ICBA Newsroom
The ICBA Newsroom collects and centralizes all the NewsWatch Today articles, press releases, blog posts, advocacy letters and other news that impacts community bankers.
Agencies issue updated HMDA guide
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council issued the 2021 edition of “A Guide to HMDA Reporting: Getting It Right!” for HMDA-related data collected in 2021 and reported in 2022.
March 31, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Compliance
Bill would require Fed study on CBDC
Reps. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and French Hill (R-Ark.) recently introduced legislation directing the Federal Reserve to work with other agencies to study and issue a report on central bank digital currencies.
March 31, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Digital Assets Payments
PPP extension signed into law
President Joe Biden signed into law ICBA-advocated legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program ahead of its scheduled expiration. Previously, any PPP application not approved by March 31 could not receive PPP funds.
March 31, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
EIPs heading to federal beneficiaries
The IRS said it expects to begin issuing additional Economic Impact Payments this weekend to federal beneficiaries who do not normally file a tax return.
March 31, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
FS-ISAC Coronavirus Update, March 31, 2021
President Biden signed the PPP Extension Act of 2021 into law on Tuesday, a law extending the application deadline, originally set to expire on March 31, to May 31, and providing an additional 30-day period for the Small Business Administration to process application.
March 31, 2021 |
News
Advocacy Operational Risk Crisis Preparedness
ICBA Thanks President for Signing PPP Extension
The Independent Community Bankers of America today thanked President Joe Biden for signing into law ICBA-advocated legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program ahead of its March 31 expiration.
March 30, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
IRS: PPE is tax deductible
The Internal Revenue Service clarified that the purchase of personal protective equipment, such as masks, hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, for the primary purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19 are deductible medical expenses.
March 29, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
Deadline for credit union comment letters extended
While ICBA last week submitted its comment letter urging the National Credit Union Administration to withdraw a proposal on credit union services organizations, community banks can still submit comment letters after the agency extended the deadline 30 days.
March 29, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Credit Unions
USDA asks lenders to suspend adverse actions against socially disadvantaged farmers
The USDA’s Farm Service Agency asked lenders to suspend adverse actions against guaranteed farm loan borrowers who are members of socially disadvantaged (SDA) groups while the agency develops a method to pay off SDA borrowers' direct and guaranteed loans.
March 29, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Agriculture USDA Farm Loan Programs
ICBA supports bill offering rural lending tax relief
ICBA thanked Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) for introducing legislation to exempt from taxation interest income on farm real estate and rural mortgage loans.
March 26, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Agriculture
FS-ISAC Coronavirus Update, March 26, 2021
Covid cases in the US are rising again, reversing course after months of decline and threatening another setback in the return to normality, with the seven-day average of new cases jumping to 57,695 Wednesday - 9.5% above the prior week.
March 26, 2021 |
News
Advocacy Operational Risk Crisis Preparedness
ICBA urges credit union capital parity
ICBA called on the NCUA to create a minimum regulatory capital framework that is no less stringent than the Basel III regulatory capital framework in effect for community banks.
March 26, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Credit Unions
ICBA Thanks Congress for Extending PPP
The Independent Community Bankers of America today thanked Congress for passing ICBA-advocated legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program ahead of its March 31 expiration.
March 25, 2021 |
Press Release
ICBA offers Community Banking Month resources
April is Community Banking Month, and ICBA offers resources to help community banks get involved, including a toolkit to help tell the community banking story.
March 25, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
ICBA to NCUA: Don't Deregulate For-Profit Entities
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today called on the National Credit Union Administration to withdraw a proposal to dramatically deregulate corporate entities the regulator is not authorized to supervise.
March 25, 2021 |
Press Release
Credit Unions
SBA increasing max EIDL amounts
The SBA said it is increasing maximum Economic Injury Disaster Loan amounts for small businesses from $150,000 over six months to $500,000 over 24 months.
March 25, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Lending
State Association Ag Conferences Scheduled
ICBA's affiliated state community banking associations are hosting a series of live and virtual agriculture conferences in 2021.
March 25, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Agriculture
ICBA, Venture Center reveal new set of fintech solutions
ICBA and The Venture Center hosted the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator Virtual Demo Day to demonstrate the third Accelerator cohort's community bank-focused fintech solutions.
March 25, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
FS-ISAC Coronavirus Update, March 25, 2021
Governors and public health officials in more than 40 states have said they will meet or beat President Biden’s goal of making every adult eligible for a vaccine by May 1, and at least 30 states plan to start universal eligibility in March or April.
March 25, 2021 |
News
Advocacy Operational Risk Crisis Preparedness
Meet your ICBA Bancard Support Team
Our mission at ICBA Bancard is to deliver flexible, innovative payments and digital commerce solutions that allow community banks to flourish. ICBA Bancard’s client relations and relationship management teams are here to assist and are just an email or phone call away.
March 24, 2021 |
Payments Quarterly
Migrating to 8-Digit BINs: Key Information to Consider Before Transitioning
ICBA Bancard’s partner card networks, Visa and Mastercard®, have released several notices and bulletins regarding the migration to 8-digit Bank Identification Numbers or BINs, but many banks are left wondering why it is happening and what they need to do to prepare.
March 24, 2021 |
Payments Quarterly
Big week for PPP, credit union grassroots
With Paycheck Protection Program and credit union issues coming to a head this week in Washington, ICBA is urging community bankers to weigh in with policymakers via its Be Heard grassroots action center.
March 24, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Credit Unions
ICBA and The Venture Center Reveal New Set of Fintech Solutions Tailored to Community Banks
The Independent Community Bankers of America and The Venture Center, in partnership with the State of Arkansas, today hosted the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator Virtual Demo Day.
March 24, 2021 |
Press Release
Credit Card Marketing: Driving Engagement and Combating Cardholder Fatigue
Community banks that issue consumer credit cards are faced with some common challenges: how to match their card options (rewards vs. non-rewards) with the best promotions to produce a positive return on investment (ROI), and how to keep their cardholders engaged.
March 24, 2021 |
Payments Quarterly
Payments Trends to Watch in 2021
Few would disagree that COVID-19 was a catalyst for significant changes in the way that Americans shop and manage their money. In fact, many experts believe years of behavioral transformation occurred over a matter of months and many of these changes will endure even after the pandemic subsides.
March 24, 2021 |
Payments Quarterly
A Note from the Chairman
As community bankers, we rely on our partners for solutions from customer-facing technology to back-end efficiencies. With our emphasis on customer relationships, we have to get our partnerships right to ensure our customers stay satisfied and engaged with our banks.
March 24, 2021 |
Payments Quarterly
Large payments companies move to single exam
The Conference of State Bank Supervisors said 13 nationwide payments firms have undergone or are undergoing their single comprehensive exams during the first quarter as part of the "One Company, One Exam" program.
March 24, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Compliance Payments
Cannabis banking bill reintroduced in Senate
ICBA-advocated legislation to establish a cannabis-banking safe harbor in states where cannabis is legal was reintroduced in the Senate following House introduction last week.
March 24, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Cannabis banking
ICBA urges OCC to withdraw bank premises proposal
ICBA and other groups called on the OCC to withdraw a proposed rule to impose a rules-based approach to what national banks and federal savings associations can do with their buildings, land, and facilities.
March 24, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
OCC
FS-ISAC Coronavirus Update, March 24, 2021
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen painted an optimistic picture of the economy Tuesday, saying that while 10 million people still remain jobless, "we may see a return to full employment next year."
March 24, 2021 |
News
Advocacy Operational Risk Crisis Preparedness
Quarles: Focus on ceasing LIBOR use
While policymakers continue planning for the end of LIBOR, financial firms should focus this year on ending new uses of the benchmark interest rate, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Randal Quarles said in a speech.
March 23, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
LIBOR
FS-ISAC Coronavirus Update, March 23, 2021
The second batch of Covid-19 stimulus checks will be issued this week, the Biden administration announced Monday, with many of the payments expected to come via paper check or prepaid debit card and additional batches will be made weekly going forward.
March 23, 2021 |
News
Advocacy Operational Risk Crisis Preparedness
ICBA: Community Banks Proudly Serve Rural America
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and the nation’s community banks are celebrating the contributions of America’s local farmers, ranchers and agricultural enterprises during National Ag Day.
March 23, 2021 |
Press Release
Agriculture
BPI, ABA, ICBA Urge OCC to Withdraw Bank Premises Proposal Amid Uncertain Post-Pandemic Office Reality
BPI, the American Bankers Association and the Independent Community Bankers of America sent a joint comment letter calling on the OCC to withdraw its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on National Bank and Federal Savings Association Premises.
March 23, 2021 |
Press Release
OCC
Visa Prepaid Manual Cash Advances (March 2021)
Visa requires that all U.S. Visa bank branches must honor and enable cash disbursements for all valid Visa Prepaid cards, whether or not the card is embossed or personalized with the cardholder’s name.
March 23, 2021 |
News
Senate taking up PPP extension this week
With the Senate expected to vote this week on House-passed legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program, ICBA is urging community bankers to contact their senators in support
March 23, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
SBA updates PPP forms to implement changes
The SBA issued updated Paycheck Protection Program application forms that incorporate last week's interim final rule implementing American Rescue Plan Act changes.
March 23, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
CFPB reports on debt-collection rule
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its 2020 annual report to Congress on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, including public enforcement action details.
March 23, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Compliance
SBA opening shuttered venue grant applications April 8
The SBA launched an online portal to receive Shuttered Venue Operators Grant applications when the application period begins April 8. The program offers $16 billion in grants for eligible live venues.
March 22, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
ICBA urging grassroots on rural lending tax relief
With National Agriculture Week running through Friday, ICBA is calling on community bankers to advocate support for newly reintroduced legislation to exempt from taxation interest income on farm real estate and rural mortgage loans.
March 22, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Agriculture
Senate bill would expand credit union lending authority
ICBA-opposed legislation designed to expand credit union lending authority was introduced in the Senate.
March 19, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Credit Unions
ICBA-backed cannabis banking safe harbor reintroduced
ICBA expressed support for newly reintroduced bipartisan legislation to establish a safe harbor for financial institutions that serve cannabis-related businesses in states where cannabis is legal.
March 19, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Cannabis banking
New Nacha rules take effect today
Two new Nacha rules take effect today on Same Day ACH and account validation.
March 19, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Compliance
FS-ISAC Coronavirus Update, March 19, 2021
Covid-19 cases are rising by more than 10% in 14 states this week compared to last week, with half of those states rising by more than 20%, and while nationally the number of new cases has continued to decline the trend is not down for all states.
March 19, 2021 |
News
Advocacy Operational Risk Crisis Preparedness
CISA issues tool for detecting threat activity
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a forensics collection capability to help detect activity related to the supply chain compromises affecting SolarWinds and Active Directory/Microsoft 365.
March 19, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Cybersecurity
90M EIPs disbursed this week
The Treasury Department and IRS said they disbursed roughly 90 million Economic Impact Payments this week.
March 18, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
ICBA urging grassroots outreach on PPP reform
ICBA is urging community bankers to use its Be Heard grassroots action center to urge their members of Congress to make needed changes to the Paycheck Protection Program if it is extended beyond March 31.
March 18, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
ICBA Supports Bill to Establish Cannabis Banking Safe Harbor
The Independent Community Bankers of America today expressed support for bipartisan legislation that would establish a safe harbor from federal sanctions for financial institutions that serve cannabis-related businesses in states where cannabis is legal.
March 18, 2021 |
Press Release
Cannabis banking
ICBA backs bill offering rural lending tax relief
ICBA expressed support for legislation to exempt from taxation interest income on farm real estate and rural mortgage loans.
March 18, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Agriculture USDA Farm Loan Programs
FS-ISAC Coronavirus Update, March 18, 2021
Approximately 90 million stimulus checks have been disbursed to Americans, the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced Wednesday, totaling over $242 billion in payments.
March 18, 2021 |
News
Advocacy Operational Risk Crisis Preparedness
ICBA Supports Bill Offering Tax Relief for Rural Lending
The Independent Community Bankers of America today said it strongly supports the Enhancing Credit Opportunities in Rural America Act to support farmers, ranchers and rural homeowners.
March 17, 2021 |
Press Release
Agriculture Rural Development
House passes PPP extension with Senate outlook in question
The House voted 415-3 to pass ICBA-supported legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program, though the Senate outlook remains unclear.
March 17, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
EIPs start depositing today
The first tranche of new Economic Impact Payments sent through the ACH Network is effective today. In a joint statement, ICBA and other financial services groups clarified that the March 17 payment date was chosen by the IRS—not the banking industry.
March 17, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
FS-ISAC Coronavirus Update, March 17, 2021
Nearly 111 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the US, according to data published Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
March 17, 2021 |
News
Advocacy Operational Risk Crisis Preparedness
Farm banks remain strong amid ag challenges: FDIC
Farm banks are vital to U.S. agricultural producers and rural communities, holding 44 percent of bank-held agricultural loans despite holding just 2 percent of U.S. bank loans, according to a new FDIC report.
March 16, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Agriculture
PPP loans reaching smallest borrowers: SBA data
The current round of the Paycheck Protection Program is successfully reaching smaller borrowers, according to recent data from the SBA.
March 16, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
ICBA ThinkTECH Innovation Showcase today
ICBA today is hosting a showcase of 2021 ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator participants and their new technologies available to community banks.
March 16, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
ICBA: Two-tiered deadline will ensure SBA clears PPP loans on hold
ICBA thanked policymakers for introducing The PPP Extension Act of 2021, which pushes the application deadline until May 31 and creates a second deadline of June 30 for the Small Business Administration to clear the thousands of Paycheck Protection Program loan applications in process.
March 15, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
FBI warns of cryptocurrency theft threat
The FBI said federal charges against three computer programmers linked to the North Korean government illustrate the appeal of cryptocurrency markets and exchanges for theft and fraud.
March 15, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Cybersecurity
SBA updates PPP guidance
The Small Business Administration on Friday updated its frequently asked questions as well as its guidance concerning how to calculate revenue reduction and maximum loan amounts for first- and second-draw Paycheck Protection Program loans.
March 15, 2021 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Advocacy Crisis Preparedness Lending
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