Banking on Insight: Inflation, Risk, and the Road Ahead
Guests: Tommy Esposito – Vice President, Strategic Resource Allocation with Kaufman Hall and Dorothy Jaworski – Retired SVP & Treasurer with Penn Community Bank
Podcast Show Notes:
Our This Month In Banking (TMIB) podcast features discussion with colleagues and other industry thought leaders on interesting banking topics. TMIB is available on the last Wednesday of every month here, and on Apple and Android podcast apps for your listening enjoyment. Join us on your commute, at your desk, or home.
Topic: Inflation, Risk & the Road Ahead
On this episode of “This Month in Banking,” we sit down with two seasoned experts in banking and economics – Tommy Esposito and Dorothy Jaworski – to explore today’s most pressing financial issues, offering practical insights from decades of experience in treasury management, strategic planning, and economic analysis. We explore everything from navigating inflation and interest rate volatility to understanding the unique challenges facing community banks, discussing early warning signs of recession, the ongoing impact of fintech disruption, and how institutions can balance growth with risk in an uncertain environment. This conversation offers sharp perspectives on the economy and banking sector that you won’t want to miss.
The discussion delves into various economic indicators, with Dorothy highlighting the significance of leading economic indicators, money supply (like M2), and delinquencies in auto and credit cards, while Tommy emphasizes the Case-Shiller Index and the yield curve inversion as key gauges of economic health. They also address the challenges within the commercial real estate market, focusing on the office and multifamily sectors, and the potential impact of stablecoins on the banking industry, including their benefits in reducing payment rails fees and providing immediate access to payments, alongside regulatory challenges and fraud risks. The episode concludes with critical insights on community bank liquidity management, Dorothy’s views on funding strategies (including FHLB borrowings, brokered CDs, and reciprocal deposits), Tommy’s emphasis on investing in technology for a seamless mobile customer experience, and the crucial role of stress testing and scenario analysis in preparing community banks for future economic challenges. Listen and enjoy!
Relevant Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomesposito/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorothy-jaworski-23a89648/
This podcast episode relates to The Kafafian Group’s Strategic Management and Management Advisory services.
Watch for episode 116 of This Month in Banking to be released on Wednesday, August 27th, 2025, and a new episode on the last Wednesday of every month.
Thank you for listening!