Growth remains a universal, timeless goal for financial institutions and many pursue loan growth to offset rising compliance costs and maintain profits. Yet those loans also undergo constant examiner scrutiny, meaning banks must employ prudent underwriting and review strategies.

That noted, one strategy works toward both a bank's growth goals and risk management requirements: lending to quality, small-to-medium sized businesses, or SMB lending.  Click HERE to learn more.

As someone whose anxiety often keeps her up at night, I've never once thought that all that worrying could be good for me. If you tried to tell me otherwise, I'd probably just roll my eyes at you, then worry about hurting your feelings.

But hear me out, fellow worriers: I was wrong. Unsettling and fearful thoughts aren't always a bad thing. In a  study published earlier this year in Social & Personal Psychological Compass, the authors argue that worry can be "an emotional buffer by providing a desirable contrast to subsequent affective reactions." In other words, when we worry about something terrible happening, however unpleasant, it prepares us for whatever follows, making the situation seem not so bad.   Click HERE to learn more.