New loan growth continues to be a challenge as most banks are extremely liquid with excess deposits. Net interest margin compression is at the top of everyone’s mind so finding alternative ways to grow profitability in a low interest rate environment is a challenge all bankers are facing. United Bankers’ Bank provides loan participations as … Read more
As the pandemic moves from phase to phase, the banking sector has seen dramatic swings in public stock valuations and M&A prices. While the volatility of the markets is closely tied to health trends, which remain difficult to predict, a study of the past 18 months provides insights into future community banking performance and value prospects, which can be invaluable for strategic planning in the boardroom and for setting shareholder expectations. [Continue]
After a lull due to the Covid-19 pandemic, credit unions are pursuing banks and thrifts with renewed vigor, picking up where they left off in 2019, which set a record for credit union-bank deals. In buying community banks, credit unions are leveraging their financial heft to break into new markets, gain new members and become a force in commercial lending. For their part, many bank owners find it difficult to turn down a handsome offer from a credit union, despite the complexity of such sales and the stigma associated with them. [Continue]
COVID-19 was the game changer. Many bank employees were able to work from home, and some of these employees prefer to continue this practice, a significant shift from traditional business operations. Varying surveys indicate 50 percent or more of employees would consider changing employers if they could no longer work remotely. Community banks, now more … Read more
Community banks face never-ending challenges, from regulations to technology to recently, a global pandemic. Yet they take it all in stride and are able to offer their customers a sense of consistency, even familiarity. At Park Bank in Holmen, Wis., familiarly is embodied by suspender-wearing bank President Douglas Farmer. So when thoughts turned to transitioning bank leadership, the process required thoughtful planning and consideration so as to not disturb the bank’s deep roots with customers and businesses alike. [Continue]
Chickasaw Community Bank has been able to fold its support of the larger community into its goals while keeping an eye to the bottom line. When talking about their work, leadership and staff frequently call CCB mission-driven. “As part of our mission, we’re really committed to our local community and our community at large,” said CEO T.W. Shannon. [Continue]
In 2017, when former Oklahoma state legislator T.W. Shannon took a leadership role at Bank2, one of just a few Native American-owned banks in the United States, his industry experience was limited, the bank had a small footprint, and it had an uninspiring name. So much has changed since then. Bank2 is now Chickasaw Community Bank, a change made in January of 2020 in a nod to its origins and ownership by the Chickasaw Nation. Shannon, now CEO, is driving a notable transformation. [Continue]
Understandably, bank owners tend to put off succession planning. It involves discussing discomfiting topics such as wealth and death, for one thing. It entails relinquishing control of the bank and the income stream that comes with ownership. And the planning process requires huddling with lawyers and accountants to work through irksome matters such as regulatory compliance and estate taxes. [Continue]
– Pauline Lopez-Lutz, Texas Technology is the cardiovascular system of today’s community bank, and data its lifeblood. It’s a good thing these DCI engineers are at the ‘heart’ of it all. As a leading core provider, DCI and its IT engineers recognize their enormous responsibility to keep that system healthy, and they take it personally. … Read more
Holding his drumsticks, Kyle Baker peered out at the crowd, absorbing the rhythm of the din. It was mid-summer in 2010, and he and his band, the Superunknown, were backstage at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, opening for KISS during their “Hottest Show on Earth” tour. The atmosphere shifted when the lights dimmed, and Baker stepped onstage with a rush of energy. [Continue]