CEO Posts

How did the bank do in 2011?

February 3, 2012

February 3, 2012

Relatively speaking, the bank did quite well in 2011 and we are optimistic about a better year in 2012.

  •  Tier 1 Capital is 6.74%, up from 6.05% on 12/31/2010. The Capital level was increased in the second quarter by $1.5 million by action taken by the Board.
  • “Bad Bank” expenses totaled $3,567,262:

$1,238,035      Provision expense
$1,547,139      Write-downs due to impairment, REO sales
$521,901         REO expenses
$260,187         Problem loan expenses

 Note: Not included are increased regulator fees, FDIC premium and D&O liability insurance premium.
  •  “Good Bank” earnings in 2011 of $2,201,000 allowed the bank to post a lesser loss of $1,365,000.  
  • Loss of $1,365,000 in 2011 compares to a Loss of $3,779,000 in 2010.
  • Adverse Assets (Non-accrual Loans, Troubled Debt Restructurings and Real Estate Owned have declined from $35,944,000 as of 6/30/10 to $25,469,000 as of 6/30/11 (last Safety & Soundness exam) to a current level  of $17,066,000.
  • Adverse Assets are 120% of Tier 1 Capital and LLR, down from 194% as of 6/30/10 and 165% as of 6/30/11(last Safety & Soundness exam). NPAs are down to 6.77% of Total Assets. Texas Ratio is down to 81%; 138% as of 12/31/10.
  • Criticized Loans (Classified Loans and Special Mention), a key article in our Consent Order, have declined from $ 31,215,000 as of 6/30/10 to $20,911,000 as of 6/30/11(last Safety & Soundness exam) to a current level of $14,884,000. 
  • Past dues are .40% of Loans.
  • The LLR/Loans is 2.36%. The rolling 12 month c/o rate for the four quarters of 2011 (chronologically listed) was at 3.03%, 1.81%, 1.55% and 1.70%.
  • The bank’s net interest margin in 2011 improved to 3.72%. Tactics in place will lead to further improvement.
  • Core deposits are 88% of assets. There are no brokered deposits and Liquidity remains strong. Contingent Liquidity Funds are at a higher level than in 2010.
  • Our newly adopted strategic plan has the bank at 8% Tier 1 Capital by June, 2013. This will be achieved with a smaller asset base and reduced expenses associated with asset quality problems.

Dennis Burnette

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Still Improving

December 22, 2011

Still improving. As of 9/30/2011, our Texas Ratio was 91%, down from a high of 145% earlier in the year. With #1 being the bank with the worst Texas Ratio, we are ranked #71 in Georgia. It’s been hard work and we still have a lot of work to do. But relatively speaking, that ranking [...]

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Bank Is Improving

August 27, 2011

September 1, 2011 Through June 30th, Cherokee Bank had a Year to Date (YTD) Loss of ($540,739). As bad as that is, it’s quite a turnaround from a YTD Loss of ($3,003,986) for the first six months of 2010. Still plagued by loan losses and related expenses due to our clients’ problems, our performance is [...]

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May 25, 2011 CEO Post: Small YTD Loss Through April

May 23, 2011

May 25, 2011 Through April, Cherokee Bank had a Year to Date Loss of ($34,983). Adverse Assets are still too high and we are a troubled bank. The good news is that we have reason to be cautiously optimistic as the bank’s Adverse Assets were at their lowest level in 12 months at the end of April. Our Tier [...]

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Thinly Traded Stock

February 11, 2011

February 11, 2011 A loyal shareholder recently wrote me and said, “Also, I  must talk with you about Cherokee Bank stock. I admit I am in the dark as to why my shares went from $3.50 to $1.75. You said nothing is going on, so let’s get together so I can understand what happened.” As a [...]

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February 5, 2011 CEO Post: Cherokee Bank Is Different; About Texas Ratios

February 9, 2011

February 5, 2011 As banks continue to fail in Georgia, our friends and family, need to continue to deliver the message that those banks failing are unlike Cherokee Bank. Despite our setback by losing the entire Tax Deferred Asset on 12/31 due to accounting/regulatory guidance, our Tier 1 Capital level is 6%+. The banks that failed yesterday, [...]

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February 2, 2011 CEO Post: Capital Reduced by Accounting Decision

February 9, 2011

February 2, 2011 Following year end 2010, our management team, after prolonged discussions with our accountants, made the decision to create a full disallowance for our Deferred Tax Asset as of 12/31/10. The consequence is that our bank’s Capital has been reduced by $3,746,564. This decision was primarily made on accounting and regulatory guidance when [...]

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February 1, 2011 CEO Post: Loss Incurred in 2010, Improvement in Adverse Assets Noted

February 9, 2011

February 1, 2011 The bank posted an unaudited net loss of $3.8 million because of horriffic expenses related to Adverse Assets. Continued strong Core Bank (or “Good Bank”) earnings of $2.6 million absorbed “Bad Bank” expenses estimated for 2010 at $6,402,111: * $ 3,629,342 Provision expense * $ 2,005,370 Write-downs due to impairment * $ [...]

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November 11th CEO Post

November 11, 2010

November 11, 2010 Let’s revisit the ”Texas Ratio” of the bank. Remember that the higher the number is, the more risk is perceived. Most of the banks that have failed have been 300 to 400% or higher.  At the end of the first quarter, Cherokee Bank’s Texas Ratio was 87%.  Our second quarter Texas Ratio was 119%, 68th highest in the state. [...]

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November 1st CEO Post

October 31, 2010

The worst bankrupt in the world is the man who has lost his   enthusiasm.  Let a man lose everything else in the world but   his enthusiasm and he will come through again to success.                                                                           – H. W. Arnold   Dr. William Early, a founding board member, my physician and friend, brought this quote to [...]

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