2021 Predictions. Really? Part III
In the last week we have continued to receive invites to webinars and ads for research reports all aimed at providing bankers with guidance about their world in 2021. One research firm offers…
2021 Predictions. Really? Part II
In response to the number of 2021 predictions we are receiving by email and Internet, most of which are thinly disguised marketing materials, last week we started to provide our own. All of us are operating in a world…
2021 Predictions. Really?
This week I received the first three of what will likely be dozens of publications predicting the state of banking in 2021. Beginning to read these essays, my first reaction was how could anyone having lived through 2020…
The Mayflower and You
Four hundred years ago this past Saturday the Mayflower dropped anchor near Cape Cod, Massachusetts instead of in the northern Virginia area the sailors were hoping for.
The End of an Affair (Business)
I remember her today as if it was the day we met 30 years ago. Blond hair, blue eyes, great sense of humor, all-in-all adorable. We were both students in different schools at the same university. When I met her…
Overdraft Fees: Farewell?
By the end of last week, you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from bankers realizing that a Progressive tsunami was not about to engulf their industry. Yes, we will have a Democrat President…
And the Winner Is…
In a recent conversation a colleague asked, “What do you think will be the impact of the election on regional banks?” Of course the most accurate answer is, “It depends.” It depends on which party wins…
Are Banks Entering The Veldt?
In 1950 Ray Bradbury, the great science fiction writer, published a short story titled, “The Veldt.” A link to the 20-minute read is here. Bankers should read it as a cautionary tale. The story tells of a…
Hire the Banker, Not the Bank
Well over a decade ago, FIC consulted with Laurentian Bank of Canada, a business bank based in Quebec. At that point they had a tagline, “Hire the banker, not the bank.” Today, most banks would avoid…
Whitey Ford and the Best Marketing Event Ever
Maybe not the best, but close. And joyful. It was the fall of 1995, 40 years after the one and only time the Brooklyn Dodgers won a World Series. In fact while I don’t remember that event, but…