Banking & Finance

The expensive misconception about bond safety

Rising interest rates could lead to a decline in values

March 12, 2015

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

Ag loans remain gainful, expected to rise next year

Niche requires specialized knowledge among lenders

February 26, 2015

Katie Ross

While commercial and other kinds of loans have taken a hit over the years since the economic recession, agricultural loans have remained more robust, some industry leaders here say. Northwest Farm Credit Services, the Spokane-based agricultural lending

SBA lenders encouraged by rebound in volume

Banks hope incentives will embolden more borrowers

February 26, 2015

Mike McLean

Some providers of U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loans here are anticipating a second consecutive year of loan growth after the dollar volume bounced upward in fiscal 2014 from a year-earlier decline. Last year, lenders in the SBA's Spokane

Refis bounce back

Mortgage rates down; FHA lowers insurance cost

February 26, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Some Spokane banks and credit unions are reporting a mini-boom in home mortgage refinance loans in recent months due to another dip in mortgage interest rates. In the Spokane area, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rates had fallen to between about 3.69 perce

Retirement needn't mean selling your business

Instead, follow roadmap used by '2 Percent Club'

February 26, 2015

Tom Griffiths

Does retirement always have to mean selling your small business? For many small business owners, their business provides great meaning in their life. It provides a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose, of community, social connections, identity, legacy,

Itron opts to buy back more of its own shares

Repurchase authorization starts as older plan ends

February 26, 2015

Staff Report

Itron Inc., the Liberty Lake-based maker of utility meter reading technology, says it plans to buy back up to $50 million worth of its own stock during a 12-month period that began Feb. 19. The company's board of directors approved the repurchase plan