What’s Lurking in your Loan Portfolio?
“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 […]
September 24, 2021
Artisan Unfiltered: An Interview with Tommy Fitzgibbon
In our podcasting debut, Artisan Advisors’ Jim Adkins interviews the legendary Tommy FitzGibbon about his life, banking experience and the future of community banking. Listen now.
August 18, 2021
For Community Banks, the Worst May Not Be Over
There’s a lot of talk lately about getting back to normal. People are getting vaccinated. Mask restrictions are easing. Towns and cities across America are opening up again. Businesses are beginning to call people back into the office and many industries are seeing signs of real recovery. Banking is something of a different story. Given […]
August 17, 2021
New Services from Artisan Advisors
Artisan Advisors is now offering two great new tools that will help your bank and your clients survive – and thrive – in the COVID economy: the COVID-19 Assessment Readiness (CAR) Program and the Rapid Real Estate Loan Evaluation. Both were created by Artisan banking experts, to help community banks gain quick and reliable insight into their regulatory exam […]
November 12, 2020
Is Your Bank Prepared for 2021?
“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 […]
October 3, 2020
Are You Ready for Your Next Safety and Soundness Examination?
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 […]
July 21, 2020
Another Great Time to Start a New Bank…?
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 […]
July 1, 2020
Three Tips from the Work Out Trenches
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 […]
April 17, 2020
Your Questions about COVID-19 and Regulators
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 […]
April 10, 2020
Artisan Advisors Adds Hecht and Mercer to their Roster
Artisan Advisors is pleased to announce that we have added two exceptional banking specialists to our roster: John Hecht and Ron Mercer. John and Ron each bring decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge to Artisan. John’s C-suite track record for delivering results in both banking and corporate environments is undeniable and positions him well […]
April 6, 2020
Risky Business
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 […]
March 30, 2020
The Leap from Theory to Practice
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 […]
March 20, 2020