ARLINGTON, Va., May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bank executives are growing increasingly cautious about the possibility of an economic downturn alongside rising cybersecurity and fraud threats, according to IntraFi’s Q1 2026 Bank Executive Business Outlook Survey.
Twenty-nine percent said cybersecurity and fraud risks were their top worry over the next 12 months, with many citing concern over hackers’ growing use of artificial intelligence. The threat of an economic downturn was cited by 22% as their top concern. Overall, 56% of bankers surveyed picked a possible economic downturn as either their biggest or second-biggest concern.
The survey, which includes responses from executives at 409 banks nationwide, also found that most community and regional banks had largely not reduced staff recently. Eighty-seven percent of bankers said their staffing levels had remained the same or increased over the past three years. Additionally, among the 13% of banks that did have cuts, “automation/increased use of technology” was only chosen as an explanation for those reductions by 4% of respondents.
Looking ahead, most bankers also expressed confidence that AI will not significantly disrupt employment in the near term. Seventy percent of respondents said they expect AI to have little impact on staffing over the next three years, while only 27% anticipate job reductions tied to the technology.
“Bank leaders are approaching AI thoughtfully, not reactively,” said Mark Jacobsen, Cofounder and CEO of IntraFi. “While the technology is evolving quickly, the vast majority of respondents don’t expect it to cause meaningful job losses over the next several years, a sign that banks are focusing on augmentation, not replacement.”
Other key findings from the survey include
- Deposit competition remains intense. Ninety-seven percent of bankers said they expect deposit competition to increase or stay at already elevated levels over the next 12 months.
- Funding costs eased, but bankers expect that to end soon. Sixty-six percent of respondents said conditions improved over the past year, but only 31% expect further improvement.
- Loan demand remains soft. Fewer than half of banks expect an increase in loan demand over the year ahead.
- Access to capital remains stable. Ninety-five percent of respondents predict either no change or improvement in access to capital over the next 12 months.
IntraFi’s Q1 2026 IntraFi Bank Executive Business Outlook Survey was conducted online from April 1 to April 15, 2026, and includes responses from CEOs, presidents, CFOs, and COOs at 409 banks nationwide.
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
