John Kemper on bank stability
From John Kemper | S2E2 · · The F2F Podcast
“You want to make sure your bank is going to be around for a long time, so staying power and understanding risks that happen once every 10, 20, or 30 years is a big part of what we try to achieve.”
On , John Kemper, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at COMMERCE BANCSHARES INC, spoke about bank stability during John Kemper | S2E2 on The F2F Podcast.
About John Kemper
In a March 2025 podcast appearance, John Kemper discussed the 2023 banking crisis, attributing several bank failures to the government's COVID-era stimulus and low interest rates, which he said led banks to make long-dated loans at low yields. When rates rose, funding costs exceeded loan yields, creating a mismatch that threatened bank net worth and triggered deposit runs. Kemper described banks as operating with high leverage, where small losses can wipe out equity, and emphasized the importance of managing risks that occur infrequently. Kemper also addressed the role of artificial intelligence in banking, stating it is already used for risk scoring, anti-money-laundering detection, and customer service, and predicted it will significantly change credit decisioning while human accountability remains essential. He offered investment advice, recommending index funds and early, consistent saving to benefit from compound interest. When discussing hiring, Kemper said he looks for curiosity, problem-solving, and leadership, and avoids "brilliant jerks" who are smart but toxic to culture.