Main Street Matters Blog

From the digitization of money with stablecoins to the rise of artificial intelligence across operations, traditional relationship banking is evolving. And ICBA is meeting the moment through a coordinated, multi-pillar strategy of advocacy, education, and innovation.

The large bank failures of 2023 demonstrated the clear need to reform the nation’s deposit insurance system. With lawmakers working to gather input and offer deposit reform proposals, ICBA has worked with community bankers to shape recommended reform principles to inform this much-needed debate.

Community bank boards and executives have always shouldered responsibility for risk, strategy, and growth. What’s changed is how much technology now drives all three.

ICBA and community bankers have long warned about the dangers of tax-exempt credit unions acquiring tax-paying community banks, a concerning trend that peaked last year and has continued in 2025.

September 17 will possibly be a watershed day for Fed-watchers. Not only did we see the Federal Open Market Committee resume its rate cutting that’s been on hold since last December, we also got an update to its quarterly Summary of Economic Projections (SEP).

Did you know there is a Best Practices Guide for LMS Users in the Administration Tab? This document should be distributed to all employees of the bank that are taking courses within the ICBA Online Course Learning Management System. This guide will help learners ensure they have their computer settings correct for the courses to launch and function properly as well as close out and mark courses completed after passing the course test.

With the federal government discontinuing new penny production, community bankers and the consumers they serve have many questions about what the change will mean for them.

Get to know the staff members that support your bank and its payments business. We’re here to power your potential. See how our talented staff are well positioned to help.

Battling fraud in today’s environment resembles the itsy bitsy spider climbing up the waterspout: just as you think you’ve reached a point of effective mitigation, a new scam emerges, dousing you in a new attack approach that can wash you out. And then you have to start that risk-mitigation ascent all over again.