The horrifying devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast calls for a unified and rapid response. From humanitarian assistance to financial forebearance, the need is great and the solutions are difficult. What's certain is that the lives, homes and businesses of the people across an entire region of the country will certainly need the support of the financial industry.

Several questions come to mind: How has the disaster affected you and your institution? How can banks help people to rebuild their lives from scratch? How will the region's banks shoulder the financial burden of what looks to be substantial amounts of uninsured losses and bankruptcies? What are the operational implications for banks, mortgage companies and credit card companies during the crisis and its aftermath?

Please share your thoughts with us.

This is a public forum. CMP Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. CMP Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in the message center do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this forum becomes the property of CMP Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in CMP Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: The Message Center is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.