All bank star-rating have now been updated based on June 30, 2026 financial data; we expect credit union star ratings will be available sometime after Labor Day. In the meantime, we encourage you to check the ratings of any banks…
The Reincarnation of the Bank Branch
Since COVID-19, large U.S. banks have continued closing branches while community banks have steadily opened new ones, particularly in rural and underserved markets. After years of decline, bank branch growth has finally resumed, with three consecutive quarters of net branch…
The “Modernization” of Mutual Banking
Conversions and consolidation have gradually been decreasing the numbers of our nation’s mutual banks for years. As a result, the Federal Reserve has proposed its first major update since 1993 to the rules governing the mutual holding companies and mutual…
“Will Deliver Price Stability” …Eventually
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh reiterated the Fed’s commitment to returning inflation to its 2% target but left rates unchanged as he emphasized patience and noted that tighter market conditions are already helping. Warsh has launched five task forces to review…
The Saga of the “Century”: Defaults, Receivership and a $68 Million Bid
A series of alleged loan defaults by a New Mexico businessman and his family have drawn multiple banks into lawsuits over the past several years. The most significant dispute involves approximately $37 million in loans from KS StateBank that were…
The Vanishing Community Banks
After years of financial deterioration and severe undercapitalization, regulators closed Kentland Federal Savings & Loan, the nation’s smallest bank. That failure was followed by the closure of $73 million asset Small Business Bank. Both were zero-star banks and the closures…
De Novo Banks Gain Momentum—But Not All Are Community Banks
FDIC-Insured Minority Depository Institutions, Helping Their Communities Prosper
Since the beginning (250 years ago), the United States has seen banks come and go. It was not until the late 1800s, however, that marginalized minority communities began pooling their money together to open their own banks. Today we celebrate Maggie…
RIP Maestro
Alan Greenspan, longtime Federal Reserve chairman, remains a controversial figure—praised for guiding economic prosperity but criticized for missing risks that led to the dot-com and housing bubbles. To assess his impact, it’s important to understand the turbulent economic backdrop before…
New Credit Union Ratings Are Out
The credit union industry, like the banking industry, is shrinking in number. U.S. credit unions are generally growing, profitable, and financially stronger, with fewer troubled institutions. Although, isolated failures do still occur, and when they do, lower-income communities can be…