By Bill Poquette, Editor-in-Chief, and Alaina Webster, Managing Editor
A year ago at its annual convention, the Nebraska Bankers Association unveiled the results of a months-long study by Chicago-based consulting firm Financial Shares Corp. aimed at charting the group’s strategy as it strives to meet the changing needs of its members. Since then, the organization has focused on challenges such as the lack of rural housing stock, engagement with young bankers, banking’s image in the communities it serves, and financial literacy.
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Regulators want to catch up with technology.
By Bill, Editor-in-Chief
At age 40 and counting, is the Community Reinvestment Act seeming a bit long in the tooth? Some think so, and a case is being made — by people who can get it done — for an update that reflects the impact of evolving technology on banking services since the most recent effort to resuscitate the regulations in 1995.
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Investors and veteran bankers see opportunity knocking.
By Bill Poquette
Maybe this doesn’t qualify as a ”flurry” of activity, but at least a baker’s dozen of de novo banks are currently in various stages of organization or approval. This is more than at any time since the great recession. And three new banks have opened since Jan. 1: Beacon Bank, Charleston, S.C., Jan. 8; Endeavor Bank, San Diego, Jan. 22; and Infinity Bank, Santa Ana, Calif., Feb. 2.
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A U.S. senator asks NCUA chairman embarrassing questions.
By Bill Poquette, Editor-in-Chief
Bankers were disappointed that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed in late December last year failed to address credit union taxation. Yet, there may have been some comfort in an encouraging confluence of events over the next 60 days.
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Will Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank sanctions deter others?
By Bill Poquette
Wells Fargo, the nation’s second-largest bank, was pummeled two years ago with more than $400 million in regulatory fines and restitution for opening millions of bogus accounts and repossessing the cars of military borrowers for auto insurance payments wrongfully billed by the bank. Not to mention lots of bad press.
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