Author: Braddick, Laura

Michaël Dewally, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Finance, Towson University

Yingying Shao, Ph.D., CFA
Associate Professor, Department of Finance, Towson University

In the 2014 Baltimore Business Review, we noted a decline in FDIC-insured commercial banks in Maryland. The numbers had fallen from 106 in 1989 to 45 in 2013. At last count, this number stands at 35¹. Meanwhile, in the most recent Annual Report of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation for the period ending June 2016, the number of state-chartered banks is down to 41². The recent trend stems from 10 mergers in the past three years. Robert DeAlmeida, CEO of Hamilton Bank, cited “low interest rates, increased regulatory demands after the recession and pressure from shareholders” as reasons for the tough times for the banking community.³ Continue reading “Regulatory Compliance Cost for Small Maryland Banks”

 

Mary J. Miller, CFA
Visiting Senior Fellow, Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative

Ben Siegel
Executive Director, Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative

Mac McComas
Program Coordinator, Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative

Baltimore has the potential to be a city that is truly hospitable to small business growth, with all the economic benefits of jobs and tax revenue such growth would bring. But for new and established small businesses to thrive, the city needs a financing system with capacity to meet their needs.

Continue reading “Financing Baltimore’s Growth – Measuring Small Companies’ Access to Capital”

 

Nicola Daniel, Executive Director, CFA Society Baltimore

Fintech — or financial technology — is the latest disruptive innovation taking  aim at the huge institutions that deliver financial services to individuals and businesses today. According to consulting firm KPMG, close to $13 billion was invested in U.S.-based fintech companies in 2016. Globally, venture capital-backed fintech companies raised $5.2 billion in the second quarter of 2017, a number that will surpass last year’s global record if sustained through the end of the year.

Continue reading “The Fintech Transformation”