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Optimize Your Community Bank's Treasury Management Offerings
These four community banks compared the costs and use cases for adding treasury management to their services and streamlining them. Now, they’re seeing the benefits.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Amplifying the Community Bank Difference
Our 2025 Community Bank CEO Outlook survey revealed that 77% of bank executives believe their greatest opportunity this year will be differentiating their community bank from other financial firms.
Paycheck Protection Program's Impact Four Years On
Community banks went above and beyond to help customers and noncustomers alike during the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) four years ago, and they continue to reap the benefits of that service.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: A New Tool For Your Team's Career Development
As community bankers, we each wear multiple hats and have throughout the course of our careers.
4 CFPB Rules to Watch for This Year
From limitations on fee practices to personal financial data rights, these proposed and final Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules could have a significant impact on the community bank industry.
RESPA and HMDA Violations: What to Know
In the second half of 2023, the CFPB penalized Freedom Mortgage for violating both RESPA and HMDA. Here’s what community banks need to know about complying with these acts.
Law Firm Evaluation for Community Banks
Community banks need to maintain a healthy relationship with their legal representatives, especially when it’s through a third party.
40 Under 40: 2024's Community Bank Leaders
Our sixth annual 40 Under 40 community bank leaders awards recognize an insightful group of professionals who have continuously stepped up to make a difference in their communities.
6 Ways to Deepen Small-Business Relationships
When it comes to small businesses, a personal touch is needed to develop the relationship between bank and business.
ICBA's Best-Performing Banks of 2024
These community banks hit their stride in 2024, and they intend to keep the momentum going with hard work, flexibility and the expertise they've built over their years of service.
7 Strategies for Raising Bank Deposits
Community banks must maintain a competitive edge to stay on top of their deposits.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Why the Community Bank Story Matters in Advocacy
As we enter Community Banking Month, I am thrilled to honor the ways community banks step up to champion the needs of their communities.
Q&A: Is it Time to Change Your Community Bank Core?
What questions do community banks need to ask to ensure they’re getting the most out of their core?
Warsaw Federal Bank's Unique Path to MDI Status
Cincinnati-based Warsaw Federal Bank has just become one of the state’s two minority depository institutions, with a focus on bringing banking to the city’s underserved communities.
How Marketing Impacts Community Banks' Recruiting
A marketing campaign could be the first thing a prospective employee sees while researching your community bank.
Banking With Heart: How Community Banks Support Customers' Dreams
In honor of Community Banking Month, here are stories from six banks about how their work helps customers achieve their dreams.
Can Community Banks Benefit from Culture Leadership Positions?
Is culture something that falls into place naturally or something that is cultivated?
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?
Could a Fintech Help Your Community Bank Keep Up With Faster Payments?
The faster payments landscape is constantly evolving—but staying on top of it can provide community banks with a competitive edge. Could working with a fintech be key to that success?
Meet ICBA's 2024/25 Board of Directors
The 2024/25 ICBA board of directors is raring to go. With their eyes set on community bank advocacy, they have high hopes of what they can achieve during their term.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Putting the Person in Personalized Marketing
When it comes to community bank marketing, it’s about the person, not the product.
Traditional Advertising's Place in Community Bank Marketing
Marketing success is often measured against website traffic, comments and likes these days, but there’s still a place for traditional ads.
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.
What Makes a Good Manager?
Even though taking on managerial duties often comes part and parcel with a promotion, not everyone is suited to it.
How Santa Cruz County Bank's Technology Transforms the Customer Experience
Santa Cruz County Bank has maintained its top rank among local banks by balancing high tech and high touch and elevating the customer above all.
How to Curate Your Community Bank's Social Strategy
Between Facebook, Instagram, X and other social media platforms, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to successfully follow every social trend when it comes to your marketing.
Test Driving Community Bank Mobile Banking Apps
With so many mobile banking apps available, a growing number of people are looking to try them out before they sign up. Can community banks give them a “test drive” function to attract more customers?
Jim Reber: The Big Chill
Might the bond market be range-bound in 2024?
Rebeca Romero Rainey: The Spirit of Community
As it’s often stated, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” When applied to community banking, that sentiment couldn’t be truer. We come together as a community of bankers, having one another’s best...
Parsing the Proliferation of Payments
Remaining competitive in the banking industry doesn’t mean you have to have your hand in every bucket and offer every available payment solution.
SouthState Bank Unlocks the Doors to Homeownership
The annual income required of potential homebuyers recently experienced its largest increase on record.
Countybank's Half-Century of Charitable Giving
In a show of unwavering support, Countybank founded the Countybank Foundation more than 50 years ago to fulfill its mission to improve every community it serves.
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?
The Status of De Novos Going Into 2024
De novos breathe new life into the banking sector, but activity is still far below its historic highs. That said, a new crop of community banks shows there’s great potential for success.
From Vision to Reality: How CDFIs and MDIs Fund Their Important Efforts
Minority-owned banks are a lifeline to their communities—but their needs often outstrip deposits. These MDIs are securing the capital and resources to LIFT UP their communities.
What Bank Swag Does Gen Z Want?
Financial institutions are vying for Gen Z’s business, and if you want to attract this new cohort of customers, you need to think about incentives beyond bank-branded beer koozies and keychains.
Schooling Customers on Student Loan Fraud
With student loan payments recently unpaused, cybercriminals have new ways of scamming banks and their customers. Here’s what community banks and their customers need to know.
Get Ready for ICBA LIVE 2024
Connect with your fellow bankers at this year’s ICBA LIVE in Orlando and gain new tools, further your knowledge and witness the undeniable truth that community bankers are here for good.
West Shore Bank and Timberland Bank Offer Unique Avenues for Charitable Giving
West Shore Bank and Timberland Bank are fostering generosity by giving their customers unique avenues to support local charities.
CFO Roundtable: Interest Rates, Tariffs, Examiners
Amid the difficult economic environment community banks face today, our 2025 CFO Outlook survey shows a shift in priorities and thoughtful insight into changes to come.