Business Line Results
Commercial
The Commercial Division supported customers through industry chaos and a challenging interest rate environment in 2023. During a time when many banks put the brakes on lending, our steady and stable approach contributed to another strong year in loan production, with $281 million in net loan growth and total loan production of $1.34 billion. The team continued advancing projects that enhance our processes and procedures, allowing us to better scale as the bank grows and continue investing in our customer experience throughout all stages of the loan process.
A combination of Bankers Trust’s long-term approach, stability and team members’ expertise provided confidence for customers following the banking crisis in March. The Treasury Management team quickly promoted our Insured Cash Sweep product to customers wanting additional FDIC protections. As a result of Treasury’s continued client-centric focus, the team brought on 169 new customers in 2023, despite industry turmoil.
Technology and innovation remain key priorities, with continued emphasis on helping commercial accounting teams become more efficient and sophisticated through a suite of banking tools. Treasury customers increased their corporate card spending by 43% in 2023 on the heels of a successful rollout of the Integrated Payables product and virtual cards. Clients continue to benefit as the team works to stay ahead of trends and provide new, innovative products to manage and support their growth.
Consumer
Bankers Trust’s reputation for exceptional service and unshakable stability created a safe financial harbor for its 41,000+ Consumer customers during another year of relatively high interest rates, inflation and uncertainty.
The Retail and Private Banking teams’ focus on long-term customer relationships helped hold consumer deposits steady at $1.9 billion, which is higher than pre-pandemic levels. We also welcomed many new customers to the Bankers Trust family, which now has 68,500 deposit accounts, a 5% increase during the past year. This increase is due in part to the bank’s unique Benefits Banking Loyalty Program that offers the best rates and waived fees to customers who have full relationships with the bank.
Consumer Lending and in-house mortgage volumes increased to $577 million, which is the highest level ever at Bankers Trust, and an important part of having an overall diversified lending portfolio. While every loan is important, we are especially proud of the significant increase in our number of loans to low- and moderate-income individuals and first-time homebuyers.
Our Consumer team continues providing a level of service that is not only appreciated by customers, but defies the industry’s trend around customer satisfaction with their banking relationship. Bankers Trust’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) — which measures enthusiasm for recommending a company to friends and family members — increased to 71, which is more than double the banking industry average of 30.
Wealth Management
High interest rates, a turbulent fixed income market and ongoing talk of possible recession turned customers to the stability and trusted expertise of Bankers Trust’s Wealth Management teams. The division continued its long-term focus on enhancing the customer experience by better defining service standards across our client base and ensuring both sales and support teams will manage future growth with the high standards we are known for. This commitment to supporting customers’ wealth goals contributed to increased opportunities across our business lines, in addition to strong internal referrals and client retention.
All teams under the Wealth Management umbrella — Private Client Services, Retirement Plan Services, Institutional Custody and BTC Trust Company of South Dakota — met their sales goals and delivered strong growth in 2023. The teams added $200 million in new assets, and assets under administration (AUA) ended the year at $20.4 billion.
Our consistent approach continues to prove successful and earned special recognition. For the first time ever, Bankers Trust is now ranked fifth in wealth management fiduciary/custody asset size in the Midwest, according to Chicago Federal Reserve District rankings.
BTC Capital Management
An SEC Registered Investment Adviser Affiliate of Bankers Trust
BTC Capital Management celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023. This milestone marked yet another year of surpassing goals by putting clients first and successfully managing continual ups and downs in the markets. The firm’s strength, stability and risk-based approach for investment management and advisory needs gave clients confidence through this year’s turbulent market. As a result, BTC Capital Management exceeded its sales goals and now holds $3.8 billion in assets under management for institutions, bank partners and individuals served by Bankers Trust’s Wealth Management team.
Equity markets provided a strong year for customers, while fixed income markets took investors on a wilder ride. All in all, the BTC Capital Management team worked seamlessly with our Wealth Management partners to both support the bank’s goals and serve customers’ needs throughout the changing investment environment. And, once again, the team’s continued focus on a risk-aware, long-term approach rooted in fundamentals — along with providing the highest-quality client service — resulted in 98% customer retention.
2023 Annual Report | Culture and Community | Financial Statements | PDF Version