Customer magazine NEWS 02/2026

Summer holidays, summer of the century, silly season, summer of reforms … Dear readers, Summer is far more than just the warmest time of year. It is a collective place of longing, a projection screen for wishes, hopes and expectations. Summer stands as much for holidays and light-heartedness as for energy and activity – but also for paralysing heat and standstill. As is so often the case, it all depends on the situation and the point of view. The point of view in the summer edition of our customer magazine NEWS is clear: the pace in our core topics remains high even in summer, and financial institutions must grapple with numerous new developments and adjustments. In our NEWS, we keep you informed – as always, competently, thoroughly and with a practical focus. We examine the new Altersvorsorgedepot (AVD – retirement savings custody account) and highlight the key implications for banks. In our MaRisk Special, we give you a comprehensive overview of the amendment and an in-depth look at the adjustments in the area of lending business. In an interview, our experts explain why the AMLR (Anti-Money Laundering Regulation) is fundamentally changing the logic of risk analysis, and in the Payments Radar 2026 we focus on the developments currently shaping European payments. Read on to find out how the question of sovereign AI infrastructure in banks can now be answered with German or European providers, how banks can bring people and machines into harmony with an intelligent operating model, what it means for corporates when DTAZV is replaced from November 2026, how banks can use Agentic Operations to transform natural attrition into a variable cost structure, and much more. I wish you a wonderful summer and stimulating reading. Dr Frank Schlottmann | Chairman of the Management Board