Thought Leadership Archive
In a lending landscape clouded by uncertainty, Oakworth’s Chief Economist John Norris is focused on one thing: pricing risk.As geopolitical tensions rise and interest rates remain elevated, small-business owners face mounting challenges in securing affordable credit.…
Sending a child off to college is an exciting milestone — for both students and parents. While you’re busy packing dorm essentials and setting up class schedules, don’t overlook some critical financial and legal preparations. Taking…
We have come to the end of the busiest week of earnings season, and for the most part it was a decent week of earnings. With Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta all reporting earnings this week,…
Listen to the full episode here. General Overview Conversation Summary: John and Sam discuss the recent announcement by the Bureau of Economic Analysis that the US economy shrank by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025.…
April has been a wild one in the markets. Apart from some of the panic during the height of the pandemic and the Financial Crisis, this month has been as volatile as any I have seen…
Listen to the full episode, here. Key Points The market volatility and uncertainty are being driven primarily by the president’s unpredictable trade policies and comments, rather than fundamental economic factors. [04:35] John and Sam are concerned that…
This past week, I made a lunch presentation to a group here in town. Afterwards, a guy told me my talk seemed “extemporaneous.” That was a new one for me. However, unless a speaker is reading…
Listen to the full episode, here. Key Points John, Sam & David question whether the goal of onshoring manufacturing jobs is truly beneficial, as many of these jobs may be low-wage and undesirable for American workers.…
Lately, headlines have been dominated by debates over fiscal and monetary policy, with speculation swirling about a potential economic slowdown and how the Federal Reserve might respond. Interest rates, inflation, and government spending seem to be…
The 1st quarter of 2025 has been volatile to say the least. The mood and outlook are changing quite literally by the day, reflecting a mixture of global economic uncertainty, geopolitical risks, and changing central bank…