Challenging Some Traditional Myths in Community Bank Operations

By Achim Griesel and Dr. Sean Payant, Haberfeld Banking, and specifically community banking, is essential to the overall health of our country. By design, it serves as the backbone for our financial system and communities, while playing a crucial role in helping individuals, businesses and governments thrive. In this highly competitive environment, community banks must … Read more

Amegy Bank’s Special Purpose Credit Program a Case Study in American Bankers Association’s Campaign

On February 21, the American Bankers Association (ABA) launched an online resource focused on special purpose credit programs (SPCPs), highlighting Houston-based Amegy Bank’s Small Business Diversity Banking Program (SBDBP) as the SPCP benchmark for banks across the nation. ABA’s webpage outlines how SPCPs work and includes a checklist for banks to follow when developing models … Read more

Comerica Bank Launches SmallBizCo-Op to Support North Texas’ Small Businesses

Dallas-based Comerica Bank is expanding its support for small businesses in North Texas with a new program, Comerica SmallBizCo-Op, which will share the bank’s assets and resources with small-business customers in the region to help them achieve their goals. The pilot program is available at no cost to the bank’s small-business customers in North Texas … Read more

Comerica Bank Creates Collaborative Community Space to Support Small Businesses in Dallas’ Southern Sector

On December 8, Dallas-based Comerica Bank revealed plans for Comerica BusinessHQ, a collaborative space that will provide integral services and value to small businesses in the Southern sector of Dallas. The bank is transforming idle real estate on the first floor of its R.L. Thornton location into a unique community resource that provides high-need, high-opportunity … Read more

A Comment on Implementing Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act

BAILEY ALLEN, PhD Student, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University MIKE MAULDIN, Director of the Excellence in Banking Program, Texas Tech University DREW WINTERS, Pickering Chair in Finance, Texas Tech University The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (hereafter, Dodd-Frank Act) was created—according to the first paragraph of the act itself: “To … Read more

Understanding the Reach of the SBA and Community Banks in Texas

MARK GRIFFITHS, Adjunct Professor, University of Southern California MIKE MAULDIN, Director of the Excellence In Banking Program, Texas Tech University DREW WINTERS, Pickering Chair in Finance, Texas Tech University EDITOR’S NOTE: This research paper—part three of a comprehensive look at the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)—was provided by the Excellence in Banking Program at Texas Tech … Read more

Deluxe Reality Series, Small Business Revolution, Nominated for an Emmy

Minnesota-based Deluxe, a payments and business technology company that serves many community banks in Texas, has received an Emmy nomination for its reality series Small Business Revolution. The program focuses on Deluxe’s small-business expertise to boost struggling small businesses, giving them the tools and solutions to survive and grow. The nomination from the National Academy … Read more

Building—and Rebuilding—the Texas Economy One Business at a Time

As COVID vaccinations increase and mask mandates subside, businesses are beginning to draw sighs of relief, hoping that the worst is behind us and the future brings some sense of normalcy. But there is no doubt that the past 14 months have been fraught with anxiety, not only for the health of our population, but … Read more

A Review of the 2021 Paycheck Protection Program

The 2021 release of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), which was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The new release of the program arrived at the right time, as the health of small businesses had deteriorated toward the end of 2020. In this report, we first … Read more

What was Different in the Second Round of PPP in Texas? Part Two of a Study of the Role of Community Banks in Texas

MARK GRIFFITHS, Principal, MG2 Investments LLCMIKE MAULDIN, Director of the Excellence In Banking Program, Texas Tech UniversityDREW WINTERS, Pickering Chair in Finance, Texas Tech University EDITOR’S NOTE: This research paper—part two of a comprehensive look at the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)—was provided by the Excellence in Banking Program at Texas Tech University and offers documentation … Read more