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Treasuries for the win! Low yield spreads send community banks back to the basics
I’ll let you in on a secret: sometimes your columnist runs out of new ideas to cover. A dearth of new products, no new regs, a stable rate environment—all of these can cause a writer to run aground...
Rising tide: Bonds to own for a rate hike environment
Community bankers are nothing if not predictable, and I mean that as a compliment. They are bright, have a nose for the risk/reward and a sense of duty and loyalty to their customers and staff....
Buyers of U.S. debt come in many shapes and sizes.
I think we can all agree that there has been plenty to be concerned about in the last, say, five years. Some are environmental issues, some are social and, for community bankers, plenty are economic.
The Financially Underserved: How Banks are Positioned to Make a Lasting Impact
For the financially underserved in the United States the widening wealth gap and financial hardships resulting from the pandemic are not just media headlines. They are a reality.
Why Financial Institutions Should Embrace ESG
Public and regulatory expectations regarding climate change and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues are rapidly changing. The largest banks have made climate commitments...
NEW and UPDATED Online Courses Added to Bank Director Program!
The 20 online training courses that are included in your Bank Director Program subscription are a great tool to onboard new bank directors while also ensuring your seasoned directors are up-to-speed.
The Reality Facing Your Real Estate Credit Portfolio
If your bank is average, your credit portfolio will contain a concentration of over 70% in real estate loans. While you might have the best intentions for underwriting real estate loans with the...
Five Things Banks can do to Prepare for Interest Rate Hikes
With inflation running hot, the Federal Reserve Board has recently begun accelerating its tapering program. In addition, the latest dot plot for the median Federal Funds rate show that short-term...
Banking in the Metaverse
According to Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the metaverse is where all activities will happen in a virtual reality world. To many community bankers, the idea of banking in the metaverse seems closer...
Commercial Real Estate Concerns in Your Portfolio
Commercial real estate is a hot topic right now. The perception of increasing risk within the banking system surrounding real estate loans is prevalent. This might be an area within your bank that...
Corporate governance and employment law help is on the way!
With your ICBA Bank Director Program subscription you have access to attorneys from Jackson Lewis and Gerrish Smith Tuck for help with your employment law and corporate governance questions.
Interagency Guidance for Bank Risk Management of Third-Party Relationships
On June 6, 2023, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued final guidance on managing...
Put these two trends on your TO DO list
Directors must understand that new technology procurement and deployment is mandatory and must be accompanied by business modeling that adjusts branch and staffing efficiencies.
Is cybersecurity insurance worth the higher premiums?
Cybersecurity should be a foundational element of any community bank, but do you really need to be insured for it—especially as premiums rise? We spoke to experts to learn more about this type of...
AI is a new cybersecurity risk: Learn how to help protect your organization
Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way, advancing from single-use tools to sophisticated systems that can analyze mountains of data. As AI continues to expand and be used in more ...
Time out for trivia: Qs and As to enlighten portfolio management
Hang with me as I pose a series of my own questions relating to community banks, which I hope you will view as more helpful than trivial. Even better: Your author supplies the answers.
The future of banking: How AI is revolutionizing operations
Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT—though many are still nascent—are rapidly shifting the landscape in numerous industries, including the financial institutions space. The hype around
How to Deal with Brand in the Boardroom
As a bank director myself, I’m the last person who would advocate for longer meeting agendas. That said, I’m on a constant mission to be mindful that understanding bank performance requires...
Value, added: High baseline yields accompany surprisingly wide spreads
If your responsibilities include your community bank’s bond portfolio, you’ve been confounded by several elements of its performance in the last 18 months.
Remember the munis
I’m speaking of the municipal bond market. It is a maxim of community banking that the more munis a bank owns, the higher performing the portfolio will be.