devastated balance sheets the great majority of the country’s small
and medium-sized banks are in fine financial form, a situation they
are looking to capitalise on.
A typical smaller bank is Tompkins Financial Corporation (TPC),
a New York-based holding company controlling three community banks
with 45 branches. In 2008 TPC reported total assets of $2.9 billion
and deposits of $1.8 billion, up 21.5 percent and 24 percent,
respectively, compared with 2007.
Seizing what it views as a growth opportunity, TPC has awarded
financial services technology vendor Postilion a contract to
significantly enhance customer service. The contract calls for
installation of five of Postilion’s solutions:
• Retail internet banking including transfers, bill payments,
ATM personalisation and user alerts;
• Business internet banking including account, transfers,
payments, payroll, wires, fraud protection and reporting;
• Voice banking including balance inquiry and transfers;

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By GlobalData• Mobile banking delivery via mobile browser or text messaging
with full banking and transactional services; and
• Personal financial management integrated with retail internet
banking.
Commenting, Pierre Naude, president of Postilion’s banking unit,
said: “There is no question that this is a tough year for the
global economy, but many community and regional financial
institutions like Tompkins Financial Corporation are well
positioned to compete in this market and seize the opportunity to
provide more innovative and sustainable solutions.”
Highlighting the resilience displayed by most of the 8,300 banks
in the US, the American Bankers Association (ABA) reported that in
the fourth quarter of 2008 banks continued to lend “actively,” with
two-thirds of all banks actually increasing their lending
portfolios.
In addition, noted the ABA, more than 97 percent of banks
representing over 98 percent of the industry’s assets are “well
capitalised, which is the highest regulatory designation
possible.”