Business Leaders Participate in Virtual U.S.-Mexico Border Summit

Executives from Laredo-based IBC Bank joined the Texas Border Coalition and the Borderplex Alliance for a virtual U.S.-Mexico Border Summit on June 17. This annual event, which typically takes place in-person—brings together business, government and civic leaders to discuss the importance of the border region in increasing the global competitiveness of both the United States … Read more

Bank Mergers and Acquisitions: Outlook and Review in the Middle of Uncertainty

The spread of the coronavirus presents considerable risks to the world economy in general and the banking industry specifically. By some estimates, China saw economic activity cut in half as it worked to treat those infected by the virus and control its spread. World economic activity may rebound quickly if the virus is effectively contained, … Read more

Growth Strategies for Any Economic Environment

In times of uncertainty, organizations have a tendency to put the brakes on, losing sight of long-term strategic initiatives and established growth goals. However, history has taught us that the decisions your bank makes today will have lasting implications tomorrow. Business as usual will return and our strategic initiatives and growth goals will still be … Read more

Pandemic Banking: A Prologue to the Future

“What’s past is prologue.” —William Shakespeare, The Tempest I cannot see the future. Honestly, I am struggling to keep up with the present—but I am taking notes. These notes will serve as the prologue for a future in which there will be plenty of questions about what banks did or did not do to put … Read more

Texas Bankers Hall of Fame Names Five Honorees

The selection committee of the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame has announced its 2020 inductees: the late James B. Bexley, Lloyd R. Ferguson, William David Lacy, Victor Pierson and Allan James Rasmussen. These prestigious Texas bankers will be inducted at the Eighth Annual Texas Bankers Hall of Fame Gala on the campus of Sam Houston … Read more

The Era of ‘Banking as a Service’ Has Arrived

What are the greatest threats to traditional banks? Based on the day that you ask any banker, you may get a different answer to the question. Community bankers have watched as big banks and credit unions have infringed upon their lines of business and customer base. More recently, they have witnessed the emergence of fintech … Read more

Taking a Swipe at Scammers: A Skimmer Primer

As the banking industry improves its security procedures, hardware and software, the bad guys are also stepping up their game. One of their weapons—skimmers—continue to get more sophisticated. At the same time, accountability on the part of businesses deploying unattended tellers has been hard to come by. The following is a quick look at some … Read more

Sifting Through CECL: Challenges and Implications Beyond Provisioning

The Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) standard from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is considered one of the most challenging accounting change projects in a generation, with significant and widespread impact on banks. Not surprisingly, FASB has been inundated with feedback and pushback since CECL was issued in 2016. In early June, two bills … Read more