In this episode of This Month in Banking, the team explores what happens when fintech meets community banking. Guest Emmett Shipman, Fintech Strategy & Growth Senior Manager at Wolf & Company, joins the conversation to discuss evolving fintech–bank partnerships, the shift from efficiency to reinvention, and how community banks can strategically position themselves for a digital future. The discussion also dives into stablecoins, digital assets, and what bank leaders should be prioritizing in the year ahead.

TKG Joins The Pack - Wolf x TKG

Hosts - Jeff Marsico, Principal, Wolf & Company, P.C.

Scott Baranowski, Principal, Wolf & Company, P.C.

Bank Strategy: Community vs. National Banks

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Guests - Andrew Baker, Chief Strategy Officer, F&M Bank

Bank M&A Today and Outlook for 2026

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Robert Kafafian, Chairman & CEO, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Dave Danielson, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Improving Shareholder Liquidity in Community Banks

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Guests - Matt Schultheis, Founder of BankVault Research

Scaling a Community Bank: Tech, Team, and Deposits

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Guests - Brant Ward, President, Signature Bank of Arkansas

Shareholder Succession

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Richard Trauger, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Guests - Pete Scully, President, My Private Shares

Andrew Rietz, Managing Director of Financial Institutions, My Private Shares

Banking on Insight: Inflation, Risk & the Road Ahead

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Guests - Tommy Esposito, Vice President, Strategic Resource Allocation, Kaufman Hall

Dorothy Jaworski, Retired SVP & Treasurer, Penn Community Bank

Bank Stocks & Beyond: Gerard Cassidy's Forecast

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Robert Kafafian, Chairman & CEO, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Guest - Gerard Cassidy, Managing Director, Co-Head of Global Financials Research and Large Cap Bank Analyst, RBC Capital Markets

Navigating the AI Revolution: A Community Bank Perspective

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Guest - Andy Schornack, President, Security Bank & Trust Co.

Bank Transformation Unpacked: The Newtek Story Continues

Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.

Guest - Barry Sloane, Chairman & CEO, Newtek Bank