Kiah Lau Haslett

Nashville

Banking and Fintech Editor at Bank Director

"Kiah like the car." Banking + fintech editor at @bankdirector. Midwestern nice. Bank nerd. Reader, runner, steak + soccer lover. Opinions are my own.

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Articles

Billions of Sub Debt Set To Reprice, Forcing Banks To Explore Options

2 days ago | bankdirector.com | Kiah Lau Haslett

In January 2020, executives at FB Financial Corp. decided the bank needed more capital. The Nashville-based bank had just announced its largest acquisition, a $611 million deal to buy nearby peer Franklin Financial Network. Management at the combined entity wanted a larger capital cushion to offset the acquired bank’s construction and commercial real estate concentrations. Not long after, the coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns threatened to derail the U.S. economy.
Should Boards Leave “Lazy, Stupid and Boring” Cyber Heat Maps Behind?

1 month ago | bankdirector.com | Kiah Lau Haslett

The metrics community bank directors use to oversee cyber risk could create a false sense of security or mask real issues. Here’s how boards can change their approach. The way some community bank boards oversee and monitor cyber risk might be due for an update.
Tech Risks Top Bank Director’s 2025 Risk Survey

2 months ago | finxtech.com | Kiah Lau Haslett |Ambrose Delahoussaye

Bank executives and boards continue to see technology as driving or facilitating the greatest risks to their institutions: cybersecurity and fraud. In Bank Director’s 2025 Risk Survey, sponsored by Moss Adams and conducted in January, 84% of bank senior executives and board members cite cybersecurity as a top risk facing their institution.
How SouthState and Grasshopper Executives Got Started With Artificial Intelligence

Feb 27, 2025 | finxtech.com | Kiah Lau Haslett |Ambrose Delahoussaye

Artificial intelligence has great potential and application for financial institutions, but executives must manage its risks carefully. The prospect of such powerful technology has left many executives wondering what other institutions are doing and how they can benefit from early adopters’ best practices.
Where Banking as a Service Goes From Here

Feb 20, 2025 | finxtech.com | Kiah Lau Haslett |Ambrose Delahoussaye

Banks involved in complex fintech partnerships known as banking as a service, or BaaS, have had a rough couple of years, but there might be brighter days ahead. The number of institutions offering BaaS grew rapidly several years ago as technology made it increasingly easy to enter the space. But almost as quickly, regulators increased scrutiny of these institutions, and some received enforcement actions.
How ConnectOne Bank Makes Innovation a Group Project

Feb 13, 2025 | finxtech.com | Kiah Lau Haslett |Ambrose Delahoussaye

Helping a bank adopt its process and approach for a more digital future can be tough. It requires a shared vision, common terminology, buy-in and daily work that pushes all parts of an institution forward. And, importantly, it requires accountability. It needs to be someone’s job to make sure this gets done. At ConnectOne Bank, the bank unit of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey-based ConnectOne Bancorp, that job falls to Siya Vansia, chief brand and innovation officer.
New Consortiums Offer Small Institutions a Way to Fight Fraud

Feb 6, 2025 | finxtech.com | Kiah Lau Haslett |Ambrose Delahoussaye

Smaller institutions usually have fewer resources and less internal data than large banks to help identify potentially fraudulent behaviors. One way for them to level that playing field is through fraud consortiums, according to a March 2024 report from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. A spate of fraud consortiums started in late 2022 and 2023 could help do just that.
How To Assign a Dollar Amount to Cyber Risk

Jan 30, 2025 | finxtech.com | Kiah Lau Haslett |Ambrose Delahoussaye

Are banks and credit unions spending enough on cybersecurity? And even with all the spending, is it actually making institutions safer? Cybersecurity concerns increased for bank directors and senior leaders in 2024, according to Bank Director’s 2024 Risk Survey, sponsored by Moss Adams, with 86% of respondents saying their concerns increased “somewhat” or “significantly” in the prior 12 months.
Rethinking Innovation

Jan 27, 2025 | bankdirector.com | Kiah Lau Haslett

Bank M&A Bank M&A topics will include balance sheet considerations for both the acquiring and acquired financial institutions such as deposits, capital adequacy, credit quality and more. Information around regulatory preparations and concerns as well as credit risks will also be addressed. Explore
Regulators Scrutinize CECL Processes at Community Banks

Jan 24, 2025 | bankdirector.com | Kiah Lau Haslett

When the new loan loss model was adopted by community banks in 2023, regulators looked for a “good faith effort.” Two years later, expectations are changing. The accounting rule known as the current expected credit loss model, or CECL, went into effect for most community banks in 2023. It was a major shift in how institutions calculate credit losses and was often a big undertaking for smaller institutions with limited resources.