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John Maxfield

TMFMaxfield

I write about banks, trying my best to balance the good and the bad.

Recent Articles by John Maxfield

Mar 3, 2015 by John Maxfield

How Wells Fargo & Co Built a Powerful Moat

Wells Fargo's ability to cross-sell multiple products to customers is a powerful competitive advantage.

Mar 2, 2015 by John Maxfield

9 Critical Insights About Banking From Former Wells Fargo CEO Richard Kovacevich

What happens when two former banking giants sit down for a conversation about banking?

Mar 1, 2015 by John Maxfield

How the Government "Cut the Profitability of Banking Roughly in Half"

According to former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the average bank is roughly half as profitable today as it was before the financial crisis of 2008-2009.

Oct 2, 2018 by John Maxfield

25 Major Factors That Caused or Contributed to the Financial Crisis

While it's always tempting to boil things down to one or two root causes, the reality is that financial crisis of 2008-09 was caused by a confluence of dozens of factors.

Feb 24, 2015 by John Maxfield and Kristine Harjes

2 Trends that Could Make or Break the Bank Industry in 2015

Find out how interest rates and oil prices could affect the banking industry this year, and what investors should do about it.

Feb 23, 2015 by John Maxfield

My Exploits at Barnes & Noble During the Financial Crisis

During the financial crisis, this Fool worked at a Barnes & Noble. Here's how he made his way to the top of the store in less than two years and spearheaded an increase in same-store sales in the worst retail environment since the Great Depression.

Feb 22, 2015 by John Maxfield

How 1 Bank Turned $234 Million Into $2.3 Trillion in Just 51 Years

In 1957, American Commercial Bank had a mere $234 million in assets on its balance sheet. Fifty-one years later, it had transformed into the $2.3 trillion universal banking behemoth Bank of America.

Oct 5, 2018 by John Maxfield

10 of the Best Books About Banking

If you're interested in banking, these 10 books will provide an excellent starting point to master the subject.

Feb 18, 2015 by John Maxfield

Could Stronger Regulations Fuel Faster Economic Growth?

Tighter financial regulations may in fact fuel faster economic growth.

Feb 17, 2015 by John Maxfield

10 Banks With Significant Exposure to the Oil Industry

With the price of oil down by more than half from its 2014 high, many banks are starting to feel the heat.

Feb 15, 2015 by John Maxfield

An Important Lesson About Banking From the Panic of 1873

In order to survive the intermittent but not infrequent crises that besiege the financial industry, a bank must also maintain a fortress balance sheet.

Feb 11, 2015 by John Maxfield

5 Lessons from America’s First Too-Big-To-Fail Bank

When Continental Illinois became the first too-big-to-fail bank in 1984, it set a number of precedents that are just as relevant today as they were three decades ago.

Feb 11, 2015 by John Maxfield

Can Lending Club Save Community Banks?

A new partnership between Lending Club and a consortium of community banks offers both promise and peril.

Feb 10, 2015 by John Maxfield

Culture and the Godfather of Prudent Banking

Look at the two best banks today, and they have one thing in common: Carl Reichardt.

Feb 9, 2015 by John Maxfield

The Not-So-Secret Reason Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase Obliterated Bank of America and Citigroup

The orderly transition of leadership at Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase has allowed them to surge ahead of Bank of America and Citigroup.

Feb 8, 2015 by John Maxfield

Are Banks Safer Today Than Before the Crisis? By This Measure, the Answer Is Yes

Over the last few years, banks have increased the liquidity of their balance sheets and, by doing so, have better prepared the industry for future crises.

Feb 8, 2015 by John Maxfield

The Last Time McDonald’s Stumbled, It Came Back Stronger Than Ever

It's impossible to deny that the performance of McDonald's in 2014 left much to be desired. But history proves that it's far too early to count the fast-food giant out just yet.

Feb 5, 2015 by John Maxfield

The Hedge Fund Industry in 4 Charts

From the trend in hedge fund growth to the distribution of assets by hedge-fund type, these four charts give a great overview of the industry.

Oct 10, 2018 by John Maxfield

My 50 Favorite Quotes About Banking

After reading dozens of books about banking, here are 50 of my favorite quotes about the centuries-old profession.

Feb 3, 2015 by John Maxfield

Citigroup Inc.'s Near-Fatal Miscalculation

Citigroup's aggressive pursuit of market share is what nearly led to its demise.

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