Margin Mismatch

When Kehrer Group asks investment services directors in banks and credit unions to identify the key metrics they use to manage their businesses, profit margin nearly always makes the list. That is consistent with our experience that most financial institutions want to manage their investment units on profit margin, believing that cost control is key to squeezing increased profitability out of the business. But many in the financial institution investment and insurance community think that approach constrains growth and is a barrier to achieving deeper penetration.