Raddon Report

In a not unexpected development, the Federal Reserve raised short term interest rates again at its Wednesday meeting this week.  This is the ninth rate hike since December 2015, and the fourth in 2018.  At the meeting, the Federal Reserve also indicated that the pace of rate increases is likely to slow in 2019.  What this means exactly is not certain, but the likelihood of four or even three rate increases in 2019 is not high.  In fact, 11 of 17 officials expect no more than two rate increases next year.

What a Conference!

Another Raddon conference is in the books, and what an event it was! So many factors came together to make it exceptional – insightful keynote speakers, engaging breakout sessions, Raddon Rocket cocktails, reasonably good Chicago weather – that everyone involved had a blast.

If you didn’t make it this year, be sure to plan for next year’s event. In the meantime, here are seven key takeaways from the 2018 conference about the industry and the economy.

From 2009 through 2015, anticipated loan demand was on the decline, bottoming out at 19 percent. Since then, the demand has increased sharply. In 2017, 28 percent of consumers reported they anticipated opening a new loan in the next 12 months. Although demand for loans was down slightly in 2018 to 24 percent, it will remain high in the next 12 months. Financial institutions just need to know where to look for it.

A major topic of conversation at the September 2018 Performance Analytics workshops was the need for financial institutions to focus on deposit retention. Loan growth (9.9 percent) continues to outpace deposit growth (5.8 percent) as loan-to-deposit ratios increase. The average loan-to-deposit ratio is now in the mid-80s (a number of financial institutions exceed 100 percent).

Everyone appreciates a good recommendation.  Whether it’s a restaurant, a housekeeper or someone to help you with financing your home, we value a referral from a family member or friend.  Advocacy, defined as support or recommendation for a certain cause, can be such a powerful tool: it can not only get the word out about your business, but can also boost the overall financial performance of your organization.

Community banks and credit unions have done poorly in attracting Hispanic customers. Andrew Vahrenkamp from Raddon, explains why and offers some possible ways to build relationships with this strong and growing market segment.

We are approaching strategic planning season again, and the competitive environment has not simplified for most financial institutions.  This business never seems to get easier, does it?  As institutions try to balance growth and profitability, here are five big questions to consider.  To get our full insights in each of these areas and much more, consider attending our second annual Raddon Conference this November 5-7 in Chicago!

The release last week by the Commerce Department that GDP grew at an annualized rate of 4.1% in the second quarter was notable for several reasons.  First, as widely noted, this was the strongest economic growth seen since 2014.  Second, both consumer spending and business investment remained strong, with non-residential fixed investment up 7.3%.  Perhaps most symbolically, the U.S. is now at $20 trillion in annualized GDP.