Community Banker articles from February 2004

Community Banker archives from February 2004

Strength and wisdom.(front matter)
February 1, 2004... The man who remembers where he has been knows better where he is going. Ralph Waldo Emerson shared this thought with readers over 100 years ago. Yet today, it's as true as it was back then. Community bankers know this better than people in...

ACB membership provides many keys to success.(chairman's corner)(America's Community Bankers )(Column)
February 1, 2004... One of the great privileges of being the chairman of ACB is the opportunity to see the value of membership from the 50,000-foot level and in the trenches. This month I want to talk to you about America's Community Bankers membership. But...

Expanding products and services for members is new hires' goal.(ACB news)
February 1, 2004... As part of a new phase in the expansion of products and services to meet the needs of member community banks, America's Community Bankers has added three new staff members. William J. Kroll, a commercial banker with broad experience in...

March conference lineup is rich with choices, ideas for bankers.(ACB news)(Calendar)
February 1, 2004... ACB's March calendar is jam-packed with timely conferences. The annual Mutual Community Bank Conference will be held in Washington March 8. It kicks off the Government Affairs Conference, which concludes March 9-10. Later in the month,...

Winter Management Conference offered tips for mutuals, inside track on policy.(ACB news)
February 1, 2004... Approximately 130 bankers attended ACB's National Winter Management Conference in New York Dec. 7-9. The January issue of Community Banker covered presentations on the economy, deposit trends, portfolio management, and the changing workforce....

Blending competitive strategies.(ACB news)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... William Pratt Mayer, a partner in the Boston office of the law firm Goodwin Procter LLP, outlined the competitive landscape for mutuals. He analyzed three strategic approaches--the growth imperative, niche strategy, and maintaining...

Policy review and preview.(ACB news)
February 1, 2004... 2004 is an election year, and that means the timetable for enacting legislation will be drastically shortened, ACB President and Chief Executive Officer Diane Casey-Landry told conference-goers Tuesday. With control of the White House,...

ACB joins operation HOPE's Banker-Teacher Day.(Spotlight)(America's Community Bankers)(Operation HOPE Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: ACB Joins Operation HOPE's Banker-Teacher Day Diane Casey-Landry, America's Community Bankers' president and chief executive officer, participated in Operation HOPE's Banker-Teacher Day at a junior high...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2004... A January article, "What's in a Name?" (page 60), should have listed Idaho, not Illinois, as one of the states that lacks a First National bank. As a separate item in the article made clear, Illinois has 66 First Nationals.

Federal Housing Finance Board not authorized to force FHLBanks to register with SEC, says ACB.(nationwide news)(Federal Home Loan Banks)(Securities and Exchange Commission)(America's Community Bankers)
February 1, 2004... On Jan. 15, America's Community Bankers asked the Federal Housing Finance Board to withdraw a proposal that would force the Federal Home Loan Banks to "voluntarily" register their securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ...

Fed offers tools for evaluating costs, effects of community development proposals.(WebWatch)(Federal Reserve Board)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... On Jan. 12, the Federal Reserve launched an online resource designed to help community developers evaluate proposals. The new tool, The Fiscal Impact Tool or FIT, is available on the Fed's Community Affairs Web site, at...

Building relationships, nationally and locally.(grass roots)
February 1, 2004... Solid relationships. These two simple words provide the key to successfully negotiating both local and national banking issues. With a little time and effort, a banker can gain influence and affect change within the industry. And local and...

Is it time to catch the M&A wave?(market maker)(Mergers and Acquisitions)
February 1, 2004... After almost five years of relative quiet in bank mergers and acquisitions, activity is heating up. Most notable, of course, was the $49 billion Bank of America/Fleet deal, announced in October. It brought back memories of the 1998 merger...

Measuring: the stakes in tracking customer profitability.
February 1, 2004... Picture this scenario: a gentleman applies for an extension on the limit of his credit card. It's a modest sum, to $5,000, up from $2,500. Yet his community banker looks at his credit picture and decides the increase is not worth the risk:...

What's next for bank stocks? They've enjoyed an amazing four-year run. Now, with mortgage originations and refinancings tapering off.
February 1, 2004... It's been a remarkable millennium, so far, for community banks. By mid-December their stocks had advanced almost 70 percent in value since the millennial odometer rolled over at the start of 2000, using the NASDAQ Bank Index as a guide. During...

Reduce speed: life after the refi boom.(Cover Story)
February 1, 2004... For the mortgage industry, the past three years have been like a whirlwind dash around a racetrack, with no slow-down in sight. But like racecar drivers yielding to danger, mortgage executives have downshifted and are proceeding with caution....

Be prepared: disaster recovery strategies.
February 1, 2004... The Great Blackout of 2003. Hurricane Isabel. The ever-present threat of terrorism. Over the course of 2003, these and other events have created an uncertain and challenging banking environment. With this in mind, disaster and continuity...

Five ways to capture home equity customers.
February 1, 2004... As mortgage refinancing slows, many banks are taking a renewed interest in home equity lending and are trying to attract customers in an increasingly competitive market. Indeed, 64 percent of participants in ACB's 2004 Real Estate Lending...

Trends in financial planning--the experience paradigm.(wealth)
February 1, 2004... The past three years have posed many new challenges to banks offering investment programs. The bear market took its toll on both assets under management and profitability of investment programs. In some cases, investment representatives...

Another strong year for S Corporation conversions.(surveys & trends)
February 1, 2004... A growing number of commercial bank and savings institutions are choosing to convert to Subchapter S Corporation status, according to a report from Grant Thornton LLP. In all, 160 banks made the conversion during the 12-month period ending...