The Banker Next Door

The Banker Next Door (BND) weekly live stream show. Strategy Room provides financial news, commentary, top stories in the business world, economic indicators, and all things banking for the week.

After a condo building collapsed in South Florida a few years ago new legislation has been put in place around disclosures condo associations have to provide to potential buyers. The new law requires condominium associations with 25 units or more to provide a secure portal where buyers can view documents that include bank statements, reserve details, and structural reports. Furthermore, the recent...

Tai Lopez the founder of Retail Ecommerce Ventures (“REV”) has been accused by the SEC of running a Ponzi scheme. He is currently being investigated by the FBI but, as of yet, no charges have been filed. Tai and his partner, Alex Mehr, set up REV to use as an investment vehicle. They started buying defunct retail brands such as RadioShack, Pier 1 Imports, Dressbarn, Modell’s Sporting Goods, and Li...

The SBA recently updated its SOP to reflect changes to citizenship status. The requirement states that 100% of all direct and/or indirect owners of small business applicant be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national who have their principal residence in the United States. Additionally, the SBA is going after fraud in California, specifically around PPP and EIDL loans made during COVID. The SBA is also rat...

Are the people that use Prediction Markets ‘traders’ or ‘gamblers’? In this episode we look at how one ‘trader’ lost $100k on the Super Bowl, how Robinhood is cashing in on the action, and why Robinhood’s CEO sees Prediction Markets entering a ‘Supercycle’. There should be a lot of concern around the growth of online gambling. There should be a lot of concern about how all the major sports leagues...

This is part 36 of the crypto series. In this episode we check in on the continuing volatility of Bitcoin. An update on Coinbase as they suffer a 4th quarter loss to end 2025. Strategy is HOLDING strong, literally. What a potential ‘winter’ in stablecoins could mean for the crypto worlds’ broader ambitions. Bitcoin miners are converting facilities into AI data centers. A bitcoin backed bond sale b...

This video is a clip from BND: Strategy Room Live Stream on February 14, 2026. The disclosure of the Jeffrey Epstein documents has sent shockwaves across Wall Street and the financial world. A judge ruled that a lawsuit against Bank of America from an Epstein victim can proceed. Goldman Sachs’ main attorney Kathryn Ruemmler resigned. Brad Karp, the Chairman of law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharto...

The Banker Next Door (BND) weekly live stream show. Strategy Room provides financial news, commentary, top stories in the business world, economic indicators, and all things banking for the week.

Kevin Warsh was just named by President Trump to be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Mr. Warsh has a monumental task before him in not only fixing the mistakes of the Federal Reserve but trying to fix the problems that have metastasized in the U.S. economy. Can Mr. Warsh fix the misallocation of capital that was caused by the Fed’s zero interest rate policy? The persistent inflation? The...

Neobanks are currently facing some of the same difficulties as banks. The problems include cooling funding, rising customer acquisition costs, and investors increasingly focused on profits. As the hypergrowth for Neobanks has cooled, a small group has emerged as leaders. These Neobanks include Revolut, Monzo, and Chime. What can banks learn from this changing landscape? The blog post examined in t...

Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust in Chicago is the first bank failure of 2026. On Friday, January 30th the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) closed the single-branch $261 million asset bank. The FDIC was appointed as receiver and sold most of the assets and liabilities of the bank to Detroit based First Independence Bank. IDFPR stated that Metropolitan Capit...

The M&A market for banks continues to heat up with several recently announced transactions. Santander is buying Webster Financial for $12.3 billion. Columbia Bank is buying Northfield Bank for $597 million. Stock Yards Bancorp is buying Field & Main Bancorp for $105 million. Prosperity Bancshares is buying Stellar Bancorp for $2 billion. There have been 14 deals announced to start 2026 and...

This is part 35 of the crypto series. Is a new Crypto Winter upon us? Bitcoin has witnessed its worst drop in three years, dropping to as low as 60,000. Some market analysts believe Bitcoin could drop as low as 40,000 before it stabilizes. Why is Bitcoin falling? It could be a combination of things. Profit taking, short selling, and the uncertainty around crypto legislation. We also consider crypt...

The number of stocks for people to invest in has been shrinking since the 1990s. However, a new market was risen for the ultrawealthy, wherein they can invest in private companies through invitation-only transactions. This is before a company goes through an initial public offering (IPO). Is this creating a two-tier system? This is happening at a time when the world’s billionaire population is sur...

The Banker Next Door (BND) weekly live stream show. Strategy Room provides financial news, commentary, top stories in the business world, economic indicators, and all things banking for the week.

As 401(k)s are creating a generation of ‘moderate millionaires,’ Wall Street is seeking to add new investment options. Some of these options include private assets, alternative assets, crypto, and annuities. Are these investments a good idea? Are these investment products safe for everyday consumers? It is concerning that some of these investments can be difficult to get out of and present higher...

Businesses continue to flee Democrat run cities such as San Jose, Chicago, and New York due to high taxes and regulation. The trend is now irrefutable. Companies continue to head into states such as Texas and Florida with lower taxes and less burdensome regulations. Democrat cities are all in a ‘doom loop’ as the politicians will continue to increase taxes and regulation driving out business, whic...

Polymarket and Kalshi have exploded onto the scene as ‘Prediction Markets’. These companies have found a way through a legal loophole to compete against DraftKings and FanDuel, two of the largest online gambling platforms. The popularity of Prediction Markets has caught the eye of Wall Street with companies such as Goldman Sachs and Susquehanna trying to figure out how they can trade on these new...

This is part 34 of the crypto series. In this episode we cover three stories related to the activities of Tether and Kontigo in Venezuela and Iran. We consider the duality of stablecoin in those situations. We also examine the recent price decline in Bitcoin. What is driving the price down? In other news: Strategy might be a little underwater, Fairshake has a lot of money to spend on crypto regula...

The worries on Wall Street about a Private Credit Market meltdown continue to build. BlackRock experiences another fund loss. First Brands founder Patrick James and his brother have been charged with fraud. Ford, GM and other big names in the auto industry step in to help First Brands. Higher scrutiny is being placed on Nondepository Financial Institutions (NDFIs) and Business Development Companie...

This video is a clip from BND: Strategy Room Live Stream on January 30, 2026. President Trump announced his pick for the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve as Kevin Warsh. What is Kevin's background? Is he a good pick? Will he get through the Senate confirmation hearing? Most importantly, will he deliver? 

The Banker Next Door (BND) weekly live stream show. Strategy Room provides financial news, commentary, top stories in the business world, economic indicators, and all things banking for the week.

Major deposit reforms are coming. There are currently three bills being considered in Congress and the Senate. They include The Keeping Deposits Local Act (H.R. 3234), The Main Street Depositor Protection Act (S. 2999), and The Community Bank Deposit Access Act (H.R. 5317). These three bills will change the way deposits are insured, transferred, and managed. This episode proposes five items that b...

Many financial institutions around the U.S. are already experimenting with Agentic AI. Some of the areas that are currently being worked on include fraud detection, security enhancements, efficiency, and customer service. How can banks put Agentic AI to work? This episode looks at the following potential use cases: contact center agents, processing ACH returns, loan underwriting, and money launder...

The competitive landscape in banking is shifting. With the influx of banking charter applications in 2025, fintech players such as PayPal are seeking to officially enter the banking space. Bank charter applications are expected to continue increasing in 2026. With fintech, digital, and crypto players all looking to get into banking. What does this ultimately mean for banks, regulators, and fintech...