When the coronavirus struck, people across industries were sent home to work and once-bustling office spaces turned ghostly quiet. Months later, many offices remain empty. And, as the pandemic rages on (and on), and businesses delay asking people to return, one must question the future of the office. Will employers need less space (or more) to bring its people back? Do businesses need people back? [Continue]
Many bank marketers went into 2020 with flat year-over-year budgets but were expected to produce greater results than in years past. Then the pandemic came, pushing the need for digital transformation to the forefront and compelling executives to reallocate marketing budgets to support critical digital enhancements. [Continue]
Melanie Hall lived through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and the experience surged to the top of her mind this year. The commissioner of Montana’s Division of Banking recently compared the pandemic’s economic impact to the storm and its destruction. Despite state and Federal help, “[the impact] will come home to all people eventually,” Hall said. “We need to be ever vigilant that it could come to our banks. [Continue]
When you’re on vacation, are your coworkers or direct reports frequently contacting you for solutions to normal work issues? The good news is that you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to empowering your team to make decisions in your absence. [Continue]
CardX, a Chicago-based company that passes the fee for credit card transactions on to consumers and away from merchants, considers itself both a fintech and a regtech. Michael Tomko, chief operations officer, explained how redirecting this fee helps small businesses and their banking partners. [Continue]
Although farmers and ranchers are resilient and used to adversity, all aspects of their lives and industries have been affected to some degree by COVID-19, whether mentally or physically. Here, regional ag banking experts way in on the impact of the pandemic and the economic downturn have had on the country’s ag industry. [Continue]
2020 has been a year of great uncertainty and extreme swings in the ag economy. The year started out with some optimism on grain prices and improved trade conditions with China, Canada, Mexico and other countries. Then COVID-19 hit in March and everything changed. [Continue]
2020 has been unprecedented on many fronts. The way in which community banks have risen to the myriad challenges is one of the many reasons we appreciate being part of the industry and helping navigate the evolving landscape. As we look toward 2021, there are several recurring themes we are helping clients anticipate and manage. [Continue]
Nobody knows when the pandemic is going to clear up. Some are saying there will be a vaccine soon; others are saying we will be dealing with masks, social distancing, quarantines and travel bans for years. I have decided to stop waiting for things to get better; it’s time to make the most of the present, regardless of the conditions we can’t control. [Continue]
Unlike the previous economic crisis just over 10 years ago, and the recessions that preceded it, the current downturn has mostly spared the banking industry. Indeed, though it is not necessarily reflected in the share prices of publicly traded institutions, many US banks have strong balance sheets and are poised for growth. And that includes community banks. [Continue]