Playing with Partners
Executive Summary: Increasingly, banks will need to work closely with partners in order to provide current and potential customers competitive business and consumer products. Particularly on the commercial side, however,…
Strategy and Execution
Executive Summary: Success in banking may come down to focusing on two fundamental areas. However, many banks fail to put sufficient emphasis on them. This week I heard…
Becoming a C&I Lender to Small Businesses – Part II
Summary: While banks are focusing on C&I lending versus their past concentration on real estate, many lack the skills, structure, and lending culture to succeed in this area. …
Becoming a C&I Lender to Small Businesses – Part I
Executive Summary: In recent years, many banks focused heavily on commercial real estate (CRE) lending, largely ignoring or underinvesting in commercial and industrial (C&I) loan activities. Given the CRE loan…
Restarting Small Business
Executive Summary: Many banks need to fundamentally rethink their approach to the small business space. Managers need to effectively address internal bank concerns about the segment while generating profits in…
Should Your Bank Be in Small Business? Part II
Executive Summary: All banks say that want to serve the small business space, but few succeed. As strong returns on capital become more difficult to achieve, banks need to reevaluate…
Should Your Bank Be in Small Business?
Executive Summary: All banks say that want to serve the small business space, but few succeed. As strong returns on capital become more difficult to achieve, banks should evaluate where…
M&A and Risk Management in a Volatile Environment
Executive Summary: Acquisition activity will increase dramatically over the next 18 months. However, buyers need to enhance their approach to risk management and in many cases supplement and strengthen their…
Small Business: Managing the Role of Lending
Executive Summary: Lending continues to drive most banks’ focus on the small business segment. Breaking away from that emphasis, while also effectively responding to the role that credit plays, remains…
Lending is NOT the Answer to Earnings or Growth Needs
Executive Summary: One lesson that all banks working in the small or middle markets should have learned by now is that heavy reliance on lending as an earnings or growth…