Local banks are stable

By Brian Reynolds (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Sunday, October 5, 2008

NATCHEZ — As uncertainty spins around some national banks and financial institutions, the Miss-Lou’s banks are on solid ground.

Bankrate.com, which has an “A” rating and a very good reputation with the Better Business Bureau, gives the major local banks high marks. United Mississippi Bank and Delta Bank have “superior” ratings of five stars. Concordia Bank and Trust is “sound” at four stars. Britton & Koontz Bank is “performing” at three stars.

Bankrate.com rates banks on their earnings, asset quality, capital and liquidity in relation to other banks.

Though local bank leaders vary in their opinion of the reliability of the ratings, all agreed that local institutions are safe.

At UMB, the numbers matter, Senior Vice President Mike Ellard said.

“There’s no subjectivity in those ratings,” Ellard said. “It’s pretty much static numbers they’re looking at.”

UMB directs its customers to bankrate.com if they have questions about the bank’s security. It allows people outside the banking industry to have a better understanding of a bank’s financial stability, Ellard said.

Though Concordia Bank and Trust CEO Pat Biglane doesn’t point anyone to the bankrate.com numbers, he does believe all local banks are safe and sound. Biglane said banks are required to meet standards set by the FDIC, and anyone approved by the regulatory board is performing as they should.

“All the banks in the area are good,” Biglane said.

“The rating that counts is the one the FDIC gives, and they can’t make that public.”

And one of the reasons local banks are so strong is because of their customer service, Biglane said.

“We’re the people down street, we coach their kids, we go to church with them,” he said.

Like Biglane, B&K President and CEO Page Ogden said that bank rating sites, like bankrate.com are not completely reliable. If a bank deviates from the normal structure, it may cause the rating to suffer.

Because B&K is a publicly traded company, all of their information is public, and they encourage customers who are interested to look at the information and draw their own conclusions, Ogden said.

Ogden said all the local banks are secure because they did not participate in the subprime mortgage push of several of the national banks.

“From a safety and soundness stand point, you have to ask yourself, ‘How loaned up is your bank?’” Ogden said.

Comparing the smaller bank market to the big boys isn’t always fair, Biglane said.

“It’s frustrating when the banking industry as a whole gets a bad name because of the actions of bigger banks that are regulated differently,” Biglane said.

All three bank leaders said the credit crunch has not affected them, and they are ready and eager to make good loans.