Evan Sparks

Washington, D.C.

Editor-in-Chief at ABA Banking Journal

Editor-in-chief @BankingJournal | SVP, podcast host @ABABankers | Board member @SacredSpacesDC | Husband, dad of 3, ⚓, 🚴‍♂️ | I speak for me.

Featured in: Favicon

aba.com (+1) Favicon

medium.com Favicon

slate.com

venturebeat.com Favicon

washingtontimes.com Favicon

aei.org

realclearmarkets.com Favicon

commentary.org Favicon

fsunews.com Favicon

inspectioneering.com

Articles

Travis Hill on the future of regulatory policy at the FDIC

2 weeks ago | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

ABA’s Washington Summit just wrapped up, and this episode — sponsored by Intrafi’s Banking with Interest — features a main stage conversation with Travis Hill, acting chairman of the FDIC. In this episode, Hill discusses: If you can’t see the audio player above, click here to listen to this week’s episode. This episode is presented by Intrafi’s Banking with Interest. In this episode:Travis HillActing ChairmanFDICRob NicholsABA President and CEO
Podcast: Play ball! Financial education home runs

3 weeks ago | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

April is Financial Literacy Month, a time when bankers think creatively about how to engage young people on topics of financial wellness. Citi’s Michelle A. Thornhill and Roads to Success’s Bashan Fernandez for a discussion of Citi’s approach to making financial knowledge fun and engaging.
It’s all in the game

1 month ago | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

By Evan SparksA century ago, in March 1925, Charles G. Dawes was sworn in as vice president of the United States. Being elected vice president of the United States—as Dawes was, alongside Calvin Coolidge, in a landslide—is usually a career pinnacle for an American politician. Dawes’ vice presidency turned out to be more of a footnote in his eventful life.
Reports: Trump nominates Gould to OCC, McKernan to CFPB

2 months ago | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell by 2.3 points in January to 102.8, although it remained above the 51-year average of 98, the National Federation of Small Business said. Intercity State Bank in Schofield, Wisconsin, will be absorbed by One Community Bank in Oregon, Wisconsin. Both are owned by the Bosshard family.
Podcast: Why middle market businesses are growing more optimistic

Nov 20, 2024 | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

Middle market businesses don’t get the attention of the Fortune 500 or the love that small businesses get from policymakers, but these firms are still critical to the economy — accounting for a third of private-sector GDP and employing up to 50 million Americans.
Helping business clients as beneficial ownership reporting deadline looms

Nov 18, 2024 | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

By Evan SparksAs the end of 2025 looms, approximately 33 million businesses are facing a new and unfamiliar deadline: filing their beneficial ownership information, or BOI, with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Stay on top of the latest trends and practices in AML, BSA, fraud and financial crimes and jumpstart your professional path at the AML and Fraud School, March 17-21 in Atlanta, Georgia. Register here.
The man with the transformation plan

Oct 28, 2024 | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

By Evan SparksJohn Asbury did not need a new job. He was about a year into a role as president and CEO of First National Bank of Santa Fe, a community bank based in New Mexico. It was his first CEO role after a long career of executive roles with large and regional banks, bouncing from city to city — Atlanta, Charlotte, Seattle, Birmingham — as a sort of “Mr. Fix-It” within large and regional banks.
Cost of funds shoots to top of community bankers’ concerns in 2024

Oct 2, 2024 | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

By Evan SparksDespite the Federal Open Market Committee’s recent rate cut, banks continue to operate in an elevated rate environment — and community bankers are feeling the rise in cost of funds. Nearly nine in 10 community bankers say cost of funds is a very or extremely important external risk to their bank — up 41 percentage points from 2022 — according to the Conference of State Bank Supervisors’ 2024 community bank survey released today.
What future bankers did on their summer vacations

Aug 25, 2024 | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

By Evan SparksIn 2017, Alaina Veliz was a rising high school senior in Miami-Dade County, Florida. As a student in the business program, she had an opportunity to graduate with a NAF certificate — but first she needed an internship. Her school connected her to a program called Future Bankers and Financial Professionals Camp.
Fed: Financial conditions restrictive amid 'strong and resilient' system status

Jul 7, 2024 | bankingjournal.aba.com | Evan Sparks

In deciding at its last meeting to hold interest rates steady, the Federal Open Market Committee considered continued economic growth and a strong labor market, as well as "modest further progress" toward the FOMC's 2 percent inflation objective... New orders for manufactured goods decreased 0.5% to $583.1 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This followed a 0.4% April increase.