Main Session I – High Performance Idea Exchange
Facilitated by Julia Hernandez, Executive Vice President, The CorePoint
The High Performance Idea Exchange provides an open forum for senior lending and senior credit officers to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing community banks today. Facilitated by an industry expert, the session allows attendees to actively contribute and determine the topics of discussion. This unique format gives participants the chance to shape the session dialogue and fosters the free exchange of information among peers. Ideas shared typically focus on hot topics in the industry, including the various loan strategies, risk management tactics, services and products that have proven successful for today’s community banks. This session will:
- Consider ways to promote and encourage more innovation in the lending area for enhanced profitability
- Share ideas to increase earnings and compete effectively in the current lending environment
- Provide an opportunity for attendees to develop knowledge in areas of utmost importance to today’s lending and credit executives
Main Session II – High Performance Idea Exchange
Facilitated by John Hurlock, President, SMARTER Risk Management
Where are the opportunities? Uncertainty is not always a friend to the community banker. And we continue to be in a state of uncertainty. For example, while deposit/funding costs are expected to decrease, the growth of deposits is expected to be sluggish. And lending opportunities are expected to be slow to moderate. Regulations are expected to be reduced. Will the FDIC be eliminated? What about AI? These are many of the same issues we have faced throughout time; Uncertainty provides a heightened need to understand how to successfully operate and grow.
Things to consider:
- How are you addressing operational efficiency? What technologies are you deploying to be more efficient? Are your service providers offering AI solutions to increase efficiency?
- How have you changed the types of loans you are making? Have you restructured your loan portfolio? Are you modifying terms on credits? Are you making more exceptions?
- What new products and services are you offering?
- Are you acquiring loans from FinTechs or other third party providers?
- What stress tests are you performing?
- How do you think the regulatory exam will be different?
- Has staffing stabilized? Are you staffing from out of your market
General Session – Economic Update
The Economic Outlook for 2025 and beyond: How will the economy respond to the new administration in Washington DC, increased energy production, and a determined Federal Reserve?
Facilitated by Dr. Ed Seifried
The US economy grew by 1.9% and 2.5% in 2022 and 2023 respectively. The growth continued in 2024 with the most recent third quarter GDP growth rate of 2.8%. Under normal circumstances these growth rates do not seem exceptional, however when one considers that this growth was obtained while the Federal Reserve’s battle against inflation, with its extremely high rates was underway, the growth in the economy seems remarkable.
The Fed seems to be winning the war against inflation and has already begun to lower its policy rate. The fed policy rate at one point was at its highest level in over 20 years. The expected rate cuts projected for calendar year 2025 are significant. It seems likely that the Fed will accomplish the once thought impossible, a soft landing.
However, with a new administration in Washington DC, the strong likelihood of much higher energy production, and the reduction of growth-suffocating government regulation, the economy is poised for much higher growth. But could this growth reignite inflation?
Will the new administration’s plan for massive deportation negatively impact the labor markets and drive up wages and inflation, which would require the Fed to put the brakes on its interest rate normalization plans?
Dr Ed will tackle these issues and much more in our 2025 spring sessions.