Kylie Wong

Kylie Wong asked about Wintrust's ability to both gather deposits and reduce deposit rates in the Chicagoland market, given its perceived pricing rationality. She also inquired if there's a specific Fed rate level where overall competition might intensify.

Answer

Timothy Crane, President and Chief Executive Officer, affirmed Wintrust's continued focus on core deposit growth and market share gains through rational promotional rates. He believes the bank can maintain its stabilized margin with deposit growth even as the Fed cuts rates, without sacrificing performance. He does not foresee a specific Fed rate level that would dramatically alter the current rational competitive environment in their markets.