Banking & Finance

Seattle bank opens its first branch in Spokane

Washington Federal also plans $3.5 million building

April 9, 2015

Washington Federal Inc. has opened its first Spokane bank branch in temporary facilities on north Division Street, and the Seattle-based bank is constructing a $3.5 million permanent bank building for the North Side branch and the bank's Eastern Washin

Community development unit invests $3.2 billion

BofA lending in '14 led to 13,000 new housing units

March 12, 2015

Staff Report

Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America Merrill Lynch Community Development Banking says it provided more than $3.2 billion in loans, tax credit equity investments, and other real estate development financial tools to more than 550 clients last year.

Boosting IRA gains by diversifying into real estate

Financial planner says it offers attractive benefits

March 12, 2015

Kim Crompton

Using a Roth individual retirement account to invest in real estate is a little-known strategy that can provide interesting diversification and attractive benefits for certain investors looking to try something different, says David L. Baker, a longtime f

Investor optimism surged early this year, poll shows

Most respondents realized savings from fuel cost drop

March 12, 2015

Staff Report

The Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism IndexÂ suggests that consumer optimism is rising steadily, as the index reached plus-69 in February, the highest level recorded since 2007.

INWCF keeps momentum with asset, fund growth

2006 strategic plan placed organization on its path

March 12, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Inland Northwest Community Foundation, the Spokane-based nonprofit that manages assets for charitable organizations and donors, has seen extraordinary growth during the past few years, says Mark Hurtubise, the organization's president and CEO. He attrib

The expensive misconception about bond safety

Rising interest rates could lead to a decline in values

March 12, 2015

Michael Maehl

For more than a generation, when considering what to do with their investments, one of the primary beliefs of investors has been that bonds are safe, that the risk of losing your investment in owning them-whether individually or within fund portfolios o

Palouse Capital Management adds to its â€œTop Gunsâ€ list of honors

Firms Capital strategy cited for '14 performance

March 12, 2015

Staff Report

Palouse Capital Management Inc., of Spokane, says its Large Cap Value Strategy has earned recognition as a top performer in the PSN Top Guns list for the full 2014 calendar year, after having garnered similar kudos for its performance in the third quarter

Focusing on growth at the CFA Society

Financial analyst group preps for big dinner, other functions

March 12, 2015

Katie Ross

The Chartered Financial Analyst Society Spokane, an organization of financial analysts, portfolio managers, and other investment professionals, has grown from about 40 members to 70 members since 2005, mainly from starting a subchapter in Montana, holding

PrimeSource Credit Union to open Spokane Valley branch

Organization celebrates 80th anniversary soon

March 12, 2015

Katie Ross

Spokane-based PrimeSource Credit Union is planning to open its third branch this summer in an 11,400-square-foot building at 9208 E. Sprague in Spokane Valley, says CEO Margaret Burkholz. PrimeSource purchased the building, which sits at the corner of E

Northwest Farm Credit reports drop in earnings last year

Co-op's total loans rose by 6.5 percent, however

March 12, 2015

Katie Ross

Northwest Farm Credit Services, the Spokane-based agricultural lending cooperative, has posted earnings of $228.1 million for 2014, a decline of just under 4 percent from $236.9 million in 2013. Phil DiPofi, the cooperative's CEO, says in a press rele