The Banker Next Door

This episode examines an article from Independent Banker Magazine titled “What makes customers trust community banks?” Community banks are built on a relationship-based business model. They are very active in their local communities. They donate money to charities, nonprofits, and other causes. They position themselves as a trusted advisor with their clients and always put the customer first. A link to the article is included below...

This episode examines a blog post from PCBB titled “Core providers beefed up tech, but satisfaction can improve.” Banks are happy with their core providers for the most part, but customer service and relationships can be an issue at times. There are many reasons why a bank would not switch their core provider but if you are thinking about switching, the blog post provides six factors to consider. A link to the blog post is included...

This episode examines the FBI’s 2024 report on Internet Crime. This report comes from the Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3. The report shows there were over 800k+ complaints filed with losses exceeding $16 billion in 2024. The top three cyber crimes were phishing/spoofing, extortion, and personal data breaches. The report provides basic statistics and goes deeper on elder fraud and crypto fraud. Links to the report and press ...

This episode examines an article from Investopedia titled “How real people made a net worth of over $500,000.” This article espouses that anyone can achieve a net worth of $500,000 based on common starting points. The article offers core strategies and ‘easy pick-ups.’ Also discussed are some best practices and how you can build net worth through good habits and a simple investing strategy. A link to the article is included below. ...

This episode examines an article from Independent Banker Magazine titled “How to fight AI-boosted spear phishing fraud.” Spear fishing is a type of cyberattack that involves emails, video calls, or other forms of communication carried out by fraudsters posing as a trusted colleague or boss. AI is now supercharging spear fishing attacks. 50% of all businesses have experienced fraud involving audio and video deepfakes. What can banks...

This episode examines an article from Independent Banker Magazine titled “How community banks are fighting AI-powered elder fraud.” Community banks are working to combat fraudsters using AI to target seniors. ICBA CRA Solutions has ramped up efforts to help community banks earn CRA credits by preventing elder fraud. Some statistics on elder fraud in 2023: 101,068 complaints, -$3.4 billion total losses, $33,915 average dollar loss p...

This episode examines an article from Independent Banker Magazine titled “Marketing personalization is more than adding names to emails.” Marketing personalization is about reaching a younger audience using a hyper-personalized approach. The article considers if gamification should be part of your personalization mix. It outlines avenues for personalization, which include direct mail, email, websites, and branch and call centers. I...

This episode examines an article from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) titled “The secrets and misdirection behind Sam Altman’s firing from OpenAI.” This article delves into questions that people have really wanted answers to such as what really happened when Sam Altman was fired by the board. Were there culture issues? Was Sam a liar? Did the board overreach? Was this typical “corporate politics”? Why was Sam rehire...

This episode examines a recent article from Bank Director titled “Building a high-performance sales culture.” Building a high-performance sales culture focuses on three main areas that include value-based selling, coaching and continuous development, and long-term relationship building. The article also goes into the key to sales success, key metrics for a strong sales culture, and transforming your current sales culture. A link to...

This episode examines three articles from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Epoch Times (subscription required), and CNBC. The Wall Street Journal article is titled “Morgan Stanley went big on DEI, and no one is happy about it.” The Epoch Times article is titled “ESG and DEI are down but not out, analysts say.” The CNBC article is titled “Game over for ESG investing due to Trump backlash? Analysts say no.” ESG and DE...

This episode examines a report from the OCC titled “OCC Quarterly Report on Bank Trading and Derivatives Activities.” This is a quarterly report issued by the OCC that reports on cumulative trading revenue of U.S. commercial banks and savings associations and bank derivative activity. This is a great report for getting statistics on derivatives. According to the report, 1,202 insured U.S. banks held derivatives, with the four large...

This episode examines a report from the OCC titled “OCC Mortgage Metrics Report.” This is a quarterly report from the OCC that reports on first-lien mortgage performance. According to the report, 97.3% of mortgages were current and performing at the end of 2024. Links to the OCC press release and report are included below.

Link: OCC Reports Mortgage Performance for Fourth Quarter of 2024 | OCC

Link: Mortage Metrics Report Fourth Qu...

This episode examines Bank Director’s 2025 Risk Survey and two related articles. The articles are titled “2025 Risk Survey: Cybersecurity, fraud at the forefront” and “Stemming the fraud epidemic.” Fraud emerged as the major issue in this year’s survey. Other major risk topics included cyberattacks, applying stress test data, diminishing deposit woes, strengthening BSA/AML compliance, and regulators focus on liquidity. Links to bot...

This episode examines a report from the Federal Reserve titled “2025 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2024 Small Business Credit Survey.” Some of the findings from the report include the revenue performance index declined, elevated debt played an increasing role in the denial of financial applications, loan approvals remained steady but applicants’ satisfaction with their lenders fell, and special topics that included ph...

This episode examines a report from the Federal Reserve titled “2025 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2024 Small Business Credit Survey.” Some of the findings from the report include the revenue performance index declined, elevated debt played an increasing role in the denial of financial applications, loan approvals remained steady but applicants’ satisfaction with their lenders fell, and special topics that included ph...

This episode examines a recent audit report from the Office of Inspector General inside the Department of the Treasury titled “Safety and Soundness: Failed Bank Limited Review – First National Bank of Lindsay.” The Office of Inspector General issued an initial memorandum reviewing the failure of First National Bank of Lindsay. The bank failed in October of 2024. The memorandum states, “due to deficiencies in the bank’s board oversi...

This episode examines a report from the Kansas City Federal Reserve bank titled “Farm debt at Ag banks climbed in 2024.” This report provides an update on how Ag focused banks are doing with their farming clients. The report looks and how farm debt has increased over the last year, delinquency rate on farm debt, loan and deposit balances, loan to deposit ratio, and leverage capital ratio at Ag banks. A link to the report is include...