The discord within the financial industry has resulted in the U.S. Treasury and federal regulators enacting unprecedented measures to help stabilize the nation’s financial and banking systems. The recently adopted TARP Capital Purchase Program can …

So again, out in the wilderness, we hear a siren’s call. This time it sounds like “Rewards!”

I admit, Rewards! seem pretty appealing. Give your customers fabulous cash and prizes in exchange for their everlasting love and adoration. Certainly, it’s worked wonders for the airlines, who pioneered the points program concept. Look at how much their frequent flier programs have helped them become such successful, profitable… oh, never mind.

Lost in all the media handwringing about the state of the financial services industry is the fact that the majority of financial institutions are fundamentally sound. Most did not engage in subprime lending, and while the growing softness in the economy and real estate markets impacts us all, most institutions are well-capitalized and positioned for the future. The essential question is: Do your customers know this? Asked a different way, how do we turn lemons into lemonade?

Much to the chagrin of certain strategy firms and facilitators, there is no single “best practice.”  The best strategy is the one that accomplishes clearly stated and defined objectives. It is also a realistic and achievable …

Wachovia. WAMU. Merrill Lynch. What happens with acquisitions of this magnitude?
Employees leave. Branches close. Fees are increased. Products are changed.  Customers become dissatisfied. And consumers and businesses change banks — lots of them.  Our research tells us checking accounts close for a variety …