The investment banker calls with exciting news:
"We have eight banks interested in buying you."
Your heart races.
Eight serious buyers means competition.
Competition means better terms and higher prices.
But here's what no one tells you:
Not all interested buyers are actually interest...
The moment you hand over your customer list to a potential buyer, your stomach knots up.
What if they don't buy your bank?
What if they take this information and use it against you?
What if they start calling your best customers or try to hire your top employees?
You're trusting strangers ...
Picture this:
You're six months into a confidential bank sale.
Multiple buyers are interested.
Terms look great.
Then your phone rings.
"I heard you might be selling," says a competitor.
"We're hiring if any of your people want new opportunities."
Your heart sinks.
Word is out.
You...
You trust your general counsel.
They've helped you through regulations, loan problems, and legal challenges for years.
When it's time to sell your bank, your first thought is probably to use them.
That could be a costly mistake.
Why Banking Lawyers Aren't Bank Sale Lawyers
Your general co...
You've made the decision to explore selling your bank.
You've hired an investment banker.
The board is ready to test the market.
Now comes the question that keeps you awake at night: "Who's actually interested in buying us?"
Here's how smart money finds out—without letting the whole indust...
Here's a fact that will shock you:
Many community bank CEOs choose their investment banker the same way they choose lunch – by convenience.
The result?
Deals that fall apart, values that disappoint, and CEOs who realize too late they picked the wrong partner for the biggest transaction o...
If you could pinpoint the absolute best time to begin looking for a buyer for your bank, what factors would you consider?
In my experience, there's a specific alignment of events that creates what I call...
"The Golden Window of Opportunity."
This window opens when:
- Your safety & soundne ...
Wondering when to sell your bank?
It's the question every bank CEO eventually faces.
The best advice I know comes from NYU Finance professor Aswath Damodaran and his famous story about lemmings.
This simple story perfectly captures why so many bank sales happen at exactly the wrong time.
...
Want to send a clear signal to potential buyers that you're serious about selling your bank?
Start by bringing serious people to the table: Your investment banker, legal counsel, and accountants. This professional team doesn't just provide expertise – it signals intent and credibility to the mar...
Let's talk about something every bank CEO struggles with when considering a sale: the mental shift from being a builder to being a seller.
Here's what typically happens in your mind:
"Here's my bank. What will you give me for it?"
Simple, right? You've built something valuable, now it...
