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FedNow and faster digital payments
We've been working toward a faster payments future for a decade now, and we're finally seeing the fruits of our labor: the launch of FedNow.
Ten Things Directors Need to Know About Bank Marketing
As a board chair who just concluded an annual organizational meeting piggybacked on a regular monthly bank board meeting, you do not have to convince me that banks don’t need to go looking for...
Will D&I requirements change this year?
How does your bank’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) compliance program compare with the regulatory standards for D&I policies and practices?
Podcast features Banking as a Service case study
In the first episode of Communities of Innovation, an ICBA Podcast, ICBA Chief Innovation Officer Charles Potts sits down with Coastal Community Bank CEO Eric Sprink to discuss Banking as a Service.
Price pullback prospects: Availability of discount bonds causes a rethink of strategies.
Community banking is a cyclical industry, and its earnings have some correlation to market interest rates. Discounts are the story of the day, so let’s review how discount-priced bonds can be used...
Welcome to the metaverse: The digital future of banking
We are at the very beginning of exploring the opportunities the metaverse may provide. And while the path forward may be long, financial institutions need to start assessing what those...
New Economic Stresses on Your Credit Analysis
With the producer price index down, can we say we are past peak inflation? Not really. Getting behind the reason for the decline of the overall PPI indicates inflation will be here for quite some...
Fourth quarter rally: Some suggestions on how to wrap up 2022
The word "rally" can be used for a number of purposes and in different contexts. For instance, it could mean a long-distance auto race over varying surfaces and involving stages and checkpoints.
A New Approach to Wealth Management Marketing
By Becki DrahotaWho knew that a line of business which doesn't have mass market appeal and has a sales cycle that's measured in years, would be on a lot of financial institution's marketing plans...
Current bond yields have long-term appeal
Bonds purchased early in 2023 may dip in value at least initially if the FOMC continues to push rates higher. Generally, though, 5% yields have proven to be quite attractive over longer periods.
Will D&I requirements change this year?
How does your bank’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) compliance program compare with the regulatory standards for D&I policies and practices?
Four ways banks can cater to generational trends
As earning power among millennials and Generation Z is expected to grow, banks need to develop strategies for drawing customers from these younger cohorts while also continuing to serve their...
The Definition of a Great Board: 2021 Edition
Economic cycles, leadership transitions, market dynamics, competitive changes, governance activists, and even political shifts can impact board composition and best practices in corporate...
Fed Taper Tactics: A review of past QE wind-down strategies
Maybe the U.S. economy has improved to the point where further quantitative easing isn’t as critical to the Federal Reserve’s policy of “accommodation.” It certainly looks like the Fed has some...
Checklist: Questions to Ask When Integrating with Fintechs
As more community banks engage with fintechs to support their business plans, due diligence continues to become an even bigger piece of the puzzle. While every bank is different there are several...
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...
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...