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Building Stronger Communities through Bank Acquisitions

Posted by Wendell Brock on Thu, Aug 13, 2009

The decision to acquire a bank in an underserved community is ultimately based on the investment value of the target bank. But determining that investment value is a tricky proposition; a low-income neighborhood may not offer much appeal currently, but infuse that low-income neighborhood with capital, and the situation might look quite different.

Residents of underbanked communities typically have their financial needs fulfilled by payday loan stores, check cashing establishments, and even unlicensed predatory lenders. The expense associated with these services creates inefficiencies in the cycling of cash within the community. In other words, predatory lenders can drain more money out of the community—through high finance and service charges—than they put into it.

A banking institution, however, can have the opposite effect. When a bank reaches out to underbanked consumers and educates them on the advantages of keeping a deposit account, that bank is also compiling assets that will be returned to the community in the form of loans. Those lend-able funds are the building blocks of home ownership and local business development.

Financial education creates financial efficiencies


Studies have repeatedly shown that financial education is a huge component of attracting and retaining underbanked consumers. A bank that operates effectively in a previously underserved community isn’t limited to showing consumers how to reduce their finance charges, however. The bank can also initiate programs to help consumers develop more efficient budgeting, spending, savings and even tax planning habits. Over time, those cumulative household savings can also be directed back into the community, through discretionary spending.

With a creative vision and effective outreach and education programs, then, a newly acquired bank can anchor a turnaround within an underserved community.

Overcoming the failures of previous banks


The challenges in initiating such a turnaround are large, but not insurmountable. If the target bank is already located within the underserved community, the bank organizers need to understand why that institution wasn’t previously effective. The product and service set, the brand image and the marketing programs (to name a few) need to be overhauled to address the needs and wants of local consumers.

If the target bank is to be relocated to the underserved area, the bank organizers must try to gain some insight from the history of banking in that community. Did previous banks or branches fail? If so, why?

Underserved communities and unbanked consumers obviously aren’t the low-hanging fruit of the banking industry. However, initiating real and positive change within a community is an endeavor that can be both rewarding and profitable. And, because there are many underserved locales in the U.S., the group of bank organizers that defines a workable model for one community has ample opportunity to roll out variations of that model to other areas.

Next week, we’ll discuss marketing strategies for attracting and retaining underbanked consumers.

Topics: bank buy out, Bank Opportunities, Community Bank, failed banks, Buy a bank, mergers and Aquisistions, underserved communities, bank acquisition, Bank Buyers, bank aquisition, underserved areas

How to Buy a Bank

Posted by Wendell Brock on Tue, Aug 11, 2009

An early decision bank organizers must address is whether to buy an existing bank or create a de novo bank. The right choice among these two options is always dictated by the particular set of circumstances faced by the group. At times, as circumstances and opportunities develop, bank organizers may even switch strategies in the middle of the process.

If the decision is made among the organizers to buy a bank, certain steps must be completed in order to get the transaction finalized. While each bank acquisition is unique, the steps generally fall into four major phases.

Phase One: corporation formation


Once the decision is made among the organizers to buy a bank, the group members create a stand-alone corporate entity. The newly formed corporation has two purposes: to purchase a bank and manage the organization’s funds. Other steps that are completed during this phase include:

•    Identification of the target bank
•    Negotiation of the purchase agreement
•    Sourcing and hiring of executive officers
•    Selection of a new bank location, as dictated by the business plan and/or assess the condition of the existing bank location

Phase Two: application


After the target is identified and the stock purchase agreement is in place, the group begins on the change of control application. The business plan within the application includes 10 separate sections; these sections are broken down and worked on until each is at least 80 percent or more complete.

Typically, each organizer must also complete an Interagency Biographical Financial Report (IBFR). This can be one of the most difficult sections; it must include each organizer’s personal and financial records for the previous two years and the current year, as well as projected records for the next year. The organizers should be compiling this information while the other sections of the application are being completed.

Phase Three: pre-file and comment letter  


Once the business plan is 80 to 90 percent complete, the organizers schedule a meeting with the regulating agency. At this meeting, the organizers must explain and defend their business plan to the regulators.

After the pre-file meeting, the group fine tunes and completes the business plan and sends it off to the regulating agency. The agency then has 30 days to make comments and request additional information. Once that request is made, the organizers have 30 days to compile the requested data.

Phase Four: Sell stock/capital and open doors

Often, when a bank is being purchased, a substantial amount (greater than 75 percent) of the capital must be raised by the time the application is filed with the regulators. In the current economic environment, regulators only want to approve “sure deals.” They are so busy with all the banking issues, that capital uncertainty is one issue they do not want to worry about in a purchase transaction.

For this reason, the organizing group is typically left with a private placement offering as the simplest way to raise the capital. Often this is done amongst the organizing group plus a few outsiders. The amount of capital required is dependent on the business plan approved. Typically, the regulators will require additional capital above the purchase price of the target bank to ensure that the new business plan has enough capital to succeed.

Once the capital has been transferred to the sellers of the bank, the doors may open “under new ownership.”

This is just a broad overview of the bank purchase process; each deal has unique circumstances that must be addressed. These circumstances could be legal in nature and involve counsel. Others are small details that can be easily overlooked by organizers. De Novo Strategy, Inc. has the experience and dedication to make the bank purchase project a reality and to help with every step.

Topics: bank buy out, Buy a bank, bank acquisition, bank aquisition, De Novo Strategy, organizers, capital, bank investors, buying a bank, bank applications

Distressed, Underserved Communities Represent Opportunity for Prospective Bank Buyers

Posted by Wendell Brock on Thu, Jul 02, 2009

In June, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) released its 2009 list of middle-income, non-metropolitan community tracts that are distressed or underserved by the banking community. Banks that serve these communities can receive community development loan credits under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).

Prospective bank buyers could use the FFIEC list to identify geographic areas where competition is limited. The industry considers moderate-income and underserved communities to be one of the richest areas of opportunity, but has long struggled to reach those potential customers effectively. A comprehensive community development plan in the right geography could be one method of tapping that potential. Under the right circumstances, the bank has the opportunity to team with community leaders to spearhead economic development that will benefit local residents, businesses and the bank itself.

A strategy to acquire a bank with the intention of serving distressed or underserved markets could involve relocating the acquired institution to the targeted area. In the current regulatory environment, this process could be simpler than attempting to open a new bank. Another option would be to target acquisitions that could be expanded into the distressed/underserved areas with new branches.

Composition of the distressed/underserved list

The 2009 list contains about 4400 community tracts spread out across the U.S., including Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands. The factors influencing the distressed and/or underserved designation include employment trends, poverty, population loss and distance from nearest urban area.

The chart included shows that these tracts are not evenly distributed throughout the country. In fact the state of Texas has more than its relative share, with distressed or underserved tracts located in 126 different counties. Georgia follows, with distressed or underserved tracts in 70 different counties. Mississippi and Kansas have more than 50, while Kentucky, Michigan and Nebraska each have 45 or more.

With the exception of Georgia, these top 12 are concentrated in the central U.S.—which begs some interesting strategic questions. Are these areas currently underserved because existing banks haven’t found a way to serve these communities profitably? Could a forward-thinking organization group create a viable plan to develop a new bank acquisition into a profitable, regional network of branches, with the products and services that would appeal to consumers in these areas? Are these communities underserved because the local economies have been particularly hard hit by the recession, or have they long been overlooked by banking institutions?

Top 12 states with the most underserved or distressed counties

Texas               126    
Georgia             70    
Mississippi         56    
Kansas              55    
Kentucky           49    
Michigan            48    
Nebraska           45    
Missouri             44    
Arkansas           41    
South Dakota    41    
Oklahoma          41    
Montana            41   

Topics: Bank Buyers, bank aquisition, banking opportunity, underserved tracts, distressed counties

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BankNotes© is published by De Novo Strategy as a service to clients and other friends. The information contained in this publication should not be construed as legal, accounting, or investment advice. Should further analysis or explanation of the subject matter be required, please contact De Novo Strategy at subscribe@denovostrategy.com.