The best ideas in banking are often greener than its stock-and-trade currency. So it is at central Iowa’s Peoples Bank, where “clean and green” are on display from rooftop to parking lot, thanks to a recent investment to convert the nine-bank subsidiary of Green Circle Investments to 100 percent solar energy. [Continue]
Lead Bank strives to be an innovator in the banking industry in terms of gender diversity and working with traditionally underserved clients, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that it also thought outside the usual banker’s box when designing its urban Kansas City, Mo., office. [Continue]
The ATM and drive-through lanes didn’t put an end to face-to-face banking, and neither will online or mobile banking tools. [Continue]
Community banking industry experts weigh in on the art of negotiating and its worth to both up-and-coming and veteran bankers. They offer insight into the key areas of negotiating and how to hone your chops in this key skill. One tip? Queue up episodes of Shark Tank. [Continue]
While termination and change-in-control penalties can play a significant role in an M&A transaction, third-party contracts can impact a deal beyond just the financial impact associated with early termination. [Continue]
LenderClose, a fintech startup based in Des Moines, Iowa, is developing new ways for banks to close deals, particularly in the mortgage market. BankBeat talked to its CEO Omar Jordan about the young company’s take on crossing the finish line. [Continue]
There is a distinction being made now between customer service and customer experience, or CX. The former involves interactions with your people while the latter refers to customers’ holistic encounters with your brand. Some companies spend big money and years of study to create a brand designed to deliver memorable CX. Yet investments meant to deliver on CX are destined to fail without a highly-trained workforce. Everything hinges on those people skills! [Continue]
During its first quarter earnings call, executives from Farmer Mac told investors that the financing environment in 2019 has been stable and has exceeded expectations despite trouble in many parts of the ag sector. [Continue]
Many companies these days use online services, rather than internally hosted applications, making password management and second-factor authentication key. [Continue]
Jackson Winsett, assistant vice president and community affairs officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, views the connection between financial institutions and communities as two-fold. “I look at it from two different perspectives, but they both revolve around reciprocation,” he said. “The better the community is, the more the businesses in that community will benefit.” [Continue]