industry update
Items include
Economic Indicators
Dec 14, 2022
As expected, the FOMC raised its benchmark rate by 50bp to a new range of 4.25%-4.50%. Further increases are expected in 2023 with the benchmark rate projected to rise to 5.10% while tapering off in 2024, 2025, and in the...
Mar 29, 2023
After a dearth of M&A deals within the financial services sector last year, what will 2023 activity look like? We provide six tips on how institutions can both successfully strike a deal and then see it through.
Mar 28, 2023
There are more ways than one to discern whether the US economy is in or headed for a recession. Instead of looking for the usual suspects, here are eight unconventional indicators that a recession is coming.
Mar 24, 2023
Helping business clients of every size is at the core of CFIs and their missions. CFIs have a little-known tool that can help their SMB clients: the employee retention credit (ERC). We break down what this refundable tax credit is, who may qualify, and how it can help your customers.
Mar 16, 2023
Who says CFIs can’t innovate? We feature a number of very creative CFIs that are coming up with novel ways to serve their customers. Then we detail some pointers on how to best innovate in a safe and sound manner.
Feb 15, 2023
Americans are using cash less frequently and making payments more often by credit card or through payment apps. Yet, many CFI customers still like having cash as an option. To compete with fintechs in a future where less cash changes hands, CFIs will need to provide both advanced digital capabilities and a willingness to handle cash banking as well.
Feb 14, 2023
Attracting Generation Z customers requires a thorough understanding of the unique needs and challenges of this group, as well as the ability to demonstrate such knowledge in ways that will resonate.
Jan 23, 2023
Some CFIs are finding that rising interest rates are causing their current calculated asset levels to show up as negative under the tangible capital rule used by Federal Home Loan Bank. Financial organizations across the country are asking for relief.
Jan 20, 2023
The federal government is investing more than $8.28B in community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions through the Emergency Capital Investment Program. See how your CDFI or MDI can benefit before the application deadline Jan. 31.
Jan 4, 2023
Global open banking activity is predicted to reach $124B by 2031. From enhanced security to meeting customer desires, there is no shortage of reasons why US financial institutions should embrace it.
Dec 5, 2022
According to an analysis done by the Financial Brand, half the banks that exist today will disappear during the next 20Ys, leaving fewer than 2K banks in the US by 2042. Small banks will be particularly hit hard. We discuss what CFIs can do to help ensure that they are among the ranks of the survivors.
Nov 8, 2022
Understanding why paper checks are still a popular way of paying business invoices can help CFIs assist their customers in making the transition to electronic payments. We discuss the reasons businesses still use paper checks for B2B payments and the benefits of switching to EFT.
Oct 28, 2022
The European Payments Initiative is moving forward and is poised to change the global banking landscape if it is successful. We discuss what those changes look like and how they could affect US financial institutions.
Oct 20, 2022
Between inflation and higher interest rates, businesses need to charge more for goods and services, while also worrying that they’ll lose price-sensitive customers. As a result, CFIs are likely to see increased credit stress soon. We discuss six strategies CFIs can use to manage credit risk challenges in a volatile environment.
Oct 17, 2022
Underappreciated or undiscovered industry or customer niches can be areas of expansion for CFIs. Here are two banks that are hoping to grow by responding and catering to the specific business needs in their own communities.
Oct 3, 2022
As the amount of online fraud continues to rise, there is mounting evidence that information-sharing initiatives around the world could provide a glimpse into the future of how financial institutions can most effectively identify and combat cybersecurity attacks.
Sep 19, 2022
An Iowa credit union has filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple over features built into its phones that limit the payment options people can use outside of Apple Pay. We detail how the lawsuit could impact other big tech companies entering the payment space and the overall banking industry.
Sep 15, 2022
Top-performing financial institutions had higher expenses last year, but also higher revenues and profit, as well as more loan growth. While their frugal peers may have been better at holding down costs, the higher performers got more bang for their buck.
Aug 29, 2022
The US housing market has been red-hot for a good while. However, overvalued home prices, rising interest rates, and the growing number of home purchases by private equity firms mean that, for many financial institutions, the traditional mortgage business is shrinking. CFIs that want to compete in this space should market specifically to traditional homebuyers, and all CFIs should be aware of how this will impact the makeup of the communities they serve.
Aug 19, 2022
With one-third of the country unable to secure traditional lending, some employers have begun adding loans for employees with adequate income but low credit scores to their benefit offerings. This allows employees to borrow funds and rebuild credit responsibly, while avoiding fees from siphoning off retirement savings.
Aug 9, 2022
Small business owners are more pessimistic about the economy than they have been in nearly half a century, according to a new survey. But they remain somewhat optimistic about their own future. In this muddied outlook, CFIs need to move cautiously in how they work with small business borrowers.
Aug 10, 2022
The Federal Reserve has revealed the final timeline for its ISO 20022 standards, a new global messaging standard for financial transactions, which will now be implemented on a single day. As countries around the world embrace the protocol, cryptocurrencies are among some of the earliest adopters. We provide info on compliance deadlines and what steps your CFI may need to take to stay competitive.
Jul 25, 2022
As mortgage foreclosures begin to inch up and federal foreclosure moratoriums draw to a close, financial institutions should prepare themselves for a worst-case scenario. It’s unlikely that the bursting of the current real estate bubble will play out the way things did when the last couple of real estate bubbles burst. Should a worst-case scenario emerge, CFIs should be prepared to show regulators they took adequate precautions.
Jul 13, 2022
The FDIC recently published its 2022 Risk Review. We summarize some of the report highlights relating to market, operational, and climate-related risks emerging within the banking industry, and discuss their potential impact on community financial institutions.
Jul 20, 2022
In this second part of our summary of the FDIC 2022 Risk Review, we take a closer look at the FDIC’s findings on potential credit risks for the banking industry and community financial institutions. While credit conditions for banks have improved in 2021, we examine the increased credit risk in certain sectors and markets linked to pandemic-related challenges, rising inflation and the war in Ukraine.
Jun 21, 2022
The outlook for office loans is less than rosy. The US is set to have a glut of office space for a number of reasons, not the least of which is increased utilization of remote workers. For CFIs starting to experience stress in their office loan portfolio, we share several ways to mitigate potential problems.
