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Can farmers — and the banks that lend to them — survive Trump's trade war?
By John EngenNovember 5 -
It's tough to be a bank director these days, as the public and elected officials hold the board responsible for misdeeds that occur on their watch. Turnover is up, and filling the seats is more of a challenge than ever.
By John EngenOctober 29 -
With U.S. Bancorp's leadership transition underway, the big question is whether it will deliver faster earnings growth — the one shareholder demand that has proven elusive.
By John EngenFebruary 21 -
Though banks are bigger in peer-to-peer payments overall, Venmo is better at functionality and branding and millennials love it. Now banks are launching Zelle with high hopes and the advantage of real-time speed. Can they catch up? Should they even bother?
By John EngenJanuary 9 -
Directors today are expected to perform many duties that, even a decade ago, weren't part of the job, from overseeing cybersecurity and the bank's culture to setting online and mobile strategy. Yet the composition of many bank boards hasn't changed all that much. Here's what to do if you have longtime members who lack the skills needed to help a bank compete.
By John EngenJanuary 3 -
Four years after the first states legalized marijuana, most bankers still want nothing to do with it.
By John EngenJuly 31 -
PL Capital is raising money for a new fund that'll target banks with up to $75 billion of assets, after 20 years of sticking to just community banks with less than $3 billion of assets. In this Q&A, Richard Lashley explains why activist investors are eyeing bigger banks now and how banks can avoid his kind.
By John EngenJanuary 31 -
Activist investors are turning their sights back toward banks after going easier on them than on other industries in recent years. Look for the next bank M&A wave to be fueled by aggressive hedge funds as they push for board seats and ultimately sales of financial institutions.
By John EngenJanuary 31 -
Some might question the payoff for lavish parties, fitness centers and even career-development programs. But a growing body of academic evidence suggests that there is a link between employee happiness and bottom-line results.
By John EngenAugust 25 -
The Sunshine State is once again outgrowing the rest of the country and some of its community banks are eager to become the states next flagship. Florida has changed a lot since the old Barnett Bank held that title, and so has banking. But now its thriving homegrown contenders aim to reshape the fragmented banking landscape, which is dominated by out-of-state rivals.
By John EngenMay 27