Bots, banking and stablecoins expected to dominate fintech in 2026
After a year of regulatory triumphs, industry leaders are betting that 2026 could mark a major inflection point.
Banking & Finance
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Why investing in a Trump Account could complicate your taxes
Under the terms of the One Big Beautiful Bill law that created it, the federal government will seed each Trump Account with $1,000 for every U.S. citizen born from 2025 through 2028.
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IBJ Podcast: Pete the Planner on whether buying a home is always a smart investment
It’s not at all necessary to get started right away, and there’s a navigable path for renters in the 40s to end up in a very comfortable situation by retirement.
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IBJ Podcast: ‘It all comes back to relationships,’ says banker turned small-biz owner
Something was missing from her career as a commercial lender, and Cindy Schum found it in a small firm that sold janitorial and cleaning supplies. After early trepidation, she realized she already had the key to entrepreneurship.
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Q&A with Mike Schrage: For Centier Bank CEO, focus is on serving communities
Schrage, now 77, sat down to talk with IBJ about his 53-year tenure with Centier Bank, the future of the company, his philosophy on leadership and his love of reading.
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Articles
Silver and gold futures slide after CME raises margin requirements
With prices surging this year, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, one of the world’s largest trading floors for commodities, required traders to put up more cash to invest in precious metals.
Publicly traded private-credit funds set for worst year since 2020
The funds have been pummeled by a storm of rate cuts, market blow-ups and rising signs that the market is set to experience more stress.
Bankruptcies surge as companies grapple with inflation, tariffs
Among the total was a surge of “mega bankruptcies,” or filings by companies with more than $1 billion in assets, during the first half of 2025.
Wage garnishment for defaulted student loans to resume early next year
There were about 5.3 million borrowers who had not made a payment on their federal student loans for at least 360 days as of June 30.
PayPal applies to form its own bank to expand small-business lending
PayPal has provided $30 billion in loans to more than 420,000 businesses worldwide since 2013, according to the company.
Roomba maker iRobot files for bankruptcy protection
IRobot, which became well known for its robotic vacuums, has struggled of late, dealing with increased competition, layoffs and a declining stock price.
Carmel man faces 2 federal charges in complex fraud case
Jordan Chirico is facing both criminal charges and civil litigation over his alleged connections to what authorities describe as a $200-million-plus Ponzi scheme.
AI data center boom sparks fears of glut amid lending frenzy
The broader AI universe has also been caught up in the worries, with circular deals and soaring valuations taking a toll on the bullish sentiment that once dominated.
Federal Reserve cuts key rate but signals higher bar for future reductions
Wednesday’s cut reduced the Fed’s key interest rate by a quarter-point, to about 3.6%, the lowest it has been in nearly three years.
Longtime Old National exec Jim Sandgren to retire
Jim Sandgren has been with Indiana-based Old National since 1992 and currently leads the bank’s commercial lending operations.
Bankers bet big on 2026 after underwriting $65B in deals
Dealmakers are banking on markets remaining calm enough to sell on those commitments to investors.
Dells donate $6.25B to encourage families to claim ‘Trump Accounts’
The historic gift has little precedent, with few single charitable commitments in the past 25 years exceeding $1 billion, much less multiple billions.
Mom-and-pop business bankruptcies hit record as debts rise
More than 2,200 people and small firms filed bankruptcy this year under the so-called Subchapter V rules, which make it cheaper and faster to win relief from creditors.
Bitcoin dips below $85,000 in cryptocurrency rout
Bitcoin and companies tied to cryptocurrencies extended a nearly two-month swoon Monday, tracking with a broader market sell-off in technology companies that many see as overvalued.
First Internet Bank finds small business is big business
With $5.6 billion in assets, Fishers-based First Internet Bank might best be described as modest in size. But in the world of small business lending, it’s among the nation’s powerhouses.
Federal agency boosts size of single-family loans government can guarantee to $832,750
The Federal Housing Finance Agency adjusts the limits of a confirming loan annually to reflect changes in U.S. home values, which have been rising this year.
IPO market’s red-hot year has been cooled by the shutdown and more caution among investors
The S&P 500 is still up more than 12% for the year and the tech-heavy Nasdaq is up more than 15%.
Baker Hill opens California office, plans to upgrade Carmel HQ
The Carmel-based fintech company says the Santa Barbara office—the first of several planned over the coming years—allows customers to conveniently connect for training sessions or collaborative work.
Federal Reserve releases new guidance for bank oversight in move praised by industry
Michelle Bowman, the Fed’s vice chair for supervision, said the principles will “sharpen” the central bank’s focus and build “a more effective supervisory framework.”