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…
Having Choices is a Wonderful Thing
Sometimes we have to count our blessings. And this is one of those times. At Bauer, we are fortunate to have 41 banks with branches located in the same zip code as our main office in Coral Gables, Florida. Many…
Deposits or Not, Banks Need to Fund Loans
What do government stimulus, risk aversion, and job insecurity all have in common? They all played significant parts in deposit growth at our nation’s banks during the pandemic. Between year-end 2019 and March 31, 2022, bank deposits grew 37% (from…
Finding Balance Between Efficiency and Humanity
In case you missed it, on Friday, January 20th, several news outlets reported that Capital One Financial would be eliminating more than 1,100 tech positions. Interestingly, the systems designed by these workers, and intended to increase efficiency, are now being…
What is in Your Wallet Can Cost a Small Fortune
According to WalletHub, the average credit card rate for new offers is now over 21%. Store Card rates are trending even higher, with some as high as 30%! Yet, after paying down credit cards during the worst of COVID, consumers…
The Merger Floodgates Have Opened
Last May (JRN 39:18) we wrote an article entitled, ‘In the Words of Nancy Reagan, “Just Say No.”’ In that article, we reflected on the fact that some of our nation’s largest banks had been allowed to keep acquiring smaller…