November 2009
Cover Story
Wachovia's End
The stakes were high. The maneuvering was unprecedented. An inside look at the rescue of a banking giant and its place in the debate over systemic risk.
Front & Center
Banking Schools at a Crossroads
The good news is that students, eager for guidance in tough times, are more engaged than ever. The bad news is that enrollment is shrinking.
Corporate & Institutional
CRE Stress Another Test in Balancing Interests
Commercial real estate loans are viewed as a time bomb, but will stricter exams threaten the industry's — and the economy's — recovery?
Main Street
Ambassadors for Growth
With local economies in need of a jolt, some bankers are playing leading roles in recruiting businesses and bringing new investment into their communities
Fast Forward
Let's Talk: Banks, Clients Seek Uniform BAI Code
The data connections linking cash management services and companies' treasury systems are frequently customized and costly to maintain or change. U.S. banks are finally responding to calls for new reporting standards.
Word Is ...
Are Home Loan Banks at Risk?
The editor of the Casey Report stirred up a small tempest in financial circles this past summer when he raised questions about the soundness of the Federal Home Loan Bank system.
Noted and Noteworthy
It wasn't a bank deal, but a Native American group's planned acquisition of a New York investment firm could be a sign of things to come for the banking industry.
The Inside Track
Dodd's Power of Persuasion
Facing long odds, the Banking Committee Chairman builds support for a plan to create a prudential regulator. But would a single agency kill the dual banking system?
The Inside Track
PPIP Finally Ready, But Who's Selling?
Now that a government program to buy up toxic assets finally appears ready to fly, many observers are wondering if there is any need for it.
Ad Beat
The Color of Small Business
A vibrant ad campaign helps a small Maine bank capture more commercial customers and wins it an award, to boot.
Consumer Banking
Credit Where Credit Is Due: How to Reach Hispanics
Listen up bankers. A specialty finance firm in California is winning over unbanked consumers with simple, small-dollar loans.
Consumer Banking
Is There a Banker in the House?
Doctors make a lot of money, but to some bankers they are still credit risks.
Wealth Management
Fulton Financial's Recipe for Recovery
The bank's sagging brokerage unit reversed its fortunes when it ditched the commissions and switched to a fee-based model. Then it brought in a rainmaker.
Wealth Management
Changing Course to Speed Growth
Changing Course to Speed Growth
What does it take to build a top-notch wealth management organization? In the case of PeoplesBank of York, Pa., it took a bold decision to dismantle a successful in-house program and turn its investment sales over to a group of outsiders.
Op-Ed
Showing Some Love for GLB on its 10-Year Anniversary
Though it's become a popular target since the financial crisis, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act has made the financial services industry more resilient to economic and financial shocks.
India Needs More Banks
The country offers an expanding middle class and a seriously underbanked population. Western banks should be paying attention.
Hits and Has-Beens
Executive changes
Commentary
Consolidation Will Happen, But It Will Take a While
There's little debate that the industry needs to shrink, but lately I've started to wonder if there are enough buyers out there willing and able to swallow 1,500 to 3,000 banks.
