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7 Lessons Learned by FedNow® Service Participants
Financial institutions live on the FedNow Service have shared valuable lessons they learned along their instant payment journeys.
Insights from ICBA's Minority Bank Advisory Council
Minority depository institutions ensure their communities have access to the financial services that will help them succeed in the long term.
Powering Potential: Rethinking Your Payments Strategy With ICBA Payments
ICBA Payments hasn’t just rebranded. It has begun a multiyear phased investment strategy to modernize its technology and service offerings, which are designed to elevate your bank’s payments strategy.
Mitigating Risk in Construction Draw Loans
Construction projects hold great potential but also come with risks. Addressing these challenges head-on will help mitigate each loans risk.
Growth Goals: Navigating IPOs and OTC Trading
Is your community bank thinking about launching an initial public offering or over-the-counter trading of stocks to raise liquidity?
Smart Org Changes That Could Boost Your Bank’s Trajectory
As community banks face increased competition, emerging roles and employees’ desire for advancement, it could be the right time for your community bank to assess its organizational structure.
2025 Lending Outlook: Cautious Optimism
Falling interest rates are expected to fuel borrowing activity at community banks. We examine the prospects for commercial, consumer/mortgage and ag lending in the new year.
4 Regulatory Developments Coming in 2025
Community bankers have a variety of new regulatory changes to prepare for in 2025, across agencies and banking functions. As always, forewarned is forearmed.
2025 Community Bank CEO Outlook: Balancing Between Deposits and Loans
While the business of community banking is ongoing, a new year is always a good time to take stock of the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Michael Benedict: Make Portfolio Strategy Fun Again
Things are looking up for portfolio management in 2025.
Lance Noggle: It's Time to Bolster Cybersecurity Measures—Now and Forever
As the costs of data breaches continue to rise, it’s essential for community banks to access and use available federal cybersecurity tools for combating fraudsters and bad actors.
Lucas White: Why Advocacy Should Be a Top Priority in 2025
The start of the new year brings with it a fresh slate and a collective reset on priorities.
Out of Office: Kati LeBreton
The vice president and director of P.O.W.E.R., a program for women in business, at $1 billion-asset Fidelity Bank in New Orleans, hosts The Big Bad Boot, a podcast.
Community Bank Delaware Salutes Space Heroes
Last July, Community Bank Delaware in Lewes, Del., donated $3,000 to American Legion Post 28.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Nurturing the Community Bank Ecosystem
The start of a new year brings with it opportunities, and as we enter 2025, we do so with an eye toward the potential that awaits.
Charles Potts: The Innovations We'll See in 2025
They say the only constant is change, and 2025 is shaping up to prove that point. We are in for a dynamic year, influenced by customer demand, product accessibility and partner potential.
How to Balance Human and Machine While Using Chatbots
Community banks’ reputations are built on personal connection. But with an effective chatbot, banks can free up staff to focus on customers’ more complex needs. It just takes effective training.
Stearns Bank Lays Groundwork in Minnesota's Hmong Community
Stearns Bank is fostering trust, financial empowerment and meaningful relationships with Minnesota’s sizable Hmong community by establishing a branch in one of their cultural hubs.
Equip Your Leasing Finance Operations
Discover how lenders can navigate the evolving landscape of equipment lease financing with insights on risk mitigation and operational readiness.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Nurturing the Community Bank Ecosystem
As I reflect on the impact community banks have had this year, I revel in this notion that we have created something special, a dynamic ecosystem that centers on people.
Charles Potts: Banking and Staffing Gen Z Into the Future
As Gen Z graduates into the full-time workforce, they are looking to community banks as financial partners as well as potential employers.
The Year in Compliance: 6 Notable Updates for Community Banks
New guidance and proposed rules from regulatory agencies in 2024 have kept community banks on the alert for forthcoming changes to compliance processes.
Commercial Bank of Mott Helps Fund a Home Base for the Community
The Commercial Bank of Mott set out to plan, fund and build a community center that will serve as a new hub for all locals to enjoy.
How Can Community Banks Ride the Digital Wallet Wave?
Looking to drive card usage and ensure continued deposit recapture? As the use of digital wallets continues to accelerate, here’s how you can participate and benefit from this trend.
Powering Potential: ICBA Certification Q&A with Arlene Cooper
Arlene Cooper, internal audit officer at CNB Bank in Carlsbad, N.M., is a certified community bank internal auditor (CCBIA) and certified community bank compliance officer (CCBCO).
Lindsay LaNore: 8 Healthy Habits for Conflict Resolution
We’re all different. We work differently, and we have different opinions, biases and values. Some of us thrive under pressure, while others shy away from confrontation.
Strategies for Consumer-Centric Banking: an Exclusive Bud Webinar
Bud Financial has joined community bankers for an Independent Banker webinar where we’ve explored the actions they would take to drive success, revenue and customer engagement.
ENTER NOW: 40 Under 40: Community Bank Leaders awards
Nominations for 40 Under 40: Community Bank Leaders 2025 are now open! 40 Under 40 seeks to recognize community banking’s brightest, most promising young professionals. Winners are featured in...
Can Software Solve Your Bank's Board Management Woes?
From scheduling and information-sharing to bolstered security, board management software could smooth the bumps in the road that come with manual management processes.
Jim Reber: Will the Wave Return?
Falling rates should boost cash flows.
First Citizens Bank: Playing the Talent Development Long Game
First Citizens Bank’s internship initiative underscores the importance of offering students valuable hands-on industry exposure and nurturing the next generation of banking professionals.
Best Community Banks to Work For 2024
In a tight labor market, current and prospective employees are drawn to good pay, attractive benefits and, importantly, a sense of purpose.
Lucas White: The Heart of the Community Bank
This year’s list of Best Community Banks to Work For made me think about what it takes to be a great employer.
The Hidden Risks of Legacy Technology: A Community Banker’s Guide
IBT Apps’ newest ebook is available now! Explore the critical risks of legacy systems and learn about a modern solution that helps future-proof your bank.
Here Comes the Snow: Lending Support for Winter Businesses
Rain or shine, community banks are there to serve their communities. But how about snow? For some, the cold weather is more than welcome.
Michael Benedict: Bridging the Gap
Rate cuts may not provide immediate margin relief, but you can take steps to reduce near-term pressure.
Tips to Better Bank Vendor Management
The more services you add for customers, the more vendors you’re likely to work with. Managing what could be hundreds of relationships calls for organization and the personal touch.
Mark Scanlan and Scott Marks: Is a Favorable New Farm Bill on the Horizon?
In the wake of the farm bill’s expiration, ICBA is advocating for updates that will benefit the agriculture industry and rural communities across the U.S.
Powering Potential: How ICBA Membership Cultivates a Network of Support
ICBA’s reach extends from the U.S. government all the way to the smallest member bank. We hear from two community bank leaders about how their ICBA membership has helped their banks.
Northwestern Bank's Podcast Brews Up Community Conversation
Enjoying a cold one at work may not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of community banking, but that’s the premise of a podcast series from Northwestern Bank.
Out of Office: Michael Hatfield
The applications analyst at $2.2 billion-asset First Western Bank and Trust in Minot, N.D., and his wife, Carissa, co-own Hatfield Handmade, a woodworking business.
High Plains Bank: Making Banking Easier for Spanish Speakers
In partnership with ICBA preferred service provider Jack Henry, High Plains Bank is working to remove financial barriers and enhance the banking experience for Colorado’s large Hispanic community.
Gen Z's Top 5 Financial Goals and How You Can Help
Many Gen Zers are now in their 20s, which means they're facing new financial tasks and dilemmas.
Lindsay LaNore: How to Be a Memorable Employee
Last month, we asked what makes a leader memorable. And now, we’re turning the tables: What makes an employee memorable?
How Community Banks Can Build a Better Branch
Bank branch design is more than just aesthetics. It’s what sets the tone for every customer who visits that location.
The CFPB is Planning Sweeping Changes to Small Business Lending
Finastra’s SBDC module is a cloud-native solution that seamlessly integrates with Finastra’s retail lending products.
Community Bank Tactics for Recruiting Tech Superstars
The battle for tech talent continues to be a difficult one for community banks. But with the right approach, bank leadership can appeal to a segment of tech-savvy individuals fit for the job.
Easing the Way: Current and Upcoming Banking Technology Trends
The best technology is the kind that supports both the customer and the community bank. We look at some key industry challenges and where tech could potentially ease pain points.
How to Prepare for a Potential 1071 Implementation
While ICBA continues to challenge the 1071 rule’s legality, community banks must prepare for its potential passage.
Alternative Credit Scoring Models: Beyond FICO
Community banks can expand access to capital by looking at other factors for loan approval. Here’s what to consider.
Tim Roy: Pushing Back Against Upcoming FHLB Regulations
Significant changes could be in store for the Federal Home Loan Bank system, with possible negative effects for community banks.
Native American Bank Dedicates a Day to Gratitude
On June 28, Denver-based Native American Bank, N.A., hosted a Customer Appreciation Day at Yellow Bird Woman Park near its Browning, Mont., branch.
Out of Office: Rachell Bilbrey
The senior vice president and director of treasury at $1.8 billion-asset Builtwell Bank in Chattanooga, Tenn., finds creative fulfillment through conceptualizing, creating and styling home interiors.
Lucas White: Staffing for the Digital Future
Digital banking is here to stay, and everything from our online banking to our mobile apps needs to speak to that customer journey.
Ion Bank: A Reflection of the Customers It Serves
Ion Bank makes a point of fostering a diverse workplace and supporting local communities through its multilingual staff, fundraising efforts and inclusive outreach.
Powering Potential: A Guide to In-Person ICBA Events
ICBA’s in-person events offer unparalleled opportunities for professional growth.
5 Tips for Handling Fintech Partnership Contracts
Go into fintech contract negotiations with clear intention to save your community bank from future conflict.
You’ve Launched a New Website—What Happens Now?
“Build it and they will come” is great for a baseball field. But when you’ve just put your all into a new website, find out how to generate ROI, produce actionable results and more.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: AI, the New Frontier
If you’ve ever watched an episode of “Star Trek,” you’ve heard its famous introduction proclaiming we must “boldly go where no man has gone before.”
Independent Financial: A New Model for Expanding Healthcare Access
Independent Financial asked what its community needed most, then undertook an innovative approach to supporting public health.