January 2022

If you’ve ever seen a fish out of water, then you know exactly what it looks and feels like for a client when they are managing their investments through chaotic and volatile markets. When the fish is flopping around aimlessly trying to find safety in a cold Montana fishing stream, it’s like a client trying to find some form of protection while their account values are falling, and the media is melting down. As all this is happening, imagine a fish somewhere singing, “… take me to the river … put me in the water!” And that’s exactly where we come in: We can help!

Winter is upon us. Dec. 21 marked the solstice, the official start of winter and the shortest, darkest day of the year. But as I see it, that milestone also signals a transition to light, as days grow longer from there.

With the holiday season behind us, the concept of “present” takes on a frantic connotation. The quest for the right item can become a daunting task that takes away from its intended spirit of connection. That realization got me thinking about a book, The Present, which argues that the act of being in the moment is a gift unto itself.

The MIB Ag Lenders Seminar jointly sponsored by MIB and Bell Bank was a great success.

Welcome to the first 2022 edition of the Community Banker magazine. I trust the start of this new year finds you well and prospering. As we move into this new year, it is important to reflect upon all the challenges we have collectively faced over the last two years. But, it is also important not to let the negatives of 2020 and 2021 keep us from looking forward and recognizing all the positives in our lives.

I am writing this article shortly after the New Year, and as always, it is a good time to reflect on the past year and think about the upcoming year. Like most of us, I am somewhat surprised we are still mired in a pandemic with no sign of relief on the horizon. Maybe it was naivete on my part or possibly foolish optimism, but I certainly didn’t initially think there would be such enormous and far-reaching impacts, or we would still be amid a global pandemic going on three years. I’m sure most of you, like me, are growing weary of it all.