.thumbnail.jpg "At the 2010 IBAT Financial Literacy Summit")
Angie Brown on Needs Versus Wants
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Needs Versus Wants
Angie Brown
Vice President
First National Bank, Giddings
My husband and I recently sat down with our kids, ages 17, 15, and 10, to have a talk with them about the economy, the recession, and how it is affecting us. We started out by explaining the obvious – the difference between wants and needs, and then we went on to give some examples of each, such as they need to eat, but they want to eat out all of the time, etc. We then explained that we would be taking care of their needs, but their wants would be curtailed for a while so that we could assess what the impact of the economic slowdown was going to be on us as a family. I’d like to think that they got the gist of the conversation.
I was thinking about that particular family conversation when I attended IBAT’s Tour de Texas meeting in Shiner and I heard both IBAT CEO Chris Williston and Chairman Milton McGee speak about the importance of the upcoming trip to Washington D.C. Last year was the first time I attended the Washington excursion, and it truly made a huge impact on the way I perceive things as a banker. Knowing that you are supported by IBAT and your Texas banking colleagues as you sit in your Congressman’s office and discuss issues that are critical to your bank and the industry as a whole is an incredible process.
Showing up en masse as we did last year caused quite a few Congressmen to sit up and take notice that we weren’t just going to sit back and take what comes – we are going to let them know what we need and what is important to us. And, wow, are we ever needed this year! Note the choice of my word there – NEEDED. We need to be there to let our legislators know how we feel about the FDIC’s Assessment and how it will affect our banks. We need to tell them how the regulatory burden on our banks will be detrimental to our communities’ and customers. As Congress contemplates regulatory reform, we ask special consideration for a system that will distinguish community banks from Wall Street banks.
Bankers, we need to be there to stand up for community banks as a whole and our Texas banks in particular. Much the same way my kids need to eat, but not necessarily at McDonald’s every day.
I was thinking about that particular family conversation when I attended IBAT’s Tour de Texas meeting in Shiner and I heard both IBAT CEO Chris Williston and Chairman Milton McGee speak about the importance of the upcoming trip to Washington D.C. Last year was the first time I attended the Washington excursion, and it truly made a huge impact on the way I perceive things as a banker. Knowing that you are supported by IBAT and your Texas banking colleagues as you sit in your Congressman’s office and discuss issues that are critical to your bank and the industry as a whole is an incredible process.
Showing up en masse as we did last year caused quite a few Congressmen to sit up and take notice that we weren’t just going to sit back and take what comes – we are going to let them know what we need and what is important to us. And, wow, are we ever needed this year! Note the choice of my word there – NEEDED. We need to be there to let our legislators know how we feel about the FDIC’s Assessment and how it will affect our banks. We need to tell them how the regulatory burden on our banks will be detrimental to our communities’ and customers. As Congress contemplates regulatory reform, we ask special consideration for a system that will distinguish community banks from Wall Street banks.
Bankers, we need to be there to stand up for community banks as a whole and our Texas banks in particular. Much the same way my kids need to eat, but not necessarily at McDonald’s every day.