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At 75 years, GSB-Wisconsin has kept pace

“The trouble with opportunity is that it always comes disguised as hard work,” Dr. Herbert V. Prochnow once wrote. That could be a fitting description for the programs at the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which students describe as challenging, yet career-changing. Prochnow, a noted toastmaster and author who went on to become an executive at the First National Bank of Chicago, started the school in 1945 in collaboration with what was then the School of Commerce at UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Bankers Association. [Continue]

The trends, conditions and issues driving bank M&A

The number of FDIC-insured institutions in the United States was 5,670 as of March 31, 2018, down from 8,534 on Dec. 31, 2007. Over the past five years, 1,292 institutions have been absorbed by mergers, while the number of failed banks has declined significantly. The trend will continue through 2018 and 2019 based on multiple factors.   [Continue]

Cross-selling: Give customers more ‘bank for their buck’

Paula Tompkins

At any given time, one-fifth of banking customers are researching where to buy their next product or service, and 42 percent of those who left one institution did so because they received an offer or took notice of an advertisement from a different financial institution. [Continue]

How incubators help start-ups become bankable

Business incubators provide support for businesses in the earliest stages of their existence. They provide space for ideas and inventions (the beginning of the business lifecycle) and access to working capital through pooled funds provided by banks, micro-credit financiers, venture capitalists, grants, and guaranteed loan programs. [Continue]

Refined lending approach attuned to business lifecycles

The best companies in your loan portfolio are likely the ones at capacity, providing stable and predictable return on investment. It doesn’t matter if these firms are large economic enterprises or small mom-n-pop shops — sales and earnings variances are low and businesses experience planned growth with long term stability. [Continue]

Successful promotion doesn’t have to mean leading people

We have all been there: Overwhelmed with projects, direct reports and responsibilities. We look to our highest performers to step in or step up to take on managerial duties to relieve our work loads. We ask them if they are ready and willing to manage a small group of teammates and let them know how confident we are that they are going to knock it out of the park. [Continue]

Another day, another data breach: On the need to be vigilant

Whether criminals are attempting to trick their victim into providing information (personal, account, internal procedures), downloading malware, conducting fraudulent transactions, or allowing physical or cyber access into the bank, social engineering is often the foundation that leads to fraud and other security concerns. [Continue]

Bank Midwest engages team in Fierce Conversations

Bank Midwest adopted the Fierce program for its staff six years ago after Mary Kay Bates, president and CEO, was certified in the program. Bates, BankBeat’s 2019 Banker of the Year, views employee-customer communications as critical to the future success of the bank because people are less likely to interact face-to-face. [Continue]