On efficiency ratios, banks should aim lower – and digital can lead the way Mid-market banks are laser-focused on driving down efficiency ratios, and almost all of them view tech investments as key to hitting their targets. But many of these same banks are still trapped in old ways of thinking about what’s possible, often aiming for a 50% efficiency ratio at best, according to a recent survey by West Monroe Partners and American Banker Magazine. As new digital tools and fintech capabilities become available to mid-market banks, a new rule book is being written around the standards for banking efficiency. Soon, market leaders will routinely achieve efficiency ratios below 50%, and banks still aiming at this old efficiency standard will struggle to compete.