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.
Buyers still exist for mortgage platforms. The problem is that the gap in pricing expectations for buyers and sellers has widened since refinance activity stalled last summer.
Alice Hensen, president of the Bank of Sun Prairie in Wisconsin, is one of the many bankers who delayed retirement to help their banks survive the financial crisis. She is stepping down now that her bank's troubles are past and hopes it can find some "new blood."
Citizens Bank of Edmond, a $252 million-asset bank led by Jill Castilla, is eager to show that a lack of size shouldn't hold a bank back from doing things differently. The bank is embracing new ATM technology and active use of social media.
Doral, under pressure from the FDIC to boost capital or sell assets, is demanding a refund from the territory tied to certain receivables. The capital issue prompted to downgrades from several ratings agencies.
Prepaid cards are an appealing market for small banks that want to retain and recruit customers, though bankers must consider potential regulatory and competitive risks before jumping into the business.
A pair of acquisitions announced this week is creating chatter about out-of-market interest in Florida's banks. Still, some caution that bankers must be mindful of past mistakes by other long-distance buyers.
A number of community banks took sizeable hits during the financial crisis due to dealings in participation loans. As more banks to reconsider these loans, some industry observers wonder if banks will stay disciplined.
Noninterest income seemed to stabilize some during the first quarter, though smaller banks are still struggling to see meaningful increases in fees.
Commerce Union Bank in Springfield, Tenn., has agreed to buy Reliant Bank in Brentwood, Tenn.
S corporation banks are concerned that the capital conservative buffer under Basel III and a potential prohibition from paying tax-distribution dividends to shareholder could cause more of them to slow growth plans or merge.
Management is in the process of putting together a new capital plan designed to reduce the Salt Lake City company's risk profile while empowering lenders to do their jobs.
Some banks have built their entire strategy around being ecofriendly while others dabble in this area. Regardless, being environmentally conscious can help bring in new business.
Zions Bancorp. (ZION) in Salt Lake City reported lower quarterly earnings after its net interest income dipped.
Midsize banks remain concerned about their ability to meaningfully grow revenue at a time when yields on loans are narrowing and income from mortgage banking a key revenue driver continues to shrink.
The Cleveland company reported earnings of $236 million, up more than 18% from a year earlier. Earnings per share of 27 cents beat analysts' estimates polled by Bloomberg by three cents.
Executives at U.S. Bancorp, PNC and Huntington all sounded cautiously optimistic about lending opportunities and each has a favorite region when it comes to finding borrowers.
Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) in the first quarter padded its litigation reserves and recorded one-time expenses related to a recent acquisition.
CARS Inc. and others in the CDFI industry hope that making financial data easier to obtain will spur more people to invest in the sector.
People who lack a credit or work history in the United States may have trouble getting a mortgage under the new qualified-mortgage rule, bankers say. A number of immigrants are self-employed, which makes it even harder to qualify.
Leverage Ratio Could Leave $68B Capital Gap; New Security Threat