Our Federal Reserve doesn’t control events around the world, like a ship being stuck in the Suez Canal, or the current Red Sea geopolitical aggression, which can impact our inflation rate or how much money companies or individuals earn. The world changes. What was it like going to a concert 60 years ago? This will give you an idea. Concerts have become huge moneymakers. Along those lines, but in a different industry, the Financial Times reports that JPMorgan took almost a fifth of total US bank profits in the first nine months of 2023! Too big to fail? For those playing along at home, the ten largest banks, when that concert was filmed, were Bank of America, Chase Manhattan Bank, First National City Bank of New York, Chemical Bank New York Trust Company, Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, Manufacturer’s Hanover Trust Company, Bank of California, Security First National Bank, Banker’s Trust Company, and First National Bank of Chicago. Now the list is JPMorgan Chase, Ban
Here’s what happened when a company relied on forecasts and rate predictions during late 2022 for its business in 2023. You’d have a come-apart! Speaking of losing one’s cool, how do you think IMBs feel about this Bloomberg story about how mortgage fees at banks are less than at non-banks? In STRATMOR Group’s December Insights Report, STRATMOR provides key takeaways that will help lenders think outside the box, evaluate new strategies, take risks and survive the downturn that is likely to continue into the first quarter of 2024. Lenders are looking at rising credit costs, asking if there alternative financing strategies versus traditional warehouse lines, is there a “best” technology underwriter, and how are lenders handling HPML loans, like sharing the cost between a branch and corporate? Today’s podcast can be found here, and this week’s is sponsored by Lender Toolkit’s AI-powered AI Underwriter and Prism borrower income