What if regulators could strengthen oversight without writing a new rule? In this episode of RegFi, co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Sasha Leonhardt examine a reported FDIC-backed initiative to create industry-led standards and independent certification for fintechs that partner with banks. They explore how the model could streamline third-party risk management, where its limits lie and whether market adoption could make it durable even without formal regulation. The conversation also looks ahead to agentic AI and asks whether a similar standards-and-certification model could help financial institutions establish trust with AI agents acting on consumers' behalf.

Links

• Jerry Buckley Joins AIR to Focus on Emerging Role of Agentic AI in Consumer Finance

• Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR)

• RegFi Episode 107: Agentic AI and the Future of Consumer Finance

• Jerry Buckley Bio

• Sasha Leonhardt Bio

AI regulation is taking shape across the U.S. — but states are taking markedly different approaches. In this episode of RegFi, co-hosts Jerry Buckley, Sherry Safchuk and Caroline Stapleton examine AI laws in Colorado, California, Texas and Utah and what they could mean for financial services. They explore requirements around automated decision-making, disclosures and human review, as well as key questions about whether emerging rules apply to AI agents working on behalf of consumers. The conversation also looks ahead to the need for a national framework that supports responsible innovation while helping consumers benefit from AI-powered financial tools.

Links

• Jerry Buckley Joins AIR to Focus on Emerging Role of Agentic AI in Consumer Finance

• Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR)

• RegFi Episode 107: Agentic AI and the Future of Consumer Finance

• Jerry Buckley Bio

• Sherry Safchuk Bio

• Caroline Stapleton Bio

RegFi begins a new chapter at the Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR) with a conversation about the future of consumer finance. Jerry Buckley and co-host Sherry Safchuk join AIR Co-founder and CEO Jo Ann Barefoot to explore how agentic AI could help consumers protect their digital identities, counter increasingly sophisticated scams and make better financial decisions. They also examine the regulatory frameworks, privacy protections and industry collaboration needed to introduce these tools responsibly. The discussion considers how AI agents could reduce information imbalances, improve financial products and modernize a consumer protection system built for a different technological era.

Links

• Jerry Buckley Joins AIR to Focus on Emerging Role of Agentic AI in Consumer Finance

• Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR)

• RegFi Episode 61: Reimagining Financial Regulation for the Digital Age

• RegFi Episode 6: Modernizing Financial Regulation with Jo Ann Barefoot

• Jo Ann Barefoot Bio

• Jerry Buckley Bio

• Sherry Safchuk Bio

RegFi is now produced and published by the Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR).

Steve Boms, Executive Director of FDATA North America, joins RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Sherry Safchuk to examine the evolving public policy framework governing consumer financial data. Building on the history of open banking and consumer-permissioned data sharing, they discuss the future of the CFPB's Section 1033 rule, the ongoing debate over data access fees, and the operational, competitive and consumer protection issues that will shape the next phase of implementation.

The conversation also offers a preview of FDATA's forthcoming policy report on agentic AI and financial services, examining how existing regulatory and fiduciary frameworks may apply as AI evolves from providing financial recommendations to acting as a consumer's agent. They also discuss the implications for data privacy, cybersecurity, liability and consumer protection, and explore how policymakers can support innovation while preserving consumer trust in an increasingly AI-driven financial system.

Links:

• Financial Data Technology Association (FDATA)
• Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory
• RegFiPodcast.com

Orrick partner Joseph Kolar joins RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Caroline Stapleton to discuss the Executive Order on Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit and the regulatory reforms it could set in motion across the mortgage industry.

The conversation examines proposals to reduce mortgage origination costs, streamline TRID disclosure requirements, modernize servicing and appraisal rules, and encourage greater participation by banks and community lenders. They also explore the CFPB's authority to tailor, exempt and revise regulatory requirements under TILA and RESPA, and how emerging technologies, including AI, could reshape the mortgage lending process while preserving consumer protections.

Links:

• Executive Order: Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit
• Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory
• RegFiPodcast.com

Federal banking regulators have signaled a renewed openness to de novo bank applications, creating new opportunities for fintechs evaluating whether becoming a regulated financial institution aligns with their long-term strategy.

In the latest episode of RegFi, Jerry Buckley, Caroline Stapleton and Nathaniel Reisenburg discuss what it takes to secure a bank charter in today's environment. They examine regulator expectations around capital, governance, management experience and operational readiness, along with the strategic considerations fintechs and their investors should weigh when deciding whether the benefits of a charter outweigh the costs and constraints.

Links:

• RegFi Ep103: Why More Fintechs Are Pursuing Bank Charters
• Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory
• RegFiPodcast.com

American Fintech Council Chief Policy Officer Ian Moloney joins RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Sherry Safchuk to examine why a growing number of fintech companies are pursuing bank charters. They discuss the evolution of bank-fintech partnerships, the factors driving renewed charter activity, and the business, regulatory and operational considerations fintechs must weigh when deciding whether to become regulated financial institutions.

The conversation explores chartering pathways, access to deposits and the payments system, and the implications of state and federal regulatory developments. The group also consider how recent policy developments aimed at promoting financial innovation and competition may influence the future of bank chartering and the fintech ecosystem.

Links:

• American Fintech Council
• Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory
• RegFiPodcast.com

John Coleman, Orrick Partner and former CFPB Deputy General Counsel, joins RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Caroline Stapleton to examine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's authority to interpret, tailor and exempt requirements under the consumer financial protection laws within its jurisdiction. Prompted by the May 19 Executive Order directing federal financial regulators to modernize financial services regulation, they discuss the CFPB's broad rulemaking powers under the Dodd-Frank Act and other federal consumer protection statutes. The conversation explores the Bureau's ability to create exemptions, authorize trial disclosure programs and adapt regulatory requirements to evolving technologies, as well as whether existing authorities could be used to improve consumer disclosures in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Links:

• "Integrating Financial Technology Innovation into Regulatory Framework" (Executive Order, May 19, 2026)
• Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory Practice
• RegFiPodcast.com