Bankers and Strategic Bets. A Slow Embrace.
There are a lot of crazy ideas out there in banking causing us to think… “remember when such and such ridiculous idea was the new craze?” And we would laugh, […]
Banks and Bungee Cords
Your relationships, your job, your life comes with baggage. I recently made the analogy that there are bungee cords affixed to your belt. Some hold you back. Some propel you […]
Should Bankers Pursue an Asset Driven or Core Funded Strategy?
My firm is 15 years old. And approximately every five years, we performed an analysis to determine how the stock market rewards financial institutions for different strategies. In particular, does […]
Bankers: Don’t Hate the Dividend
Me to Bank CEO: Have you considered, instead of a growth strategy, maximizing profits and paying out most of it in dividends? CEO: *crickets* And so it goes with my […]
Perception Versus Reality: Do People Get More From Credit Unions Than Banks?
The Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the credit union equivalent to the American Bankers’ Association (ABA), states that credit unions exist to serve members, returning earnings to members in the […]
What is the better banking strategy: low expense v low deposit costs?
Here is a question that dogs us: should we follow a strategy that drives top quartile performance in operating expenses or cost of deposits? If your answer is “yes”, your […]
Banking Billboard Strategies v2: Nordstrom or Wal*Mart?
Welcome to the second installment of Banking Billboard Strategies. In this episode, we have a bank that can’t decide what it wants to be when it grows up. Does it […]
Banking Billboard Strategies: Version 1
Welcome to Banking Billboard Strategies v1. I tend to envision strategy flashing on marquee billboards. Here is how I see the end result of a multiple day big bank retreat conducted […]
Bankers: Circle the Wagons Around Your Strategy
Whether you are a bank, thrift, or credit union, I hope you have a strategy for 2013 and at least three to five years into your future. If not, you […]
jfb Toons: Bank Strategy Execution
Welcome to my first installment of jfb Toons, a cynical look at how financial institutions operate. In this version, I migrate from the strategy development retreat to how that strategy is […]