Community Banking Advisor

Showing 177–192 of 251 results

  • Electronic records management – Why your bank needs a comprehensive policy

    Summer 2008
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 1091

    Abstract: Paper is so last century. The days when businesses worried about where they would store their records are over. Today, it’s estimated that more than 90% of all business records are created in electronic form, and most of those are never printed at all. A comprehensive records management policy, therefore, is more important than ever before. (Updated 8/29/12)

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  • Taking care of business – 6 steps to an effective continuity plan

    Winter 2008
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 754

    Abstract: Every company should have a business continuity plan (BCP) for maintaining or recovering operations if natural disaster hits, technology fails, terrorists attack — or your business is in some other way interrupted. For financial institutions, the ante is especially high. Thus, it’s critical for banks to have a BCP to minimize financial loss and ensure they can continue serving customers. (Updated 8/29/12)

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  • Bank-owned life insurance – Should you take out policies on your employees?

    Winter 2008
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 1222

    Abstract: As employee benefits costs continue to climb, many banks are turning to bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) to help offset the expense. If your bank uses BOLI or is contemplating doing so, it’s critical to review recent legislative, regulatory and accounting developments in this area. BOLI remains an effective tool, but it’s important to know its limits and potential impact on your institution’s financial statements. (Updated 8/29/12)

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  • BANK Wire – JOBS Act raises SEC threshold

    Summer 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 405

    Abstract: This issue’s “BANK Wire” looks at news items regarding a higher threshold for SEC registration; the threat of lawsuits involving ATMs that fail to display a physical notice of ATM fees; the expanded role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in accepting bank-related complaints; and the newly revised “Concentrations of Credit” booklet — available from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency — regarding compliance with examiners’ guidelines about risky concentrations of commercial real estate loans.

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  • Wealth management programs – How to “carry” a millionaire

    Summer 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 577

    Abstract: The greatest advantage community banks have over larger banks is their ability to build long-term customer relationships. This article shows how money management services, particularly for those with ample funds to invest, can grow customer relationships while enhancing the revenue stream. It discusses what’s involved in developing a wealth management program, including automated technologies and sufficient staffing.

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  • Managing outsourcing risks

    Summer 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 688

    Abstract: Outsourcing operational functions to third parties offers small to midsize banks significant benefits and cost savings. With access to sophisticated technology and expertise — and the advantage of economies of scale — third-party providers typically can perform these functions far more cost-effectively than an individual bank could. But banks need to make sure that they have policies and procedures in place to manage the risks associated with third parties. This article discusses four essential elements of an effective risk management process, as outlined by the FDIC’s Financial Institution Letter 44-2008, “Guidance for Managing Third-Party Risk.”

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  • Cross-collateralization: Handle with care

    Summer 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 827

    Abstract: One potential strategy for reducing risk associated with commercial loans is cross-collateralization — that is, using multiple properties to secure a loan associated with one property. This strategy can provide significant benefits, but it raises several issues banks must consider before adoption. This article discusses some of the accounting concerns, along with considerations involved when restructuring debt. A sidebar highlights two Department of Labor advisory opinions regarding cross-collateralization agreements with IRA owners.

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  • BANK Wire – OCC provides foreclosure guidance

    Spring 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 426

    Abstract: This issue’s “BANK Wire” discusses recent foreclosure guidance offered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; the FDIC’s increased scrutiny of bank insurance policies; FAQs on interest rate risk management that have been jointly adopted by the various federal banking agencies; and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s prototype monthly mortgage statement that is being offered for comments.

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  • Sorting through restatements – Sometimes financial restatements simply correct mistakes

    Spring 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 550

    Abstract: Mistakes on borrowers’ financial statements, requiring financial restatement, can happen. But financial restatements can also be a red flag for fraud or misrepresentation. It’s a challenge for any lender to determine which is which. This article uses a hypothetical situation describing a company that innocently made mistakes, resulting in a costly restatement before it was able to successfully complete a public offering. The article also describes some of the leading causes of financial restatements.

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  • Understand the tax implications of bank mergers

    Spring 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 623

    Abstract: Institutions contemplating a merger need to consider a variety of tax issues. Two key issues today are: the dividend vs. capital gain treatment of cash payments in a tax-free merger, and the preservation of deferred tax assets. It’s also important to conduct thorough due diligence to uncover any tax liabilities that might be inherited from the target bank. This article takes a look at each of these matters.

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  • Suspicious activity: Are you seeing the big picture?

    Spring 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 856

    Abstract: Monitoring customer transactions for suspicious activity is a key component of a financial institution’s Bank Secrecy Act / Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) program. Unfortunately, many banks make the mistake of focusing their efforts on deposit accounts and paying less attention to other products and services, particularly lending. This article shows how, after conducting a risk assessment, a bank can design a BSA/AML compliance program that fits its risk profile, and then implement risk-based due diligence procedures to minimize lending-related BSA/AML risks. A sidebar lists several borrower red flags that may raise bank suspicions.

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  • BANK Wire – FAF: No independent board for “private company GAAP”

    Winter 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 413

    Abstract: This issue’s “BANK Wire” discusses the Financial Accounting Foundation’s rejection of the concept of a separate accounting standards board for private companies, in favor of a Private Company Standards Improvement Council. It also looks at the revelation of widespread mortgage-related violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and notes a Federal Trade Commission publication that provides a valuable guide to anyone dealing with Fair Credit Reporting Act issues.

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  • Clocking customers’ growth – Watch out for expansion that can veer out of control

    Winter 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 441

    Abstract: When a loan customer’s business is booming, it’s easy to be enamored by the outward signs of prosperity. But there could be underlying patterns of risky behavior that spell trouble. This article uses a hypothetical example to show how rapid growth can be decelerated to a more sustainable rate before a borrower careens out of control. When a lender keeps an eye on the borrower’s debt-equity ratio and profit margins, it can put the brakes on lending if the time is right.

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  • IT security: Is your program still effective?

    Winter 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 782

    Abstract: In June 2011, the FFIEC issued Supplement to Authentication in an Internet Banking Environment, urging banks to tighten their controls on customer authentication. The FFIEC concluded that common authentication methods and controls have “become less effective” in an “increasingly hostile online environment.” This article shows how hackers have become more sophisticated, giving rise to the necessity of developing more complex defenses. These include “layered security” strategies, such as “out-of-band” authentication of high-risk transactions. The article lists additional tools and tactics recommended by the agency.

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  • Take a balanced approach to incentive compensation

    Winter 2012
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 812

    Abstract: For many banks, a strategically designed compensation plan — one that includes performance incentives — is critical to success. But a poorly designed program can encourage executives to engage in activities that maximize short-term returns while putting the bank’s long-term health at risk. This article discusses the FFIEC’s Interagency Guidance on Sound Incentive Compensation Policies and its three key principles to help banks design incentive compensation programs that are both safe and effective. The guidance also identifies four methods currently used to build risk into the compensation decision. A sidebar notes that new compensation rules for large banks could “trickle down” to community banks.

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  • BANK Wire – Tighter cybersecurity rules in place for 2012

    Fall 2011
    Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor

    Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50

    Word count: 416

    Abstract: This issue’s “BANK Wire” notes that, to comply with updated federal banking rules that take effect Jan. 1, banks must add control measures to make Internet banking safer for customers. It also shows how FASB has amended its guidance on determining if a debt restructuring is a troubled debt restructuring (TDR). For most community banks, the guidance will apply to all restructurings after 2011.

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