Our humble new home

There's something about the background story of Fidelity Bank as described here...

Ferris points out that Fidelity Bank, as a mutual savings bank, is technically owned by its depositors and doesn't have the same pressures to constantly grow or be swallowed up.

"There is a certain type of thinking in our industry that if you cannot continue to deliver economies of scale you won't survive," he said. "But I don't think it is the only way a bank can survive and prosper. I think there is a role for community banking in Louisiana."

... that doesn't quite line up with its move to a more prominent address.

Fidelity chief executive Chris Ferris said moving from nondescript corporate offices on the 27th floor of Place St. Charles to a permanent headquarters with a visible presence in the city is, in part, a signal of stability to the bank's 350 employees amid tumult in the banking sector regionally.

A more cynical reader would ask why the conservative mutual lending institution suddenly needs to deliver a "signal of stability." If that really does have anything to do with the reason for moving, it might even be worrisome. Or maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's the perception of banking instability generally that causes us to read too much into stuff like this.

Still, it's a little weird, right?

The 111-year-old Fidelity Bank, which started life as Fidelity Homestead Association, has followed a conservative path and last made an acquisition in 2014, when it bought north shore mortgage lender Nola Lending Group. Ferris said Fidelity is not looking to get into the commoditized banking game, but would look to buy other like-minded banks to expand in the region.

Don't worry about us getting all caught up in the jungle envrionment of banks eating banks everywhere you look. We're not about any of that stuff. Anywhooo... if anybody out there is looking to get gobbled up, give us a call, okay?