Outlet profile

ABA Banking Journal

U.S. banking-industry trade press, pro-deregulation

Owned byPublished by the American Bankers Association (ABA), a national trade association representing U.S. banks; production and distribution handled in partnership with Naylor Association Solutions

FundingFunded through the ABA's membership dues and advertising revenue; operates as a member-benefit publication rather than an independent commercial outlet

On the administrationbroadly supportive

Background

Founded in 1908, ABA Banking Journal is one of the oldest trade publications in American financial services, predating the Federal Reserve itself. It serves as the communications arm of the American Bankers Association, which was itself established in 1875 following the Panic of 1873 to give bankers a collective voice. For most of its history the journal appeared as a traditional print magazine, but in 2015 it underwent a major redesign and relaunch as a bimonthly print publication paired with a digital news service, website, and weekly podcast reaching more than 85,000 bankers daily. Because it is an association publication rather than an editorially independent outlet, its coverage is shaped by the ABA's advocacy mission: it favors 'pro-growth' and deregulatory policies and opposes what it characterizes as burdensome regulation or government market intervention. The journal has not faced notable journalistic controversies, but its institutional role means it cannot be treated as an arms-length news source on banking regulation or policy. Under the second Trump administration, the journal has covered executive orders and agency actions rolling back bank oversight with a tone that mirrors ABA's public advocacy — reporting facts accurately while framing the changes as beneficial to banks and the broader economy.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-09-21; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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