William “Bill” Rosacker will retire as president of United Bankers’ Bank on April 30, 2019, the bank announced on Feb. 22. Rosacker has been president of the Bloomington-Minn., based bank since 1985, and he has been in the banking industry for more than 51 years. [Continue]
We lost a giant in the business world when Herb Kelleher died on Jan. 3 at the age of 87. Long before innovation and disruption were industry buzzwords, Kelleher was revolutionizing air travel with the late-1960s launch of Southwest Airlines. He opened up air travel to penny-wise consumers who previously had to rely on ground transportation for long distance trips. We can learn a few things from Kelleher. [Continue]
The Wisconsin Bankers Association will undertake a major remodeling of its building in Madison, WBA President and CEO Rose Oswald Poels told bankers at the association’s Executives Conference earlier this month. [Continue]
Kathy Blumenfeld said the DFI will promote financial literacy, work to protect senior citizens from financial fraud, help students gain affordable access to higher education, and foster economic development throughout the state. [Continue]
The FDIC is working to reduce regulatory burden for community banks, said Chair Jelena McWilliams, who spoke to bankers and reporters in Milwaukee on Feb. 5. She said she is concerned about industry consolidation. Also, she said rules around brokered deposits should be updated, and that while deposit insurance premium rebates are forthcoming, details and timing remain uncertain. [Continue]
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]
BankBeat Publisher Tom Bengtson had the good fortune of working for Truman Jeffers for two of the 25 years he headed the Minnesota Bankers Association. While saddened to learn of his death at age 85 on Dec. 20, he offers his reflections on the impact he made as one of his first bosses and mentors. [Continue]
The year 2018 opened with expectations for strong economic performance across most sectors, including banking. There was concern about agriculture, but most other areas of the economy were participating in the lengthy expansion. A sweeping tax bill passed in late 2017 set the stage for a robust 2018. And in May, when Congress passed regulatory relief for the banking industry, prospects grew even stronger. [Continue]
The year offered a seller’s market, especially for banks in urban areas, and even more so if the bank had ample deposits. Large banks with widely-traded stock generally paid the highest prices. [Continue]
The economy has a lot of influence on the de novo market, which might be picking up, albeit tepidly. James LaPierre, FDIC Kansas City Regional Director, shared at a seminar hosted by the Eide Bailly accounting firm that as of Nov. 1, that the FDIC has approved nine applications for FDIC insurance so far this year and the agency currently is considering 12 pending applications. [Continue]