Do you recall the phrase Digital Divide? It refers to the ease of access to the Internet between different socioeconomic groups that could result in a disadvantage for future opportunities. I’m sensing a similar divergence today in banking between organizations who believe they can sit on the sidelines and watch the action and those who …
EIGHT SECONDS. That may be the most important number that you take away from this story. You have 8 seconds to grab Gen Z’s attention. Just let that sink in a little. Makes you long for the whopping 12 seconds we had with the Millennials, doesn’t it? Does this mean Gen Z (generally considered to …
Gone in 8 Seconds: A Cautionary Tale of Marketing to Gen Z Read More »
Finally, the construction loan you’ve been working on for the past month — meeting with the client, gathering all the information and documents, understanding all the details, getting it blessed by your senior lender to proceed and finally underwritten — was approved. You’re done, right? No, not really, and you know that. There are many …
The last 20 months have been challenging to say the least. Covid-19 has dramatically changed how we all live together and interact with each other, both socially and in the way we make our livings. Prior to the pandemic, remote working was more of a trend than the dominant form of working life it has …
Panning for Remote Gold: Cultivating Business Leaders in a Remote Working Environment Read More »
At a strategic retreat of family owned and closely held banks, I was privileged to connect with community institution leaders from the Upper Midwest. As we went around the room, each introduced themselves and shared a little background about their bank and what made them unique. There was an overriding theme that resonated with each …
Community Banks – Relevant Today, Relevant Tomorrow Read More »
“Unexpected and unpleasant surprises may be lurking behind what could be interpreted as an initial rebound after such an unprecedented year.” In a recent opinion piece, this was the solemn conclusion my colleague Jeff Voss reached when he offered his evaluation of the state of community banking, once the COVID-driven government intervention completely recedes. For …
“It was the best of times.” The economy was humming along, and bank profits were stable to increasing; then, Covid-19 changed almost everything, and suddenly, “it was the worst of times.” A large part of the country and world went into shutdown, and economic turmoil ensued, followed by civil unrest. 2020 is a year of …
Are You Ready for Your Next Safety and Soundness Examination? (Spoiler alert: It Will Require you to Evaluate the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Your Bank) Did you know that, in June 2020, the federal financial institution regulatory agencies, in conjunction with the state bank and credit union regulators, jointly issued examiner guidance to …
Are You Ready for Your Next Safety and Soundness Examination? Read More »
It definitely could be, but let’s start with some not so ancient history. Back in late 2008-09, the Great Recession was beginning to cause serious headaches for many banks, even the strongest ones. Earlier that year I had committed to move forward with the business plan to start a new community bank, thanks to the …
Work out is coming back. Despite a cash infusion from the federal government designed to keep small businesses afloat, many will struggle to survive this ruthless pandemic economy. More loans will become more troubled and focus will shift from normal operations to work out. It’s inevitable. To be most effective, work out requires a trench …
