Community banks are an integral part of local lending and regulators agree that smaller institutions “are often better positioned than larger institutions to understand and quantify local real estate market values.”
Community Banks, Credit Unions Join Forces
Late last month, in an unusual show of solidarity, Camden Fine, President & CEO of the Independent Community Banks of America (ICBA) and Jim Nussle, President & CEO of the Credit Union National Association (NCUA), wrote a joint letter to…
What Team Does Your Bank Play For?
It’s been a year and a half since the hammer came down on Wells Fargo for opening millions of new customer accounts without their consent or knowledge. Employees went so far as to transfer money between fake accounts to build…
Banking on Brokered Deposits
Let’s face facts. From a bank perspective, core deposits are the best deposits. Core deposits are typically from the local area and from customers who generally have a relationship with the bank that incorporates more than just a savings account…
Every Month is Financial Literacy Month
In conjunction with Financial Capability Month (April 1-30) and Teach Your Child to Save Day (April 20th), BauerFinancial pays tribute to banks that don’t need a special day or month to play their part because they do it everyday. The…
C.U. Business Lending Comes of Age
While the majority of business or commercial lending in the U.S. is done by banks, credit unions have been an important supplier of business credit to members who perhaps would not have received it elsewhere. This became particularly evident during…
One Size Fits All Forces Banks to Merge
The question is one we have been asking for ten years, and we are far from alone: Why are small, community banks treated the same as Too Big to Fail Mega-Banks? Almost everyone seems to agree that a one size…
How Does Your Bank or Credit Union Rate?
March 19, 2018: BAUERFINANCIAL, Inc., Coral Gables, FL, the nation’s leading independent bank and credit union rating firm has newly released bank and credit union star-ratings (based on 12/31/2017 financial data). Star-ratings are assigned on a scale of zero to five-stars with…
All New BANK Star-Ratings This Week
Bank star-ratings are now all based on December 31, 2017 financial data. As a result, several banks are in new categories and three have re-qualified for listing. They are all listed on page 2. In addition…
From Consumer Debt to Consumer Debt Traps
While the Eastern seaboard was being pummeled by Winter Storm Grayson, we were reflecting on the happenings of 2017.
January: A willingness to spend and put things on credit showed an increased confidence in both the recovery…