I have evaluated the health of financial institutions and the financial sectors they operate in for over 40 years. One thing I have discovered is that lending money is not rocket science. At its core, commercial banking is based on a simple concept of buying and selling money. However, many governments, lending organizations, and regulatory…
Good governance is a necessity for a well-functioning organization. It safeguards against irresponsible behavior, which is necessary given a company’s accountability to shareholders, employees, customers, and the wider community. Generally, governance is about building transparency, maintaining integrity, and upholding the rule of law. However, we must understand that the nexus of governance and leadership accountability is a…
Over the years, I have been asked to advise numerous domestic and international clients regarding acquiring a commercial bank or other type of financial institution. Generally, the discussions involve one of the following scenarios: Purchase of an existing healthy bank from the current owners; Purchase of a failed institution from FDIC or the Government Agency…
What is the End Game? Over the past several weeks, I have gone back and forth on whether to write another article on the war in Ukraine. It seems that the world has moved on from the atrocities being committed in this war. The focus in America seems to be more on what is going…
To say that International Development Programs have come under intense scrutiny over the past few weeks would be quite an understatement. As someone who has worked on these programs, I can certainly understand the skepticism and questions concerning the value of many programs. Before reviewing my involvement in these programs, let’s examine the different economic…
Peace and Security – At What Price? Let me say this right up front: The civilized world needs a Russian defeat. A year ago, it seemed that Putin would lead a weakened and battered country. The United States (US) and Europe (EU) had a window of opportunity to send the Russians home with their tail…
This message is a continuation of my journey and story about the current happenings in Ukraine. Part I was a story and reflection involving my travels and personal observations of the journey. As I previously noted, there is still a lot of misinformation and propaganda regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There are many stories…
Interpretations of the law, conclusions of law, expert opinions on the application of law to facts or use of a term that has both an everyday meaning as well as a legal one: What is an expert witness allowed to say when matters of law and matters of fact are intermingled? The boundaries on what…
Financial institution fraud is a growing threat in today’s complex financial landscape. As transactions become more sophisticated, so do fraudsters’ methods. There is no single reason behind the occurrence of fraud. During my forty-year career, I have often found that fraud is committed due to weaknesses in a company’s operations. I have also seen that…
Last week, I was reading an article on Yahoo Finance and was shocked to learn this statistic. According to the Milken Institute, less than 40% of Americans are financially literate; however, a much higher percentage think they are. While this may seem to be an individual problem, the truth is that it causes significant issues…