Archive for the ‘Current Banking Issues’ Category

 

Are there any plans to have an office in the downtown area of Lincoln? You have to live on the outskirts of Lincoln to use one of your offices, especially since you can’t deposit in an ATM and have same day credit. – 17. September, 2009

Thank you for taking the time to ask me about our plans for branching in Lincoln. We have discussed adding a downtown location over the years, but thus far the right combination of timing, location and demand have not all come together. Unless we have the opportunity to purchase an existing branch from another bank, I don’t anticipate that we’ll be downtown in the near term.

The second part of your question is something I’d also like to address: The one-day delay in posting ATM deposits is something that we’ve had to adopt recently. A few bad apples spoiled the lot, as they say, and were making fraudulent deposits at ATMs, then withdrawing the cash they claimed to have deposited. Unfortunately, our only defense against that type of fraud is to verify the deposit the next business day, then credit the account. This has inconvenienced honest people like you, and we regret that it had to be done.

Since you have begun your career in banking what type of changes have you seen that have been a positive for the banking industry and what type of changes have been the downfall for the banking organizations? – 4. September, 2009

The most positive changes to come about in my 30-plus years in banking are mostly related to technology improving the delivery of banking services. ATMs, 24-hour phone banking and certainly the Internet and online banking allow customers to access and manage their accounts well beyond the branch and traditional banking hours

On the more negative side, banking has become such an over-regulated industry that it is difficult to provide the level of personal service that was common in the community banks of 20 years ago. Certainly, regulation and oversight are important in ensuring that banks are well-run, but we’re nearing the point now where over-reaching regulations are creating barriers to service, ultimately hurting consumers and banks, in my opinion.
 

Do you think the $250,000 FDIC deposit insurance will last forever? – 1. September, 2009

There is a lot of support in the banking industry to maintain the insured limit of $250,000 on accounts in FDIC insured banks. However, it is difficult to know how long it will last. Currently, the FDIC has extended what they considered the temporary coverage of $250,000 through December 31, 2013. The Transaction Account Guarantee Program that covers deposits in non-interest bearing accounts of any amount has been extended through June 30, 2010.