I have just finished exploring what sets high-performing small and medium-sized banks apart from their less successful peers. We found that winners—those flaunting double-digit returns and growth—strategically manage costs, focus on specific geographies, and commit to their strategies much more…
How your bank can accelerate from $10 to $20 billion
The Efficiency Ratio Rollercoaster: Buckle Up, It’s a Bumpy Ride The efficiency ratio measures non-interest expenses (think salaries, tech investments, and snacks in the breakroom) relative to revenue. A higher ratio? Not so efficient. A lower ratio? You’re probably running…
Six questions banks must answer to grow beyond $10 bi
You might have heard about how bank costs increase as the bank crosses the infamous mark of $10 billion in assets. This is the average efficiency ratio for all US banks by size for 2019 through 2023. And this was…
3 steps to a killer value proposition (from your customer’s perspective)
Most financial services companies are constantly investing in improving customer value proposition. However, how do you decide in which areas to invest? Which investments will result in happier customers and more business? 1. Prioritize them based on your strategic priorities…
Why skillful strategists choose profitable waters
Financial services leaders often overlook the importance of your decision regarding which segments, markets, channels, and products to focus on. One of the reasons is that, while money moves freely, the effort to build channels, brands, products, trust, relationships, and…
How to ace it strategically by understanding your NIM
If you are a bank executive and want to manage the bank’s business strategically, you must understand the key drivers of your bank’s profitability and the trade-offs they imply. For example, to some extent, banks can trade the cost of…
TRAILING THE PECULIAR ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF OPEN BANKING
If you are thinking your response to what is happening around Open Banking, this will provide you with some valuable historical context on how events evolved to get us where we are today: It all started with online banking. Before…
OPEN BANKING MARKET UNLEASHED
As you probably know, worldwide, Open Banking is one of the hottest trends in financial services. Not only is it growing at a breakneck speed, but also its success is inspiring regulators and players in other sectors like finance and…
How to have value indicators for your service team
If your firm is organized around service teams, you may find that understanding and managing their contribution is difficult. It is not easy because it depends on several logic leaps that sound intuitive but are opaque. For example, you may...
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