At ICBA Securities, we provide community bankers the tools to grow their investments.
Powered by our exclusive broker/dealer The Baker Group, ICBA Securities connects community bankers to investment portfolio and balance sheet management tools, as well as education resources.
Learn How ICBA Securities Can Help Your Community Bank
Reach us by phone at 866-843-4222
Upcoming Events
Events coming soon.
Characteristics of Strong Risk Assessments and Tools to Monitor and Report Results Webinar
"Developing strong risk assessments for all key areas of a financial institution is crucial. Strategic-minded institutions aim to manage risk at an enterprise-wide level, striving for “optimal risk-taking,” where they incur just enough of the right kind of risk to effectively pursue their strategic goals. This webinar will guide you through the characteristics of strong risk assessments, helping you develop an enterprise-wide process that is practical, sustainable, and easy to understand. You will gain practical tools and examples to implement immediately, strengthening your existing risk assessments and creating new ones as needed.
The webinar covers an overall view of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and its key components, the three key phases of ERM, and how risk assessments fit in. It will delve into the risk assessment process, the characteristics of strong risk assessments, and the relationship between the Risk Assessment System (RAS) and CAMELS rating. You will learn about the top eight risks, how to conduct an ERM risk assessment using a matrix, and the various types of risk assessments based on the area of risk. Additionally, the webinar will provide examples of ongoing monitoring and reporting tools, helping you understand the goals and characteristics of risk assessments based on industry best practices.
Topics Covered:
Comprehensive Overview of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Its Essential Elements
Unveiling the Three Key Phases of ERM and the Role of Risk Assessments
Enhancing Your Risk Assessments: A Step-by-Step Process
Defining the Purpose of Risk Assessments for Strategic Success
Key Traits of Effective Risk Assessments
Understanding the Risk Assessment System (RAS) and Its Link to CAMELS Rating
Identifying the Top Eight Risks and Other Critical Risk Categories
Mastering ERM Risk Assessments with a Matrix: The Foundational Risk Assessment
Exploring Various Types of Risk Assessments Tailored to Specific Risk Areas
Showcasing Examples of Continuous Monitoring and Reporting Tools
Key Learning Objectives:
Gain a high-level overview of ERM and its three dynamic phases.
Understand the risk assessment process to strengthen existing risk assessments.
Identify and assess risks across your entire institution.
Discover the key traits and goals of industry-leading risk assessments.
Craft appropriate risk assessment criteria for your organization.
Embrace the Power of Annual Risk Assessments Recommended for Continuous Improvement
Study real-world examples through monitoring and reporting tools.
Duration: 90-minutes
The Beginning Investigator Webinar
This webinar is designed specifically for individuals who have little or no previous training in financial institution investigations. If you have been the security officer for less than three years or are newly assigned to the duties of the security area, this is the program for you.
Join us and learn how to outline the basic steps for external investigations and discuss who should be assigned that duty. Attendees learn the importance of active listening, remaining objective, documentation, evidence collection, and how to identify the resources you need to assist with the investigation.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the basic role and responsibilities involved in financial institution investigations.
- Identify the basic steps in conducting an external investigation and determine who should be assigned investigative duties.
- Demonstrate the importance of active listening and remaining objective during an investigation.
- Explain proper documentation and basic evidence collection techniques.
- Identify resources that can support an investigation.
Duration: 90-minutes
Presented live and recorded 08/25/26.
Managing High-Risk Customers: CDD and EDD Best Practices Seminar
Due diligence expectations vary based on customer risk and continue to evolve. This seminar provides a practical overview of Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) best practices for high-risk customers, with a specific focus on nonresident alien and foreign individual accounts. Participants will learn key risk indicators, documentation expectations, and examination considerations when managing these relationships.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand regulatory expectations and best practices for conducting CDD and EDD for high-risk, nonresident alien, and foreign individual customers.
- Identify key risk indicators and documentation requirements specific to nonresident alien and foreign individual accounts.
- Apply a risk‑based approach to account onboarding, monitoring, and periodic reviews to better manage compliance and examination risk.
Internal Fraud for Boards and Supervisory Committees Webinar
Internal fraud is often an unspoken issue within financial institutions. Some organizations avoid discussing embezzlement because they worry that talking about it will draw attention to the issue — or even inspire wrongdoing — so they stay silent, hoping that will prevent awareness. However, as owners and managers, we face a choice: proactively manage this risk or ignore it—until it's too late.
Learning Objectives:
- Define internal fraud and explain why it is often overlooked within financial institutions.
- Identify common warning signs and red flags associated with embezzlement and internal fraud.
- Understand the risks of ignoring internal fraud and the impact it can have on the organization.
- Recognize the importance of proactively managing internal fraud.
Duration: 90-minutes
Presented live and recorded on 08/27/26.
ICBA Securities Overview
ICBA Securities Corporation (ICBA Securities) was founded in 1989. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the ICBA, the nation’s largest trade association for community banks.
ICBA Securities has a commitment to return its profits to the industry. It does so in the form of royalties, sponsorships, or dividends. It has reinvested over $50 million back to its affiliated state/regional partners or to support advocacy at ICBA.
Endorsements
We are proud to be endorsed by 34 state community banking associations.
ICBA Securities provides investment portfolio and balance sheet management tools through The Baker Group, our exclusively endorsed broker/dealer.
About The Baker Group
Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, The Baker Group is one of the nation’s largest independently owned broker/dealer, specializing in investment portfolio management, interest rate risk management, balance sheet strategies and education for community banks nationwide. The firm is committed to providing honest, insightful, and client-focused solutions to help community banks manage balance sheet risks and achieve high performance.
Education Opportunities Through ICBA Securities, powered by The Baker Group
Through The Baker Group, ICBA Securities provides an education platform tailored to the needs of community banks. Representatives from The Baker Group attend and speak at numerous state community banking conferences, seminars and meetings, conducting an average of 50 educational events per year.
ICBA Securities and The Baker Group also offer speakers who can cover a range of topics pertinent to community bank audiences. See below for a summary of the topics currently available:
Note: The speaking calendar may fill up early and therefore speaking requests cannot be guaranteed. Please note that all speaking requests are filled as resources are available.
Speaking Opportunities
2026 Economic Overview and Fed Policy Outlook
With the Federal Reserve delivering a total of 175 basis points of rate cuts starting in late 2024 and resuming in late 2025, the Fed now faces inflation above 2% and a slow labor market.
The Fed is divided between those that see employment as the greatest risk and those that see inflation as the greatest risk. In this presentation, we will take a look at the macroeconomic environment, including the key data points the Federal Reserve monitors to set monetary policy.
Investment Portfolio Strategies for Today’s Rate Environment
In today’s dynamic rate environment, a disciplined investment process is more critical than ever. With the yield curve steepening in 2025, driven by the Fed cutting interest rates 100 basis points in the later part of 2024 and an additional 75 basis points in late 2025, community banks have a unique opportunity to optimize their portfolios.
This session explores current investment trends and proven strategies to build a portfolio that enhances net interest margins while aligning with your bank’s broader asset/liability management objectives.
State of the Industry and Regulatory Hot Topics
Since the pandemic, the banking industry and regulatory landscape have been anything but stagnant. An aggressive rising rate environment set the state for declining margins and bank performance alongside liquidity challenges.
More recently, Fed rate cuts have allowed banks to reduce cost of funds, increase asset yields and see margin expansion. This session will examine the most recent community banking trends using the latest call report data as well as a dive into the hot topics from the regulatory agencies.
Playbook for the 2026 Rate Landscape
There is a relative consensus that we are nearing the end of the rate-cutting period begun in 2024. Whether there are zero, two or four rate cuts this year, the likely terminal rate for Fed Funds will be higher than historical norms.
This has myriad implications for community banks, both balance sheet and income statement. We will provide an update on the market expectations and suggest some strategies to take advantage of the likely shape of the yield curve.
Today’s Liquidity Management Best Practices
Liquidity risk management remains a top priority for regulators and a critical focus area for banks. This session examines best practices related to Liquidity Risk Management including liquidity cash flow forecasting, liquidity stress testing, and contingency funding planning. In addition, the discussion will cover current liquidity trends and pressing hot topics in today's banking landscape.
Asset/Liability Management in Today’s Environment
In 2022, the Federal Reserve launched an aggressive tightening cycle to combat post-pandemic inflation, reshaping the economic landscape.
As we move through 2026, the banking industry faces fresh challenges amid stabilizing yet elevated interest rates, policy shifts, and growing concerns about a potential economic slowdown.
Senior management continues to navigate an environment marked by elevated interest rates and the looming threat of an economic downturn. This session will examine and discuss all these concerns and present strategies to better prepare your institution for the uncertainty ahead.
Today’s Interest Rate Risk Management Best Practices
Interest rate risk management has transformed over the years from a mere compliance exercise into a sophisticated, dynamic, and ongoing process.
This session explores the best practices in Interest Rate Risk Management including key assumption development and documentation, back testing, and sensitivity testing of critical assumptions.
Participants will also gain insights into prevailing interest rate risk trends and emerging hot topics shaping the current environment.
Board of Directors: Demystifying Your Bank’s Investment Portfolio
In an era of heightened regulatory scrutiny, board members are required to have a better understanding of their bank’s investment portfolio.
This session will dive into the following: bond basics, why banks have investment portfolios, regulatory expectations of the bond portfolio, basic bond accounting treatment, and types of bonds owned by community banks and board reporting.
Board of Directors: Interest Rate Risk Management 101
Effective board oversight is the cornerstone of sound risk management. The board is responsible for overseeing the bank’s interest rate risk management program.
This session will educate board members on the basics of interest rate risk including interest rate modeling concepts, key modeling assumptions and the regulatory expectations of a sound interest rate risk program.
Baker Seminars
ALM and Investment Strategies Seminar
Springfield, IL
Illini Golf and Country Club
Baker In-Person Schools:
Baker Virtual Education Series:
Board of Directors
Aza Bittinger
Community Bankers Association of Ohio
Columbus
Ohio
Thomas Bates, Jr.
President & CEO
Legends Bank of Clarksville
TN
Brenda Foster
Chairman
President and CEO