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Michael Benedict: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Balance is key when it comes to capital and profitability.
Endeavor Bank Turns Business Banking into a Conversation
Endeavor Bank’s consultative banking model boosts business banking with tailored meetings, onboarding roadmaps and community connections.
Advanced Cybersecurity Considerations for Community Banks
Discover how cybersecurity advancements like Extended Detection and Response leverage AI and machine learning for superior threat detection.
United Bank Helps a Plant Nursery Grow
As of 2024, United Bank in Atmore, Ala., has worked with Slay’s Nursery in nearby Elberta, Ala., for two decades, having helped its owners launch and grow their nursery and gardening store.
Powering Potential: Strengthening Community Banking State by State
ICBA’s links with state banking associations help shape organizational growth and drive powerful collaborations.
Charles Potts: How Fintech Relationships Can Lessen Compliance Burdens
Compliance consistently ranks as one of the highest business expenses for community banks, and that cost is expected to climb.
Is Your Community Bank Ahead of the Pack on Instant Payments?
Whether it’s through RTP or FedNow, many community banks are still exploring how instant payments rails can fulfill the needs of and benefit their customers.
Tips For Sending Transactions Over The FedNow® Service
By enabling customers to send instant payments via the FedNow® Service versus only receive, banks can gain a faster, stronger ROI.
Lindsay LaNore: The 5 Ws of Goal Setting
As we look at budgets for the coming year, it’s a great time to think about how we set goals.
Umpqua Bank Supports Affordable Housing Initiatives
Umpqua Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines recently partnered to award $160,000 in grant money to 13 affordable housing nonprofits in Oregon.
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.
Lucas White: Tenacity for the Regulatory Win
When I’m asked about necessary skill sets for community banking, I talk about problem-solving and a passion for helping people.
Community Banks Support Ag Lending, Rain or Shine
Farming is never without its ups and downs, but whatever the weather, ag-focused community banks are there for farmers.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Leveling the Playing Field
They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but when it comes to financial services, it doesn’t make for a fair banking environment.
How Bigger Community Banks Maintain a Local Feel
It’s in the name—community banks are all about building community. So, when they expand into other markets, how do they continue to make the authentic connections they’re known for?
2024 National Community Bank Service Awards
Phelps County Bank and Woodsboro Bank’s outstanding charitable work has earned them recognition as ICBA’s 2024 National Community Bank Service Award winners.
Ease Reporting with Automation
Routine reporting can be time- and paper-intensive—but automation can take mundane tasks off your team’s plate and create all kinds of other efficiencies.
Out of Office: Ben Nelson
The senior vice president of residential mortgage lending at $3.1 billion‑asset D.L. Evans Bank in Burley, Idaho, found community theater in 2017 after taking on an acting role alongside his daughter.
3 Major Community Bank Compliance Challenges (and Solutions)
The regulatory compliance burden is a big and growing consideration for community banks. Thankfully, there are plenty of techniques and resources for keeping on top of this ever-changing task.
Jenna Burke: The Supreme Court of the United States Is Reshaping Administrative Law
Three recent SCOTUS decisions could affect the community banking sector.
Members Tee Up at ICBA PAC's 19th Annual Golf Classic
On June 17, the ICBA political action committee (PAC) hosted its 19th Annual Golf Classic at the Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park, Minn.
When Should Your Community Bank Use a Staffing Agency?
If your community bank doesn’t have the time or resources to recruit for open or hard-to-fill positions, a staffing agency is one way to take the burden off your shoulders.
Driving Community Prosperity with Reciprocal Deposits
IntraFI_Sponsored 2026-06-01 05202026_Article_Featured_Image-2000x1250.jpg By Joe Hooker, Chief Sales Officer, IntraFi Community banks, which make up at least 90% of all banks nationwide, are the...
How Can Community Banks Best Manage Change?
During a merger or acquisition, success hinges on addressing employee concerns early. We asked bankers and consultants for their best tips for building trust and mitigating uncertainty among staff...
2026 Banking Trust & Technology Outlook: What Community Bank Leaders Need to Know
FINAL ICBA Ads Version 2-06.jpg As community banks navigate 2026, one theme stands out clearly across the industry: technology is advancing faster than institutions can govern it, communicate it,...
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,...
40 Under 40: 2026's Community Bank Leaders
Our eighth annual 40 Under 40 Community Bank Leaders awards highlight the people who are shaping the present and future of our industry. The winners stand out for their achievements in the...
Winning in the Hybrid Monetary Era
Jack_Henry_Sponsored 2026-07-01 JH-BRAND-ADV-ICBA-July2026-SponsoredContent-Article-FeaturedImage-2000x1250.png Today, bank leaders are not navigating another cycle of disruption, but operating in...
New Federal Focus Could Reinvigorate Community Banks’ Role in the Mortgage Market
MPFProgram_2000x1250.png By Patrick Sullivan, Executive Vice President, Mortgage Partnership Finance® Program Over the past two decades, the structure of the mortgage market has shifted in...
Something’s Feasting on Your Tech Budget. The Playbook Starves It.
IBT_Sponsored 2026-07-01 ICBA-july2026-featuredimage2000_2.png Your bank’s tech budget is being eaten alive, and most banks can’t get ahead of it. The vendor contract that auto-renewed three years...
Branch Transformation in Community Banking Breaks Down Without Operational Alignment
Alogent_Sponsored 2026-07-01 alogent-feature-image-2000x1250 (1).png Community banks are rethinking the role of the branch, but many are discovering that physical transformation alone doesn’t...
Listen Up: Partners in fraud prevention
Episode 4 of the Independent Banker podcast features Pioneer Trust Bank’s Betsy Steinberg and ICBA Bancard’s Rebecca Kruse discussing the many ways you can protect your financial institution from...
Valley Bank helps lead women home
Valley Bank is working side by side with Walter Hoving Home, a place of refuge for women struggling with addiction and other personal challenges, to offer residents financial empowerment.
BankOnBuffalo redefines mobile banking
BankOnBuffalo has hit the road with its new mobile bank, BankOnWheels, to meet the needs of underserved communities.
Lindsay LaNore: 7 ideas for cultivating inspiration
The theme for ICBA LIVE 2023 is “Light the Fire. Light the Way.” As leaders, that’s a huge part of what we do: spark enthusiasm, encourage creativity and guide our teams on the paths to success.
Charles Potts: How to use data to drive bank growth
Working hand in hand with digital transformation, data provides a powerful tool for community banks. Its accessibility, readability and applicability in today’s digital-first environment has...
Phishing solutions for community banks
Phishing has been around almost as long as email itself, which means hackers have had plenty of time to perfect their practices. It’s more likely than not that community bank staff will fall for a...
Aaron Stetter: Setting a course for the new Congress
ICBA is getting the community banking message out, from sending a letter detailing ICBA’s policy priorities to every member of the new Congress to reinforcing that messaging with advertisements in...
Updates to the beneficial ownership rules
Starting in 2024, banks will be required to collect beneficial ownership information on accounts they maintain. Here’s what’s changing and what it means for community banks.
The benefits of offering virtual advisor services
Spurred by social distancing and shutdowns during the pandemic, many community banks turned to virtual financial advisory services, and these new practices are expected to stick around.