Beth Mattson-Teig

Broker-Dealer The Baker Group on Community Bank Bonds & ALM

Learn how community banks can participate in the bond market with ICBA Securities’ endorsed broker-dealer, The Baker Group. Explore fixed-income products, asset/liability management, bond accounting tools, interest rate risk management and investment education.

How to Succeed in Specialty Lending

Learn proven niche lending strategies for community banks, from SBA lending and equipment finance to ESOP programs. Discover how specialty lending drives growth and loan portfolio diversification.

Healthcare Financing: A Growth Opportunity for Community Banks

Discover how community banks are building deep relationships and driving growth through healthcare practice financing.

The Lending Outlook and Loan Growth Trends for Community Banks in 2026

Community banks kicked off 2026 with robust lending growth, despite economic challenges like higher interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty. Now, banks are leveraging regulatory shifts, disciplined strategies and strong relationships to drive lending while staying cautious amid the current landscape.

What Community Banks Need to Know About Bank-Sale Leasebacks

Learn why community banks in the banking industry are utilizing bank-sale leasebacks to unlock real estate capital. Explore pros, cons, and expert tips.

Skyline National Bank Celebrates Local Music

See how Skyline National Bank’s Sounds of Skyline music competition strengthened community connection, improved brand visibility, and drove website visits through an innovative local marketing strategy.

Community Bank Ag Lending in Uncertain Times for Farmers

From volatile commodity prices to rising input costs, farmers face mixed conditions. Learn how community banks are supporting ag customers through uncertainty with relationship-based lending, diversification strategies, and flexible financing.

How Community Banks Are Navigating Lending Growth

Explore the 2026 lending landscape for community banks, including trends in CRE, SBA loans, consumer spending and credit quality monitoring.

Why Your Community Bank Should Offer a Switch Kit

Switching banks is a pain, making potential customers’ best intentions fall by the wayside. But modern switch kits are evolving, with personalized service and tech-driven tools making the process easier.

Strategic Loan Modifications That Work

When a customer gets into trouble with loan payments, a modification is sometimes the easiest way to help them get back on track.

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.

7 Strategies for Raising Bank Deposits

Money is moving out of low- and no-interest bank accounts in favor of higher-yielding money markets, CDs and other fixed income products available elsewhere. Deposits that swelled in the wake of unprecedented government stimulus are steadily declining

Opportunities in Infrastructure Lending for Community Banks

With $1 trillion in federal infrastructure funding rolling out across the U.S., community banks have a rare opportunity to enter or deepen their involvement in this dynamic sector.

The Lending Outlook for 2024

A pullback in lending from some institutions creates opportunities for community banks to pick up new customers.

CEO Roundtable: Ideas for a successful 2023

We recently spoke with community bank CEOs from across the country to gain insights on how they’re proactively positioning to manage risks and take advantage of growth opportunities in the coming year.

2021’s lending outlook: cautious optimism

Many community bankers are cautiously optimistic that this year will bring the same, if not more, demand for loans. They also describe a year that may bring opportunities to gain market share from big banks amid continued uncertainty.

Who made our list of top industry loan producers for 2019?

Meet ICBA’s top industry loan producers for 2019. Whether they specialize in agricultural, consumer or commercial lending, they’re keeping America’s economy moving.

10 tips to boost cross-selling

Throw your sales goals out the window. Help customers get what they want, and your bottom line will take care of itself.

Inside the new style of leadership

Successful community bank leaders inspire from the top while putting the team first. Here’s how.

Community banks get creative with unused branch space

As branch square-footage requirements shrink, community banks are reserving extra space for everything from community events to small-business meetings.

Bank of Zachary: Building Financial Foundations

The Bank of Zachary is equipping high school students with real-world banking skills to shape a financially literate future.

Renovation Lending: The Solution to a Tough Mortgage Market?

With many prospective and first-time homebuyers buying fixer-uppers, community banks can tap into a new market to supplement their mortgage and construction portfolios.

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.

7 Strategies for Raising Bank Deposits

Community banks must maintain a competitive edge to stay on top of their deposits.

CRE Lending: Challenge or Opportunity?

CRE lending is down, but should community banks see it as an opportunity to win business that the megabanks won’t take?

Making Mortgages Happen Amid Higher Interest Rates

Higher interest rates are discouraging many consumers from taking out new mortgages or refinancing existing ones—but community banks are taking steps to fill their pipelines in innovative ways.

8 Ways Community Banks Can Boost Small Business Lending

Small businesses and community banks are a perfect pairing. Community banks play a key role in giving small businesses needed capital and guidance so they can survive and thrive.

Generative AI in Community Banking: What's the Risk?

Generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Jasper, is growing and evolving rapidly. How can community banks leverage this technology while avoiding scams?

Should You Talk to Customers about your Community Bank's Finances?

With the recent failures of a few megabanks, customers may have questions and concerns about their own banks. Here’s how you can address them.

Crafting a marketing plan when a community bank merges

Community bank marketing teams need to consider many factors following a merger or acquisition. We spoke to experts and community bankers on how to market during a merger.

Adapting lending practices during a recession

Many lenders are looking for ways to mitigate risk and ease economic burden for their customers amid a predicted recession. Three community bank lenders share their advice for lending during an economic downturn.

Maintaining momentum in an unpredictable lending landscape

In the past few years, the lending landscape was unpredictable, to say the least. Community bankers look back at what happened in 2022 and what’s on the road ahead.

Does your bank need cyber insurance?

As digital crime evolves, cyber insurance could be part of the solution. We explore how it can protect banks against financial losses and provide resources in the event of a cyber attack.

Is commercial lending on the rise?

Loan providers share an infectious enthusiasm and growing optimism for one vertical’s prospects in 2022: commercial lending. Here’s how community bankers can take advantage of various sectors—including SBA lending—over the next 12 months.

Niche lending ideas: Green products and services

Community banks thrive in niche markets, and lending in new spaces is just one of the ways they serve their communities. As the market for “green” products and services evolves, we asked community bankers for their ideas about how to serve this niche.

The benefits of micro-lending programs

Despite the large number of PPP loans distributed to small businesses, funding didn’t always reach those who needed it the most. These community banks are working to fix that through microlending programs.

Overcoming banking hurdles for Native American customers

Native American customers on tribal lands have historically been redlined and ignored by the mainstream financial system. Native-owned community banks have been there to serve these communities by providing critical access to banking services and credit.

Is CRE lending bouncing back?

Commercial real estate lenders had a stellar year in 2019, but the pandemic hurt that momentum. According to experts, however, some sectors of the CRE lending market are moving forward, and deposit-laden community banks are primed to fulfill that demand.

Will 2021 be another banner year for mortgage lending?

Even with the disruption of the pandemic, 2020 was a huge year for mortgage lending, with many community banks seeing record numbers of home loans, refinancings and more. The question is whether that momentum will continue.

Here are the benefits of bank-owned life insurance

Over the past two decades, banks have increasingly dabbled in BOLI, or bank-owned life insurance. While there are downsides to consider, experts say the benefits of these policies can generate income in the long term and retain bank leaders.

Online-Only Bank ZYNLO Drives Growth for PeoplesBank

Discover how PeoplesBank leverages Zynlo Bank to drive digital growth, attract younger demographics, and innovate with banking as a service (BaaS) solutions.

How One Bank Tackled Online Gambling Friendly Fraud

A fraud case at Williamstown Bank sheds light on how community banks can combat rising online gaming “friendly fraud” claims and navigate Regulation E compliance hurdles.

Community Banks Propel Multi-Family Home Growth

During a housing shortage, community banks are using their agility, relationships and market insight to support apartment developments when larger lenders fall short.

What's Attracting Small Businesses to Small-Dollar SBA Loans?

Lenders are seeing an increase in small-dollar loans as demand from small business customers surges due to new SBA 7(a) program reforms and higher interest rates.

What Makes Customers Trust Community Banks?

Trustworthiness is integral to the success of a bank. And for community banks, it’s more than table stakes—it’s your competitive edge.

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.

Specialize and Thrive: Community Banks Find Success Lending to Niche Markets

When it comes to organic growth, niche lending is one way to reach lucrative new markets.

How Community Banks Can Nurture Relationships With Next-Gen Customers

With the “great wealth transfer” approaching, now’s the time for community banks to plan with individuals passing on their generational wealth and to connect with those who will receive it.

A Compelling Employee Perk: Education Benefits

Investing in employees’ professional growth has proven to contribute to their success and retention rates. What steps can banks and their leadership take to help employees along their career paths?

How To Drive Auto Loan Opportunities

By working with local car dealers and using new lending technology, community banks can boost their presence in the auto lending sector.

Sharing the Load With Participation Loans

When a bank wants to provide a loan above its lending limits, it’s time to turn to participation loans. But what are the benefits and risks involved for community banks?

Banking the Nonprofit Way

Helping their communities: It’s the community bank way, but it’s not always done through volunteering. These banks tell us how they support nonprofits in their areas, helping organizations amplify their work for the groups they serve.

How to Excel in Niche Lending

From microbreweries to veterinary businesses, new companies pop up every day, but the needs of each business customer are different. Specialty community bank lenders describe how they serve their chosen niches and help customers achieve their dreams.

Smart Strategies for Community Bank Construction Lending

Community banks take on a large amount of risk when it comes to construction lending. But by doing their due diligence, applying the right strategies and connecting with their customers, banks can achieve profitability while reducing risk.

Growing SBA lending for small businesses

Community banks are seizing opportunities to grow SBA lending and provide small and minority-owned businesses with capital that would otherwise be difficult to find.

Community mortgage lenders adapt to higher-rate cycles

Mortgage interest rates continue to rise, but community bankers are keeping it all in perspective, applying creativity and strategy to their lending portfolios.

Commercial real estate outlook

The commercial real estate market is changing, as demand for new construction grows along with rising costs and interest rates. How do community banks fit in the bigger CRE picture? Lenders share some of their insights into operating in this fluid market.

How community banks can help young homebuyers

As house prices skyrocket, student loan debt grows and wages stagnate, many Gen Zers and millennials are watching their homebuying dreams move out of reach. But there are ways community banks can help mortgage-seekers get on the property ladder.

The effect of nonbanks in the mortgage space

Nonbank institutions continue to be serious contenders in the home lending space. We look at how community banks can counter nonbanks’ offerings through streamlined technology, customer service and other strategies.

The community banks standing by hospitality customers

Many hotels and other hospitality businesses haven’t fully bounced back from COVID-19 travel and safety restrictions, but community banks have been by their side through the challenges. Luckily, these lenders say loan demand is returning in many areas.

Beth Mattson-Teig

Articles by Beth Mattson-Teig