Understanding the Reach of the SBA and Community Banks in Texas

MARK GRIFFITHS, Adjunct Professor, University of Southern California MIKE MAULDIN, Director of the Excellence In Banking Program, Texas Tech University DREW WINTERS, Pickering Chair in Finance, Texas Tech University EDITOR’S NOTE: This research paper—part three of a comprehensive look at the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)—was provided by the Excellence in Banking Program at Texas Tech … Read more

Will Varo Bank be the Pin that Pops the Fintech Valuation Bubble?

Every banker has read the sensational headlines of massive funding rounds at almost unfathomable valuations for almost any company with a fintech moniker. They also know the narrative; bankers are greedy and dumb, credit unions are slow and can’t innovate, and morally superior (here again) fintechs are here to disrupt the trillion-dollar financial services industry, … Read more

Loan Admin 101: Effective Loan Administration Crucial in Pandemic Era

Effective loan administration will protect margins and balance sheets at banks over the next year as financial institutions handle the effects of the pandemic-induced economic crisis. In any economy—but especially in the current one where borrowers’ financial situations are changing or highly uncertain—financial institution loan administration systems deserve a checkup and, in some cases, an … Read more

FinTegration Strategist: Community Banking’s Access to the Technology Ecosystem

What if we could predict the weather? On September 5, 1862, this question led James Glaisher to do something no one had ever done before. Along with aeronaut Henry Tracy Coxwell, he stepped into a hot-air balloon and ascended to heights never before reached, almost 36,000 feet. Before eventually passing out due to a lack … Read more

Building—and Rebuilding—the Texas Economy One Business at a Time

As COVID vaccinations increase and mask mandates subside, businesses are beginning to draw sighs of relief, hoping that the worst is behind us and the future brings some sense of normalcy. But there is no doubt that the past 14 months have been fraught with anxiety, not only for the health of our population, but … Read more

While You Were Taking Care of Your Customers

For more than a year, community bankers have been hard at work saving the nation’s small businesses via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The effort has been nothing short of heroic—and, from what I am hearing, PPP didn’t just provide short-term income for community banks in 2020; the relationships earned with new customers in the … Read more

IBAT’s VendorConnect Offers a Virtual Improvement Over Old-School Meet-’n’-Greets

Many aspects of life are beginning the return to normal. In a number of ways, we can see light at the end of the tunnel. We look forward to the days when we can do things the ways that we had before, prior to COVID-19. But we are also asking: Should everything go back to the way … Read more

A Review of the 2021 Paycheck Protection Program

The 2021 release of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), which was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The new release of the program arrived at the right time, as the health of small businesses had deteriorated toward the end of 2020. In this report, we first … Read more

Let Me Tell You a Story

Let me tell you a story. It’s not my story, but it is one I seem to be hearing a lot these days: The world of financial services is changing. It is changing fast. Everything is shifting overnight. Even while you sleep, someone is getting a leg up on you. As a banker, you are … Read more

The COVID Cost Shift

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted banking. Changing consumer behavior has created new habits that will last a lifetime. Remaining relevant in an evolving competitive landscape reshaped by the pandemic is the challenge. Financial institutions that successfully realign network delivery to traverse this challenge will emerge with the ability to capture present and future opportunities. Productivity … Read more