Consultant Robert Morgan told bankers at the Oct. 29 Eide Bailly seminar in Mankato, Minn., what many of us have suspected for a long time: The ratings game is rigged. Saying that field examiners have no authority, Morgan said regulators determine a bank’s rating before examiners ever get to the bank. Once … Read more
Jim MacPhee, chairman-elect of the Independent Community Bankers of America, gave his audience at the annual meeting of the Nebraska Independent Community Bankers a description of the challenges that face their industry. [Continue]
Sheila Bair, chairman of the FDIC, is advocating for industry reforms which will bring regulatory standards for non-banks up to the same stringency that banks face. [Continue]
The too-big-to-fail problem is often discussed as a matter of fairness but really, for community bankers, it is a matter of survival. Too-big-to-fail status is a tremendous competitive advantage. Too-big-to-fail banks have a substantial cost-of-funds advantage over community banks. Because people understand that government will prevent large banks from failing, they are … Read more
Congress will be dealing with banking issues at record pace this fall, and ICBA is using the platform offered by state conventions to articulate its distinguishing positions. [Continue]
“Too big has failed and it has impacted all of us,” said Robin A. Loftus, the organization’s first female chair. [Continue]
Do government officials have a plot to reduce the size of the banking industry? It is a question Timothy Koch asked during two presentations he made at the fall seminar of the Bank Holding Company Association. [Continue]
Four hours of testimony presented by 10 banking industry experts Oct. 6 before the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee at the Minnesota Capitol is unlikely to result in new legislation, according to the committee chairman, Sen. Linda Scheid. [Continue]
The FDIC has proposed a wise plan for replenishing the Deposit Insurance Fund. FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair put it succinctly on Sept. 29 when she said: “It’s clear that the American people would prefer to see an end to policies that look to the federal balance sheet as a remedy for every problem.” Banks across … Read more
Although the past year has been tumultuous for the banking industry, leadership at the Community Bankers of Wisconsin says the public is clearer today about the difference between very large banks and community banks than ever before. [Continue]