There’s a transition underway at the Bloomington, Minn.-based United Bankers’ Bank, and the person at the center of it is leveraging his humble upbringing, industry knowledge, people skills and competitive nature to make it successful. [Continue]
Looking ahead with accuracy depends on getting a clear picture of the past. As 2019 closes, it is worth recalling some of the year’s developments in order to see where things may be going, from the economy and pot banking to technology and political leadership. [Continue]
The sputtering economy has everyone “searching for yield,” commented Creighton University Economist Ernest Goss, who addressed bankers in Des Moines, Iowa on Nov. 14. Goss and other speakers at the half-day seminar hosted by the Eide Bailly accounting firm, shared concerns about the economy and banking sector conditions, but generally offered upbeat industry assessments. [Continue]
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state’s legislature are offering their citizens nothing more than false hope by passing a law allowing for the creation of public banks. [Continue]
It has been a slog for the industry to get to this point, and while the credits are appreciated, the environment was still better in the 1990s when many banks paid no premiums at all. But given how much things have changed in the last 25 years, the post-crisis premium structure seems appropriate. [Continue]
Leadership of the Iowa Legislature gathered for a panel discussion at the 133 rd annual convention of the Iowa Bankers Association. Meeting at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines on Sept. 24, credit union competition dominated the conversation among five elected officials, all Republicans. [Continue]
Former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair, a JFK Profiles in Courage Award winner and twice recognized by Forbes magazine as the “second most powerful woman in the world,” called on the U.S. Department of Education to do more to help college students understand the cost of borrowing. [Continue]
Keynote speaker Jack Mackey opened the 2019 DCI annual bankers conference on Sept. 16 with stories from a British bank and a fast food restaurant that provided insights into great customer relationships. [Continue]
In “Bull by the Horns,” former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair notes morale at the agency increased dramatically under her leadership during the financial crisis, with it even being recognized as a “best place to work.” [Continue]
Can regulators reduce the regulatory burden for bankers without hurting industry safety and soundness or weakening consumer protections? Two FDIC chairs — one former, one current — shared comments that addressed that question during recent forums in Minneapolis. [Continue]