Search Articles
Jacob Eisen: A Can't-Miss Business Card Opportunity
Thirty-four percent of small businesses in the U.S. are not comfortable with their cash flow in today’s economy, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index for Q1 2025.
Scott Anchin: Let's Win the Fight Against Elder Fraud
June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Recognized by the United Nations since 2011, the date serves as a reminder to protect vulnerable, older members of our community from exploitation.
40 Under 40: 2025's Community Bank Leaders
Our seventh annual 40 Under 40 community bank leaders awards shine a light on inspiring people who take bettering their workplaces to the next level.
What Makes a Leader Truly Great? Experts Weigh In
Good leadership is about much more than one individual’s impact on the bottom line. It’s about how effective leaders use these skills both internally and in the community to build a stronger bank.
Taking the Proper Steps to Unmask Deepfake Fraud
Community banks face the threat of deepfake fraud as developments in AI continue to refine it. While addressing such a challenge, banks must remain cognizant of reporting practices.
How Can Legal Expertise Smooth Succession Transitions?
Succession planning is complicated in all sorts of ways. An attorney or legal team can help iron out the issues and lay out documents that ensure long-term continuity for community banks.
Building Stronger Futures Through the Heartland Bank Community Foundation
Focused on youth development and family enrichment, Heartland Bank’s charitable foundation delivers meaningful results through strategic giving and community partnerships.
Out of Office: Robin McDougald
The chief retail and product officer at $2.3 billion-asset Texas First Bank in Texas City, Texas, is an amateur actress at the Baytown Little Theater in Baytown, Texas.
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.
How Community Bankers Can Fight (and Win) Against Fraud
IBT Apps’ newest ebook is available now! Discover the rising threat of fraud and learn how community banks can proactively defend against it with modern tools and strategies.
How Fraudsters Prey on Good Nature Following Disaster
Even as people suffer and others help their neighbors after devastation from fires, tornadoes or floods, fraudsters are looking to capitalize on both vulnerability and generosity.
Maximizing Profitability with Today's Point-of-Sale Tech
The goal of community banks in a digital age: Be top of wallet. Learn how to take advantage of growing POS innovations like digital wallets.
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.
Michael Benedict: The Resilience of Agency MBS in a Shifting Financial Landscape
Agency mortgage-backed securities rise above the rest in this relative value update.
Alan Keller: What's at Stake for Community Banks in Current Tax Legislation
Facing its expiration date at the end of 2025, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is at a crossroads.
CFG Bank Uplifts Baltimore's Resilience Following Local Tragedy
From donations to innovative money market accounts, CFG Bank is supporting Baltimore as it rebuilds and recovers from the 2024 Key Bridge collapse.
Powering Potential: ICBA Welcomes Peter Nelson
In February 2025, ICBA welcomed Peter Nelson as senior EVP of member engagement. As a long-time community banker, Nelson brings with him a history of robust involvement with ICBA.
What Every Community Bank Needs to Fight Fraud
When it comes to fraud, everything old is new again—and then some.
Charles Potts: Turning Strategy Into Success With the Right Tech
In the current economic environment, your bank’s strategy is worth its weight in gold.
Unlocking Strategic Advantages with ECM Technology
Selecting the right ECM solution for your financial institution can unlock strategic advantages.
Navigate Evolving Fraud With Jack Henry Financial Crimes Defender™
Effectively protect your bank from pervasive fraud threats while putting your customers first with Jack Henry Financial Crimes Defender™.
Community State Bank Brings Joy to Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors
A breast cancer awareness fundraiser at Community State Bank in Union Grove, Wis., culminated in a $1,000 donation for the Heavenly Locks Foundation.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Coming Together to Address Fraud
When it comes to fraud, it takes a village. That may be in part because fraudsters continue to get more sophisticated, and fraud’s effect on banking is skyrocketing.
Jack E. Hopkins: How Education and Technology Drive Down Fraud Risks
Community banks are battling increasingly sophisticated forms of fraud.
Workplace Culture: A Make or Break for Community Bank Employees?
Culture keeps a workplace and its employees running—whether they know it or not. From values and practices to the way colleagues interact, culture drives a community bank from the inside out.
Lindsay LaNore: Strategic Success Starts with a Thoughtful Plan
It’s hard to believe it’s already May, but since we’re here, let’s talk about planning.
Drive Efficiency With These 9 Back Office Upgrades
Much of a community bank’s technical success starts behind the curtain: in the back office. By optimizing this area of operations, a bank can run like a well-oiled machine.
Future Commercial Lending Success Through Consumer Loans
Read Teslar’s white paper to explore why community banks need to engage consumer borrowers to grow and sustain their commercial lending pipeline—and how to do it successfully.
Protect Your Bank From Card Fraud Losses
ICBA Payments helps banks recuperate losses from card fraud with its Fraud Loss Protection Plan, a unique-to-the- industry product designed for and available exclusively to community banks.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Your Advocacy Impact
Sometimes in life, we’re fortunate enough to see our labor yield results, and that’s precisely what’s been happening with our advocacy efforts.
Jack E. Hopkins: Marching to the Beat of Community Banking
As I take on the role of ICBA chairman, I do so with humility, honor and pride in this industry and our mission as community bankers.
Live Oak Bank's Office Design Is Rooted in Innovation
In June 2024, $12.9 billion-asset Live Oak Bank in Wilmington, N.C., debuted a new office building constructed with mass timber materials.
How Community Banks Open Doors for Local Restaurants
Restaurants, just like community banks, are a part of every local economy. And community banks know the best way to support this higher-risk industry.
Strengthening Work Relations Through Bank Employee Surveys
Are your employees happy? Staff surveys are a great way to find out. The key, say community bankers and experts, is following up on what you hear.
Fighting Fraud Under the USA PATRIOT Act Section 314(b)
Information sharing, permitted under the USA PATRIOT Act Section 314(b), presents opportunities for banks to work together and combat suspicious bank activity.
Jacob Eisen: Changing for the Better
Winston Churchill famously said, “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.”
Scott Anchin: 'Friendly Fraud' Isn't Bank Friendly
Recent research has found that “friendly fraud” costs U.S. businesses more than $100 billion a year. But what is it, and what can we do to minimize its effects?
What Role Will Your Core Play in Open Banking?
The CFPB’s open banking rule opens financial data to authorized third parties. Will your core processor be ready if it takes effect?
5 Ways Community Banks Can Take Advantage of FedNow
FedNow has solidified its place in the banking industry, and now’s the time for community banks to get in on the action. Learn how your bank can ease the instant payments system into its operations.
Jim Reber and Ron Haynie: Fannie and Freddie 3.0
The Trump administration shows interest in reprivatizing the housing GSEs.
Aaron Stetter: The ICBA Capital Summit Shapes the Future of Community Banking
Every year, ICBA hosts its signature lobbying event that encourages grassroots action for our industry and presents bankers the opportunity to meet with legislators.
First National Bank: Redefining Retail Banking
First National Bank’s eStore aims for customer convenience, delivering personalized banking through a high-tech customer experience.
Powering Potential: 5 Ways ICBA Can Improve Your Advocacy Efforts
Discover how ICBA’s resources equip you to excel in your lobbying efforts.
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.
Meet ICBA’s 2025/26 Board of Directors
ICBA’s 2025/26 board members hail from all corners of the country and are ready to fight for the continued success of the community banking industry.
The Ultimate Community Banker Guidebook for All Things Advocacy
This year, a new presidential administration and a new Congress bring opportunities for regulatory and legislative changes.
Powering Potential: ICBA Certification Q&A with Vance Keller
Vance Keller has built a dynamic career in banking since 1999. Keller shares how his commitment to continuous learning and collaboration drives his success in navigating compliance challenges.
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.
Out of Office: Gerardo Munoz
The SVP and chief information officer at $3.4 billion-asset D.L. Evans Bank in Burley, Idaho, collects and refurbishes vintage watches.
The Future of Risk Management: Adapt or Fall Behind
The past 18 months have been a wake-up call for the banking industry. Market instability, interest rate swings, and uncertainty demand agile, data-driven risk management.
ACT Deposit Program Can Help Improve Your Bank’s CRA Rating
Discover a new, innovative way for bankers to boost their CRA rating while enjoying safety and returns for large cash balances.
Lucas White: Translating Advocacy Into Action
While advocacy has always been a core ICBA pillar, the massive number of new regulations we've faced over the past year is a reminder of the importance of community bankers taking part in advocacy.
How to Fight AI-Boosted Spear Phishing Fraud
AI has streamlined spear phishing, a kind of cyberattack involving emails, video calls or other forms of communication facilitated by fraudsters posing as a trusted colleague, boss or organization.
Why is Streaming the Hottest New Marketing Platform for Community Banks?
As streaming services grow in popularity with viewers, community bankers are exploring the targeting capabilities and flexibility of advertising on connected TV.
The Data Advantage: Key Strategies for Community Bank Success
With larger regional banks increasingly viewing community financial institutions as rising competition, the time to tap into your data advantage is now.
Proven Practices For Back-Office Efficiency
Shrinking net interest margins, rising costs, and manual processes challenge community banks to maintain efficiency and profitability in a competitive market.
Community Bank of Parkersburg Shreds for Security
Community Bank of Parkersburg, partnered with local shredding company Gator Shredding to host a community “shred day,” where members of the community could bring documents to be safely destroyed.
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.
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.