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The ICBA Newsroom collects and centralizes all the NewsWatch Today articles, press releases, Main Street Matters blogs, advocacy letters and other news that impacts community bankers.

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40 Under 40: 2019’s Emerging Community Bank Leaders

Independent Banker asked community bankers to nominate emerging leaders under the age of 40 in 2019, and did you ever deliver. Here are short profiles of 40 young innovators who are making waves in the industry but still manage to keep their communities front and center. In no particular order, let’s meet our winners—the industry’s future.
June 01, 2019 | Independent Banker  

Roselle Bank Receives NJBankers' 2018 Community Service Award

Bank acknowledged for charitable initiatives, awarded with recognition plaque at conference
May 22, 2019 | News  

ICBA to Congress: Extend Safeguards on Personal Info to All Entities

ICBA urged Congress to require all entities that are responsible for handling personal consumer information to be held to the same standards as financial institutions.
May 09, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Data Security/Fraud 

CFPB Issues Proposed Rule on Debt Collection

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Under its proposal, debt collectors would be restricted in how frequently, and the way in which they contact consumers. The proposal also provides additional information to consumers to help them identify debts and respond to collection attempts.
May 09, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   CFPB Compliance 

FDIC Seeks Feedback on Proposed Call Report Revisions

The FDIC is requesting feedback on proposed revisions to the call report. The revision introduces reporting requirements on the proposed Community Bank Leverage Ratio.
May 09, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Call Report 

Crapo: Grassroots Advocacy Works

Community bank grassroots advocacy was instrumental in passing the S. 2155 regulatory relief law and remains critical to advancing additional reforms, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) told community bankers in Washington.
May 01, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Grassroots/Be Heard Regulatory Relief 

How to create an effective digital payments strategy

Faster payments. p2p. It would be easy to feel overwhelmed at the speed of change. The key, say experts, is to ensure your payments strategy aligns with your corporate strategy.
May 01, 2019 | Independent Banker   Payments 

Community Bank CFO Outlook 2019: What are your peers forecasting?

Independent Banker’s Community Bank CFO Outlook survey asked community bank chief financial officers how they plan to tackle their banks’ financial challenges, from complying with high-profile accounting standards to utilizing automated accounting solutions. Their answers reveal that many CFOs find their role changing to meet the demands placed on modern financial institutions.
May 01, 2019 | Independent Banker  

Revealed: ICBA’s best-performing community banks 2019

Our annual list of the year’s go-getters is here! Read on to see the 75 community banks that took the crown, and hear from nine that shined because of their cutting-edge technology, strategic growth and superior personal service.
May 01, 2019 | Independent Banker   Growing the Community 

ICBA Announces 2019 Community Banking Policy Priorities

ICBA today announced its top legislative and regulatory priorities for 2019.
April 29, 2019 | Press Release   BSA/AML Cannabis banking Credit Unions Data Security/Fraud Housing Finance/GSEs FCS Regulatory Relief 

Community Bankers in Washington This Week

Community bankers from all corners of the country are in Washington this week for meetings with lawmakers as part of the ICBA 2019 Capital Summit.
April 29, 2019 | Press Release   BSA/AML Cannabis banking Credit Unions Data Security/Fraud Housing Finance/GSEs FCS Regulatory Relief 

ICBA to CFPB: Study Risks of Small-Business Data Collection

ICBA called on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to identify potential benefits and burdens before rules are promulgated, including forthcoming rules on small-business data collection.
April 24, 2019 | Press Release   CFPB 1071 

Community Banks Are the Megabank Alternative

ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on today’s House Financial Services Committee hearing on holding megabanks accountable.
April 10, 2019 | Press Release   Too-Big-To-Fail/Systemic Risk 

What’s in your bank’s swag bag?

Forget toasters. Community banks are standing out from the competition and luring new customers with innovative incentives.
April 01, 2019 | Independent Banker   Growing the Community 

Ways to avoid flood insurance compliance violations

Avoiding flood insurance-related violations requires understanding loans, notifying customers and/or assessing insurance coverage requirements.
April 01, 2019 | Independent Banker   Compliance 

ICBA Announces 2019-20 Executive Committee

ICBA today announced the election of its 2019-20 Executive Committee during the 2019 ICBA LIVE® national convention in Nashville.
March 21, 2019 | Press Release   Advocacy 

New ICBA Chairman’s Message to Community Bankers: Fight to Promote the Community Banking Model

Incoming ICBA Chairman Preston Kennedy encouraged 2019 ICBA LIVE® national convention attendees to exert their political influence to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish.
March 21, 2019 | Press Release   Advocacy 

Treasury Tosses Old Tax Rules

The Treasury Department finalized the repeal of 296 unnecessary, duplicative or obsolete tax regulations. Treasury said the elimination of regulatory “deadwood” helps advance the policies of President Trump’s Executive Orders 13777 and 13789, which direct the department to identify and reduce burdensome tax regulations.
March 15, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Taxes & Budget 

ICBA to Congress: Require All Entities to Safeguard Personal Information

ICBA today told Congress that all entities that handle personal information should be required to safeguard personal information similar to how it is protected at financial institutions.
March 14, 2019 | Press Release   Data Security/Fraud Privacy 

ICBA Expands Government Relations Team

ICBA announced today that Noah Yosif has joined its government relations team as assistant vice president of economic policy and research.
March 12, 2019 | Press Release  

Romero Rainey: Another Wall Street Tall Tale

While megabanks have been withdrawing from local communities in the wake of the financial crisis they created, a new Wall Street Journal article claims these areas can’t possibly get by without them, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey writes. ICBA and community bankers have a more positive story to share, she wrote on Main Street Matters.
March 05, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Too-Big-To-Fail/Systemic Risk 

Why banks are becoming B Corps

A number of community banks have joined a coalition of companies whose commitment to better business practices—from worker benefits to leadership structure—is certified by a third-party nonprofit. These B Corps, designated by the B Lab, are a growing force that count many financial institutions and household brands as members. Could being a B Corp benefit your community bank?
March 01, 2019 | Independent Banker  

Let's define 'unfair, deceptive or absuive'

More than its predecessors, the Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices can be a murky regulation for compliance officers. How well do you know the ins and outs of UDAAP?
March 01, 2019 | Independent Banker   Compliance 

12 Winning Vendor Negotiation Tips

Finding a new vendor can be a test of your negotiation skills, especially when nearly everything in business is negotiable. Follow these 12 tips from ICBA's executive vice president and chief digital strategy officer, Prabash Shrestha, to glean his winning tips and strategies for vendor negotiation.
February 26, 2019 | Payments Quarterly  

Report Notes Solid, But Slower Growth in 2018

The Federal Reserve said it will stick to its “patient” approach as it determines future adjustments amid concerns of a slowing global economy and last year’s financial turmoil, according to the central bank’s annual report to Congress.
February 25, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Reserve 

Minnesota Bank Drives Support for Local Non-Profits

In the latest issue of Bancard Confidential, Kimball, Minnesota-headquartered Harvest Bank shares how it has leveraged ICBA Bancard's charitable giving platform to help support local non-profits and charitable organizations in the communities it serves.
February 20, 2019 | Payments Quarterly  

ICBA Advocates Uniformity, Certainty in FCC Rules

ICBA and other financial services trade associations filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, advocating for uniformity and certainty in hearing challenges to FCC rules.
February 20, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   FCC 

ICBA Expands Toolkit to Promote Savings

ICBA updated its Tell Your Story toolkit with a customizable press release to help community bankers encourage financial responsibility during America Saves Week, slated for Feb. 25-March 2.
February 20, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Are Biometrics the Future of Payments Authentication?

Could a fingerprint or iris scan be the answer to consumer password fatigue? Perhaps. In China, several face-detecting technologies are being used to authorize payments, with the Alipay “Smile to Pay” mobile app among the most popular.
February 12, 2019 | Payments Quarterly  

ACH Volume Skyrocketed in Q418

The National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) reports that during the fourth quarter of 2018, ACH Network volume saw more growth than it has in a decade.
January 30, 2019 | News  

Senate Banking Panel Issues Subcommittee Assignments

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) announced the panel’s subcommittee assignments for the 116th Congress. The Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection will be led by Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
January 22, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Grassroots/Be Heard 

ICBA Statement on Subchapter S Tax Deduction

ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued a statement on the Treasury Department’s final rule expanding access to the 20 percent tax deduction for pass-through businesses.
January 22, 2019 | Press Release   Taxes & Budget 

Luetkemeyer Urges Rule Distinguishing Guidance

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) urged federal regulators to begin a formal rulemaking to clarify the distinctions between guidance and rules. In a letter to regulators, Luetkemeyer encouraged the agencies to adopt the principles of a September 2018 interagency statement on the role of supervisory guidance. He said the clarity will ensure banks and examiners clearly understand the grounds for enforcement actions.
January 22, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Regulatory Relief 

ICBA to FDIC: Deny Square’s Latest Application

ICBA expressed disappointment in federal regulators’ insufficient proposal to reduce reporting burdens and repeated its call for a true short-form call report. Following its weeks-long grassroots advocacy campaign, ICBA said the call report for the first and third quarters should consist of a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of changes in shareholders’ equity.
January 22, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Technology Fintech Regulation 

ICBA Urges True Short-Form Call Report

ICBA expressed disappointment in federal regulators’ insufficient proposal to reduce reporting burdens and repeated its call for a true short-form call report. Following its weeks-long grassroots advocacy campaign, ICBA said the call report for the first and third quarters should consist of a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of changes in shareholders’ equity.
January 22, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Call Report 

ICBA Seeks Hearings on ‘Emergency’ CU Merger

ICBA called on key congressional committees to hold hearings on the National Credit Union Administration’s approval of an “emergency merger” between Pentagon Federal Credit Union and Progressive Credit Union.
January 22, 2019 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Credit Unions 

TCM Bank Supports Customers Affected by Government Shutdown

TCM Bank, N.A., a subsidiary of ICBA Bancard, announced that it is supporting its community bank partners and helping their cardholder customers who may be experiencing financial hardship during the government shutdown.
January 05, 2019 | Press Release  

Site visits still matter. Here’s why

Site visits are the key to protecting your community bank’s commercial and industrial portfolio. Here’s why.
January 01, 2019 | Independent Banker   Compliance Lending 

Community Spirit: Dennis Frandsen

After a lengthy entrepreneurial career, Dennis Frandsen of Frandsen Bank & Trust is giving back by helping Minnesota students pay their tuition.
January 01, 2019 | Independent Banker  

Community Bank CEO Outlook 2019: What’s on your peers’ to-do list?

Independent Banker’s inaugural Community Bank CEO Outlook survey asked community bank CEOs how they plan to meet their challenges this year. Read on for a glimpse of their to-do lists for 2019, from increasing deposits to tackling digital marketing.
January 01, 2019 | Independent Banker  

ICBA Applauds House Passage of Farm Bill

ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on the House of Representatives’ passage of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2).
December 12, 2018 | Press Release   Farm Bill 

Independent Banker Profiles Community Bankers of the Year

The December issue of Independent Banker® magazine features profiles of ICBA’s Community Bankers of the Year. The profiles of Ken LaRoe, Scott McComb, Josh Rowland, and Stan Wilmoth feature their views on values, human connections, civic partnership, and community service.
December 10, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Congress Extends Flood Program Until Friday

Congress extended the National Flood Insurance Program through this Friday. With the program set to expire at the end of last week, the last-minute vote averted a lapse.
December 03, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Flood Insurance Compliance 

Podcast Features Community Bank Payment Trends

ICBA Bancard’s Tina Giorgio and TCM Bank’s Damon Moorer were featured in the latest This Month In Banking podcast by the Kafafian Group. The 30-minute recording discusses how Bancard and TCM support community banks’ credit card offerings and offers insight on trends affecting payments.
November 30, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Payments 

Agencies Planning Resolution Reform: McWilliams

The FDIC and Federal Reserve are reviewing resolution-planning regulations for bank holding companies, FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams said. McWilliams said that while the largest financial institutions remain an untested resolution challenge, the agencies are looking to make resolution planning more targeted and will release a proposal in the coming months.
November 30, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Too-Big-To-Fail/Systemic Risk 

Visa: EMV Shift Crushing Counterfeit Fraud

The shift to EMV chip technology has reduced card-present counterfeit payment fraud by 82 percent at chip-enabled merchants, Visa said. More than 3.1 million merchants are now accepting chip cards—67 percent of U.S. storefronts—and 98 percent of U.S. payment volume in September was on EMV cards.
November 30, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Payments 

Court Delays Bureau’s Small-Dollar Rule

A federal court this week granted the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s request to delay the effective date of its rule on small-dollar loans. The decision delays the August 2019 compliance date as the bureau plans to issue proposed rules in January that will reconsider the rule. The bureau plans to propose revisiting only the ability-to-repay provisions, which it said have greater consequences for consumers and the industry than the payment provisions.
November 09, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   CFPB Compliance 

ICBA Statement on FDIC Call Report Proposal

ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued a statement on federal regulators’ proposed rule to implement quarterly reporting relief required by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155).
November 07, 2018 | Press Release   Call Report Regulatory Relief 

Digital marketing tools your bank should know about

Digital marketing is evolving rapidly to meet customers where they are. We look at how remarketing, geofencing and other techniques can help your community bank get the word out.
November 01, 2018 | Independent Banker   Growing the Community 

FDIC Call Features S. 2155 Consumer Compliance Provisions

The FDIC is hosting an upcoming teleconference on consumer compliance topics related to the S. 2155 regulatory relief law. Scheduled for 2 p.m. (Eastern time) Thursday, Oct. 25, the teleconference will feature a formal presentation on provisions of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act as well as a question-and-answer segment.
October 15, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Compliance 

FinCEN Issues Advisory on Iran

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an advisory to help financial institutions better detect and report potentially illicit transactions related to Iran. The advisory provides information on the threats the Iranian regime poses to the U.S. financial system, describes deceptive financial strategies that the Iranian regime uses to evade sanctions, and provides red flag indicators related to specific malign activities and typologies.
October 15, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Compliance 

FHFA Seeks Input on ‘Duty to Serve’ Modifications

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is seeking input on proposed modifications to the Underserved Markets Plans for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The “duty to serve” plans require the enterprises to serve three specified underserved markets—manufactured housing, affordable housing preservation, and rural housing.
October 04, 2018 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Housing Finance/GSEs 

The Bank of Elk River wins two National Awards for Video Production featuring Elk River residents

The American Bankers Association (ABA) announced the winners of the third annual ABA Bank Marketing Video Awards this week during the Bank Marketing Conference in Baltimore. The Bank of Elk River was one of four banks honored at the conference and took home the “Best in Show” award for its video spotlighting how a local family collaborated with The Bank of Elk River to build their dream home. The video was also the winner in the category for banks with less than $500 million in assets.
October 01, 2018 | News  

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