Recovery on Main Street: Small banks are lending again

Smaller banks have sharply stepped up lending for commercial real estate development and business expansion, an important sign that the economy is shedding the last vestiges of the Great Recession.

These loans underwritten by smaller banks – regional banks with assets below $50 billion and community banks with assets below $10 billion – are growing almost twice as fast as those underwritten by the biggest banks.

By Kevin G. Hall and Dian Zhang

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/09/262640/recovery-on-main-street-small.html#storylink=cpy

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Montana Bankers Association

The Montana Legislature’s Third Quarter work begins Thursday, March 5, 2015. MBA’s Legislative Agenda is making positive progress. Some problematic bills have failed to move forward and several industry supported bills are beginning their second phase as Legislators return from a well-deserved break at home.

The Session’s Second-Half will see Legislative consideration on a number of high-profile issues, including passing the state’s budget (looking at both spending and tax reform), expanding Medicaid, funding a state-wide Pre-Kindergarten program, ratifying the Flathead Water Compact and addressing a host of other water related issues.

MBA’s Government Relations Committee will be actively monitoring the issues and directing the GR staff’s actions during the last half of the Legislature. At the federal level, Eight MBA bankers will be attending this month’s ABA Government Relations Summit. The bankers will be encouraging the Montana Congressional delegation to support action on cybersecurity, reg relief for community banks, rejecting the credit unions’ expanded business lending effort and ending their outdated tax exemption and stronger Congressional oversight of the Farm Credit System uncontrolled mission expansion.

We value your input and comments so feel free to contact me ([email protected]) or our staff at [email protected].

http://www.montanabankers.com/