ERM: Not just for the ‘bigs’
It used to be that the banking regulatory community gave you a pass on having a formalized and documented ERM program within your organization, but the tide, as they say, has turned. [Continue]
Now is the time to start planning
Bankers often think of strategic planning in the fall, sometimes in conjunction with the annual budgeting process, but I want to encourage you to think about strategic planning now. If you want to conduct strategic planning successfully this fall, you really need to begin preparing now. [Continue]
Boldly going where no one has gone before…
Banks these days offer some payment transactions in real time, others in simulated real time, and still others in a day or two. But the pressure is on. In a culture where people “want it now,” faster payments is a resolute rallying cry for most financial services professionals. [Continue]
New law offers banks a way to accelerate deposit growth
For a long time, it seemed as if the deck was stacked against community banks. But now, some of that imbalance has shifted in favor of community banks. In May 2018, President Trump signed into law the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. One of many bank-friendly aspects of the new law is a change in treatment of most reciprocal deposits. [Continue]
Beware the dreaded ‘deconversion fee’
Making sure you have the best technology solutions in place for your community bank is tough enough. Making a change in order to save your bank money or to obtain better service should be an option open to every bank. For this reason, you want to make sure you never accept a vendor contract which imposes a large “deconversion fee” on your bank. [Continue]
The core of a strong ERM program
What makes a strong Enterprise Risk Management program? How do you know you’re asking the right questions? You develop strong risk assessments. [Continue]
Data analytics, baseball and competing like the bigs
The 2018 World Series starts tomorrow. What do Major League Baseball and the banking industry have in common? Data analytics. Here’s what bankers can learn from America’s pastime. [Continue]
Community banks face deposit-gathering challenges
For many community banks, deposits are a big issue. Statistics show that deposits are coming into the banking system, but most customers are stashing their cash with the bigs. [Continue]
What is REMA and why should you care?
Reasonably Expected Market Area is a tool used in fair lending examinations, but you won’t find a standard definition in any federal law or regulation. [Continue]
CTRs and SARs: Does anyone really look at these reports?
The important thing to remember is that it is not the financial institution’s responsibility to convict someone, but rather to report activity that appears suspicious in nature. [Continue]