Chris Landon

PERS selects MUFG Investor Services for securities lending. The Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi was established to provide retirement benefits for all state and public education employees https://lnkd.in/e2zYgWYD #SecuritiesLending #banking

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Did you know: Black-owned businesses are among the fastest growing within the middle market segment. The National Center for the Middle Market and Wells Fargo Commercial Banking recently examined the current state of Black-owned businesses within the middle market segment. Learn more about the findings.

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Government regulation and in this case overreached have consistently resulted in the pushing individuals and businesses to non-bank lenders and less regulated options which is not good for the consumer. Today 62% of all mortgages are originated by non-banks and 70% of all small dollar loans are originated by unregulated non-banks.

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JPMorgan Chase is doubling down on an unexpected strategy: expanding its physical presence in underserved urban and rural markets. This isn't just about opening branches — it's about creating community hubs. Chase plans to establish over 100 new locations, including full-fledged "Community Center" branches offering financial education alongside traditional banking services. They're also hiring 75 additional community managers by 2030 to spearhead local outreach efforts. "This is not just 'do-gooding,' this is business," Jamie Dimon, Chase's CEO, told the Wall Street Journal. And he might be onto something. Early results from their Harlem flagship suggest this model can successfully attract new accounts and deposits. For Chase, it's a strategic play. It allows them to grow in ways regulators are likely to support, while tapping into underserved markets with significant potential. For community banks, it presents both a challenge and an opportunity to innovate in their approach to local banking. As Gina Bleedorn, CEO of Adrenaline, puts it: "What Chase is doing is what everyone should be doing, in a way. They need to be creating community-oriented centers that are focused on advice and building financial literacy."

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WHAT MAKES COOPERATIVES TICK? Banks remain a respectable business financing partner. They can provide big loans, up to hundreds of millions, plus other financial services. But through the years I have come to realize that cooperatives are the preferred fund source among community residents, in spite of some cooperatives collecting higher interest rates than banks do. Why are they so popular? Having been involved in cooperatives for so long, I have my own thoughts about this. But, nevertheless, I asked, and these are what I got. 1.     Cooperatives are grounded where the borrowers are. Most community cooperatives are located right where the members are. And the members, who are also the borrowers, can come and apply for loan as if it were ordinary, rather than having to prepare for a bank loan.  2.     They entertain small loans. In fact, a small loan may not be something one would apply for in a bank. If a member needs cash to pay school fees, take a family member to a hospital, or needs more funds to buy equipment for his/her business, a visit to the neighborhood cooperative is easy. 3.     Loan requirements are easier to meet. Some banks require documents which ordinary people find difficult to produce, like income tax return, or construction plan for simple house improvement. These may not be much of a requirement in a cooperative loan. While these documents should easily be available, a community resident can find it cumbersome to produce. 4.     Processing time is shorter. If making small loans, and the member has been a good payer in previous loans, this should be a breeze, done in an hour or less. Of course, in cases of bigger loans (e.g., hundreds of thousands or millions), more documents may be asked for, much like in a bank. 5.     They are less fancy, less intimidating, and more approachable. The good thing is that members can apply for loan in a cooperative as if it were commonplace. Banks usually come with an image of something big, imposing and difficult to convince . In contrast, the cooperative is usually simple, not so big, the office staff are more accommodating, and the ambiance is more casual. But, in my opinion, the one big reason why ordinary people prefer to borrow from the cooperative is that the borrowers themselves own the cooperative. And being the owners they are the highest authority to decide how it should be run.  More importantly, the earnings from the interest they pay go back to them, the borrowers themselves, as Interest on Share Capital and Patronage Refund. Members get the financial help they need, when they need it, and they share the surplus from its operation, in addition to other benefits and services. After all that is what a cooperative is for. Isn’t that wonderful!

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Get timely perspectives from PNC on economic and financial trends impacting your business today, and see how you can prepare for tomorrow. https://pnc.co/4cHD15Y

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Get timely perspectives from PNC on economic and financial trends impacting your business today, and see how you can prepare for tomorrow. https://pnc.co/4e1ZGug

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Community credit unions have long been pillars of support in underserved areas, and after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s Cooperativas were no exception. Inclusiv’s work in #PuertoRico is a powerful example of how mission-driven financial institutions can drive lasting change. By equipping Cooperativas with the tools to access $308 million in CDFI grants, Inclusiv not only supported local communities but also paved the way for sustainable growth. Now, with the historic $1.87 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Inclusiv is leading the charge to ensure low-income communities across the U.S. can benefit from the clean energy economy. Read more about this critical work from Mastercard Strive USA grantee Inclusiv in our latest article: https://bit.ly/4d6zmhH #GGRF #MastercardStrive #InclusiveGrowth #FinancialInclusion #SmallBusiness 

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In the US, community credit unions are key players for directing federal funds for energy efficiency, electrification and carbon reduction to the right local businesses. This approach not only supports communities in transition but also sets a model for globally scaling sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Learn more in this post. #inclusivegrowth #climateaction

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Why did Republic Bank fail, what did it cost the industry and what can we learn from it? Chris Nichols has some answers in this timely post.

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Today, we named four bankers to our Minority Depository Institutions Subcommittee. Tune in on May 1st as this panel meets to address key challenges and opportunities for our nation’s minority banks. https://lnkd.in/ejWEaHU4

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 1033 rule makes main stream media! Education of consumer is beginning. Now my parents believe that what I've been predicting in banking is actually going to happen. Adam Rust Director of Financial Services at Consumer Federation of America has a few quotes in the article as well. Great job Adam! https://lnkd.in/gxhDiCq3 OpenFinity #openbanking #openfinance #embeddedfinance

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I left a securities lending job at Blackrock in December of 2019 to return to the SBA space. I barely knew 504, which I originated for 1 year fresh out of school in 2015. I didnt know 7a, I was essentially starting from scratch. Little did I know what I would be getting into with a pandemic on the horizon, or how hard it would be to build trust amongst business owners when the world was upside down. Who would want to trust an unseasoned BDO from 2020-2021, right? Fast forward to this year, which has been my best. I have 40 units in our system with 10+ more expected before year end. Average deal size of $1.6MM across bizaqs, CRE deals, start ups, and construction projects. With interest rates and inflation being high, its nice to know I've built trust amongst my clients and referral partners as a proven SBA expert, far from the novice that was me in 2020. I'll post final statistics year end for you all to see (closings, deal types, etc) #sba #smb #loans #smallbusiness #businessacquisition #realestate #lending #construction #commercialrealestate #interestrates

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We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. Our solutions are customized to fit the specific needs of your institution, helping you stay ahead of industry changes and regulatory demands. 🤝 Let’s connect and find out how our team can help take your bank to the next level. TheBankersSolutions.com #BuildaBetterBank #RegulatoryCompliance #BankingRegulations

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We feel the same, Christopher Williston VI, CAE. Kudos to The Baker Group and IBAT. Very comforting to see such strong passion, leadership and commitment to the future of our vital community banks. #communitybanking #regionalbanking #IBAT #visibility #strategicvisibility #communitybank #risk #finance #fintech #opportunities #riskmanagement #ERM #ECRM #engagement #banking #CFO #enterpriseriskmanagement #CECL #credit #creditrisk #creditriskmanagement #CRO #compliancerisk #compliance 

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