Blogs

A year ago, a headline “The Recession of 2023 might surprise everyone” would have been prescient simply because it didn’t happen. On the contrary, last year showed surprising resilience and a pace of growth no one expected, despite forecasts of a slowdown or recession by most economists. 2023 was supposed to have been the year in which the economy succumbed to the sharpest increase in interest rates in four decades; tightening lending standards by the banks; and the end of pandemic-era government spending. Accumulated savings from Covid-related shutdowns and receipts of stimulus checks were...

Commonly known as the Beige Book, this report is published eight times per year. Each Federal Reserve Bank gathers anecdotal information on current economic conditions in its District through reports from Bank and Branch directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts and other sources. The Beige Book summarizes this information by District and sector. An overall summary of the twelve district reports is prepared by a designated Federal Reserve Bank on a rotating basis. Overall Economic Activity Retail sales, including autos, remained mixed; sales of...

Banking partners you can count on to help you achieve growth goals Wisconsin’s strong manufacturing economy is expected to remain solid in 2024 as businesses focus on increasing margins that took a hit during COVID and the following years. Starting in 2022 and throughout 2023, there was a pullback of capital investment. The level of expansion, new equipment, and growth investments was tepid. While companies, post-Covid, are focused on driving up their returns from the investments they made in 2021 and 2022, that should not hold back manufacturing in 2024. “We’re also seeing a normalization of...

Economic hurdles are still a major factor for businesses in 2024. Many are recovering from the Great Resignation and employee retention has never been more important for resiliency. On the other hand, many businesses are seeking new ways to streamline cash flow, increase operational efficiency, and retain clients. After conducting compelling research and interviews with subject matter experts, Financial Feed covers valuable insights on the economy, business strategies, and more. In it, you’ll discover: Employee retention strategies that impact the bottom line Business strategies for resiliency...

Fraud continues to be a challenge for many organizations. According to the 2023 Association for Financial Professionals, 65 percent of organizations report that they continue to be targets of fraud. And as the payments landscape continues to evolve, fraudsters are evolving their tactics too. Targets of Payments Fraud Check issuing continues to decline as the number of organizations using digital payments increases. The mass adoption of digital payments is partly due to the remote work environment. Electronic payment usage increases may also be the reason there has been an uptick in ACH fraud...