Strategic planning

While layoffs at big banks get the headlines, small and midsize lenders are also trimming payrolls in response to lower rates and fears that a recession is getting closer.

Executives are deciding what roles could be relocated to lower-cost hubs such as Plano, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and Wilmington, Del.

Perhaps the biggest test that Charles Scharf will face when he starts next week will be how to control expenses while still trying to make the necessary investments in risk management to satisfy regulators.

The institution also remained well capitalized and its membership rose in the first half of the year.

A new study suggests banks have the ability to operate leaner than ever before. That could fuel investor demands for more cost cutting and drive more banks to pursue M&A.

As head of strategic planning, Danella works with department heads to identify strategic priorities across all business lines and communicating those priorities, and management's vision for the company, to investors and employees.

Dimon doesn’t expect it to happen, but the bank is getting ready just in case; the state will require banks to disclose their relationship with gun sellers.

Pockets of job growth — in technology and compliance as well as from branch openings in new cities — are offsetting some of the dramatic cuts elsewhere at the world’s largest lenders.

Treliant and Federal Financial Analytics have established a one-stop shop to guide financial institutions through uncertain business and policy times.

The Atlanta fintech, whose shares have plummeted since it went public last year, also said it will stop providing financial guidance to its investors.

As management teams meet to set their priorities, there is a range of issues, including consolidation, cybersecurity and succession planning, that will likely come up.

Credit unions will be covering a range of important issues, including community development and enterprise risk management, as they review their operations.

Locations with a welcoming atmosphere and the latest technology can be a key part of a credit union’s marketing strategy.

Earnings at the Cincinnati company fell 25% from the same period last year, largely due to $109 million in expenses tied to its March acquisition of MB Financial.

With the industry continuing to consolidate, credit unions must address mergers in their strategic planning sessions so they are ready to be on either side of the deal when the opportunity arises.

While executives at the Buffalo, N.Y., bank said they would take a closer look at spending, especially given the potential for interest rate cuts, they described investments in tech talent as an essential cost of doing business.

Credit unions are slowly embracing the impact data analytics can have on the bottom line, but experts say goal-setting and measurable achievements must also be a part of the process.

The bank has been slashing expenses, but executives acknowledged they remain high. Between having to hire thousands of compliance employees and waiting on the next CEO to be named, investments in new technology or other long-term growth are limited.

As strategic planning season kicks off, credit union boards and executives must consider whether they’re doing enough to prevent evolving cybersecurity issues, including account takeovers.

Shares in the U.K.-based small-business lender fell 29% Tuesday after it sought to recalibrate expectations about its growth trajectory. So far, the company has pulled back lending more in the U.S. than in its other markets.