Jackie Stewart is the executive editor of American Banker Magazine. Previously, she covered breaking news, community banks and mergers and acquisitions for American Banker before being named as the managing editor of the Credit Union Journal. After graduating from Northwestern University in 2006, Jackie taught for two years in the Bronx, N.Y., through Teach for America.
Banks are closing branches and relying more heavily on technology to serve customers. Concerns that online and mobile banking don't reach all customers could leave banks open to allegations of discrimination.
Community banks could be vulnerable to increased funding costs, particularly rates tied to retail deposits. Technology, and improved modeling, could help them hold onto more deposits.
Talented lenders and anxious clients should expect a full-court press from Pennsylvania's community banks as they look to take market share from of the state's newcomer.
Suncrest Bank is hoping that its team of experienced executives, combined with organic growth and acquisitions, will help more than double its assets in the next few years.
Traditional gadflies are again pressing banks to find buyers. They could soon be joined by less vocal investors who still know how to put pressure on executives and directors.
Stock fluctuations will fuel investment banking fees in the short run, but a prolonged shock would complicate bank M&A and could tighten margins, crimp wealth management fees and present other risks.
The Wisconsin company hasn't bought a bank since 2007. The potential for unforeseen regulatory snags and scrutiny from community groups have the company's conservative management team biding their time.
Cascade Bancorp took less than two weeks to integrate its last acquisition, and CEO Terry Zink explains one of the big reasons: officials at the Oregon bank spent months beforehand with an outside firm practicing the conversion.
First Bancorp, OFG Bancorp and Popular Inc. have been trimming exposure to central government loans in recent years to limit their exposure to a financial crisis. Most still bank the island's municipalities, though they have strict underwriting and collateral to protect their interests.
A high percentage of loans to oil and gas firms are large and syndicated. As a result, more shared loans are becoming problematic for participating lenders.
Lenders have increasingly turned to niche businesses, such as equipment financing, to differentiate themselves from competitors. Some banks, like Bank of the Cascades in Oregon, are choosing complicated specialties like aircraft financing that may scare off potential rivals.
Suncrest Bank in Visalia, Calif., has agreed to buy Sutter Community Bank in Yuba City, Calif., for $9.4 million in stock.
"Stay tuned" for the Houston bank's first deal since April 2014, CEO David Zalman tells investors.
A spike in core deposits increased funding costs and contributed to margin compression at Synovus in the second quarter. But the company could benefit from locking in liquidity now, particularly when interest rates rise.
Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported higher second-quarter income tied to a lower loan-loss provision.
Zions Bancorp. in Salt Lake City reported a second-quarter loss after selling the remainder of its portfolio of collateralized debt obligations.
The Minneapolis investment bank, for the most, didn't serve financial institutions. It hopes to change that with a number of key hires and the purchase of a Chicago boutique firm.
The Cleveland company, which this spring said it had decided to start originating its own mortgage loans again, shared more details on the start date of this new effort and the rationale behind it.
Peoples Bancorp in Ohio wants to encourage cross-selling but limits the use of employee incentive payments to make it happen. Instead, Peoples is trying to build a corporate culture in which employees understand all of its products and want to help their colleagues sell them.
Piper Jaffray has agreed to buy River Branch Holdings, a Chicago investment bank that focuses on financial institutions.