Correspondent Blog

We are often asked by lenders about pricing differentials for fixed-rate commercial loans with and without prepayment provisions.  For example, if a bank were to price a loan with a yield maintenance provision the loan would have a much longer expected life, and under most circumstances the bank would not have negative impact if rates…

Community banks have long debated whether profitability is driven by pricing discipline, balance sheet optimization, or credit selection. While each of these factors matters, analysis of client-level profitability across thousands of commercial relationships tells a more decisive story: bank profitability is not built through isolated transactions; it is built through relationships largely characterized by multiple…

In recent articles (last one HERE) we discussed the importance of commercial loan prepayment speeds.  We explained the importance of keeping loans vs. making loans in driving bank profitability.  The key factor affecting a loan’s expected life, after contractual term of the loan, is the specific loan prepayment provision.  The most acceptable, marketable, and enforceable…

We are strong proponents that bankers should be focused on keeping loans instead of making loans. While it is true that banks make loans, originating a loan is an unprofitable business. Banks earn an acceptable return on capital by keeping loans, not by making them. We recently worked with a bank that kept, and increased…

For the second quarter of 2025, there were 11mm checks written every day totaling $34B, according to the latest Federal Reserve data. While the number of checks decline by about 8% every year, the fact that we still have the check is an embarrassment to banking. In this article, we explore what each check likely…

As banks finish strategic planning, it is helpful to understand your bank’s performance assuming you DON’T make any changes. A statistical reliable model that factors historical performance, current business model and future market assumptions allows bank executives to more accurately apply capital, resources, and risk to improve performance with a higher degree of confidence. In…

On the path to improving bank profitability, we concluded our summer performance series for a handful of community banks.  Because of the demand and success of the format, we are extending this program for a “Fall Performance Series.”  For banks that are consistently earning below 1% ROA, we may be able to help increase performance…

We estimate that roughly 10% to 15% of community banks use a loan pricing model and fewer use a risk-adjusted return-on-capital (RAROC) loan pricing version. Most bankers are aware of loan pricing models but choose not to use them for the following reasons: 1) The cost of acquisition and implementation, 2) A lack of time…

We have the privilege of using our risk-adjusted return on capital pricing (RAROC) model, and various other profitability tools, to analyze individual and multi-bank performance.  Our data and analysis strongly suggest that banks that can measure instrument and relationship-level performance for return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) can improve simply by reallocating…

In previous articles (here and here), we discussed how a portfolio of commercial loans with various expected average lives results in different net present value (NPV) of income and return over a ten-year period.  We also identified ten variables that are responsible for extending the average expected life of a commercial loan. As we continue…

In a competitive market for commercial clients, each loan feature can be valuable to a community bank. One such loan feature is a prepayment provision on fixed-rate loans.  Some community banks offer fixed-rate loans through a hedging program and utilize a symmetrical prepayment provision, others community banks will market their fixed rate loans based on…

Last week, we covered the first two steps in using AI-driven marketing data to uncover the customer’s intent. (HERE). This week, we discuss the last two steps and show how generative AI is the new major change in bank marketing when it comes to becoming much more effective at leveraging customer intent. Interpreting topic models…