A Bank That Understands Entrepreneurs?

After years of searching, small business finance expert Ami Kassar thinks he’s found one.

Good Morning!

Here are today’s highlights:    

• Some entrepreneurs are drawn to the challenge of reversing the blight on America’s Main Streets.

• When Tulsa started paying people to move there, good things happened.

• The Wall Street Journal says Donald Trump’s tariffs would have a radical impact on world trade.

• Can you imagine running a business where you’re not allowed to deduct business expenses?

BANKING

Ami Kassar has been looking for a bank: “Like many entrepreneurs, our banking relationships have had ups and downs. When we started, we used Wells Fargo. Philosophically, I didn’t like working with a big bank. I never thought I was important to them, but I also never prioritized making a change. And then, one day, they lost one of my wires. After spending more than eight hours talking to people in at least a dozen states, I’d finally had enough. We moved to one of our smaller community bank partners (2,500 miles away), a bank we knew well. I no longer had a branch to go to and found I didn’t need it.”

• “Our new bank did pretty well for us until it dawned upon me, when interest rates started increasing, that they weren’t paying us anything for the money sitting in our account. And then, suddenly, over the last few months, these sneaky little $40, $50, and $60 monthly account-analysis charges started showing up for no apparent reason.”

• “Just a few weeks ago, one late night, when I was fighting insomnia and checking my LinkedIn feed (which usually puts me to sleep), I saw that an old friend had moved to a bank I had never heard of, Owners Bank. And suddenly, lightbulbs went off.”

• “I love that Owners Bank is the innovative digital arm of an old-line, established, conservative bank, Liberty Bank, which is based in Connecticut. It is important to work with a stable bank. I encourage business owners to check out Bauer Financial for a financial report on their bank. If you want to look up Owners Bank, you have to search for Liberty Bank. You’ll find it has five stars.” READ MORE