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Member Benefits: TCM Bank's suite of credit programs
Need help building or expanding your bank’s credit services? TCM Bank, N.A. can help your community bank grow with a well-rounded selection of personal and business credit cards.
Listen Up: Taking bold and brave action
In episode 6 of the Independent Banker podcast, host Charles Potts speaks with Greg Ohlendorf of First Community Bank and Trust and Joe Ehrhardt of Teslar Software about the digital imperative for...
Charles Potts: Why you need a digital back office
A bank’s innovation investment in back-office automation will deliver a streamlined, digital approach that increases efficiency and enhances front- and back-end experiences.
Lindsay LaNore: You're a new community banker—now what?
Preparation and establishing good habits allow you to optimize your workday—and ultimately your whole team’s productivity.
Strengthening your compliance management program
Wells Fargo was heavily fined for mismanagement of multiple functions, demonstrating the importance of having an effective compliance management system.
Availa Bank offers a different kind of college education
Understanding and seeking out financial assistance is difficult for many families with college-bound children, but Availa Bank alleviates this difficulty through its financial college prep program.
How community banks can minimize tech debt
Keeping old technology can be expensive, in terms of not only cost but also the missed opportunities to offer customers new solutions. The good news is, there are ways community banks can cut...
Rebeca Romero Rainey: A sharing of values
Community bankers know the people and needs behind the business, and that personal connection creates a recipe for mutual success.
Growing SBA lending for small businesses
Community banks are seizing opportunities to grow SBA lending and provide small and minority-owned businesses with capital that would otherwise be difficult to find.
ICBA's top-performing community banks of 2023
Through creativity, local knowledge and dedication to their customers, community banks continued to demonstrate the value of their relationship-based model in the past year.
Mark Scanlan: Speaking out for rural America in the new Farm Bill
The five-year Farm Bill is set to expire later this year. ICBA is lobbying Congress in the reauthorization with six important provisions.
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.
Bulletin Board: A look into ICBA LIVE 2023
Community bankers from across the country gathered in beautiful Honolulu to attend ICBA LIVE 2023. In addition to listening to guest speakers and networking, bankers had the opportunity to learn...
Liz McIntyre: Friend of the flock
The director of social media and VP of marketing at $17 billion-asset Renasant Bank in Tupelo, Miss., delves into the world of birding.
One Community Bank supports the trees
In January, the One Community Bank in Oregon, Wisc., donated $5,000 to the Terrace Tree program, the village of Oregon’s tree planting initiative.
Listen Up: Taking bold and brave action
What does it mean to be innovative? In episode 5 of the Independent Banker podcast, host Charles Potts talks to Rebeca Romero Rainey, president and CEO of ICBA, about her passion for community...
Scaling your community bank's core as you grow
As community banks grow, their cores need to, too. We spoke with experts on how to prepare your core for scalability and growth.
Webster Bank's financial literacy
To help the children of low- to moderate-income families, Webster Bank made a $100,000 donation to the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club to aid financial education.
Lindsay LaNore: Crafting a standout job post
Ideas for capturing the attention of the perfect candidate for your position
Are your community bank's BSA/AML programs up to date?
FinCEN recently reported that a bank willfully violated the Bank Secrecy Act, highlighting the importance of community banks updating their BSA/AML programs.
Native American Bank supports Indian country's recovery
Native American Bank secured financing for the construction of a $10 million opioid treatment clinic in North Dakota as just one effort in a series of community projects.
Derek Williams: A relationship-first approach
For years, megabanks have said they would outperform us, that our business models wouldn’t hold. But we are gaining ground instead of losing it, and that all stems from our relationship-first...
Charles Potts: 4 great places to recruit tech talent
Upgrade your community bank's efforts to recruit qualified innovation candidates.
Add text-to-pay to your payments toolbox
When it comes to payments, customers want convenience. With text-to-pay, community banks can help small businesses meet the needs of their customers.
Jim Reber: Performance? Simple
Some of the least complex bonds now have attractive returns.
6 ways community banks can build a better onboarding experience
The first few weeks of an employee starting a new job are pivotal in terms of how they’ll connect to the bank and their role. We spoke with community bankers about how they perfected their...
Aaron Stetter: Return to Capitol Hill
The 2023 ICBA Capital Summit is next month. Here’s a peek at what you can expect from the premier community bank advocacy event.
Meet ICBA's 2023/24 board of directors
With important legislative and regulatory changes on the horizon, the 2023/24 ICBA board of directors is ready to step up for community bankers across the country.
Unity Bank’s fields of gold
Unity Bank volunteers help people facing food insecurity in their community.
How to market your community bank as an employer
In the wake of the Great Resignation, the hiring landscape is tough. Learn how to get the word out about why your community bank is a great place to work.
Community banks putting community first
Community banks do more than meet the financial needs of their customers and communities. They go above and beyond to make a difference in revitalizing, building and serving their communities.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: The importance of outreach
Through national advertising, media relations outreach, social media and more, we will differentiate community banks in the hearts and minds of Americans.
Member Benefits: ICBA's national public awareness campaign
At ICBA LIVE 2023, ICBA announced the launch of its national public awareness campaign targeting millennials, who now present a significant market opportunity for community banks.
Brad Bolton: Keep advocating
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as chairman. I will continue to advocate for community banking, and for the rest of my career, stand side by side with you to fight our future...
ICBA's Marketing Communications Toolkit
Using ICBA’s Marketing Communications Toolkit, your community bank can tell its story with intention and precision.
Jim Reber: Collateral advantage
A variety of MBS pools can spread your risk.
Out of Office: Natalie Bartholomew
The Northwest Arkansas community president of $2.4 billion-asset First Community Bank in Batesville, Ark., is part of the fifth generation to live on her family farm.
Climbing the Community Bank Career Ladder
What’s special about community banking is the support and growth young bankers see throughout their careers.
Community Banks Step Up After California Wildfire Devastation
In the wake of the wildfires that devastated areas of southern California, community banks stepped up to help locals recover and rebuild.
Jim Reber: Whole lotta thinkin’ going on
I hope the readers of this column will excuse the lack of decorum in the title, but in reading and listening to the words of the Federal Reserve Board’s members over the past month, I hear a lot of...
How to Build an AI Policy at Your Community Bank
Artificial intelligence is here to stay, whether it’s generative AI, part of your bank’s neural network or both. That’s why having an AI policy is important.
Why Face-to-Face Lending Still Matters
Many people want face-to-face interaction when they’re on the cusp of a major financial decision.
Instant Payments Insights Every Community Bank Needs
Vendors share their specialized insight into the instant payments market to help community banks understand how they can grow in this technology-forward area.
Build a Better Banking App With These 5 Tips
If you want your app to be a cut above the rest and give your customers the ideal experience, take note of accessibility, gamification, demographics and other appealing features.
Alpine Bank Racks Up Thousands of Volunteer Hours
Alpine Bank’s “24 in ’24” campaign inspired employees to dedicate thousands of hours to the causes they care about, boosting staff and customer satisfaction along the way.
Glacier Bank Inspires Young Minds at Annual Career Fair
When is the right time to learn about banking? Glacier Bank in Kalispell, Montana, believes financial literacy can start at any age.
Creative Solutions for Fortifying ATM Defenses
Faced with continued ATM security theft and threats, community banks and vendors are banding together to share creative strategies and bolster ATM defenses.
Lindsay LaNore: Why Following Up After Training Matters
We all know how important training programs are. Education is critical for keeping up to date with new developments and expanding skill sets, plus it’s often a great boost to morale.
Charles Potts: The Process of Bringing Innovation to You
Technology has become an integral part of success in banking.
What's the Secret to Becoming an Exceptional Lender?
Whether it’s loans for individuals or businesses, community banks’ lending activities keep America running.
Crossbridge Community Bank Elevates Its Employee Onboarding Experience
Crossbridge Community Bank built a robust onboarding process to ensure new hires feel supported as they settle into their new job.
ICBA Certification Q&A with Michael Hoehn
Michael Hoehn, assistant compliance officer and CRA officer at First Metro Bank in Alabama, shares how he navigates regulations and ensures compliance using his expertise and certifications.
Powering Potential: Finding Common Ground on ICBA Community
ICBA Community gives more than 5,000 bankers space to band together on the industry’s hot topics and issues. Its 14 groups focus on regulation, bank size, personal development and more.
Michael Benedict: Finding the Portfolio's Fit in Your Balance Sheet
Address common problems with creative solutions.
Jack E. Hopkins: Community Banks Are Leaders in Times of Crisis
When faced with a crisis, community banks step up.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Offering Financial Freedom to Communities Nationwide
As we celebrate Independence Day this month, I can’t help but equate that sense of freedom with what we do as community bankers.
Out of Office: Andy Johnson
The chairman, co-CEO and CFO of $385 million-asset Bank of Vernon in Vernon, Alabama, is a seasoned fisherman who casts out any chance he gets.
Kari Neckel: It Matters to Community Banks Who Has Master Accounts
Master accounts are a notable part of the traditional financial institution’s ecosystem, but nontraditional financial companies like crypo-native institutions and nonbanks are gunning for access.
A Decade of Trust. Ready For the Future of Governance.
Is your bank’s board ready for AI? Take the 2025 survey to benchmark your readiness, explore what peers are doing, and request a VIP seat at our exclusive webinar with ICBA’s Charles Potts.
The Overlooked Role of ECM in Compliance, Privacy, and Customer Experience
Enterprise content management (ECM) systems have traditionally been viewed as tools for organizing documents and managing retention schedules.