Blogs

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 Built-in economic advantages in West Texas — and new voter-approved help for Texas Tech University – will help the region weather economic challenges in the coming year as it has in the past, said James Arnold, president and CEO of First Bank & Trust, a division of HTLF Bank. MARKET ADVANTAGES As President and CEO of First Bank & Trust, a division of HTLF Bank, James Arnold brings more than 20 years of West Texas banking experience with a broad knowledge of the economic outlook and local economies. His thoughts on the 2024...

Businesses across the U.S. display a great deal of resilience as many challenges from 2023 have spilled over into 2024 and new obstacles have left some business leaders uneasy. As businesses continue to face economic uncertainty and fraud attacks remain on the rise, having a reliable banking partner on your team to help guide decision-making will allow you to manage with confidence. In compiling survey results from our clients and reviewing reliable sources, we have created the Financial Feed to provide our market with valuable insights on the future of finance. In The Report: Strategies on...

The potentially transformative capabilities of advanced AI, automation, and robotics technology are ushering in a new era for manufacturing. Yet, at the same time, extracting value from the digital transformation is more complicated than it might seem. Case in point—an overwhelming 88% of companies report difficulties measuring value from technological investments. The same report found that 85% of companies struggle to simultaneously update operating models to accommodate their new visions and cover the upfront investment costs for new technology. These challenges are further compounded for...

Wondering what your aging accounts receivable report can reveal? Uncover five pivotal insights to gain a deeper understanding of your financial landscape. Before we dive into how you can use your aging AR report, let’s establish what it is and what it can tell you about your company. An aging accounts receivable report is a business report that shows customer payment status against current invoices. As a management tool, it’ll tell you when specific customers become credit risks and if your company should continue the relationship. The typical AR report has columns broken into 30-day segments...