The Fed looks at housing market for stability risks, small credit unions face a stark choice, and how to bank the Amish

During the pandemic, huge numbers of Americans reevaluated their living situations? and decided to move – back home, to the suburbs, to the countryside, or to a fast-growing city, especially if they could now work remotely. It’s not a secret that the housing markets in places like Phoenix, Austin or any number of charming ski towns have skyrocketed, making it more difficult for those who are moving in to afford a place to live. All of this makes it a great time to downsize, but a bad time to upsize –? another reason why it’s tough, economically, to be a millennial. Now the Fed is looking at whether the rise in housing prices could be a problem for the financial system.?

Fed eyes red-hot housing market for financial stability risks

“An important question I will keep my eye on is whether the sharp and ongoing increase in home prices poses risks to financial stability,” Fed. Gov. Christopher Waller said during a Thursday webinar on real estate.

Buy now/pay later matchmaker raises $44 million

ChargeAfter, a startup based in New York, has been developing a platform for five years that allows merchants to access multiple BNPL lenders. It recently raised $44 million in Series B financing led by The Phoenix to significantly expand its reach to merchants and lenders.

Merge or die? Small credit unions struggle to stay afloat.

According to fourth-quarter data recently released by the NCUA, the largest number of credit unions sit between $10 million and $50 of assets. But those institutions, which held $37.6 billion in total assets, saw their numbers decline to 1,447 institutions in the fourth quarter, down from 1,541 a year earlier.

BankThink: Bank leaders need to be mindful of own employees' financial struggles

“Why would we think national working-class and hourly employee financial challenges would somehow miss our own teams?” asks Dave Martin.

Bank of Bird-in-Hand thrives in Amish Country with novel outreach efforts

Serving the community is straightforward, with a focus on routine deposit gathering and loans to farmers and small business owners, from woodworkers to carpenters. But in a culture that limits its use of electricity and automobiles, bankers must get to know clients personally to assess credit needs and apply appropriate underwriting methods.

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