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Fines, Penalties and Settlements—Oh My!
Fines, Penalties and Settlements—Oh My! Or, How the Smalls Pay for the Sins of the Bigs A quick check of the records reveals that since the financial crisis began in 2008, Bank of America has been...
Time for a Divorce?
Time for a Divorce? In a recent edition of the American Banker “Bankthink” section, Mr. Robert H. Smith, former chairman and CEO of Security Pacific Corp., wrote an opinion piece titled “Community...
It’s About Community Banks
It’s About Community Banks Do you all recall the now-iconic Bill Clinton 1992 campaign slogan—“It’s the economy, stupid!”? Well, at ICBA, it’s the nation’s community banks, and it always will be....
Community Banks Are Our Business, Our Only Business
Community Banks Are Our Business, Our Only Business I was reviewing some legislative and regulatory items the other day, both from the recent past and current, and I noted several issues where ICBA...
Community Banks Are Financial First Responders
Community Banks Are Financial First Responders “Community banks remain a critical component of our financial system and our economy. They help keep their local economies vibrant and growing by...
Remember This: A Long History of Credit Union Mission Creep
Remember This: A Long History of Credit Union Mission Creep In case you’d forgotten, the nation’s credit unions have been making the rounds in Washington in recent weeks. There were about 5,000...
Why Not Get Behind “CFA”?
Why Not Get Behind “CFA”? Why is ICBA the only national banking trade group to push, and push hard, for passage of the Communities First Act regulatory-relief legislation (S. 1600/H.R. 1697)? And...
The Courage to Speak Out
The Courage to Speak Out The statement below made by the eminent economist J.K. Galbraith refers to the excesses on Wall Street that preceded the Great Depression, but it could have been made in...
Watergate and Regulatory Burden
Watergate and Regulatory Burden What do the infamous Watergate scandal and overwhelming regulatory burden on community banks have in common? “Follow the Money.” Many of us remember this quip from...
Diversity? Really?
Diversity? Really? In recent days there has been some buzz from various quarters about what a "diverse" banking system we have in the United States. In fact, not long ago a writer pointed out that...
Heroes
Heroes Hero is defined as a person who has performed a heroic act or service and is regarded as a role model. On Monday and Tuesday of this week in southern Indiana, I looked into the eyes of and...
“Denver Credit-Union CEO David Maus' $11 Million Pay Package Stuns Industry”
“Denver Credit-Union CEO David Maus' $11 Million Pay Package Stuns Industry” The “industry” to which the above headline refers is the credit union industry. Even they are stunned. But we bankers...
Credit Union Debate a Matter of Equity
Credit Union Debate a Matter of Equity Regarding the credit union push to more than double their commercial lending authority—TAX FREE—let me offer these examples. Two financial institutions sit...
It’s Not the Trade, It’s Too-Big-To-Fail
It’s Not the Trade, It’s Too-Big-To-Fail Many of us recall the now-famous campaign slogan from the 1992 Clinton campaign—“It’s the economy, stupid.” Bill Clinton used it to great effect. Recently,...
A Different Perspective
A Different Perspective I hold no animus toward anyone or any group that defends its members’ best interests. After all, that is the fundamental reason why associations are formed. That is why ICBA...
Déjà Vu All Over Again
Déjà Vu All Over Again As Yogi Berra said, “Its déjà vu all over again.” JPMorgan Chase recently announced that it lost more than $2 billion in trading complex derivatives. The news of reckless...
JPMorgan Redux
JPMorgan Redux I have gotten hundreds of emails from community bankers commenting on JPMorgan Chase’s $2 billion trading blunder. Below is just one example of an email I received from one of our...
Transaction Account Coverage an Urgent Issue
Transaction Account Coverage an Urgent Issue At ICBA’s recent Washington Policy Summit, I told community bankers gathered in the nation’s capital that our industry is full of passionate advocates....
Small Business is Our Business
Small Business is Our Business Community bankers have a positive story, and we love to tell it. So it’s always a pleasure when others help us get the word out about how community banks contribute...
Here They Go Again
Here They Go Again I’m sorry, but if you repeat a lie often enough, it still doesn’t make it the truth. That hasn’t stopped Wall Street apologists from continuing the stale assault that the...
Trillions for Wall Street, but not one cent for Main Street
Trillions for Wall Street, but not one cent for Main Street “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute.” When Robert Goodloe Harper uttered that famous statement he was referring to...
Too-Big-To-Fail is NO Laughing Matter
Too-Big-To-Fail is NO Laughing Matter Isn’t it nice that we can all look back at the financial crisis of 2008-10 and just laugh? Isn’t it about time we forgive the too-big-to-fail financial...
The Antidote to Deposit Concentration? TAG
The Antidote to Deposit Concentration? TAG I recently wrote that extending full FDIC coverage of noninterest-bearing transaction accounts is a matter of urgency. And it is. Congress has to act by...
Ending Crushing Regulatory Burden Job #1 at ICBA
Ending Crushing Regulatory Burden Job #1 at ICBA Ending the crushing regulatory burden on Main Street community banks is and has always been Job #1 at ICBA. But over the past four years, our...
ICBA Welcomes ABA to TAG Extension Effort
ICBA Welcomes ABA to TAG Extension Effort This week’s American Bankers Association announcement that it will join the ICBA-led push for extending full FDIC coverage of noninterest-bearing...
By God, That is Enough! It is Time to Stop the Madness!
By God, That is Enough! It is Time to Stop the Madness! In G.K. Chesterton’s short story titled “The Three Tools of Death,” a character named Patrick Royce says, “I give myself to the gallows; and,...
“Wall Street (and the Government) Get the Gold; Main Street Gets the Shaft”
“Wall Street (and the Government) Get the Gold; Main Street Gets the Shaft” It seems that Wall Street can take billions of taxpayer dollars on a phone call to Treasury and that Wall Street...
FDIC TAG Preparation Now Essential
FDIC TAG Preparation Now Essential For all of us who’ve spent the better part of a year calling on Congress to extend the FDIC’s Transaction Account Guarantee program, last week’s Senate vote...
Too Big To Jail?
Too Big To Jail? While senior Wall Street executives have been repeatedly tried in the court of public opinion and implicated by hundreds of whistleblowers within their own organizations, they have...
Megabanks Boost Business Portfolio—By Changing the Rules
Megabanks Boost Business Portfolio—By Changing the Rules When your competitors start moving the goalposts, you must be doing something right. A new report from one of the megabanks that contributed...
Guest Blog: As the Wall Street World Spins
Guest Blog: As the Wall Street World Spins By Terry J. Jorde With too-big-to-fail financial firms getting soaked by bad press over their risky practices and preferential treatment, it should come...
Main Street Heroes
Main Street Heroes Last week, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and David Vitter (R-La.) showed that they stand with Main Street America by filing a bill that does something real and meaningful about...
Surprise, They’re At It Again
Surprise, They’re At It Again In the latest news from the “color me unsurprised” department, JPMorgan Chase is reportedly under investigation for manipulating energy prices and lying under oath...
Doing the Right Thing
Doing the Right Thing My upbringing at home, at the military college I attended, as an officer in the Army and during my banking career infused in me the values I hold dear today—duty, honor,...
The Fair Lending Inquisition
The Fair Lending Inquisition There’s not much that Washington can do to surprise me. As a community banker for 25 years, and in my time here at ICBA, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of...
Credit Unions, Farm Credit System Should Be Weaned from Taxpayer Subsidies
Credit Unions, Farm Credit System Should Be Weaned from Taxpayer Subsidies In case you hadn’t noticed, the credit union industry has been making a big deal lately about its own tax subsidy. The...
Another Day, Another Fine?
Another Day, Another Fine? We’ve all been subject to countless articles and opinion pieces on the fifth anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Everyone wants to know what we’ve learned...
Stage is Set for Key Congressional Battles
Stage is Set for Key Congressional Battles With the 113th Congress’ committee assignments and leadership structures in place, the legislative wheels for the next two years of policymaking are...
Wall Street, You Need Help
Wall Street, You Need Help If the first step in recovery is admitting that you have a problem, then Wall Street might need an intervention to wean itself from the too-big-to-fail problem. In the...
Public Growing Increasingly Sick of Too-Big-To-Fail Disease
Public Growing Increasingly Sick of Too-Big-To-Fail Disease Well, it’s official: the community banking industry’s push to end the too-big-to-fail plague once and for all has gained momentum. From...