Independent Banker - January 2021 - 18

PORTFOLIO
◎FOCUS LENDING
2021's lending outlook:
cautious optimism
Many community bankers are cautiously optimistic that this year will
bring the same, if not more, demand for loans. They also describe a year
that may bring opportunities to gain market share from big banks amid
continued uncertainty. By Beth Mattson-Teig
Daniel M. Epstein of Mission
Valley Bank says community
banks' close customer
service during the Paycheck
Protection Program will
have a lasting impact with
business owners.
D
espite the unpredictable path
this year has taken due to
COVID-19, many community banks
anticipate that loan origination
volumes should be steady-if not
moderately better-in 2021.
The pandemic will create both
challenges in managing credit risk
and opportunities to gain market
share for community banks in
the coming year. Most bankers
are erring on the side of caution
and are being conservative in
their estimates for 2021 lending
volumes. At the same time,
forecasts are understandably mixed
given the varied impact of the
pandemic across diff erent regions
and industries.
" We're cautiously optimistic on
the outlook, but at the same time
there is still a lot of uncertainty
driven by the pandemic, " says
Daniel M. Epstein, executive vice
president and chief credit offi cer at
$450 million-asset Mission Valley
Bank in Sun Valley, Calif., which
serves greater Los Angeles.
Small business customers are the
bread and butter of Mission Valley
Bank, which is a Small Business
Administration (SBA) preferred
lender. Although a number of
businesses are still struggling in the
downturn, others have benefi ted
from demand and need capital to
fi nance expansion.
" Some of these 7(a) loans are
acquisition oriented, " Epstein says.
" People are getting comfortable
with fi nding a good opportunity to
buy another business right now. "
Robert Kunisch, president
and chief operating offi cer at
$2.5 billion-asset Howard Bank in
Baltimore, agrees.
" There are pockets of really
strong metrics, " he says. " If you
own a boat or RV dealership
right now, it's hard for those guys
18 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q January 2021
Photo: Ari Michelson

Independent Banker - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - January 2021

Table of Contents
Independent Banker - January 2021 - Intro
Independent Banker - January 2021 - Cover1
Independent Banker - January 2021 - Cover2
Independent Banker - January 2021 - Table of Contents
Independent Banker - January 2021 - 2
Independent Banker - January 2021 - 3
Independent Banker - January 2021 - 4
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Independent Banker - January 2021 - Cover3
Independent Banker - January 2021 - Cover4
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