In an op-ed on CNBC.com the president and CEO of the Florida Bankers Association writes about the importance of community banks; while their numbers have been reducing along with their share of total assets, community banks are still responsible for 46% of small business loans; this metric alone demonstrates how important these small banks are to their community; there are 17 new bank applications in the US right now and investing in these new banks has historically provided an excellent return on investment. Source.
