Bankers See Intensifying Competition for Customer Relationships and Deposits

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank executives expect competition for customer relationships and deposits to remain intense as new technologies reshape the industry, according to IntraFi's Q2 2026 Bank Executive Business Outlook Survey.

Ninety-nine percent of respondents expect deposit competition to remain at elevated levels or increase over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, 63% said their institutions would be somewhat or very likely to lose meaningful operating deposits within two years if stablecoin issuers or related platforms are allowed to offer rewards similar to deposit interest. Fifty-two percent said AI-powered financial guidance may eventually pose a risk to banks' deposit and payment relationships.

"Bankers are reporting a tough competitive environment right now and don't see that changing anytime soon," said Mark Jacobsen, CEO and cofounder of IntraFi.

Executives also expect funding conditions to remain challenging. Just 9% expect funding costs to improve over the coming year, while 38% expect loan demand to improve. Ninety-five percent expect access to capital to remain unchanged or improve.

Other key findings

• Economy: 78% of respondents expect economic conditions to remain the same or worsen.
• Federal Reserve: 54% of respondents want the Fed to use additional forms of data when setting monetary policy, while 43% support further reductions in the Fed's balance sheet.
• Interest rates: At the time the survey was conducted, 68% expected the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged for the rest of 2026.

IntraFi's Q2 2026 Bank Executive Business Outlook Survey was conducted online from June 30 to July 15, 2026, and includes responses from 402 bank CEOs, presidents, CFOs, and COOs nationwide.

Download the full report.

About IntraFi

A trusted partner chosen by more than 3,000 financial services companies, IntraFi defines success not by the volume of transactions it enables, but by the quality of relationships it forms. Its network, established over 20 years ago, connects institutions of all sizes to help participants build stronger relationships with their customers, fund more loans, seamlessly manage their liquidity needs, and earn fee income.

The network brings scale, giving each participant access to tens of billions of dollars in funding, the highest per-depositor and per-bank capacity, and the peace of mind of being able to make large-dollar placements.

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SOURCE IntraFi