The ABCs of a Constructive Culture

Early in the semester of his supply chain strategy class, Stan Fawcett stands in front of his students with a fresh, yellow ear of corn in his hand. "Do farmers grow corn in Iowa?" he asks, holding the vegetable high. Fawcett is met with puzzled looks. Could a professor really be asking a question so straightforward? Whether the students respond yes or no, all their answers sound more like questions themselves. The stage is set.

Full text is found here: Marriott School

 

Study: Online banking possibly dicier than assumed

Study: Online banking possibly dicier than assumed

By JORDAN ROBERTSON, AP Technology WriterWed Jul 23, 3:05 PM ET

Many banks are unwittingly training their online customers to take risks with their passwords and other sensitive account information, leaving them more vulnerable to fraud, new research shows.

The result is that even the most security-conscious Web surfers could find themselves the victims of identity theft because they've been conditioned to ignore potential clues about whether the banking site they're visiting is real - or a bogus site served up by hackers.

Link to full article: Online Banking

Small Banks: How Fragile Are They?

Credit troubles at many smaller institutions are mounting-and plunging shares make it harder to raise capital to cover losses

by Ben Steverman

A toxic brew of bad bets on ultra-risky debt, a weak economy, and plunging home prices could soon leave some U.S. banks short of the cash they need to stay afloat. Adding to their worries is a sense that it's getting harder and harder for institutions to raise funds.

For the full article see:  Business Week Online

Annual Executive Survey

Grant Thornton 15th Annual Bank Executive Survey

The results are in and the outlook is bleak. Grant Thornton's 15th annual survey of bank executives indicates that bankers are gloomier than ever about the economy. Only 1 in 10 bankers surveyed claimed to be optimistic about the economy, while 54 percent were pessimistic. In the survey's 15-year history, the numbers have never been this extreme. Just three years ago, for example, only 3 percent of bankers said they were pessimistic.

For more information see BankNotes


Banking Articles

A Bank, at Your Service

The number of start-up banks is on the rise, and they're competing with the big boys by catering to business owners.
By: Dan Ackman

Published January 2006

Business owners have always had a love-hate relationship with their bankers--and these relationships have only become more strained as local banks have been gobbled up by large corporations in recent years. Sure, Citigroup and Bank of America offer their clients ubiquitous branches and online banking and even prestige--and there's nothing wrong with that. But try getting a line of credit extended quickly, let alone getting one of the bank's higher-ups on the phone. It rarely happens. And yet there's hope. As the total number of banks shrinks rapidly, a new breed of entrepreneur-friendly bank is emerging to fill the void.

Link:  Inc. Magazine

 

Illinois de novo grows by raising service bar

On May 9, 2007, PeopleFirst Bank, Joliet, 111., surpassed the $50 million asset milestone.

"Your timing for an interview is good," said President Patrick Avendt, who spoke with North'Western Financial Review on that day. "Yesterday, we were below $50 million. We're celebrating. It may seem arbitrary on the surface of things, but for a new bank like ours, growth is what makes us even more confident in what we're doing."

Link: Northwestern Financial Review

 

 

Additional Links

Below are some valuable partner links, review as some may be helpful to your project as well.

CREED | School Kits  Among many things CREED does it also helps children receive an education by providing School Kits.  CREED is a 501(c)3 IRS approved non profit.

SZIGG.com - Classified Web Links

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