Dr. Thomas is the nation's leading expert and author on the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA. He has a Ph.D. in business and applied economics and an M.A. in finance from The Wharton School as well as an MBA from the University of Miami and a B.S.B.A. (High Honors) from the University of Florida. Dr. Thomas taught banking and monetary economics at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for 42 years. He is also a 20-plus year member of the board of directors and chairman of the nominating/corporate governance committee of a community bank. Dr. Thomas was the co-founder and chairman of the board of trustees of another successful CRA qualified investment impact bond fund that he launched in August 1999, but he is no longer associated with it or its advisor. Dr. Thomas was a recipient of one of the first three awards of excellence from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, or NCRC, in 1994, the other two awarded to Representative Joe Kennedy and Comptroller of the Currency Eugene Ludwig. As a consultant to both the private and federal sectors, his thought leadership is reflected in today's existing CRA regulations.
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Banks need to be cautious about negotiating pre-merger Community Benefit Agreements with nationwide activist groups. The deals carry real reputational hazard.
January 30
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Our current high inflation rates and the recession that is probably facing the economy in 2023 have the fingerprints of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell all over them.
November 23 -
The industry needs a leader to be the face of a lawsuit challenging the proposal. The author nominates JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon.
October 17 -
The number of Federal Reserve banks should be cut in half and their bank regulatory responsibility should be transferred to other agencies.
July 20 -
The central bank has a long history of diluting the effectiveness of the Community Reinvestment Act.
May 18 -
The key for bankers to stay safe from mystery shoppers using aggressive techniques — many of whom are well funded by community investment pacts with megabanks — is to adhere to proper lending practices 24/7.
April 11 -
Current regulations barring out-of-state banks from siphoning deposits from local communities are effectively toothless, as the experience in Miami has shown.
December 8 -
The relaxation of Community Reinvestment Act and fair-lending enforcement by the OCC after President Trump took office deprived minority and low-income applicants in Memphis who sought credit from the bank for far too long.
November 1 -
Large banks have received CRA credit for Paycheck Protection Program loans and all types of modifications two to three times more frequently than small banks. The latter need to press examiners to recognize the contribution they’ve made to their communities.
September 15 -
High-tech videoconferencing is no replacement for high-touch in-person meetings. Yet some bank directors who are vaccinated remain hesitant to return to boardrooms.
June 2
