BauerFinancial, Inc., the nation’s premier Bank and Credit Union rating firm, is excited to add to its extensive line of bank report products. For the first time, and available for immediate download, customers can compare any bank’s current data (balance…
The Unwelcome Thanksgiving Dinner Guest
Inflation is rearing its ugly head in time for the holidays. The estimates of how much more you will pay this year vary, but Thanksgiving Dinner will definitely cost more than it has in the past. According to the American…
Credit Unions Help Member Businesses Thrive
Two years ago (JRN 36:15), we predicted that Credit Union net member business loans would see more robust growth than the paltry 1.9% the industry reported in 2018. Of course we had no way of knowing at that time that…
2nd Substantial Noncompliance for Small Bank
The small bank ($59 million asset) 3-Star Lemont National Bank, Lemont, IL just received its second consecutive “Substantial Noncompliance” (SN) Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rating. One of the major factors contributing to this lending test rating, assigned by Lemont NB’s…
C&I Lending Down 13% in Spite of PPP
A year ago (JRN 37:40), we took exception with United Bank of Philadelphia because 87% of its loan portfolio was tied to the success of small businesses (56% in Commercial Real Estate (CRE), 26% in Commercial & Industrial (C&I) +…
Minority Credit Unions Falling Behind the Curve
The number of federally-insured credit unions that are rated 1-Star or below and/or are less than “Adequately” capitalized by regulatory standards grew 36% in the twelve month period ending June 30, 2021 (from 53 to 72). What’s more, Minority-Owned Credit…
Credit Card Debt Lessens as Quality Improves
It’s nice to have something positive to report. U.S. banks have been reporting a steep decline in credit card usage since the end of 2019 (see below). Not only that, but as you will see, the quality of those credit…
Listening Carefully for the Other Shoe to Drop
If we’ve learned anything in the past year and a half, it’s that nothing is foolproof. Nor is anything 100% predictable. In much the same way that New York cabbies (and the institutions that financed them) had to deal with…
Nine Pending Bank Acquisitions by CUs
When we last reported on Credit Union-Bank acquisitions in April (JRN 38:16), we said they were heating up, and they sure have. The third quarter was particularly active. One such transaction involves JRN listee 5-Star Financial Federal Bank, Memphis, TN,…
Community Banks Critical for Small Businesses
According to the Federal Reserve’s 2021 Small Business Credit Survey, 48% of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applicants went to community banks for funding while only 43% went to Big Banks. What’s more, 78% of those that applied at community banks…