A new proposed “simplified” rule for credit unions is being likened to one in use for banks. Is it really? The proposed Complex Credit Union Leverage Ratio (CCULR), as its name suggests, is aimed at “complex” credit unions. Whereas the…
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Who are You Calling a Predator?
Not us, say Big Banks, in response to comments by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) who reportedly called out “giant banks that make billions of dollars in profits and squeeze every last penny out of customers who are struggling”.-American Banker 7/19/21.…
The Bank Branch is Alive and Well, Thank You
Like everything else, banking is changing and evolving to meet the changing needs and demands of the times. There is no doubt about that. But anyone predicting the demise of the bank branch is premature, at best …at least in…
Mortgage Performance Declines
A recent report by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) grabbed our attention with this headline. Then we realized, it was comparing mortgage performance to a year ago (Q1’20 i.e. pre-pandemic). While we did see a spike…
Independence Day, Minority Banks
As a nation of immigrants, we thought we would take the opportunity that Independence Day offers us to champion our nation’s Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs). (A Minority Depository Institution, or MDI, is a bank or credit union that is at…
Remember Inflation? Get Ready for a Comeback.
Be careful what you wish for. The Federal Reserve has two goals: to achieve maximum employment and price stability, which it has defined as 2% inflation. However, since inflation (excluding food and energy) was running well below 2% during the…
Merger Mania Claiming Community Staples
Mergers and Acquisitions have claimed more than 225 banks since January 1, 2020. That represents over $174 billion in assets and $140 billion in deposits in less than an 18 month period. Several centenarians are among the banks lost leaving…
Credit Loss Expectations Brighten
Coral Gables, Florida, June 16, 2021 Coral Gables, FL: BAUERFINANCIAL, Inc., the nation’s premier Bank and Credit Union rating firm, is pleased to report that the majority of U.S. banks have been able to reverse loan loss provisions as the…
All New Credit Union Ratings Q1’2021 Data
All credit union star-ratings are now updated on our website, bauerfinancial.com, based on March 31, 2021 financial data. While the majority of federally-insured credit unions maneuvered their way nicely through the trials of the past year, there were some that…
Economic Injustice Puts Banks on Notice
As we write this week’s article, CEOs of six of the nation’s largest banks are taking a verbal beating from Congress. Lawmakers took exception to some of the ways they perceive these bankers have taken advantage of poorer clients during…