Deposits

Bracing for a prolonged economic slowdown, many community bankers say they are considering a number of belt-tightening measures, including freezing salaries and delaying investments in technology and product development, according to a survey by Promontory Interfinancial Group.

Congress authorized the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to intervene if the pandemic caused a liquidity scare, but nearly two months later deposits are through the roof and the agency has not acted on the expanded authority.

The Federal Reserve also said in a supervisory report released Friday that it would conduct stress tests this quarter as planned, taking into account sudden deterioration in the economy brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Banks that relied on loan growth to outperform peers in 2019 will need to focus more on core deposits and expense control this year. Check out our annual ranking of the top 200 publicly traded community banks.

On Dec. 31, 2019. Dollars in thousands.

The central bank said customers will be able to make more transfers and withdrawals "at a time when financial events associated with the coronavirus pandemic have made such access more urgent."

The bill, which President Trump is expected to sign Friday, includes $310 billion more funding; the four largest U.S. banks took in $590 billion of the $1 trillion banks attracted.

Consumers and businesses put more money in the bank as the pandemic worsened. How long the funds remain will depend on how quickly the economy recovers.

Many states are offering additional flexibility as more consumers dip into their savings as a result of the pandemic’s economic fallout.

Firms that spread big-dollar deposits to community banks have seen a rush in demand as small businesses seek emergency loans to weather the coronavirus pandemic.