Recent News
The Senate has recently passed the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which would roll back financial regulations instituted after the recession. If passed by the House and signed by the President, the Act would reduce the money and resources smaller lenders currently spend on compliance. Savannah Now spoke with Robert James II, President of Carver State Bank, on the impact such legislation would have on CDFI banks. "It really makes sense for smaller banks," said James. "We serve the distressed community, the poorest in Savannah. We make church loans, the... Read more
The CDFI Fund has released its annual report: the 2017 Year in Review. The 60-page report includes the achievements of the CDFI Programs in 2017, as well as key impact data from the history of the Fund. In 2017, the CDFI Fund awarded organizations more than $472 million in financial assistance, loans, and bond guarantees. The CDFI Fund alwo awarded $7 billion in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs), the largest single award round in the history of the program.
Last week, the CDFI Fund awarded 40 organizations $120 million in Capital Magnet Fund Awards for the development of affordable housing and related economic development activities in low-income communities. Five CDBA member banks received CMF Awards: BankPlus in Ridgeland, MS: $700,000; MS; Beneficial State Bank in Oakland, CA: $3 MM; Legacy Bank and Trust in Rogersville, MO: $2.4 MM; United Bank of Alabama in Atmore, AL: $4 MM; and Virginia Community Capital in Christiansburg, VA: $4MM. In total, 7 CDFI banks and 2 CDFI bank holding companies applied, with 55%... Read more
Sunrise Banks CEO David Reiling has been named by Trust Across America as a 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. Reiling is joined by seven other Lifetime Achievement Honorees this year and is the first CEO in the financial industry to receive this award. Honorees stand out as individuals who have been named a Top Thought Leader 5 times and continue to instill the values, principles, and beliefs essential to building a foundation of trust. "I am humbled to be recognized by Trust for a lifetime of achievement and it is an honor to be recognized among such great leaders... Read more
South Carolina Community Bank, plagued by problematic commercial real estate loans and other struggles since the economic crisis of 2008, has witnessed progress in recent months. New president and CEO Dominik Mjartan, in his fourth month at the helm of South Carolina Community Bank, said that it has raised more than $11 million in new deposits and closed more than $3 million in new loans to small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals. "We've cleaned up," said Mjartan. "I believe, and this bank will prove it, that margin and mission are mutually reinforcing." Mjartan... Read more
Urban Partnership Bank in Chicago is considering selling itself. The $484 million-asset bank is seeking to determine possible interest from buyers. David Vitale, Urban Partnership's chairman, said that the bank, which has shrunk over the past seven years, would benefit from being part of a better capitalized entity. Urban Partnership, designated as a minority bank, was formed in 2010 to buy the failed ShoreBank. Vitale said that Urban Partnership could also stay independent, with a decision likely this spring.
Carver Federal Savings Bank disclosed a regulatory filing that it will sell its corporate office building to a unit of New York real estate company Gatsby Enterprises for $19.5 million. The $656 million-asset company said that it will lease a portion of the property for its main office, through it will move its administrative staff to a nearby location in Harlem.
A task force has recently been established to address the issue of banking deserts in and around Shreveport, Louisiana, a city struggling with rampant payday lending. The task force's top priority is to find either a bank or a credit union who could take some of the parish's deposits and open branches inside banking deserts. Louisiana, which has more payday lender storefronts than McDonalds locations, is in dire need of trusted financial institutions. The task force took inspiration from New York state's creation of a new banking development district in the notoriously poor South Bronx.... Read more
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss) will resign from the Senate on April 1, ending a four-decade congressional career and triggering a fall election that could carve new divisions in the Republican Party and endanger the GOP Senate majority. Cochran, 80, has been suffering from health problems in recent months. "I regret that my health has become an ongoing challenge," he said in a statement. "I intend to fulfill my responsibilities and commitments to the people of Mississippi and the Senate through the completion of the 2018 appropriations cycle, after which I will formally retire from the US... Read more
Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is set to launch a new Consumer Finance Marketing Toolkit, an easy-to-use online resource that will help CDFIs strengthen how they market their consumer products and services. Based on a survey of consumers, interviews with CDFIs, and pilot testing with three CDFIs, the toolkit includes customizable marketing materials that reflect a new value proposition intended to attract new consumers to your CDFI. Presenters include Mia Mendoza, Principal of The Mendoza Group, a firm with expertise in multicultural marketing; and representatives of two CDFIs that... Read more
Rogersville-based Legacy Bank & Trust Co. completed its purchase of First National Bank of Clinton. The deal closed on February 16th, with Legacy Bank adding three branches in Clinton and Springfield, Missouri to its portfolio. "Our associates have worked especially hard over the past 12 months in creating new products and services that will not only benefit our existing customers, but also our new customers from First National Bank," said John Everett, president and CEO of Legacy Bank, in a press release. Aaron Buerge, First National's president and CEO, became a... Read more
During this year's Black History Month, OneUnited Bank has presented the #MakeBlackHistory Plan for 30 million Black Americans to use the internet to organize their $1.2 trillion in annual spending power to build wealth and protect the Black Community. OneUnited President and COO Teri WIlliams explained, "We are at a unique point in history when the internet allows us to organize our money at a scale and speed never seen before. Hands down, this is the best time to build generational, personal, and community wealth by using technology and expanding financial literacy."
Last week, the Congressional Research Service provided Congress with a new report on CDFI programs and policy issues. The report discusses the CDFI Fund's history, current appropriations, and each of its programs. It includes a description of the Fund's eligibility criteria for the different programs, and also engages in an analysis of previous reports and studies on the CDFI Fund Programs, including CMF and the NMTC. Finally, it reviews four policy considerations of congressional interest regarding the Fund and the effective use of federal resources to promote economic development.
Around 250 bank mergers and acquisitions take place every year. The merger between Portland-based Albina Community Bank and Oakland-based Beneficial State Bank took several years to finalize, and culminated in last week's signage and branding changes at Albina's five former branches in Portland. Both banks are Certified B Corporations whose bylaws commit them to voluntary annual external reporting on a wide range of social impact metrics. Beneficial State Bank's unusual ownership structure and powerful track record helped convince Albina's former board of directors that the merger was an... Read more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed last month, amounts to a vast cutback in the construction of low-income housing. Because the tax rate for corporations has been lowered, the value of the credits is also lower. "It's the greatest shock to the affordable-housing system since the Great Recession," said Michael Novogradic, managing partner of Novogradic & Company, a national accounting firm based in San Francisco. According to an analysis by his firm, the new tax law will reduce the growth of subsidized affordable housing by 235,000 units over the next decade, compounding an existing... Read more
Capnexus, the online database by Partners for the Common Good for matching capital to community development finance opportunities, will host a webinar on March 8 on how to use the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program for innovative financing. The webinar will feature NMTC experts that will discuss case studies and best practices from various perspectives. The webinar will also discuss best methods that Consultants can use to attract CDEs and Investors to the projects they are marketing. In addition, there will a case study that speaks to developers on risk mitigation of project management... Read more
The Wall Street Journal presents “A Portrait of Poverty in America: Job Insecurity and Payday Lending.” The video examines the rampant poverty and high unemployment levels in Holmes County, Mississippi, and highlights the effort of BankPlus to help citizens make ends meet.
Mission Valley Bank, located in Sun Valley, CA, has just announced that 2017 was its most profitable year to date. "As the founding President of Mission Valley, I am pleased to share that 2017 was another strong year for our organization," said President & CEO Tamara Gurney. Net earnings totaled a 2% increase over those of 2016. As of December 31, 2017, total assets reached $330 million, up $5 million from December 31, 2016.
Historically black banks have had a strong role in black communities. Their loans often finance projects that other banks wouldn't take on, and at fairer interest rates. And yet, policymakers rarely focus on partnering with or addressing the top priorities of black banks. Evelyn Smalls, President and CEO of United Bank of Philadelphia, explained the importance of finding investors who also understand and place value in the mission of a community bank, especially a black-owned community bank. Joe Haskins, CEO of the Harbor Bank of Maryland, elaborated, saying, "If I can raise the capital, I... Read more
Native American Bank, based in Denver, CO, is preparing to open its second retail branch. President and CEO Tom Ogaard explained that the Denver operations have grown and the bank wants to become more visible by opening a retail branch. It currently only has one in Montana. "We've been wanting for some time to create a different presence than we have in Denver," he said. The bank, which has just under $100 million in assets, has a core mission of supporting economic growth in Native communities.