In a new op-ed pushing back against claims that the United States has too many banks, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey touted the importance of community banks to local communities and the banking system.

New Op-ed: In an op-ed on LinkedIn, Romero Rainey said community banks have remained a steady source of financial services in local communities despite last year’s failures of large banks.

Key Challenge: “Make no mistake: the challenge facing the banking industry and policymakers is not how to reduce competition with the largest institutions, but how to maintain a diverse and decentralized financial system,” she wrote.

Custom Op-ed: ICBA offers a customizable op-ed that discusses the benefits of the nation’s community banking system and pushes back against claims that the U.S. financial system is overbanked. The custom op-ed is available on ICBA’s Marketing and Communications Toolkit.