By Tere Dunlap
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - First Banking Center, which has a branch in Monroe, may face corrective action from the Federal Reserve if it doesn't raise its level of capital by mid-Oct.The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has directed First Banking Center to take "prompt corrective action," to acquire adequate capital through the sale of shares or contributions.
If the bank fails to raise the required capital amount by Oct. 11, or to show the Federal Reserve it is making tangible progress, it will be subject to further action at the discretion of the Federal Reserve.
"It's a challenge," said Brantly K. Chappell, the bank's chief executive officer.
First Banking Center, based in Burlington, has 17 branch banks, including Monroe, Albany, Darlington and Shullsburg.
The Federal Reserve determined the bank was "significantly undercapitalized" as defined under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.
The Federal Reserve System requires its banks to maintain a certain amount of funds - or capital, such as stocks, securities and retained earnings - in ratio to its loans and investments. The directive does not specify how much capital the bank is required to raise.
Financial details on the FDIC's website shows the bank lost about $21.8 million between March 2009 and March 2010, and its core risk-based capital fell by more than 50 percent in the same time period, from $73 million in March 2009 to $35 million in March 2010.
As Chappell explained, most of the loss comes from customers defaulting on loans.
"Writing down loans has eaten into the capital, and resulted in our being undercapitalized," Chappell said.
Chappell believes the bank is "highly unlikely" to meet further regulatory action from the Federal Reserve; the bank is "well on our way" to raising the capital it needs, plus some, he said.
"We want to raise an amount far in excess of adequate capital," he said Monday. "We want to be well-beyond capitalized."
Chappell would not disclose the amount of capital the bank needs or is looking to raise.
"We are working with investors who want to keep First Banking in place," he said.
First Banking Center wants to use its extra capital to grow.
"We see a very good opportunity to acquire other branches and banks," Chappell said. "We think we can keep our current services and grow as well."
Customers of First Banking Center will not see any changes in their accounts or services, as the bank seeks investors to increase its capital, he said.
"Deposits are still FDIC-insured," he said.
The bank entered into an agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the State of Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions in October 2009, which set out 17 actions to strengthen its financial soundness. The agreement included, strengthening the bank's board of directors oversight, its credit risk management practices and its internal review. The bank also agreed to clean up its list of loans that were past due, improve its management of liquid assets and improve the bank's earnings.
First Banking Center had about $868 million in total assets in March 2010, a decrease of about $34 million from March 2009. Its risk-based capital fell $1.8 million in the same period, a figure the Federal Reserve uses to help determine a bank's capital adequacy, according to the bank's financial details on the FDIC's website.
David A. Ward, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago assistant vice-president and regional director for Wisconsin, said the Federal Reserve and the FDIC does not make any comments on open financial institutions.
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - First Banking Center, which has a branch in Monroe, may face corrective action from the Federal Reserve if it doesn't raise its level of capital by mid-Oct.The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has directed First Banking Center to take "prompt corrective action," to acquire adequate capital through the sale of shares or contributions.
If the bank fails to raise the required capital amount by Oct. 11, or to show the Federal Reserve it is making tangible progress, it will be subject to further action at the discretion of the Federal Reserve.
"It's a challenge," said Brantly K. Chappell, the bank's chief executive officer.
First Banking Center, based in Burlington, has 17 branch banks, including Monroe, Albany, Darlington and Shullsburg.
The Federal Reserve determined the bank was "significantly undercapitalized" as defined under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.
The Federal Reserve System requires its banks to maintain a certain amount of funds - or capital, such as stocks, securities and retained earnings - in ratio to its loans and investments. The directive does not specify how much capital the bank is required to raise.
Financial details on the FDIC's website shows the bank lost about $21.8 million between March 2009 and March 2010, and its core risk-based capital fell by more than 50 percent in the same time period, from $73 million in March 2009 to $35 million in March 2010.
As Chappell explained, most of the loss comes from customers defaulting on loans.
"Writing down loans has eaten into the capital, and resulted in our being undercapitalized," Chappell said.
Chappell believes the bank is "highly unlikely" to meet further regulatory action from the Federal Reserve; the bank is "well on our way" to raising the capital it needs, plus some, he said.
"We want to raise an amount far in excess of adequate capital," he said Monday. "We want to be well-beyond capitalized."
Chappell would not disclose the amount of capital the bank needs or is looking to raise.
"We are working with investors who want to keep First Banking in place," he said.
First Banking Center wants to use its extra capital to grow.
"We see a very good opportunity to acquire other branches and banks," Chappell said. "We think we can keep our current services and grow as well."
Customers of First Banking Center will not see any changes in their accounts or services, as the bank seeks investors to increase its capital, he said.
"Deposits are still FDIC-insured," he said.
The bank entered into an agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the State of Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions in October 2009, which set out 17 actions to strengthen its financial soundness. The agreement included, strengthening the bank's board of directors oversight, its credit risk management practices and its internal review. The bank also agreed to clean up its list of loans that were past due, improve its management of liquid assets and improve the bank's earnings.
First Banking Center had about $868 million in total assets in March 2010, a decrease of about $34 million from March 2009. Its risk-based capital fell $1.8 million in the same period, a figure the Federal Reserve uses to help determine a bank's capital adequacy, according to the bank's financial details on the FDIC's website.
David A. Ward, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago assistant vice-president and regional director for Wisconsin, said the Federal Reserve and the FDIC does not make any comments on open financial institutions.