Finally, some good news for community banks. Actually, many in the community banking and credit union world have known this, but try getting press!
In the New Jersey Business Journal, an article by Beth Fitzgerald tells the story: Small Banks Afforded Opportunities As Larger Counterparts Falter. Perhaps this will give you some talking points as you reassure your business customers and talk to the ones coming to you as refugees from some of the larger banks.
In the article, Michael Horn, chair of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York said
“Community banks didn’t cause the problem, didn’t suffer the problem,
and continue to support their communities — while a lot of the larger
institutions no longer do so.”
That said, one of the lenders in my tax return analysis bank training yesterday said their bank has slowed way down in lending, even though they are sound. I asked what efforts they had made to increase deposits and he said, “None. We were not allowed to call and reassure the customers because the bank management felt we could not make any claims, even though our fundamentals were (and are) very good.”
What message are you giving your customers? Or are you speaking loudly with your silence? Tell me what you have been doing to get the word out that you are still in business and ready to lend?
