NewsWatch Today

As detailed in a new blog post, ICBA’s LEAD FWD Summit—the most immersive leadership experience for community bankers—is scheduled for Sept. 8-9 in Bloomington, Minn.

The Treasury Department announced that the federal government will stop issuing paper checks for most federal payments on Sept. 30. Treasury said the few people who still receive a federal benefit check must switch to an electronic payment method.

The Treasury Department sanctioned cryptocurrency exchange Garantex Europe OU, which it said has directly facilitated notorious ransomware actors and other cybercriminals by processing over $100 million in transactions linked to illicit activities since 2019.

A new article says some credit unions may be abandoning their mission with “Wall Street-style” behavior and no longer serving their core members.

ICBA and other groups asked Congress to strike Section 16(d) of the recently enacted GENIUS Act and to oppose any expansion of its scope in this or future legislation.

Senior ICBA staff attended a Treasury Department roundtable on reducing the burdens of Bank Secrecy Act currency transaction reports and suspicious activity reports.

The latest Independent Banker magazine says there’s plenty to keep community bank chief financial officers on their toes, such as interest rate volatility, new accounting and capital reporting standards, and industry cost pressures.

Past ICBA Chairman Brad Bolton is featured in a new documentary series on community banking.

The Consumer Price Index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in July after increasing 0.3% in June, according to the Labor Department.

A new ICBA blog post says a sudden influx of applications from nonbank financial technology firms for national bank trust charters requires the OCC to change course.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau submitted a proposed rule on Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act for review to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. ICBA expects the proposal to be published for public comment in the near future.

The ICBA Foundation Disaster Relief Program in coordination with the Independent Bankers Association of Texas is making a final push for tax-deductible donations to assist community banks and employees affected by recent flooding in Texas.