October 2009
Urgent Call Sent Out to Mothra
Millions ran in terror as the massive specter of the 25 most powerful women in banking crested the mountain top, fury in their eyes and destruction in their hearts. For the fortunate few who chose to prostrate themselves in the path of the onslaught with chants of 'Hail! Hail to the powerful!" — their deaths were quick, though not without pain. Not so lucky were those who foolishly tried opposition, and their entrails could still be seen smoldering from the branches of elms 12 days later.
Front & Center
Double Whammy
With demand for loans surging and investment capital from large banks drying up, community development financial institutions are caught in cash crunch.
Word Is ...
Consumer Agency: Not So Scary?
Bankers are almost uniformly opposed to the president's plan to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, but will it be as bad for the industry as they say it will?
Noted and Noteworthy
A widely held belief in banking circles is that, with so many financial institutions chasing so little business, the industry is poised for a major consolidation. That may well turn out to be true, but, so far, the ranks have thinned only slightly.
The Inside Track
Upping the Ante
Rising interest rates have slowed home sales, putting pressure on Congress to extend more tax breaks to buyers.
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Fast Forward
The Next Frontier
The U.S. trails other countries in the acceptance of mobile payments, but with 270 million wireless users here, it's a market that's ripe for growth. Will banks be ready?
Marketing
Smart Moves
More and more banks are incorporating financial education into their marketing. The outreach is aimed partly at rebuilding trust, but mostly it's the recognition that an informed customer is a good customer.
Ad Beat
A New, Old Message
San Antonio's Frost Bank brings a more cosmopolitan feel to its new campaign, while staying true to its bank-next-door roots.
Corporate & Institutional
A Slow Comeback for Chapter 11 Financing
Fat incentives lure some banks back to the market, but many, wary of regulatory scrutiny, remain on the sidelines.
Corporate & Institutional
Not Such a Bright Spot
Robust in 2008, commercial and industrial lending has been lackluster in 2009, and delinquencies are on the rise.
Snapshot
Best of the Bunch
Top 100 mid-tier banks and thrifts ranked by 3-year average ROE
Putting together a ranking of top-performing banks sure isn't as easy as it used to be. Included in this issue is a list of the top 100 mid-tier bank holding companies, ranked by three-year average return on equity from 2006 through 2008. But to get to that 100, we had to bend the rules a bit.
Mortgages
Brother, Can You Spare a Warehouse Line?
A bleak outlook for the recovery of warehouse lending has many mortgage bankers believing it's time to call in Uncle Sam — as well as start knocking on more doors along Main Street.
Main Street
An End to the Roadblocks?
The Obama administration wants to dismantle much of Riegle-Neal and allow banks to open branches wherever they please. But first it faces the tall order of eliminating the thrift charter.
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Washington People
'Help' for Geithner
The Treasury Secretary gets some unsolicited help from John Stewart in trying to unload his home; lots of chatter over a bout of "he said, he said" between Bachus and Frank ...
Viewpoint
FDIC Plan a Burden
A former CEO of New Dartmouth Bank, along with its former counsel, use the bank's experience during the last crisis to explain why a FDIC proposal is bad for bidders of failed banks.
