Banking & Financial Services

Mid-America economy in June shows an advance above growth neutral

June survey highlights from the Mid-America Business Conditions Index show that for a ninth straight month, the overall index rose above growth neutral. On average, bankers estimated that farmland prices declined by 4.0 percent over the past 12 months and… more

Q&A with Paul Holewinski

Q: With nearly a full quarter to assess the implementation of PPP, what’s your take on the overall administration of the program, including protections built in for banks by Treasury and the SBA? A: The first couple of weeks of… more

PPP application window closing today

Three months since the Trump administration launched the pandemic aid program for small businesses worth $670 billion, the window to apply ends Tuesday with about $134 billion in funds obtainable as of Monday night, reports The Wall Street Journal. The… more

Comparing COVID-19 and the Great Recession

The economic downturn the U.S. is seeing today as a result of COVID-19 is beginning to pan out for many much like the Great Recession in 2008 did. Although many comparisons can be made, one difference shown in the data… more

PPP new guidance

A new PPP announcement was made late afternoon Tuesday, the SBA updating forgiveness guidelines for small business owners who have received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program and issuing new guidance titled Interim Final Rule on Revisions to Loan Forgiveness… more

List released of distressed or underserved areas

At a time when many communities across the U.S. are suffering from the financial effects of COVID-19, the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency provide the updated list of… more

In a Nutshell by Ken Herman

The headlines that everyone feared crossed the tape in the middle of last week, when it was reported that a resurgence of COVID-19 cases was hitting Texas, Arizona, Florida, and California. That unwelcome news offered a motive for some aggressive… more

Second PPP loan possible with new bill proposal

Businesses with fewer than 100 employees may be able to draw once again from the Paycheck Protection Program, according to a report from Fox Business. On June 18, the Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program Act was introduced by Sens. Ben Cardin,… more

Banking and Finance eNews – Q&A with: Kristin Tyson

With the elevation of Mike Maddox to chairman, Kristin Tyson has been named president of the Kansas City market for CrossFirst Bank. Since its founding in 2007, CrossFirst has soared past the $5 billion asset level—the growth percentage among banks… more

Rural Mainstreet Index Climbs for June

Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index for June was released today, and if it showed anything, it showed that things in the rural heartland could be worse: After all, they were—in May. The June index, based on surveys of bankers in… more