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
What’s Lurking in your Loan Portfolio? Read More »
“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
Is Your Bank Prepared for 2021? Read More »
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
Another Great Time to Start a New Bank…? Read More »
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
Three Tips from the Work Out Trenches Read More »
Your Questions about COVID-19 and Regulators Today. Tomorrow. And Post-Pandemic By this time, you have already activated your financial institution’s Pandemic and Business Continuity plans. Your regulators are contacting you for updates. You are addressing customer service and staff needs. You are also working with your vendors to determine how COVID-19 will impact the
Your Questions about COVID-19 and Regulators Read More »
It has been a month for the ages. The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed life as we know it, at least for now. I am not sure how long this pandemic will last. It will pass, but when? A stimulus package is on the way – a package designed not just to provide immediate relief, but
Putting Your Business Continuity Plan to Work The COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve hour by hour throughout the world. The timeline for flattening the curve remains unclear. In response, federal and state governments around the country have become more aggressive in their actions to stem the spread of the virus. Clearly, we as a country
The Leap from Theory to Practice Read More »
Optimism – and a Solid Business Continuity Plan – are your Best Friends Right Now The world, the United States and, of course, the United States banking Industry have been dramatically affected by the COVID-19 (or Coronavirus) pandemic. As of the date of this posting, the Coronavirus situation remains fast-moving and confusing, and we are exposed
COVID-19 and the Banking Industry Read More »