BankingCash & Working CapitalThe NeuGroup Insights Interview
February 28, 2024

C2FO’s CEO: Early Payment Proponent, Financial Friction Foe

The views of Sandy Kemper—entrepreneur, rancher and former bank CEO—on the Strategic Finance Lab podcast. C2FO CEO Sandy Kemper, in a Strategic Finance Lab podcast interview you can listen to now on Apple and Spotify, describes how the fintech he founded in 2008 provides fast, flexible access to low-cost working capital to suppliers, some of whom struggle to get bank loans. C2FO’s platform enables large corporations to pay their suppliers early in exchange for a discount set by the supplier. Mr. Kemper says early…
BankingTalking Shop
February 28, 2024

Talking Shop: Bank Criteria for Granting Deposit Rate Premiums

Editor’s note: NeuGroup’s online communities provide members a forum to pose questions and give answers. Talking Shop shares valuable insights from these exchanges, anonymously. Send us your responses: [email protected]. Context: The Federal Reserve’s 11 increases in the fed funds rate since March 2022 have changed bank deposit dynamics. NeuGroup senior executive advisor Jerry Olivo, a former banker who leads NeuGroup for Regional Bank Treasurers, says the higher rate environment means institutions now have to compete for so-called sticky deposits as customers move money elsewhere.…
BankingCapital MarketsD&I
February 21, 2024

Shifting Tides: The Role of DEI Firms in Capital Markets

New NeuGroup Peer Research shows DEI firms enjoy support among corporates but face headwinds in the current ESG climate. A new NeuGroup survey reveals that 66% of corporate treasuries include diverse-owned firms in their capital markets deals, including bond underwriting, commercial paper (CP) and open market repurchase (OMR) programs. The survey, conducted in collaboration with Sustainable Fitch and the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP) in December 2023, explored the level of engagement between treasury and diverse-owned firms.Shifting winds. NeuGroup members who responded to the survey cited…
BankingTechnology
February 21, 2024

Seeking Solutions, Pushing Banks for Change on Signer Management

As NeuGroup members unite to lobby banks, digital signer portals from Citi and J.P. Morgan create buzz. Frustration with the inefficiencies of tracking and updating signers on bank accounts has pushed some members of NeuGroup for Global Cash and Banking to form a subgroup to present a united front in asking banks for digital solutions and standards that will provide real-time visibility to signer data (Step 1) and, ideally, make it possible for that data to flow directly into treasury management systems…
BankingCash & Working CapitalTechnology
December 13, 2023

A Journey With J.P. Morgan To Improve Cross-Border Payments

How one member uses the blockchain-based JPM Coin System to streamline cash sweeping. One NeuGroup member whose company operates in Asia, North America and Europe faced a persistent issue with cash trapped in bank accounts after closing hours. To address the problem, he was invited to collaborate with Onyx by J.P. Morgan—and in the process helped shape a new infrastructure for instant payments built on the blockchain. The member, along with a small group of peers, worked with team members from…
BankingCash & Working CapitalESG
November 29, 2023

Cashing In: Trade Finance Fuels Working Capital, Boosts Sales

How HSBC helped an energy company optimize working capital, boost sales and keep a key client happy about payment terms. Earlier this year, the treasurer at a clean energy company found himself in a precarious position: he needed to get cash in the door faster to fund operating expenses, but the corporate’s annual revenue is heavily reliant on a few large clients who had negotiated long payment terms. At a recent session of NeuGroup for ESG, the treasurer dug into the…
BankingRisk Management
October 5, 2023

Creating a Plan B for Bank Failure

SVB’s failure has pushed the conversation about backup cash management banks to the forefront for more companies. Shifting business to a new cash management bank is a huge ordeal for corporate treasury teams, but concern about bank creditworthiness, triggered by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), is leading more treasuries to explore what’s required and how to set up a backup solution. Thirty-nine percent of respondents to NeuGroup’s Best Practices in Assessing Bank Counterparty Credit Risk Survey reported they are considering…
BankingRisk ManagementTalking Shop
October 5, 2023

Talking Shop: Account Verification Solutions for Payments Fraud

Editor’s note: NeuGroup’s online communities provide members a forum to pose questions and give answers. Talking Shop shares valuable insights from these exchanges, anonymously. Send us your responses: [email protected]. Context: Payments fraud remains a significant threat to corporates—although some research shows it declined in 2022. The 2023 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey reported that 65% of organizations surveyed were victims of reported or actual payments fraud last year. That’s down from 71% in 2021 and the lowest percentage of fraud activity since 2014,…
BankingRisk Management
August 9, 2023

Scrutinizing Risk: Taking Frequent Looks at Bank Credit Exposure

Downgrades by Moody’s point up the ongoing, post-SVB review of bank risk by investors and corporate treasury. Moody’s this week downgraded 10 regional banks and took other actions that underscore that a banking crisis ignited by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank five months ago has changed how the world—including corporate risk managers—views the creditworthiness of banks. The failure of SVB and other institutions has triggered a widespread review of credit risk policies and led to changes within many finance organizations. One indicator of…
BankingTreasury Management
July 27, 2023

Gauging Strength and Progress: Treasury Performance Metrics

Regular monitoring and analysis of metrics can help identify areas of strength and weakness, and ensure efficiency. Treasury performance metrics are crucial for corporations as they provide a framework for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of their treasury operations. They serve as a window into how well the treasury team is functioning in a variety of areas, from cash management to payments to foreign exchange. At a recent meeting of NeuGroup for Mid-Cap Treasurers, one member gave an updated presentation on…