community-banking

How Community Bankers Can Start Playing Offense

09/23/14

Community bankers can get ahead of the competition by building strong and profitable relationships with their customers. They should start by keeping products simple and explanations forthright.

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Why the Local Food Movement Is Good for Community Banking

09/17/14

The rise of microbreweries and farm-to-table restaurants is a sign that Americans are increasingly willing to sacrifice scale and endless options to support businesses that cater to local tastes and values.

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Banks Should Hedge Their Bets on Micro Branches

09/11/14

Micro branches have their merits Â-- but banks should be aware that changes in technology and customer preferences could render them obsolete.

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How Banks Can Help Young Homebuyers Manage Student Debt

09/10/14

More millennials could become homeowners if banks educate them about private student loan refinancing options and programs that can help them obtain affordable mortgages.

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Homespun Marketing Can Be a Branch's Secret Weapon

09/03/14

Allowing branch workers to come up with handmade signs and offbeat contests can help banks increase both customer and employee engagement, according to consultant Dave Martin.

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Main Street Fights Back Against Mutual Conversions

08/29/14

A Massachusetts mutual's failure to gain depositor approval for a conversion suggests a way for small towns to push back against the loss of their local banks, according to lawyer Kevin Handly.

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The Seven Deadly Sins of Bank Investment Portfolio Management

08/26/14

Pride, greed, sloth and envy are just a few of the potential stumbling blocks in the management of banks' bond portfolios, writes David G. Barnes.

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Why Banks Need to Be More Like Carrots

08/21/14

The invention of baby carrots transformed Americans' vegetable-eating habits. Banks need to shake up their products and services in a similarly unique way if they hope to differentiate themselves, according to Bill Early of PlumDog Financial.

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The Problem with Banks' Results-Driven Culture

08/20/14

Banks that place too much emphasis on results without understanding the behavior behind it may create a dishonest or overly risky environment, according to consultant David Uhl.

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A Call to Streamline Call Reports

08/14/14

The time spent preparing these reports has increased exponentially over the years, leaving bankers with less and less time to help customers, and communities, prosper. Allowing highly rated banks to file short-form call reports could significantly ease that burden, writes the ICBA's Camden Fine.

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