Last week we provided you with a list of the biggest U.S. banks (those with assets exceeding $50 billion). You would expect that those big banks are raking in piles of money in fees. They do, but it’s not what…
When a Cap is not a Cap
The rule is that no single bank should have more than 10% of total industry deposits unless it grows organically. The exception to this 10% cap is when a failure is involved. So it was that history repeated itself, and…
Bank Employee Gains Not Sustainable
The banking industry hired 55,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in calendar 2022. That was a rather surprising 2.66% increase over the year, after what had been a rather stagnant hiring decade. The 10 year employment growth, even after the 2.66%…
The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and …
Six months ago (JRN 39:42) we warned that commercial loans were spooking some banks and noted that, if the Federal Reserve decided to boost the Fed Funds another 75 basis points at its November 2nd meeting, things were going to…
More Banks Selling to C.U.s than Ever Before
Last May (JRN 39:20), we reported that regulators were becoming more critical of CU-bank acquisitions. At least one such deal was cancelled in 2022 as a result. 4-Star Vystar CU, Jacksonville, Florida, unable to get any state or federal regulator…
CRA Reform, for Better or Worse
When looking at modernizing/improving the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA), regulators need to take a look back to the past to see how we got to where we are. This look backward, while disconcerting, is not that difficult. Redlining…
Building Relationships and Interest Margins
Two bank failures and lots of banking news (some of which has been over-sensationalized) has given some bank customers the jitters. It seems that every few years we get a reminder of the importance of diversifying. This is one such…
All Credit Union Ratings Updated w/Year-End Data
Here’s some good news. Over half of our nation’s credit unions have earned BauerFinancial’s top 5-Star rating; the highest percent since 2020. Total assets, loans and insured shares all increased in 2022. NCUA Chairman, Todd Harper, first highlighted the industry’s…
All New Bank Star-Ratings This Week
All bank data and star-ratings are now based on year-end 2022 financial data, both in JRN and on bauerfinancial.com. One of the things we were excited to report last quarter was that Net Interest Margin (NIM) had widened to 3.14%.…
CU Expansion to Serve the Underserved
Last year at this time (JRN 39:09), we reported that 31 credit unions had received approval in calendar year 2021 to expand their fields of membership (FOM) into underserved areas. Continuing on with last week’s theme of bank expansion into…