Artificial intelligence, evolving regulation, supervisory data, and the future of digital money are reshaping how banks manage their balance sheets and prepare for tomorrow's challenges.

1. Banking Industry Insights

From Regulation to Intelligence: How Banking is Entering a New Era of Balance Sheet Management

The banking industry is moving from compliance-driven balance sheet management to intelligent, data-driven decision-making.

This month, we highlight four developments that deserve the attention of Treasury, ALM, Risk Management, Finance, and senior banking executives.

Can Artificial Intelligence Improve ALM in Banks?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from experimentation to practical application in banking. In our latest LinkedIn blog, we explore how AI can support Asset & Liability Management by improving behavioral modeling, forecasting, scenario analysis, stress testing, and optimization of bank balance sheets.

At the same time, we emphasize that AI is not a replacement for experienced ALM professionals. Sound governance, regulatory compliance, model validation, and expert judgement remain essential for making strategic balance sheet decisions. If used correctly, AI can become a valuable assistant for ALM, Treasury, Risk Management, and Finance teams, allowing professionals to focus more on interpreting results and making informed business decisions.

📖 Read our LinkedIn blog: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-can-ai-improve-alm-banks-martin-macko-tvumf/

BIS Research: Does Liquidity Regulation Increase Banks' Funding Costs?

Liquidity regulation has been one of the defining changes in banking since the Global Financial Crisis. But has it also made bank funding more expensive?

In our recent LinkedIn commentary, we review a new BIS Working Paper that analyses the relationship between liquidity regulation and funding costs. The findings suggest that stronger liquidity requirements may increase funding costs in the short term, but they also enhance market confidence, improve financial stability, and reduce banks' overall funding risk.

For ALM and Treasury professionals, this raises an important strategic question: should liquidity regulation be viewed primarily as a regulatory burden or as an investment in long-term funding resilience?

📖 Read our LinkedIn commentary: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/martin-macko-bearning_liquidity-regulation-bank-activity-7467150704881713152-WfCv

📄 BIS Working Paper: https://www.bis.org/publ/work1352.htm

ECB Supervisory Statistics: Benchmark Your Bank Against European Peers

Every quarter, the ECB publishes a rich set of supervisory banking statistics covering capital, profitability, liquidity, funding, asset quality, and many other indicators for significant European banks.

In our LinkedIn post, we highlighted why these figures should not be seen merely as regulatory reporting. They provide an excellent opportunity for bank managers to benchmark their institution against European peers, identify emerging trends, and better understand how the banking sector is evolving.

Whether you work in ALM, Treasury, Finance, Risk Management, or Executive Management, these statistics can provide valuable context for strategic decision-making.

📖 Read our LinkedIn commentary: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/martin-macko-bearning_ecb-ecbbankingsupervision-ssm-activity-7474742920965976065-MH21

📊 ECB Supervisory Banking Statistics: https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/framework/statistics/html/index.en.html#statistics

The Future of Money: Stablecoins, Money Market Funds and the Banking System

How will stablecoins reshape banking and financial stability? In our recent LinkedIn post, we discuss an important speech by ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel, who compares stablecoins with money market funds and explains why their reserve management deserves close attention from banks.

One particularly interesting observation is that stablecoin reserves held as bank deposits could become a new transmission channel of liquidity stress between stablecoin issuers and the banking sector. As digital money continues to evolve, understanding these interactions will become increasingly important for Treasury, ALM, and liquidity management.

📖 Read our LinkedIn commentary: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/martin-macko-bearning_money-market-funds-activity-7472194118790737920-wrPi

🎤 ECB Speech: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/key/date/2026/html/ecb.sp260601~38dffe5ec5.en.html

2. Bearning Courses and Webinar Updates

Liquidity Management Webinar Now Available On Demand

One of the highlights of June was our international live webinar on Liquidity Risk Management and Intraday Liquidity, attended by banking professionals from Treasury, ALM, Liquidity Risk, Finance, and Payments.

The webinar explores the complete liquidity management framework - from traditional structural liquidity risk and regulatory requirements (LCR, NSFR and ILAAP) to one of today's fastest-growing challenges: intraday liquidity management.

Recent banking events have demonstrated that liquidity risk can develop much faster than traditional models anticipated. Combined with instant payments, digital banking, and evolving customer behavior, this makes intraday liquidity monitoring and forecasting increasingly important for banks of all sizes.

The webinar covers:

• Liquidity risk management from an ALM perspective
• Liquidity regulation, stress testing and governance
• Funds Transfer Pricing (FTP) and liquidity costs
• Intraday liquidity management and payment flows
• Central bank settlement systems
• A real-life case study presented together with Planixs, one of the world's leading providers of intraday liquidity management solutions

The complete webinar recording is now available through the Bearning e-learning platform. Participants receive lifetime access to the recording and presentation materials, and the full version also includes a final knowledge test and a Bearning certificate upon successful completion.

As a reader of the Bearning Newsletter, you can now use the exclusive coupon code ALM40EXPERT to receive 40% off the webinar recording and accompanying e-learning course.

🎥 Read our LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nmd-modelling-and-quantitative-planning-ugcPost-7470028075154628609-nkPD/

🌐 Access the webinar recording and apply coupon ALM40EXPERT: Bank Liquidity: From LCR & FTP to Intraday Liquidity Control

Preparing ALCO for the Next Banking Shocks: Free Expert Panel & Live Case Study

📅 Save the date: September 17, 2026

Bearning is currently preparing another international webinar that we believe will be one of our most valuable events this year.

"Is Your ALCO Ready for the Next Shocks? Expert Panel Webinar & Live Case Study" will bring together experienced banking practitioners and regulatory experts to discuss how banks can prepare for an increasingly uncertain environment characterized by geopolitical tensions, changing interest rates, inflation uncertainty, deposit competition, and evolving supervisory expectations.

The webinar will feature an expert panel followed by a live case study demonstrating how quantitative planning can support better ALCO decision-making under multiple simultaneous stress scenarios. Participants will see how different management actions influence profitability, liquidity, capital, and overall balance sheet performance.

We are delighted that the panel will include several experts:

• Martin Macko - Founder & Managing Consultant, Bearning
• Paul Garvin - Managing Consultant and international ALM expert
• Katharina Sobczak - Banking Regulation Expert
• Michal Lopušan - Founder of QuantPlan and ALM expert

The webinar will be offered free of charge and is intended for ALCO members, Treasury, ALM, Risk Management, Finance, and senior banking professionals.

Registration will open soon. Follow Bearning on LinkedIn and www.bearning.com to be among the first to receive the registration link and additional event details.

Coming Soon: Bearning Professional School of ALM (PSALM)

One of our major projects this year is nearing completion. Over the past several months, we have been developing what will become Bearning's flagship educational programme for Asset & Liability Management professionals: the Bearning Professional School of ALM (PSALM).

PSALM has been designed as a comprehensive learning pathway for banking professionals who want to build practical expertise in one of the most strategic disciplines of modern banking. The programme combines structured e-learning, practical simulations, real-life case studies, and professional certification into a single learning experience.

The curriculum covers the core areas of modern balance sheet management, including:

• Asset & Liability Management (ALM)
• Funds Transfer Pricing (FTP)
• Liquidity Risk Management
• Interest Rate Risk in the Banking Book (IRRBB)
• Treasury & Financial Markets
• Banking Regulation and Risk Management

Participants will receive:

• 📚 Comprehensive e-learning courses with expert video lectures
• 🎥 Full recordings of selected Bearning webinars, including live case studies on Quantitative ALM Management and Intraday Liquidity Management
• 📝 Hundreds of expert quiz questions with detailed explanations
• 📊 Bearning ALM educatory Excel models, including SimBa and ALM_IRLQ, for practical hands-on learning
• 📖 Exclusive articles, frameworks, and practical insights from experienced ALM practitioners
• 🏆 A comprehensive final examination and the Bearning PSALM Certificate upon successful completion
• ♾️ Lifetime access, including future programme updates and newly released webinar recordings

We expect to officially launch PSALM in early July. If you're planning to invest in your professional development before the busy autumn season, PSALM will provide a structured pathway to strengthen your expertise in ALM, Treasury, Liquidity Management, Interest Rate Risk, and strategic balance sheet management.

Follow Bearning on LinkedIn and visit www.bearning.com to be among the first to learn about the official launch and registration.

3. Kurzy a aktivity v slovenskom/českom jazyku

Investovanie a privátne bankovníctvo: Praktický pohľad na slovenský trh

V júni sme pre jedného z našich klientov zrealizovali in-house školenie zamerané na investovanie a privátne bankovníctvo. Počas workshopu sme sa venovali fungovaniu privátneho bankovníctva na Slovensku, segmentácii klientov, produktovým riešeniam, MiFID II regulácii a porovnaniu prístupu jednotlivých bánk. Nechýbali ani praktické diskusie o fondoch, ETF, alternatívnych investíciách, certifikátoch, investičnom zlate či private equity fondoch. Veľká časť školenia bola venovaná aj aktuálnej situácii na finančných trhoch, investičným stratégiám a praktickým prípadovým štúdiám z bankovej praxe.

👉 Viac o tomto školení nájdete v našom LinkedIn príspevku

Jesenné verejné kurzy Bearning

Počas leta pripravujeme nové vzdelávacie materiály a už teraz otvárame registrácie na jesenné odborné kurzy pre bankárov. Tento rok sa zameriavame najmä na aktuálne témy spojené s digitalizáciou, reguláciou, riadením rizík, finančnými trhmi a modernými technológiami.

Na jeseň 2026 pripravujeme tieto verejné online kurzy:

• 📅 1. október – Devízový trh a FX produkty
• 📅 2. október – AML a KYC v digitálnej ére
• 📅 13. október – Digitálna transformácia bánk
• 📅 15. október – Umelá inteligencia (AI) v bankovníctve – prípadové štúdie s Microsoft Copilot
• 📅 21. október – Kybernetická bezpečnosť v bankách: governance, riziká a praktická ochrana
• 📅 27. október – Kryptoaktíva a regulácia MiCA
• 📅 29. október – Finančná matematika na kapitálovom trhu
• 📅 10. november – Digitálne peniaze

Podrobné programy väčšiny kurzov sú už zverejnené na našom webe a registrácie sú otvorené.

Kurzy sú určené pracovníkom bánk, finančných inštitúcií a všetkým odborníkom, ktorí chcú rozvíjať svoje znalosti v oblastiach bankovníctva, finančných trhov, regulácie, riadenia rizík a moderných technológií. 👉 Kompletný kalendár, podrobné programy jednotlivých školení a registráciu nájdete na bearning.sk

Individuálne konzultácie pre bankových manažérov

Popri školeniach realizujeme aj individuálne odborné konzultácie pre členov predstavenstiev, dozorných rád, ALCO, vrcholový manažment a senior bankových špecialistov. Konzultácie sú pripravené na mieru konkrétnym potrebám banky alebo manažéra a zameriavajú sa najmä na oblasti:

• Asset & Liability Management (ALM) a Treasury
• riadenie úrokového a likviditného rizika
• interpretáciu finančných výsledkov a bankových rizík
• bankovú reguláciu (IRRBB, ICAAP, ILAAP, Basel III, MiCA a ďalšie)
• digitálnu transformáciu, umelú inteligenciu a nové technológie vo finančníctve
• Fit & Proper prípravu členov predstavenstiev a dozorných rád podľa očakávaní regulátorov

Konzultácie prebiehajú online alebo prezenčne a sú určené manažérom, ktorí chcú získať nezávislý odborný pohľad, prehĺbiť svoje znalosti alebo sa pripraviť na nové profesijné výzvy.

👉 Viac informácií o individuálnych konzultáciách nájdete na https://bearning.sk/sk/consulting

4. Banking Industry Quiz

Test Your Knowledge with Bearning's Monthly Banking Quiz ✅❌❔

Our recent webinar on Liquidity Risk Management and Intraday Liquidity highlighted that managing liquidity is no longer only about meeting regulatory ratios such as LCR or NSFR. As payment systems accelerate and instant payments become widespread, banks must also actively manage their liquidity throughout the business day.

❓ Which statement best describes intraday liquidity risk?

• A) The risk that a bank will not have sufficient liquidity to meet its payment and settlement obligations during the business day, even if it remains solvent.
• B) The risk that regulators will introduce a new short-term Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) and that a bank will not be able to comply with it.
• C) The risk that depositors gradually withdraw funds over several months, reducing the bank's funding base.
• D) The risk that a bank cannot refinance its long-term funding after one year.

👉 We'll reveal the correct answer and explanation in the next Bearning newsletter.

5. Quiz Solution Corner ✅

Review and Learn from Last Month's Quiz

❓ Which of the following areas of bank liquidity management could benefit most from AI and machine learning techniques?

A) Intraday liquidity forecasting based on payment flow patterns

B) Strategic determination of the bank's liquidity risk appetite

C) Approval of contingency funding plans by the ALCO

D) Setting minimum regulatory LCR requirements

✅ Correct answer: A) Intraday liquidity forecasting based on payment flow patterns

Explanation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are particularly well suited for analyzing large volumes of historical payment data and identifying patterns that are difficult to detect using traditional statistical methods. This makes them highly valuable for intraday liquidity forecasting, where banks need to predict payment inflows, outflows, and potential liquidity shortages throughout the business day.

By learning from historical payment behavior, settlement cycles, customer transaction patterns, and seasonal effects, AI models can significantly improve the accuracy of liquidity forecasts and help treasury teams optimize liquidity buffers, reduce funding costs, and minimize settlement risk.

Why are the other answers incorrect?

B) Strategic determination of the bank's liquidity risk appetite

The liquidity risk appetite is a strategic decision defined by the bank's Board and senior management. While AI can provide analytical support and simulations, determining the acceptable level of liquidity risk remains a management responsibility based on business strategy, regulatory expectations, and the bank's overall risk culture.

C) Approval of contingency funding plans by the ALCO

Contingency Funding Plans (CFPs) are governance documents that require management judgement and formal approval by the Asset and Liability Committee (ALCO) or other authorized governance bodies. AI may assist by analyzing scenarios or identifying vulnerabilities, but it cannot replace management accountability for such decisions.

D) Setting minimum regulatory LCR requirements

The minimum Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) is established by banking regulation (currently 100% under the Basel III framework and related national regulations). Individual banks cannot modify this regulatory minimum, although many choose to maintain internal liquidity buffers above the regulatory threshold.

💡 Why this matters

As payment systems become faster and instant payments continue to grow, intraday liquidity management is becoming one of the most promising areas for the practical application of Artificial Intelligence in banking. Rather than replacing treasury professionals, AI enables them to make faster, more informed decisions based on real-time payment flows and behavioral patterns - a topic we explored in our recent webinar on Liquidity Risk Management and Intraday Liquidity.

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