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How Can We Use Mortgage Servicing Rights to our Best Advantage?
Retaining the mortgage servicing rights (MSR) when mortgages are sold can potentially bring substantial returns on capital for institutions that have competitive advantages in servicing mortgages. However, since MSR assets typically have inherent price volatility, it...
Why Should Depositories Consider Loan Transactions Now?
When constructing a financial institution’s balance sheet, savvy financial managers understand the importance of evaluating all asset classes, including whole loans and loan participations. As many depositories find themselves with excess liquidity, this evaluation...
What is the Right Amount of Capital for Your Depository?
Capital is the core of an institution’s ability to grow and succeed yet answering the question of “How Much Capital Does Our Institution Really Need?” remains a common challenge for industry leaders. Performing a Strategic Net Worth Analysis enables institutions to...
Why Should Depositories Hedge Mortgage Pipeline Risk?
If your institution is like most of the depositories we work with, then mortgage lending is a substantial part of your business. However, it’s important to understand your current mortgage pipeline process and periodically evaluate whether your institution is exposing...
How Can My Institution Mitigate a Significant Drop in Investment Yield?
Depositories that have a history of investing in passive Treasury and bullet ladders are seeing reinvestment risk pose a real challenge with rates at extreme lows. As shown in the chart below, the average $100 million ladder portfolio reinvested today would yield an...
How Can My Institution Make a Difference While Managing the Balance Sheet?
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...
How Can Financial Institutions Prevent Liquidity Crises?
It’s vital for depository institutions to follow essential liquidity procedures in any environment, but recent events in the repo market serve as a good reminder for all institutions. Late 2019 saw overnight cash markets garnering mainstream media headlines for the...
Why Will Liquidity Forecasting Be Critical for 2020?
Regardless of rate forecasts and growth expectations, it will remain critical for healthy financial institutions to ensure that adequate liquidity sources are available in the event of the unexpected. Depositories should employ tools and resources that provide...
What Economic Concerns are Critical for 2020 Planning?
As financial institutions finalize their 2020 plans, it’s critical to remain current on key economic trends. This article includes key takeaways from the recent Economic Update presented by Jason Haley, Managing Director of ALM First’s Investment Management Group,...
How Can My Institution Drive Strategic Growth?
As depositories plan for 2020 and beyond, discussions surrounding how to best achieve long-term growth are becoming more commonplace. Why? Scale matters and the size required to achieve economies of scale seems to be a moving target. One example can be seen in the...
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All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.
“ALM First” is a brand name for a financial services business conducted by ALM First Group, LLC (“ALM First”) through its wholly owned subsidiaries: ALM First Financial Advisors, LLC (“ALM First Financial Advisors”); ALM First Advisors, LLC (“ALM First Advisors”); and ALM First Analytics, LLC (“ALM First Analytics”). Investment advisory services are offered through ALM First Financial Advisors, an SEC registered investment adviser. Balance sheet advisory services are offered through ALM First Advisors. Financial reporting services, loan introduction services, and other special project services are offered through ALM First Analytics. Neither ALM First nor any of its subsidiaries provide legal, tax, or accounting advice.
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS ARE: • NOT FDIC INSURED • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY • NOT A DEPOSIT OR OTHER OBLIGATION OF, OR GUARANTEED BY, ALM FIRST OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES • SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT INVESTED.