Last week I attended the Bank Director’s annual M&A conference. Each year it attracts a large group of commercial bank leaders, investment bankers, and vendors, all focused on discussing industry…
More than ever, a significant portion of FIC’s work centers on issues related to internal bank conflicts and barriers to change. Instead of looking outward to define new market segments…
A New Year with new starts for all. What should banks be doing? In no particular order: 1. Remember Shakespeare. He famously wrote, “First, let’s kill all the lawyers.”…
As you recall, 2012 turned out to be a better year for many banks than had been expected. In many cases additional lowering of provisions due to continually improving credits,…
A colleague, one who served both in the Vietnam and the banking industry emailed the following: “A friend of mine who reads lots of military history observes that the officers…
At most banks the state of the small business banking they offer, that is, their ability and willingness to serve the needs of small companies, is at its nadir. Despite…
Next month, shortly after the election, I will be attending a lunch at which Chris Dodd, best known as the co-author of the famous (or infamous) Dodd-Frank law will speak…
Banks are intensely focused on managing internal compliance requirements and external regulatory demands. Buffeted by the still largely unknown impact of Dodd-Frank and the earnings drain resulting from the Durbin…
Imagine if day-after-day and year-after year you threw out 40 percent or more of the food you had worked hard to buy. You have carried that food home, unpacked it,…
While summers are definitely more intense from a work perspective than they were 15-20 years ago, there is no doubt that post-Labor Day marks the time when banks and their…