Articles & Insights

I recently joked that I have read an article every week for the past year that says a recession is starting the next month. But…

As most investors know, primary mortgage rates are priced off mortgage-backed securities (MBS). The value of MBS, like all long-term fixed-rate bonds, is influenced by…

Longtime financial strategist Jeff Caughron is retiring this year from The Baker Group after decades of service in roles including CEO and Chairman. He offers…

The Asset Liability Management Committee (ALCO) is an integral part in the management of a financial institution. It is the committee responsible for effectively managing…

Seventeenth-century Europe was a period of political and social upheaval led by several powerful countries, including France, England, Spain, and the Dutch Republic. Sébastien Le…

The recent bank failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have shown that liquidity risk can produce a bank failure instantly versus a slower,…

Overview: The speed and magnitude of Fed rate hikes has been unprecedented, and we have emphasized that if continued it would likely force something to…

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) recently announced a decrease to the annual premium charged to borrowers with FHA-backed loans. The reduction goes into effect for…

As we move through 2023, the possibility of a recession is at the forefront of most investors’ minds. Fortunately, most municipalities are in a good…

Bank balance sheets were adversely affected in multiple ways by the speed and magnitude of the rising rate environment in 2022. Most noticeable was the…

The global pandemic set into motion a series of historically unprecedented economic policies. Massive amounts of liquidity and stimulus from policymakers enabled a fast recovery,…

The global pandemic set into motion a series of historically unprecedented economic policies. Massive amounts of liquidity and stimulus from policymakers enabled a fast recovery,…

In science class we were taught that pressure is the application of force against an object. As bankers, we think about pressure as it relates…

In early 2020, municipal credit concerns were abundant and tax revenue plunged due to pandemic shutdowns. Since then, average state and local tax revenue has…

As a young aspiring bank examiner in 2009, I first learned about interest rate risk management during a period of zero interest rate policy, which…

This question is likely to garner different responses, depending on who you ask, and a plethora of caveats. It is a tough call for the…

“The relative calm in financial markets recently has caused a significant degree of complacency. The truth of the matter is that we are probably in…

As if navigating the 2008 Housing Crisis and 2020 Global Pandemic weren’t enough, credit unions now face the most feared economic monster of all –…

As if navigating the 2008 Housing Crisis and 2020 Global Pandemic weren’t enough, banks now face the most feared economic monster of all – inflation.…

In March this year, the Federal Reserve lifted interest rates for the first time since 2018. Today, both the bond market and FOMC have set…