Community Banker articles from November 2000

Community Banker archives from November 2000

A First-Class Education.(Editorial)
November 1, 2000... Much of what we provide you each month in this magazine is information to help you and your staff members gain new insights into the many opportunities in community banking today. Other aspects of America's Community Bankers services to its...

Commercial Federal TV Ad Wins National Award.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Commercial Federal Bank, based in Omaha, Neb., recently won top honors during the 2000 Telly Awards competition with its television commercial, "Spy Guy," which aired in February, when it had generated several thousand new checking accounts....

Allfirst Bank Sees Gold With Golden Dollar Promotion.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... "People just seem to want this coin," says Philip Hosmer, vice president of corporate communications at Allfirst Financial Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, Md. Allfirst is the first major financial institution to commit to routinely...

Second Quarter U.S. Banking Industry Earnings Down.(Office of Thrift Supervision report)
November 1, 2000... The nation's thrift industry earned $2 billion in the second quarter of 2000, compared with the previous quarter's $2.2 billion and $2.1 billion a year ago, reports Ellen Seidman, director of the Office of Thrift Supervision. "It's a...

National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.(to work with Freddie Mac to offer innovative underwriting technology and training to members)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Freddie Mac and the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) have agreed to work together to deliver state-of-the-art mortgage underwriting technology and training to NAHREP members. Freddie Mac is offering its Loan...

The Defense Department's proposed surcharge ban on automated teller machines on military bases has been dropped.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The Defense Department's proposed surcharge ban on automated teller machines on military bases has been dropped. The August 1999 proposal was made in an effort to alleviate financial stress on military personnel, who are paid low wages and are...

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.(releases deposit insurance bibliography)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has released a bibliography on deposit insurance works from 1989 to 1999. Deposit Insurance: An Annotated Bibliography 1989-1999 contains abstracts for over 700 books, journal articles, working...

Housing and Urban Development.(penalizes 77 lenders)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has sanctioned 77 lenders, with administrative actions ranging from withdrawing Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lending authority to indemnation of loans to fines. "These sanctions demonstrate clearly...

Electronic Billing the Missing Link.
November 1, 2000... An Examination of What EBPP Means for Community Banks More than 20 years after the prediction of a "checkless society," Americans are writing more checks than ever--approximately 12 per month per household, according to one recent survey....

Technology and Mortgage Lending.
November 1, 2000... Few areas of banking have been untouched by the wave of technological innovation that has occurred over the past several years. Many of these innovations have enabled banks to operate more efficiently and to provide their customers with...

Helping Community Banks Compete: Mortgage Lending Technology From Fannie Mae.
November 1, 2000... Fannie Mae, the nation's largest source of financing for home mortgages, is at the forefront of providing technology solutions to help its customers do more business efficiently and effectively. With the development of such tools as Desktop...

Opportunities in Small Business Lending.
November 1, 2000... How Community Banks Are Using Small Business Lending to Build New Business and Customer Relationships In the past few years, community bankers have learned to adapt to a lot of changes and to deal with a lot of upheaval. Financial...

The Changing Face of Homeownership.(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... An examination of how population trends are influencing the future of mortgage finance Census 2000, the massive undertaking of counting the nation's population, is winding to an end, and preliminary Census data are already emerging. The...

America's Community Bankers Belong in ACB.
November 1, 2000... A Word of Appreciation and Welcome for Our New Members Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alex Maroulis-Cronmiller and I am the new director of membership for ACB. I know, my name sounds like a law firm, but it really is just my Greek...

Community Banking Executive MBA Program.
November 1, 2000... Carpe diem. Seize the day. That's just what 20 bankers did this past spring when they applied to be members of the first executive MBA program designed specifically for community bank managers in this country. Created through a partnership...

Another One Bites the Dust.(troubled community banks are acquired by out-of-state banks)
November 1, 2000... The trend continues. Another community has just lost its only locally-owned financial institution. After going public three years ago, the institution simply could not achieve its goals and agreed to be acquired by an out-of-state giant. Over...

Internet Banking: Key Strategic and Tactical Issues for Community Bankers.(Column)
November 1, 2000... I recently had the opportunity to speak with Mark Nelson, director of the community banking group at Home Account, an Internet portal supplier for BankSite, the endorsed ACB Partner. The discussion, summarized below, covered a range of issues...

Don't Sell Your Future.
November 1, 2000... Card Programs Are a Lasting Part of Your Bank's Success As consolidation, competition and technology continue to impact retail product decisions, banks of all sizes are evaluating their card strategies. Despite the challenge of continued...

New NACHA rules for ACH.(National Automated Clearinghouse Association,)(automated clearinghouse)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The National Automated Clearinghouse Association (NACHA) has implemented new rules governing domestic and international automated clearinghouse (ACH) transactions in hopes of more efficient and cost-effective methods of electronic transactions....

Visa Offers Cash Alternative for Teens.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... A new offering from Visa U.S.A., the Visa Buxx debit card, is a parent-controlled, reloadable payment card for teens, designed to help parents provide their children money that is a safe alternative to cash, while tracking their spending habits...

Peedy Want a Dollar?(talking parrot latest online tool to help banks)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... A friendly talking parrot is the latest technology designed to help bank customers conduct business online. The Personal Virtual Advisor known as "Peedy," an animated character that gives consumers financial advice via the Internet, allows...

Index-Linked CDs Offer Stock Market Returns.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... For years, many large banks--as a way to keep customer investment portfolio dollars --have offered certificates of deposit that link interest rate to stock market performance, and, unlike the fickle stock market, guarantee the consumer's...

Are We Saving More Than We Think?(Federal Reserve Bank of New York report)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... All through the 1990s, estimated U.S. personal savings rates have been falling dramatically, even dipping below zero. The actual savings situation of Americans is far different, argues a new analysis released in September by the Federal Reserve...

Know Me or Lose Me.(report says excellent customer service key to retaining customers)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Overall, banks, financial services and Internet service providers are not doing enough to keep customers happy, according to a recent survey. A poll of 300 consumers responsible for household purchasing found that more than 60 percent have...

Has the Need to Meet Become a Monster?(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... In the last 10 years the amount of time spent in unnecessary meetings has increased, according to a recent survey. "The growing use of project teams has generated more interdepartmental communication and encouraged broader attendance at formal...

Exit Interview Feedback Can Be Valuable.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The details employees reveal as they walk out the door can often be a catalyst for change, suggests a recent survey. When asked how often they act on information gathered during exit interviews with departing employees, 75 percent of executives...

data bank.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... the economy U.S. welfare rolls dropped 50 percent in 1999 to 6.3 million households, the lowest level in 35 years. Assets in U.S. retail money market mutual funds rose to $984.14 billion in August. the industry Southeast...

Extending the Lead.(in Internet banking)
November 1, 2000... In the last five years, Internet banking dramatically extended the geographic reach and improved customer service for community financial institutions coast to coast. But Internet years are dog years--seven times the pace of business as usual....

MitemView[R]: More Gain--No Pain Linking Legacy Systems.
November 1, 2000... In addition to wrestling with modern banking issues such as stanching the outflow of deposit dollars and relieving the relentless pressure to trim operating costs, financial institutions need solutions that help leverage their already...

The Q UP E-Commerce Portal: Fast Track to Internet Success.
November 1, 2000... According to a recent study by Gartner Group, the preferred financial services supplier of the near future will not be just a bank, brokerage or insurance company, but a commerce hub for financial services and e-commerce with strong brand...

Mercantec[R], Inc.: Cutting Internet Hurdles Down to Size.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Considering its global reach, immediate connection with affluent consumers and economical distribution opportunities, every business on Main Street wants a presence on the World Wide Web. However, not every business can afford the time and...