American Prudential Capital, Inc.

In an address delivered Friday March 19, 2010, by Sheila C. Bair, the Chairman of the FDIC, Ms. Bair said, “Small businesses create two thirds or more of all net new jobs.  And they overwhelmingly rely on credit provided by community banks.”

She went on to explain that while “overall bank lending is down” by the largest decline since 1942, “the smallest banks…actually increased their loans by more than half of one percent.”

We agree with Ms. Bair on this; community banks are essential to our economy and they ARE doing their share and more to provide credit to our small business community.

“The worst excesses”, according to Ms. Bair, “that led to the credit crisis were not generated by community banks.”  Most of  the subprime and nontraditional mortgages were not in the community banks.

Ms. Bair is correct that “While so many big banks keep pulling back, (Community Banks) are hanging in there doing (their) best to support the credit needs of our struggling economy.  That deserves recognition in Washington, and all our thanks.”

So, I suggest you thank a community banker today in a way he/she will really understand, do your banking with them!  Vote with your feet.  What you deposit with them they loan out to businesses in your community which creates local jobs for your friends and relatives.

If you don’t know a good community banker, give me a call at 713-690-8877 x 211 and I will hook you up with a community banker in your area.  I will call the banker personally and introduce your company.

A local radio personality today posed the question,  ”If you only had three minutes to talk to a stranger, what would you say?”

If you are like most of us, your mind went to the weather, sports and politicians, likely grumbling about all three.  But I have a friend who asks a very different kind of question when he meets folks.  His name is Kevin McCarthy and he wrote the definitive book on finding your purpose in life, “The On-Purpose Person.”

Kevin asks something like this, “So, have you been around long enough to figure out why you are here?”  What an incredibly disarming question.  It opens up the whole discussion of our world views.  I mean, do you believe everything happens by accident or do you believe it happens by design?

Because, if you believe in accidental existence, then the question is futile; you aren’t here for any good reason at all.  But that flies in the face of every good deed we have ever done or hope to do.  It runs right up against our “search for meaning and meaningfulness” in life.

We are driven to find the deeper meaning and to make a difference.  Now, go on admit it you have thought to yourself at sometime that if you didn’t have to earn a living, you would do all sorts of wonderful good deeds to help humanity.  Who wouldn’t?

Well, that very drive comes from a deep belief that we are here for a reason, to serve a greater good, to serve others by doing something…to fulfill a PURPOSE.  We are here by design!

So, I ask you now, “Have you lived long enough to figure out why you are here?”  If you are still puzzling over that one get a copy of “The On-Purpose Person” and begin the journey.  You will never regret it.