NAPA, Calif.— NCUA Board Member Rodney Hood shared his thoughts on resiliency in the credit union community and by offering a regulatory update during the first day of ALM First’s Financial Forum here.
In addition, Jason Haley, ALM First’s chief investment officer, shared his latest Economic & Market Update tailored specifically to financial institutions.
“While potential hiccups such as the delta variant and geopolitical concerns persist, the economy remains on solid footing,” Haley told the meeting. “Fed leadership is still guiding for gradual tapering and there are signs of life in lending, but interest margins are under pressure.”
Haley advised financial institutions to focus on profitable risk management, including disciplined asset pricing and capital utilization.
Several ALM First experts also discussed how banks and credit unions can navigate the mortgage market, sharing potential benefits and best practices for effective mortgage pipeline hedging.
Opportunity to Lead With Mortgages
According to Alec Hollis, CFA and Managing Director, community financial institutions have an opportunity to lead with mortgages and should consider all of the profitability levers available as they grow.
The meeting also included two in-depth panel discussions––“Understanding the Opportunity and Managing the Risks of Cannabis Banking” and “Harnessing the Power of Slack Availability in Your Balance Sheet”–on day one. The panels included the diverse perspectives of regulators, banks and credit unions as they shared their personal experiences in the areas of cannabis banking, digital finance, participations and securitizations, ALM First said.
This year’s event is being held at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.