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Embracing Lending Transformation to Control Your Destiny

Today’s banks can gain a competitive advantage by providing a digital experience throughout the entire loan lifecycle – from onboarding to boarding to core and loan management.

Jul 01, 2025
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Article
Lending

How the MPF® Program Keeps Community Banks Competitive

Through the Mortgage Partnership Finance® (MPF®) Program, community banks gain access to the secondary mortgage market while benefiting from key competitive advantages.

Jun 01, 2025
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Article
Lending

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.

Mar 01, 2025
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Article
Lending

Loan Pricing strategies: Don’t let your bank become a Castaway.

With rapidly changing market conditions, your bank could easily find itself isolated like Tom Hanks in Castaway, on a desert island alone.

Mar 01, 2025
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Article
Lending Payments

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.

Nov 01, 2024
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Article
Lending

Your Handshake is Your Promise. Less Complexity is Ours.

Rocket Pro is built for financial institutions that believe home loans shouldn’t feel like an obstacle course. Learn more about partnering with Rocket Pro at rocketpro.com.

Sep 30, 2025
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Article
Lending

The Lending Outlook for 2024

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

Jan 08, 2024
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Article
Lending

Using Data to Boost Mortgage Lending

Can community banks reengage existing mortgage customers through data, or find new ones? We spoke to experts on where to find data that could increase sales—and what to do with it.

Nov 27, 2023
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Article
Lending

Who are ICBA's Top Lenders of 2023?

In an uncertain economic environment, community banks have continued to make smart lending decisions that help individuals and businesses in their communities. Here are 2023's most successful loan...

Jul 03, 2023
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Article
Lending

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...

Jun 05, 2023
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Article
Lending

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.

Apr 21, 2023
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Article
Lending

Jim Reber: Collateral advantage

A variety of MBS pools can spread your risk.

Mar 01, 2023
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Article
Lending

When Every Minute Matters, Choose FirstClose Equity

SPONSORED | If you want an all-in-one turnkey solution that delivers more home equity business with an enhanced customer experience, FirstClose Equity is where it’s at.

Feb 01, 2023
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Article
Lending

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...

Jan 01, 2023
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Article
Lending

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.

Dec 01, 2022
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Article
Compliance Lending

Maintaining resilience in a rising rates environment: addressing ALM uncertainties

SPONSORED | Looking for asset liability management and pricing strategies to help your institution navigate the rising rate environment? Download our whitepaper to find out ways to address ALM...

Nov 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

How BHG Financial’s innovative solutions can help community banks thrive in the digital age

SPONSORED | First Citizens Bank, an Iowa state-chartered bank, uses OnBoard’s board management software to increase efficiency and deliver a consistent, improved process for its boards, committees,...

Aug 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

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...

Jul 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

Who were ICBA's Top Lenders of 2022?

Highlighted here are some of last year’s most successful loan producers in the areas of agriculture, commercial and consumer/mortgage lending.

Jul 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

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...

Jun 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

Jim Reber: Mayday for mortgages?

Rising borrower costs have consequences for MBS.

May 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

The top-performing community banks of 2021

Independent Banker’s annual listing top-performing community banks of 2021 alongside interviews with some of the winners. In true community bank fashion, each has its own story to tell and its own...

May 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

Mortgage eClosing: The Path to eSignatures

SPONSORED | The path to eClosing is complex but achievable. During this Dialogue on Demand session, we will uncover the benefits and uses of eSignatures, legislation surrounding eSignatures and...

May 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

Prepare for a purchase market and create mortgage efficiencies

SPONSORED | The mortgage industry is very volatile. How can lenders be ready? In this webinar, you’ll learn about how APIs can enhance the experience for both borrowers and lenders and preparing...

May 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

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...

Apr 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

Building greater strength with FICO

SPONSORED | As the world has evolved, so has the way we analyze credit. New and exciting technology makes way for innovative algorithms that give us a more defined look at an even greater data set.

Mar 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

Developing leaders in mortgage lending – Navigating uncertainty with leadership strategies

SPONSORED—Will the high loan origination activity originally witnessed in 2020 continue over time? Numbers from 2021 would indicate that a decline is underway. Download Finastra’s white paper...

Mar 01, 2022
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Article
Lending

The banks serving active duty personnel

Community banks operate on a majority of the country’s military installations. Given their selfless service, active-duty personnel rely on community banks that understand their unique needs.

Oct 01, 2021
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Article
Lending

How University Bank is redressing redlining

Widespread housing discrimination made homeownership unattainable for Black Americans for generations. To address this, University Bank and a nonprofit launched a new mortgage program, creating a...

Oct 01, 2021
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Article
Lending

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...

Oct 01, 2021
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Article
Lending

What’s a special-purpose credit program?

In an effort to help financial institutions expand access to credit, the CFPB recently addressed regulatory uncertainty around special-purpose credit programs, or SPCPs. These programs are intended...

Jul 01, 2021
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Article
Compliance Lending

What young borrowers want in the loan journey

Younger borrowers have different expectations when it comes to how they bank and do business. The needs of these digital-first customers are leading some community banks to prioritize digital loan...

Jul 01, 2021
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Article
Lending

Who made ICBA's 2021 list of Top Lenders?

Our top lenders of 2021 made the most of one of the toughest years in recent memory through personal connection, ingenuity and dedication to their communities.

Jul 01, 2021
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Article
Lending

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...

Jun 01, 2021
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Article
Lending

Community Bank CEO Outlook 2021: What's the path ahead?

No Magic 8 Ball could have predicted the year community banks had in 2020. What will 2021 bring? Independent Banker’s annual Community Bank CEO Outlook survey asked bank executives how they plan to...

Jan 01, 2021
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Article
Lending

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...

Jan 01, 2021
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Article
Lending

10 mobile lending UX best practices

The easier and more intuitive your mobile lending platform is to use, the more high-quality loan applications you’ll receive.

Jul 01, 2020
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Article
Lending

Who made ICBA’s 2020 Top Lenders list?

Our top lenders’ exceptional performance last year has set them up for success even in a time of turmoil. Read on to meet the year’s most successful loan producers in the agriculture, commercial...

Jul 01, 2020
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Article
Lending

Preventing and detecting mortgage fraud

Many compliance functions are needed to detect mortgage fraud, from FACTA and FCRA to the SAFE Act. Here’s a look at the requirements.

Apr 01, 2020
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Article
Compliance Lending

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.

Jul 01, 2019
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Article
Lending

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