Rethink the Budgeting Emphasis
At some of our client banks, the budgeting process has already begun or will begin over the next few weeks. Budgeting can be a big productivity killer; we have seen…
Five Self-Diagnostic Questions for Small Business Management
Small business banking largely remains an execution business, one in which the day-to-day actions of the bank result in success. That is not to denigrate the importance of strategy. Banks…
Making the Most of Today’s Branch
There is no doubt that over the next five-ten years, branches will undergo substantial changes. Some experts believe that most branches will NEVER again return to profitability on a stand-alone…
Where to Find Growth
As banks struggle to replace reduced retail earnings and higher regulatory and compliance-related costs, where should banks be looking for growth? Some banks may already be stretching their…
Improving Retail Delivery
It is no secret that banks need to do more with less. Lower branch profits, higher regulatory and compliance costs, higher costs of credit, more dollars required for technology and…
Creating a Differentiated Branch Delivery Model, Part 2
In our last newsletter, we discussed some of the guiding principles that top retail banks like Umpqua employ to differentiate the branch experience and distinguish the bank from others. …
Creating a Differentiated Branch Delivery Model
The Umpqua Store Wendel’s note: Ric Carey managed the Community Banking/Retail Banking Branch network at Umpqua from 2003 to early 2011 and during that time played an essential role in…
Bullies in Banking
We apologize for our company’s email outage last week. If you sent an email to us and did not receive a reply, please resend it to my address at cwendel@ficinc.com…
Assess Your Selling Checklist
Recently, we were speaking to a client about the various approaches he might take to improve his bank’s small business and commercial banking sales processes. He expressed frustration about the…
Banks and Personal Responsibility
Has the American consumers’ attitude toward credit and their view of personal responsibility for debt fundamentally changed? At least for a significant percentage of customers it has. However, many analysts…