In the past two years we have witnessed a steady rise in delinquent commercial loans, even as outstanding balances have been fluctuating. Today we examine how these changes are reflected in the banking industry as a whole, as well as…
Most Efficient U.S. Banks Measured by ROA
There is more than one way to measure a bank’s profit. Simply looking at how much the bank earned in dollars is a start, but it’s not ideal for comparison purposes. Instead, today we will look at Return on Assets…
Navy Federal Credit Union Off the Hook
We at Bauer are very protective of the men and women who serve to protect us. Any hint that they may be being mistreated, particularly by those who should be helping them, is enough to make our blood boil. That’s…
Redemption and the Dream of Economic Equality
In an update to a story we first reported on two years ago, the 24th black-owned bank, Redemption Bank, Salt Lake City, UT, is no longer a dream, but a reality. The announcement was made, appropriately enough, on June 19th,…
Is Another Housing Bubble Heading Our Way?
A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article (June 14, 2025) reported that there were almost half a million more sellers than buyers in April. That is just one of many recent reports that caused us to pose this question. As we…
Interest Margins to Brag About
The Federal Reserve left the Fed Funds interest rate unchanged again at its meeting last week, but we know it is just a matter of time before that changes. The most important thing (for us anyway) is how banks will…
New Credit Union Data and Star-Ratings
All credit union star-ratings and financial data have now been updated with March 31, 2025 data. Overall, first quarter credit union data was positive: assets, including most loans, were up and credit quality is generally still quite good. However, uninsured…
Bank Deposits Migrate into Interest-Bearing Accounts
Nearly 80% of U.S. banks reported increases in total deposits. A similar percentage of banks reported increases in interest-bearing deposits but the same cannot be said for non-interest-bearing, or core, deposits. Today, the average net interest margin at our nation’s banks is at…
New Bank Data and Star-Ratings
All bank star-ratings have now been updated to reflect March 31, 2025 financial data. The good news was that industry net income was a healthy $70.6 billion. However, the percent of noncurrent loans (90 days or more past due) increased…
More than 27,000 Bankers Lost Their Jobs in 2024
After several years of losing employees by way of a slow taper, the banking industry hired robustly during and after the COVID shutdown. By 2023, the industry was ready to shed some of those new hires, and it did so.…