by Brittany Rollek | Aug 9, 2019 | Articles
Published in: CU Business The strategic planning season is ramping up and many financial institutions have initiated the process of preparing for 2020 – identifying likely challenges, defining strategic direction, and forecasting the balance sheet and financial... by Shahid Sattar and Jake King | Mar 16, 2021 | Articles
Published by CU Business New proposed derivatives rule may offer an opportunity for federally chartered credit unions to gain greater flexibility in managing interest rate risk and making profitable decisions. Last Fall, the NCUA Board of Directors unanimously... by Robert Perry | Mar 10, 2021 | Articles
Published by CU Insight We have all heard comments over the years regarding rising interest rates and depositories’ bond portfolios. However, instead of lamenting – “Rates went up and I should have locked in those gains” or “With the ten-year rising am I going to lose... by Robert Perry and Michael Oravetz | Feb 24, 2021 | Articles
Published by CU Business In a year where depositories face ongoing margin pressure, management teams and boardrooms across the country search for alternatives that generate additional profits. In many respects, credit unions may have a more challenging time... by Emily Hollis, CFA and Robert Perry | Jan 29, 2021 | Articles
Published by CU Times Throughout our twenty-five years as advisors to credit unions, we are continually impressed by their true community-oriented strategies. The service and care that they provide to their members is inspiring. At their core, credit unions are in the... by Alec Hollis, CFA | Jan 28, 2021 | Articles
Published by Bank Business Selling GSE-eligible mortgages is looking considerably more profitable than it has in years. Lender profitability has skyrocketed according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) performance data and our experience at ALM First Financial... by Robert Perry and Gleb Barkovskiy | Jan 28, 2021 | Articles
Published by Bank Business Additional stimulus payments, traditional seasonal liquidity trends, lower loan demand and the low-rate environment could challenge financial institutions even further to deploy excess cash effectively in 2021. Fixed income investment... by David Ritter | Dec 8, 2020 | Articles
Published by CU Management Use this disciplined approach as opposed to an emotional one to consider the impact of your organization’s options. Over the last decade, the number of credit unions has declined by approximately 30%; however, mergers dwindled during the... by Gleb Barkovskiy and Robert Perry | Dec 2, 2020 | Articles
Published by Bank Business Excess liquidity, net interest margin compression and a low-rate environmenthave made the search for investment yield top of mind for many financial institutions and their investment managers. However, it is critical to remember that simple... by Shahid Sattar | Nov 19, 2020 | Articles
The year 2020 has caused a significant shift in the way Americans view everyday activities due to COVID-19. Many storefronts have implemented card only policies to slow the spread of the virus. However, the trend of using cards over cash has been tilting more towards... by David Ritter | Nov 9, 2020 | Articles
Published by Credit Union Times After years of experience helping credit unions navigate mergers and acquisitions, we have been struck by a unique trend taking place this year due to ongoing uncertainty in the marketplace. Let’s simply call it the “year 2020 effect.”... by Brittany Rollek | Oct 26, 2020 | Articles
Published by Credit Union Business While uncertainty continues and financial institutions grapple with credit performance and what to expect in terms of potential losses down the road,finding new opportunities to enhance bottom-line performance while remaining... by Jake King and Shahid Sattar | Oct 26, 2020 | Articles
An opportunity for federally chartered credit unions to gain greater flexibility in managing interest rate risk and making profitable decisions. Key Takeaways The preapproval process for derivative use will be eliminated for Federal Credit Unions with greater than... by Priyag Babaria | Sep 9, 2020 | Articles
On March 13th, a national emergency was declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic impact of the pandemic has raised questions about capital adequacy in the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Economic shutdown and stay-at-home mandates forced many... by ALM First | Aug 18, 2020 | Articles
Second Quarter, 2020 Commercial Banks increased provisioning with provision for loan losses to average assets more than tripling YoY.Reserves/NPAs continue trending upward by 78% for Commercial Banks and 25% for CUs YoY. Net charge offs as a percentage of average... by ALM First | Jul 10, 2020 | Articles
First Quarter, 2020 Commercial Banks witnessed record breaking growth in assets and deposits, with 42.3% and 43.0% annualized QOQCredit Unions grew significantly in assets and deposits, with 18.3% and 17.0% annualized QOQQuarterly ROAs for CUs and Commercial Banks... by David Ritter | Jun 19, 2020 | Articles
Are we at a tipping point for credit unions? Proactive credit unions that have been performing well for a long period of time are starting to reconsider potential mergers and acquisitions for relevance, stability, scale and, most importantly, to benefit... by Bloomberg News | Jun 16, 2020 | Articles
Unemployment is high. Credit is tight. And scientists are warning that a dangerous second wave of the coronavirus is coming. But somehow, U.S. mortgage companies are having one of their best years in history. Just ask Keith VandenAkker. He’s forgoing weekends to... by Robert Perry and Hafizan Hamzah | Apr 24, 2020 | Articles
Reinvestment Risk Rears Its Ugly Head, Savvy Managers Seek Alternatives to Ladder Portfolios If your depository has historically invested in passive Treasury and bullet ladders, it may be time to re-evaluate your investment strategy and seek more actively managed... by Emily Hollis, CFA | Apr 9, 2020 | Articles
The world is grappling with an issue of enormous scale and I find myself cherishing my family, work family, friends, and amazing clients. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the virus. No crisis is an isolated, neatly contained incident and the COVD-19 outbreak... by Robert Perry and Darren Fago, CFA | Mar 16, 2020 | Articles
When interest rates make sudden, unexpected movements, it is imperative that financial institutions remain diligent and make sensible, yet timely decisions. Extreme volatility may provide rare opportunities to capitalize on disjointed markets. Here are 7 tips to keep...