Branches’ enduring role as digital fatigue rises
• What’s driving consumer anxiety—and how banks can respond
• Why small businesses represent banking’s next growth engine
• How AI is moving from hype to meaningful transformation
• What local institutions need to know about ACH fraud, FRAML, and 2026 readiness

Read the full report:

2026 Banking Outlook Download this publication and share it with your teams as you strategize and level-set for the year ahead.

Looking for an LMS and compliance training program you can trust? Let’s talk!

With nearly a century in the financial services industry, BAI has worked closely with more than 2,300 organizations on their compliance training programs. Here’s why training leaders like you choose BAI:

• We’re always innovating – Innovative compliance training technology, such as BAI Training Insights, the virtual planning tool in the BAI Learning Manager, allows you to electronically collaborate and plan your training across your organization. No more spreadsheets!
• We’re on top of industry changes – Our courseware libraries are up to date with the latest in eLearning best practices, including mini-courses and Fast Tracks that take 15 minutes or less to complete. Our goal is to keep pace with regulatory updates and changes, so you can focus on administering your training program with confidence.
• We know you need efficient and effective training – Role-based courses help you tailor training to specific job functions and teach only the relevant information for that role, saving up to 30% in training time for your organization while increasing learning retention.
• We put your employees on the path to success – Career Pathing by BAI, available in the BAI Learning Manager, enables employees and managers to establish clear career advancement goals and identify the skills, knowledge, and experience required for targeted career development.
• We’re here for you – BAI customers can count on a dedicated representative to help ensure their training program meets and exceeds the needs of their organization.

Come visit our booth and learn more!

In our latest Quick Q&A, Primax’s Jennifer Gibson shares why financial institutions should look beyond the contract cost and consider the service level provided by the vendor. Hidden costs like time and effort can outweigh low pricing, especially when support falls short. Asking the right questions, such as off-hours availability, can reveal a vendor’s true commitment. https://bit.ly/42WnVGR

Making smart vendor choices based on service and support In our Quick Q&A on making smart vendor choices based on service and support, Gibson says that a financial institution seeking a true partner must learn in granular detail how the vendor will deliver on its promises of high-quality service and support.

Only 46% of U.S. adults have enough savings to cover three months of expenses, a gap that highlights both a societal challenge and an opportunity for banks. Our September Executive Report, “Better Banking for All Through Financial Wellness,” explores how institutions can respond with education, tools, and smarter engagement strategies. From multigenerational households and new credit reporting models to elder fraud prevention and wellness-driven marketing, the report shows how financial wellness can strengthen trust, loyalty, and growth. https://bit.ly/46hjVS9

Balancing growth with resilience has never been tougher.

As risks spread faster across markets and data silos, banks are rethinking how they integrate risk oversight with strategy. In our new Special Report, “A Risk Approach That Balances Growth and Resilience,” leaders from Bankwell Financial Group, Vantage Bank, Moody’s, and Clarke Consulting share how banks can strengthen whole-bank views of risk, align credit and capital planning, and position themselves for sustainable growth.

The report offers practical insights on breaking down silos, sharpening risk visibility, and making more confident pivots in volatile conditions.

A risk approach that balances growth and resilience Our editors speak with financial services thought leaders for their views on modernized risk management.

Join us September 24–25 for Deep Dive: Fraud is Everyone’s Fight, an on-demand content series designed to help financial institutions strengthen their defenses.

Across two days, you’ll get practical insights and tools to prevent fraud across your organization, including:
• Guidance from a ProSight expert on anti-fraud resources
• Insights from white papers and solution spotlights
• A video conversation with leaders in cross-industry anti-fraud collaboration
• Additional features delivered straight to your inbox

The technology behind scams and account takeovers is advancing fast. Stay ahead with solutions that protect every corner of your bank or credit union.

Register today to receive on-demand content starting September 24:

BAI Deep Dive: Fraud is everyone’s fight Our Deep Dive: Fraud is everyone’s fight delivers on-demand content providing actionable insights on the latest technology and methods to combat fraud.

Paper pushing slows growth, and adds risk.

In a new Quick Q&A, Hyland’s Tom Davis explains how AI-powered Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) can turn messy, multi-source paperwork into clean, actionable data at scale.

Think faster onboarding, smarter loan origination (including catching document errors), and tighter quality control, plus a path for agentic AI that automates more steps while freeing teams for higher-value work.

Davis also outlines what’s driving modernization, the top banking use cases, and how to assess AI readiness so you can move from capture to true content intelligence.

Read the Q&A to see how IDP can boost efficiency without sacrificing control. https://bit.ly/45KPzHt

Elevating bank efficiency with AI-powered Intelligent Document Processing What is Intelligent Document Processing (IDP)? Hyland’s Tom Davis explains that modern IDP is about so much more than helping banks and credit unions move cost effectively through loan applications and account onboarding.

Small businesses power the U.S. economy, and their banking needs are evolving fast.

The August BAI Executive Report explores how financial institutions can win and keep these vital clients, from smarter onboarding to technology that reshapes lending and payments.

Discover strategies, insights, and opportunities to better serve the 33 million SMBs that make up more than 99% of U.S. businesses.

Read the report: https://bit.ly/3HyWMlT

Delivering what small-business banking demands In the August BAI Executive Report: Delivering what small-business banking demands, you’ll find strategists who detail relationship management trends, smarter onboarding and how technology has improved credit risk pricing and loan servicing ease to improve the economic viability of small-business ...

Branches and ATMs may be evolving, but they’re far from obsolete.

In a new special report, industry leaders from Regions Bank, Synovus, Fifth Third, and NCR Atleos share how banks can modernize their physical footprints while keeping pace with digital demands.

From fraud prevention and staff training to ATM forecasting and data-driven branch design, the report offers practical insights on how to future-proof your bank’s infrastructure without losing sight of what matters most: access, security, and customer trust.

New opportunities for branch and ATM integration Learn about the always evolving yet still vital role that branches and increasingly interactive ATMs play in modern banking. BAI gathers a panel of industry practitioners who explore these topics in our BAI Special Report: New opportunities for branch and ATM integration, presented by NCR Atleos.

BAI’s latest Executive Report explores the biggest shifts shaping payment strategy today. From instant rails to Gen Z expectations, there’s a lot for bank and credit union leaders to navigate.

Inside this edition:
• FedNow vs. RTP What to know before choosing a network
• A real-time QR code payment between a credit union and a top 4 U.S. bank
• Why Gen Z isn’t killing cash, but they are killing inconvenience
• How Agentic AI could reshape commerce and customer expectations
• What your payments data isn’t telling you (yet)

This is a must-read for anyone shaping payments, strategy, or customer experience in financial services.

Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/4kX8LY3

Keeping pace with the payments evolution In our July BAI Executive Report: Keeping pace with the payments evolution, we hear from banking thought leaders who examine the consumer habits urging ever faster adoption of the new ways we all transact daily.

In today’s deposit environment, customers expect more than competitive interest rates, they want transparency, digital ease, and personalized value.

A new special report explores how banks can grow and retain quality deposits through smarter onboarding, data-driven strategy, and product innovation.

With insights from industry leaders at MANTL, Citizens Bank, American Express, and more, the report covers tactics like location-based offers, gamified CDs, and omnichannel engagement, plus a look at how deposit trends are continuing to shift in 2025.

Download “Quality Deposit Growth and Customer Retention. https://info.bai.org/quality-deposit-growth-and-customer-retention.html

The report features the following thought leaders:
Tom Hoscheidt, ProSight Financial Association
Nathaniel Harley, MANTL
Corey Timlin, American Express
Pat Nuzzo, Citizens

Quality deposit growth and customer retention Drawing and keeping deposit customers should always be about more than just interest rates. And since the “hot money” chase has cooled, even customers may agree.

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