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Banking and Finance

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West Bancorporation announces fourth-quarter earnings

West Bancorporation Inc., headquartered in West Des Moines, finished 2025 “very strong,” its president and CEO David Nelson said in a news release. “Through proactive and strategic balance sheet management, we see opportunities for further …

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Central Bank announces leadership transition

Nick Brown

Central Bank, with locations across Iowa and South Dakota, has announced a leadership transition effective March 2 as part of its long-term strategy. After 36 years overseeing the organization’s expansion, owners Tim Brown …

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Jason Kerndt named market president of Home State Bank Polk City branch

Jason Kerndt

Jason Kerndt has been appointed market president of Home State Bank’s Polk City branch, the bank announced. Kerndt brings 23 years of banking experience and will support the bank’s continued growth in Central …

Veridian Credit Union logo

Veridian Credit Union awards $100,000 in grants to Midwest nonprofits 

Veridian Credit Union has awarded $100,000 in grants to 25 nonprofits across Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota through its Successful Financial Future Grants program. Each grant provides up to $5,000 in general operating support to organizations …

Chase bank logo

JPMorganChase opens Ames branch, gives $1M in philanthropic support for Iowa small businesses

JPMorganChase opened a new Chase bank branch Thursday in Ames. The new Ames branch is located at 435 S. Duff Ave. It is the bank’s 10th branch in Iowa and part of the bank’s broader …

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Penny production ends. What does it mean?

The Federal Reserve’s decision to limit penny distribution after the U.S. Mint stopped producing the coin in November had swift and uneven consequences: Regional penny shortages occurred along with a patchwork of rounding policies implemented …

Econ Roundup Site

Trade policies, labor shortage to define Iowa’s economic growth in 2026, economists say

It’s always challenging to predict how the economy will perform in an upcoming year. Few foresaw, for example, the trade volatility of 2025. There are a few things we do know, such as the upcoming …

EconForecast Preview Site

Economic Forecast panelists anticipate steady economic growth amid persistent uncertainty

Local economic experts gave their short take on this year’s economic performance ahead of the Business Record’s annual Economic Forecast event. 

The event, which provides business leaders with economic insight into the coming year as …

EconGraph2026

How will the Iowa economy fare in 2026?

Each year, we give our audience the chance to weigh in on how they think the Iowa economy will fare in the coming year in our annual Economic Outlook Survey. We asked respondents to rank …

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B2E Data Marketing acquired by Affiliates Management Co. 

Affiliates Management Co., the holding company of Iowa Credit Union League, has acquired B2E Data Marketing, a data-driven marketing analytics firm headquartered in Des Moines. The acquisition strengthens the credit union league’s ability to support …