Slideshow 'It Does Not Replace Common Sense': Comments of the Week

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American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

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On the idea that a bank's reputation is about more than the products it sells:

"It's all about the customer; your bottom line will reflect that if you make them a priority. 46% of community banks in the nation are over 100 years old; they survived and thrived because they focused on their community and their customers. Technology aids in delivery and efficiency but it does not replace common sense."

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On bankers' unique ability to help entrepreneurs:

"Prior to the 1980s, bankers would judge not only a person's creditworthiness, but also the loan's purpose. For example, want to build a new [insert any project here, like a car wash]? Gee, we already have a lot of those with no measurable demand for more. The banker would question why this one is a better mousetrap than the others and if not satisfied, would decline the loan for that reason, because it does no one any good to do a project that is doomed to fail from the start. That part of banking seems to have been lost, and along with it, the legitimate question posed by the author of, what is a banker?"

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On restitution collected by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:

"Where does the $24 million eventually end up?"

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On banks' mobile banking apps serving as a remote control for ATMs:

"These examples are corner cases. Banks would be much better served to focus on expanding mobile enrollment and usage, adding basic functionality and improving the user interface."

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A retort to an argument that millennials drive banking disruption:

"Millennials will participate in the evolution of banking. They will not be the cause of it."

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On smartphones becoming the nucleus of banking, rather than just a mobile banking tool:

"#Mobile is not just a relationship channel it's the heart!" (via Twitter)

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On the potential of banks to make affordable small-dollar loans:

"The fact of the matter is there is a huge demand for small dollar loans that can lead to profitable relationships once the lender stops focusing on the amount and instead looks at the opportunity. This is where community banks have the greatest opportunity to shine."