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.
Advanced Collection Tools Vital in Today's Economy
Problem loans can present significant financial, operational, and legal challenges for community banks. Understanding how to navigate the collection process while protecting the institution’s rights is essential for minimizing losses and managing risk effectively.
This session covers the negotiation, technical, and management tools used in collecting cash. The negotiation component examines the human factors that influence borrower interactions, while the technical portion reviews key business law basics including contract law and lender liability.
Participants also address what happens when a “good” loan turns into a “bad” loan, i.e. the market has now turned down, tenants have left, and the payments are severely delinquent.
The session addresses the legal rights of the bank, and the practical steps banks can take to protect their interests. Topics include the collection process, loan restructuring, repossession, foreclosure, litigation, bankruptcy considerations, and other available remedies, as well as the influence of banking regulators on collection activities.
Additionally, the program reviews the X (authoritative), Y (delegation), and Z (team) management styles and their impact on managing the collection process. Several real-world collection scenarios are used throughout the session to illustrate key concepts and reinforce practical application.
Learning Objectives:
- Apply negotiation, legal, and management strategies to problem-loan collection outcomes.
- Assess the human, operational, and regulatory factors that influence collection decisions.
- Interpret key business law concepts, including contract law and lender liability, as they relate to collections.
- Evaluate collection and resolution options, including restructuring, foreclosure, litigation, bankruptcy, and other remedies..
- Select appropriate collection strategies based on borrower circumstances, risk exposure, and institutional objectives.
- Manage the collections process more effectively using proven leadership and team management approaches.
Duration: 90-minutes
Presented live and recorded on 10/06/27.
Cash to Cash Cycle
Details will be available 30 days prior to the webinar date.
Regulation Essentials Series: Regulation CC
Regulation CC is a cornerstone of the U.S. payment system, dictating everything from customer fund availability schedules to interbank check collection rules and legal warranties. Yet, for many banking professionals, keeping up with its technical requirements and multi-part structure is an ongoing compliance challenge. This webinar highlights all four subparts of the regulation. The program translates complex federal requirements into clear, practical guidelines to help your institution avoid costly compliance violations and streamline its check operations.
Learning Objectives:
- Interpret the requirements of all four subparts of Regulation CC and their impact on bank operations.
- Apply Regulation CC requirements related to funds availability, check collection, warranties, and exception processing.
- Strengthen compliance and operational efficiency by implementing Regulation CC best practices and avoiding common violations.
Duration: 60-minutes
Presented live and recorded on 10/14/27.
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 In-Person Schools
Interest Rate Risk Management
Baker Virtual Education Series
Baker Seminars
ALM and Investment Strategies Seminar
Bloomington, MN
JW Marriott Mall of America
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
