On June 4, 2025, Banking+ marks its one-year anniversary as a publication dedicated to the people, insights, and evolving culture of the financial services industry. From the beginning, our mission has been straightforward but ambitious:
- To honor the everyday commitment and quiet excellence of bankers at every level
- To deliver knowledge that not only sharpens current performance but also lights the path to future leadership
- To expand our readers’ perspectives through voices from banking-adjacent fields—law, consulting, tech, and beyond
Celebrating a Year of Impactful Stories in Banking
Over the past 12 months, we’ve had the privilege of connecting with standout bank professionals who trusted us to share their journeys—through their triumphs, setbacks, insights, and personal philosophies. We’re deeply grateful for their honesty and generosity.
These stories aren’t just articles. They’re blueprints for career growth, resilience, and impact, especially for fledgling bankers seeking advancement in the financial industry.
The B+ Staff’s “Best Of” Highlight Reel
Banking+ is made possible by the daily collaboration of three industry veterans:
- John Durso, Publisher
- Dan Weckerly, Editor-in-Chief
- Ryan Eisenstein, Content Maximization Consultant from Boomtown Internet Group
Together, they bring decades of experience across banking, journalism, design, and strategic content distribution. Their combined strengths ensure every story we publish is factually sound, thoughtfully told, visually appealing, and actionable.
Over the past year, Banking+ has published more than 270 stories—an output that rivals the length of Gone with the Wind in word count and (we like to think) exceeds it in relevance to today’s financial world.
While every article adds value, a few stories have come to represent the very best of what Banking+ strives to offer. As we reflect on our first year, our editorial team members—Durso, Weckerly, and Eisenstein—have each selected some standout pieces that capture the essence of the publication’s voice, mission, and impact.
Durso’s Picks
As Publisher of Banking+, John Durso spends his time balancing creativity, strategy, our relationships with our Content Patrons and fan fanatic-ness (quality control). His picks highlight stories that are not only engaging and well-crafted but also meaningful to the banking industry and the people in it.
1. “Century Savings Bank: 160 Years of Community-Focused Banking”
Telling the story of a bank anniversary can easily fall into the trap of clichés and recycled narratives. But this piece stood out because Century Savings Bank didn’t just survive 160 years—its long-term leadership did it with clarity of purpose and a steadfast culture that puts people first. “They know who they are and what kind of experience they want to deliver—for both customers and employees,” Durso notes. “They own it. That’s the sign of a great culture, and we told that story in a compelling, genuine way.”
2. “Banks Should Invest in Trust, Not Just Tech: Expert Advice from Financial Psychologist Maggie Baker, Ph.D.”
Durso describes this article as “strategic, yet totally accessible.” It breaks down the abstract concept of trust into something tangible and actionable, helping bankers see how emotional intelligence and relationship-building can drive real business outcomes. “This piece cuts through the noise and shows that trust isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a competitive advantage,” he says.
3. “2025 Bank Logo March Madness Tournament”
This story captured Banking+ at its most playful and passionate. During March Madness, logos from community banks across the country went head-to-head in a bracket-style showdown judged by a panel of branding experts. “If Banking+ is anything, it’s fun and educational,” Durso says. “We want bankers to fall in love with the industry again, and this story brought energy, creativity, and just the right amount of competition. I looked forward to it every week during March Madness.”
Weckerly’s Notables
As the primary content creator for Banking+, Weckerly focuses on narrative, action, intrigue, conflict, and resolution. He approaches each assignment as a teachable moment—an opportunity to shed light on niche topics that deserve broader understanding within the banking community. He also takes pride in spotlighting the industry experts profiled throughout the year.
Having authored the majority of Banking+ stories, Weckerly is proud of the entire body of work. But when pressed to choose, he confesses to being especially pleased with the following three pieces:
1. “The Remarkable Rise of Miguel Alban: From Peruvian Immigrant to Bank SVP”
One of Weckerly’s earliest Banking+ profiles, this story stands out for the honesty and openness with which Alban shared his journey, highlighting not just the triumphs but also the challenges that shaped his success.
2. “Redneck Bank: A Digital Banking Story”
Weckerly points to this piece as a bold example of a financial institution defying industry marketing norms. The bank’s leadership fully embraces their brand identity, knows exactly who their customers are, and unapologetically serves them in a culture that works for both sides.
3. “Cashless Board Games: Convenience Win or Financial Learning Loss?”
This story struck a nostalgic chord. As someone who spent many rainy childhood afternoons battling his older brothers in Monopoly, Weckerly was drawn to the question of whether removing cash from classic board games could also remove early lessons in money management—lessons that sparked more than a few careers in banking.
Eisenstein’s Data Revelations
As the Content Maximization Consultant for Banking+, Eisenstein leverages his passion for data and his extensive background in banking to ensure that content reaches its widest possible audience. With a career spanning from bank teller to Senior Digital Account Manager at Boomtown (and even a stint at Semrush), Eisenstein’s expertise in SEO and content optimization is unmatched. He meticulously analyzes performance metrics, always seeking to elevate Banking+ stories in organic search. For the one-year anniversary, Ryan highlights three articles that exemplify content maximization in action:
1. “Prime Rate vs. Federal Funds Rate”
This article stands out as Banking+‘s top-performing piece, a testament to its concise yet comprehensive explanation of complex financial concepts. Ryan notes that despite its “detailed” nature, the content is remarkably easy to digest, which he believes is key to its consistent appearance in Google’s SERP features. When users ask questions related to prime rate and federal funds rate, search engines frequently show this article, indicating its high relevance and clarity.
2. “The Death of the Safe Deposit Box”
This piece has consistently driven significant traffic and strong rankings for valuable keywords, particularly on Bing. For Ryan, this article holds a personal connection. During his time as a Customer Relationship Manager at Fulton Bank, he managed safe deposit boxes, making the content’s relevance and accuracy particularly striking. As he was optimizing this article, he agreed the story remains pertinent and accurate, highlighting the evolving landscape of banking services.
3. “The $1 Bill: A Symbol of American Resilience”
This story achieved remarkable visibility by being picked up by Google Discover. Google Discover is a personalized content feed that appears on the Google app and mobile browsers, proactively providing users with content it thinks they’ll find interesting, based on their search histories and other online habits. This pickup led to over 12,000 impressions (the number of times the article was displayed to a user), providing a significant boost to engagement and traffic.
More to Come
The anniversary of Vol. 1, Issue 1 of Banking+ is but a short stopping point for its dedicated editorial staff. With this brief look backward, the team is setting its eyes again to those issues, concerns, industry insights, teachable moments and human-interest stories that will find their way into Banking+ moving forward.
