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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.
Ways to Get the Most Out of Your AML/CFT Program
Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism programs have become a priority for regulators. Here’s how to ensure your program is up to par.
ESSA Bank & Trust Is All in on Accessible Homeownership
ESSA Bank & Trust is committed to empowering first-time homebuyers and historically underserved communities with its financial education and loan programs.
Marketing Personalization Is More Than Adding Names to Emails
The advent of data-focused, personalized marketing has opened up doors to deeper customer relationships for community banks.
Charles Potts: Putting the "Person" in Personalized Banking
Today, personalization reigns supreme. According to Deloitte, about half of Gen Zers and millennials find personalized experiences important in their banking and business relationships.
Lindsay LaNore: How to Bridge Gaps With Fellow Employees
In a diverse world, one of the greatest skills a leader can have is the ability to talk to people with different perspectives.
How Marketing Can Win Over the C-Suite
Getting buy-in from the C-suite is essential in all facets of the bank, including marketing. Here are tips for how to get executives and the marketing team working toward the same goals.
Kari Mitchum: The Fedwire Transitions to ISO 20022
What community banks need to know about the Fedwire ISO 20022 switch.
Out of Office: Richard Thiessens
The EVP and chief technology officer at $746 million-asset FinWise Bank in Murray, Utah, makes his own wine, cider and mead.
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.
Powering Potential: Marketing Made Easier for Your Community Bank
The ICBA Marketing Resource Center delivers dynamic, evolving resources that can help you save time, elevate your messaging and win over current and prospective customers.
How Community Banks Are Fighting AI-Powered Elder Fraud
Generative AI has made scamming vulnerable people alarmingly simple. Banks must raise awareness among their senior customers of the dangers and help build financial security.
Streamline Your Bank’s Appraisal and Vendor Management with ValuTrac
Tired of juggling spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls to manage appraisals and vendors? ValuTrac offers a unified workspace that transforms how banks manage their appraisal and valuation processes.
IT MSP, Integris, Reveals Top IT Trends for the Second Year in New Report, “Understanding US Banks’ Annual IT Spend in 2025”
Discover where banks stand on technology in 2025! Our survey of 1,000+ bank executives reveals IT’s growing role, key infrastructure needs, cybersecurity concerns, and economic impacts.
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.
Jacob Eisen: The Difference Between Direct and Agent Bank Credit Card Programs
Credit cards remain the most widely used credit product in the U.S., and the Federal Reserve’s latest payments study points to a continued climb in the number of card transactions, their overall...
Kick Lending Up a Notch With Digital Solutions
Increased efficiency and fewer errors are just two of the benefits of digitalizing your loan production process.
Lucas White: Tackling Fraud With Technology and Education
Community bankers consistently rank cybersecurity and fraud among our highest internal risks, and those risks are growing.
United Community Bank Helps Veterans Take Flight
On Oct. 4, United Community Bank in Perham, Minn., hosted a Tailgate for Troops event in the nearby city of Frazee to raise money for the Veterans Honor Flight of ND/MN.
Scott Anchin: A New Resource for Fighting Fraud
The rise in fraud has become one of the biggest concerns for community banks and their customers in recent years.
Jim Reber: Spreading the Good News
Incremental yield can indicate relative value.
Michael Emancipator: ICBA Speaks Out Against One-Size-Fits-All Regulations
In the face of disproportionate compliance requirements, ICBA is advocating for threshold changes that would lighten community banks’ regulatory burden.
OneUnited Bank Uses Tech to Bridge the Racial Wealth Gap
OneUnited Bank’s AI-powered financial wellness tool is enabling the bank’s customers to make better financial decisions and build generational wealth.
Relief From the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
Community banks around the country came together to help those affected by Hurricane Helene, assisting with cleanup, donating supplies and more.
Out of Office: Aaron Hines
The commercial loan manager and SVP of $500 million-asset Denali State Bank in Fairbanks, Alaska, has ridden his snowmobile through the state’s vast landscapes.
Future-Proofing Community Banks: Upgrading Check Processing to Enhance Security, Efficiency, and Remain Competitive
Checks remain vital, requiring banks to consolidate systems for better efficiency and fraud mitigation. Modern solutions enhance security, streamline processing, and provide real-time fraud detection.
7 Lessons Learned by FedNow® Service Participants
Financial institutions live on the FedNow Service have shared valuable lessons they learned along their instant payment journeys.
Powering Potential: Rethinking Your Payments Strategy With ICBA Payments
ICBA Payments hasn’t just rebranded. It has begun a multiyear phased investment strategy to modernize its technology and service offerings, which are designed to elevate your bank’s payments strategy.
Mitigating Risk in Construction Draw Loans
Construction projects hold great potential but also come with risks. Addressing these challenges head-on will help mitigate each loans risk.
Smart Org Changes That Could Boost Your Bank’s Trajectory
As community banks face increased competition, emerging roles and employees’ desire for advancement, it could be the right time for your community bank to assess its organizational structure.
Michael Benedict: Make Portfolio Strategy Fun Again
Things are looking up for portfolio management in 2025.
Lance Noggle: It's Time to Bolster Cybersecurity Measures—Now and Forever
As the costs of data breaches continue to rise, it’s essential for community banks to access and use available federal cybersecurity tools for combating fraudsters and bad actors.
Lucas White: Why Advocacy Should Be a Top Priority in 2025
The start of the new year brings with it a fresh slate and a collective reset on priorities.
Out of Office: Kati LeBreton
The vice president and director of P.O.W.E.R., a program for women in business, at $1 billion-asset Fidelity Bank in New Orleans, hosts The Big Bad Boot, a podcast.
Community Bank Delaware Salutes Space Heroes
Last July, Community Bank Delaware in Lewes, Del., donated $3,000 to American Legion Post 28.
Charles Potts: The Innovations We'll See in 2025
They say the only constant is change, and 2025 is shaping up to prove that point. We are in for a dynamic year, influenced by customer demand, product accessibility and partner potential.
How to Balance Human and Machine While Using Chatbots
Community banks’ reputations are built on personal connection. But with an effective chatbot, banks can free up staff to focus on customers’ more complex needs. It just takes effective training.
Equip Your Leasing Finance Operations
Discover how lenders can navigate the evolving landscape of equipment lease financing with insights on risk mitigation and operational readiness.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Nurturing the Community Bank Ecosystem
As I reflect on the impact community banks have had this year, I revel in this notion that we have created something special, a dynamic ecosystem that centers on people.
Charles Potts: Banking and Staffing Gen Z Into the Future
As Gen Z graduates into the full-time workforce, they are looking to community banks as financial partners as well as potential employers.
Commercial Bank of Mott Helps Fund a Home Base for the Community
The Commercial Bank of Mott set out to plan, fund and build a community center that will serve as a new hub for all locals to enjoy.
Powering Potential: ICBA Certification Q&A with Arlene Cooper
Arlene Cooper, internal audit officer at CNB Bank in Carlsbad, N.M., is a certified community bank internal auditor (CCBIA) and certified community bank compliance officer (CCBCO).
Lindsay LaNore: 8 Healthy Habits for Conflict Resolution
We’re all different. We work differently, and we have different opinions, biases and values. Some of us thrive under pressure, while others shy away from confrontation.
Strategies for Consumer-Centric Banking: an Exclusive Bud Webinar
Bud Financial has joined community bankers for an Independent Banker webinar where we’ve explored the actions they would take to drive success, revenue and customer engagement.
Jim Reber: Will the Wave Return?
Falling rates should boost cash flows.
First Citizens Bank: Playing the Talent Development Long Game
First Citizens Bank’s internship initiative underscores the importance of offering students valuable hands-on industry exposure and nurturing the next generation of banking professionals.
Lucas White: The Heart of the Community Bank
This year’s list of Best Community Banks to Work For made me think about what it takes to be a great employer.
The Hidden Risks of Legacy Technology: A Community Banker’s Guide
IBT Apps’ newest ebook is available now! Explore the critical risks of legacy systems and learn about a modern solution that helps future-proof your bank.
Michael Benedict: Bridging the Gap
Rate cuts may not provide immediate margin relief, but you can take steps to reduce near-term pressure.
Mark Scanlan and Scott Marks: Is a Favorable New Farm Bill on the Horizon?
In the wake of the farm bill’s expiration, ICBA is advocating for updates that will benefit the agriculture industry and rural communities across the U.S.
Northwestern Bank's Podcast Brews Up Community Conversation
Enjoying a cold one at work may not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of community banking, but that’s the premise of a podcast series from Northwestern Bank.
Out of Office: Michael Hatfield
The applications analyst at $2.2 billion-asset First Western Bank and Trust in Minot, N.D., and his wife, Carissa, co-own Hatfield Handmade, a woodworking business.
Gen Z's Top 5 Financial Goals and How You Can Help
Many Gen Zers are now in their 20s, which means they're facing new financial tasks and dilemmas.
Lindsay LaNore: How to Be a Memorable Employee
Last month, we asked what makes a leader memorable. And now, we’re turning the tables: What makes an employee memorable?
The CFPB is Planning Sweeping Changes to Small Business Lending
Finastra’s SBDC module is a cloud-native solution that seamlessly integrates with Finastra’s retail lending products.
Easing the Way: Current and Upcoming Banking Technology Trends
The best technology is the kind that supports both the customer and the community bank. We look at some key industry challenges and where tech could potentially ease pain points.
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.
Tim Roy: Pushing Back Against Upcoming FHLB Regulations
Significant changes could be in store for the Federal Home Loan Bank system, with possible negative effects for community banks.
Native American Bank Dedicates a Day to Gratitude
On June 28, Denver-based Native American Bank, N.A., hosted a Customer Appreciation Day at Yellow Bird Woman Park near its Browning, Mont., branch.