Community Banks vs. the Big Banks: Leveling the Playing Field

By DR. SEAN PAYANT, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, HABERFELD In our ever-changing industry, many community bankers fall into the trap of trying to grow market share by following the lead of the “big banks.” Many of them are finding it just doesn’t work. Customers continue to flee from banks that focus on regular service charges and … Read more

Unlocking Growth: A Practical Guide to Leveraging Your Bank’s Data

By ACHIM GRIESEL and DR. SEAN PAYANT In the digital age, financial institutions find themselves sitting on a goldmine of data—a treasure trove with the potential to revolutionize the way they operate. From understanding consumer spending habits to predicting financial needs, institutions want to leverage that data to drive success in an ever-evolving industry. Before … Read more

Challenging Some Traditional Myths in Community Bank Operations

By Achim Griesel and Dr. Sean Payant, Haberfeld Banking, and specifically community banking, is essential to the overall health of our country. By design, it serves as the backbone for our financial system and communities, while playing a crucial role in helping individuals, businesses and governments thrive. In this highly competitive environment, community banks must … Read more

The Loyalty Factor: Translating Relationships into Non-Interest Income

The past year and a half has challenged our industry in ways previously unknown. We began the year expecting our biggest challenge would be the continued growth of deposits at reasonable rates. Today, we are faced with three challenges: a prolonged low-rate environment with continued margin compression; keeping branches open/serving our communities; and an increasing … Read more