Why Did Oritani Sell for No Premium?
On June 25th, Oritani Financial Corp (ORIT) common stock closed at $16.21 per share. The next day they announced they were selling to Valley National Corp. for $16.29 per share. Virtually no premium. And less than ORIT traded one year ago. Why? I was not part of the discussions regarding the transaction, and am not […]
If We’re Serious About Helping Clients, What About These Two Products?
With all of the automation of financial products, one would think managing finances would be simple. Much more so than when our grandparents saved for the coal delivery in an envelope in the night stand. My focus today is on consumer banking. Which is becoming more challenging for the community financial institution due to heavy […]
Is It Customer Loyalty That You Seek?
Why are customers loyal to your financial institution? I hear many reasons in strategic planning sessions: 1. Our people. They are loyal to their lender, branch manager, etc. 2. Our service. We have the best service! 3. Our products. We have a really cool checking product. 4. Our location. We’re right in town. Aside from […]
Bankers: Is It Worth Buying Checking Accounts
At least somebody noticed. Noticed that I might be a valuable checking account customer. Aside from credit cards, I don’t get much attention from bankers or financial advisors. Maybe the “do not call” list is more effective than I thought? So when I opened my mailbox and received the bribe, I was interested. Interested to […]
The Real Benefits of Intelligent Automation
Fifty percent. That was the odds I gave myself when calling my health insurance firm regarding changing my date of birth. Fifty percent chance I could get this done in one phone call and a reasonable period of time. Isn’t that sad? It did take 15 minutes to get the relatively simple task done. Making […]
Bank Brand Value: Calculated!
I ask and ask and ask: what does brand get you? Does it get you pricing power, shorter sales cycles, better employees, more loyal customers? Or does it get you increased expenses without measurable results? Forbes calculated brand value in their “World’s Most Valuable Brands” by taking anything that a company achieves over an 8% […]
The Untapped Value of Brand in Banking
“Our money is the same as the bank’s down the street.” And so were the Uber cars in my recent trips to Los Angeles and Nashville. But something was different. Something that immediately made me feel better about being in Nashville than LA. And my wife nailed it: “the Uber drivers were so much friendlier.” […]
Employee Retention: Keep the Keepers
You have a highly valued employee, and they quit. Why? The boss? The culture? The pay? I’m sure if I searched for credible sources, I would get some version of one or a combination of the three. It is highly individualized. But what is universal is that each financial institution has employees that are highly […]
Why SunTrust and BB&T? Why?
I know on the investor conference call, Kelly King of BB&T and Bill Rogers of SunTrust spoke to why. But I may not have been listening well. I suppose much of the discussion revolved around scale. So, along with my first inclination, my second inclination was also… why? The Numbers Here are their slash lines […]
IMO: How To Make Telecommuting Work in Banks
Schlepping to the office five days a week is enough to make employees, or would be employees, reconsider working for you. This is particularly true in urban areas, where 20 miles might equal an hour commute. Or in growing families, where daycare costs might eat their pay check. In comes telecommuting. And in an era […]