Strategic Planning or Proctology Exam?
Printer-friendly version (PDF) Few banks have adopted a rigorous strategic planning process as part of their culture. That approach would be one in which bankers challenge day-to-day operating assumptions and…
Community Banks: Yes or No?
Printer-friendly version (PDF) The current Economist magazine features a brief article titled, “The state of America’s community banks” with a subtitle “Don’t write off the admirable bantamweights of the industry.”…
The Miami Marlins and Your Bank
Printer-friendly version (PDF) A few weeks ago, before the 2019 season began I wrote about the Miami Marlins. I grew up with baseball and still love it and, when I…
What’s New in Deposits?
Printer-friendly version (PDF) We have written about deposits a dozen times over the last year. The themes have been largely the same: Banks are facing more competition from banks and…
Is Bigger Really Better?
Printer-friendly version (PDF) Short answer: no. The stampede you heard after SunTrust and BB&T announced their “merger of equals” was investment banks running to the airport to pitch similar deals…
FIC Advisors, Revisited
Printer-friendly version (PDF) It seems that every few weeks we get an email or a call asking what it is that FIC does, beyond produce a newsletter. Initially, that question…
Differentiation through Niches
Printer-friendly version (PDF) Increasingly, the best banks, credit unions, and their non-bank competitors generate higher returns by taking the path of niches and specialization. Specialization provides a differentiating element that…
Banking, Baseball, and Lipstick on a Pig
Printer-friendly version (PDF) Spring training has begun for baseball. It is the time of year when, if you live in Northern climates, you begin to believe that the cold will…
Digital Relationship Banking
Printer-friendly version (PDF) Relationship management conjures up the image of an experienced relationship banker (RM) meeting one-on-one with clients and advising them about their financing, cash management, or other needs….
Independents: Niche Focus for Continued Success
Printer-friendly version (PDF) This newsletter provides a link to our newly published article in the Journal Of Equipment Lease Financing that presents an overview of the evolution and growth path…