Are community bankers’ efforts to separate themselves from the tarnished image of their Wall Street cousins gaining traction? It seems so. However, trade groups are promising to redouble such efforts in the ... >>more

Personal financial management websites are relatively new, but are quickly growing in popularity as the recession deepens and consumers look for ways to save money and reduce debt. So much so that one of the m... >>more

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke appears committed to derailing deflation, no matter the cost. Assuming he’s successful, history may one day liken the current chairman to Paul Volcker, the highly revered chairman in the 1980s, who was committed to derailing inflation, whatever the cost. Hopefully, Bernanke will not be likened to Arthur Burns, who succumbed to political pressure in the 1... >>more

Harnessing technology to make banking more convenient for its customers was an important service Guaranty Bank & Trust Co. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was proud to offer. When the bank learned its core technology was being sunset, the bank approached the situation as an opportunity to identify the type of services and capabilities it wanted to provide customers and bank staff in the future. “We needed... >>more

Events surrounding the financial industry crisis and related rescue efforts moved at a rapid clip last month. First there were the results of the much-ballyhooed stress tests, following which were almost daily announcements of capital-raising measures. At almost the same time, recipients of TARP Capital Purchase Program funds were lining up to buy back the government’s investments. And as the mont... >>more

What a difference a year makes. During the spring of 2008, many issuers were finally taking a closer look at their outdated core processing systems, and some were developing plans for upgrades or replacements. That was then. In the current environment, where capital investment budgets are severely constrained and margins are significantly shrinking, the enormous cost and the disruption to replace ... >>more

It’s an understatement to say that banks today face multiple challenges, from a volatile financial environment and profit pressures to intensified media and public scrutiny. But they also face a less obvious, equally critical issue over the next several years: a looming exodus of top leadership. The accelerating pace of retiring baby boomers will compound the often overlooked risk of losing execut... >>more

A slow recovery for the economy is envisioned by Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. “Not a V-shaped snapback, nor even a U-shaped one,” Fisher told members of the Texas Bankers Association at their 125th annual convention in San Antonio last month, “but a very slow slog as we find a more sensible and sustainable mix between consumption and savings and investment.” Af... >>more

Refreshingly optimistic” aptly describes the atmosphere at the annual convention of the Nebraska Bankers Association last month. The attendance in Lincoln was similar to last year and, all in all, Nebraska bankers seem to be doing fairly well compared to bankers in other states. Most bankers seemed to agree that they are doing so well because of agriculture, which hasn’t suffered during this rec... >>more

George Foster once called the triple the most exciting play in baseball. “I don’t know why people like the home run so much,” Foster is quoted as saying. “A home run is over as soon as it starts.” That’s a mighty curious thing to say from a man who was the only major league player for 25 years to hit more than 50 home runs in a single season (in 1977, playing for the Cincinnati Reds). No matte... >>more