By Rose Oswald Poels, WBA president and CEO
Thank you to everyone who shared thoughtful insight into the concerns and pain points you are observing day-to-day with your customers by completing our mid-year CEO Economic Survey. Bankers are often among the first to recognize changes in the economy because you work directly with families buying homes, farmers planning for the next season, entrepreneurs launching businesses, and employers making hiring decisions. Bankers have the unique ability to provide one of the clearest, boots-on-the-ground pictures of Wisconsin’s economy.
This year’s mid-year survey results indicate a steady outlook. Nearly 80% of respondents indicated the health of the state’s economy as “good” or “excellent,” and more than 60% expect conditions to remain the same over the next six months. The same sense of stability was evident through the remaining survey, with most responding CEOs expecting little change in loan demand, deposits, staffing levels, and housing prices through the end of 2026. We noticed encouraging signs as well: More CEOs rated demand for business and commercial real estate loans as “excellent” (23%) than in our previous survey at the end of last year (just 9%), which reveals an increased investment by Wisconsin businesses.
Stability does not suggest there is an absence of challenges ahead. Your responses make clear that fraud remains a pressing concern for banks, followed by workforce recruitment and retention, and the growing influence of non-traditional financial institutions. Meanwhile, bank business customers around the state continue to grapple with rising labor, energy, and supply chain expenses. Other customers continue to express concerns about housing affordability and inflation. These findings reinforce many of the issues WBA prioritizes in front of legislators.
One result that particularly caught my attention was housing. Most CEOs expect home prices to remain relatively stable over the next six months, but housing affordability ranked among consumers’ greatest concerns. This reflects an ongoing question I hear across the state: Is there enough attainable housing left to meet demand? WBA has consistently advocated for policies that expand housing opportunities for Wisconsin families while preserving banks’ ability to serve as the trusted lender. This data indicates that issue remains a priority.
Thank you, again, to all the bank leaders who participated in the survey. Your perspective helps strengthen the banking industry’s voice with the public and legislators, and provides important insight for communities across our state.
