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ICBA Newsroom

The ICBA Newsroom collects and centralizes all the NewsWatch Today articles, press releases, Main Street Matters blogs, advocacy letters and other news that impacts community bankers.

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Central bank group reports stablecoin risks, CBDC benefits

A Bank for International Settlements panel said the risks of using stablecoins for cross-border payments could outweigh the benefits.
November 01, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Digital Assets 

White House releases executive order on AI standards

President Joe Biden signed an executive order to establish new safety, privacy, and equity standards for artificial intelligence.
October 31, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Technology 

Ag tech solutions forum this week

ICBA’s next ThinkTECH Solutions Forum will spotlight ag tech solutions that can help community banks keep pace with the competition.
October 31, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

IRS extends flexibilities on e-signatures, encrypted email

The Internal Revenue Service extended certain temporary flexibilities enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its acceptance of digital signatures.
October 31, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Technology 

New blog post breaks down AI for community banks

A new ICBA blog post separates artificial intelligence hype from reality and spotlights what AI means for community banks.
October 30, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Technology 

Treasury pledges to continue cracking down on crypto terrorist-financing

The Treasury Department pledged to continue targeting the use of crypto-assets to finance terrorism amid increased scrutiny in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel.
October 30, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Department of Treasury 

Agency webinar tomorrow on ransomware mitigation

Regulators are hosting a webinar at 2 p.m. (Eastern time) tomorrow to provide updates on recent ransomware trends and mitigations.
October 30, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Agencies/Regulators  

Barr: Fed backs cross-border harmonization efforts

The Federal Reserve supports international efforts to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, more transparent, and more accessible globally, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr said.
October 30, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

ICBA advocacy leads to nationwide 1071 injunction

A federal court granted an ICBA request to expand injunctive relief from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Section 1071 final rule to all community banks nationwide.
October 27, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Compliance 

Lawmakers ask DOJ to target crypto’s role in terrorist financing

Two key members of Congress urged the Justice Department to evaluate the extent to which the Binance and Tether crypto firms are supporting terrorism by violating sanctions and the Bank Secrecy Act.
October 27, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Digital Assets 

Fed’s Waller: CBDC pitch unconvincing

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he has yet to be convinced there is a market failure that a central bank digital currency would resolve.
October 27, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Fed proposes debit card interchange cuts

The Federal Reserve Board issued a proposal to lower the maximum interchange fee that covered debit card issuers may receive for debit card transactions.
October 26, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Gensler: Crypto investors no less deserving of securities protections

There is nothing about the crypto-asset securities markets that suggests investors and issuers are less deserving of the protections of U.S. securities laws, Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler said.
October 26, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Digital Assets 

House GOP elects Rep. Mike Johnson as new speaker

House Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the 56th speaker of the House of Representatives.
October 26, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Congressional Matters 

CFPB targets credit card interest, fees in latest report

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said total outstanding credit card debt eclipsed $1 trillion last year for the first time since the CFPB began collecting this data.
October 26, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Compliance 

Agencies finalize climate risk guidance for large banks

The federal banking regulators published interagency principles for climate-related financial risk management for financial institutions with $100 billion or more in total consolidated assets.
October 25, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 

ICBA launching survey on recent regulatory changes

ICBA in the coming days will launch a survey on the value of community banks, small-business lending, and the regulatory environment.
October 25, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 

Regulators approve Community Reinvestment Act final rule

Federal regulators issued an interagency final rule to reform Community Reinvestment Act regulations.
October 25, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Compliance CRA 

Fed meeting today on revising debit interchange fee cap

The Federal Reserve Board is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. (Eastern time) today on proposed revisions to the agency’s debit interchange fee cap.
October 25, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Agencies acting today on CRA, climate rulemakings

Federal agencies today are set to act on Community Reinvestment Act reform and climate risk.
October 24, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 

New risk management subgroup on ICBA Community

ICBA launched a new risk management subgroup on its ICBA Community online platform.
October 24, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Blog post: the evolving domestic regulatory environment for digital assets

A new ICBA blog post discusses the pursuit of policy initiatives around digital assets by prudential regulators, the White House, and the Treasury Department.
October 24, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Digital Assets 

AI webinar bundle starts this week

ICBA this week kicks off a new webinar series to provide community bankers a primer on artificial intelligence.
October 23, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Fintech Innovation 

ICBA, groups urge Fed to reject changes to debit card interchange fees

ICBA and other groups urged the Federal Reserve Board to reject merchant requests for further changes to Regulation II governing debit card interchange fees during this week’s board meeting.
October 23, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Agencies set to act on CRA, climate rulemakings

Federal agencies this week are set to act on Community Reinvestment Act reform and climate risk.
October 23, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Reserve Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 

Regulators extend comment deadlines on megabank capital proposals

Federal regulators extended the comment deadline on their proposal to implement stricter regulatory capital standards on banks over $100 billion in assets while the Federal Reserve collects additional data on the impact of the proposal.
October 23, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Reserve 

FinCEN proposes designating crypto mixers as money-laundering concern

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a proposed rule that identifies international convertible virtual currency mixing as a primary money-laundering concern.
October 20, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

CFPB issues 1033 proposal on sharing consumer data

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its proposal to implement standards for sharing consumer financial data under Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act.
October 20, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Compliance 

Agencies issue anti-ransomware guidance

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other agencies released an updated version of the joint #StopRansomware Guide. The update includes new prevention tips, revised response steps, and added threat hunting insights.
October 20, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Cybersecurity 

Senate passes ICBA-advocated resolution to scrap CFPB 1071 rule

ICBA commended the Senate for passing an ICBA-advocated resolution to nullify the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Section 1071 small-business data collection and reporting requirements.
October 19, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 

Administration, Congress target crypto role in terror attacks

Policymakers announced efforts to address the role of crypto-assets in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
October 19, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Digital Assets 

ICBA backs DeFi policy recommendations

ICBA expressed support for the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ recommendations for establishing policies on decentralized finance.
October 19, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Regulatory Compliance 

Senate slated to vote today on 1071 reversal

With the Senate scheduled to vote today on a resolution to block the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Section 1071 rule, ICBA is urging community bankers to urge their senators to support the measure.
October 18, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 

Fed meeting next week on revising debit interchange fee cap

The Federal Reserve Board scheduled a meeting for next week on proposed revisions to the agency’s debit interchange fee cap.
October 18, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Agencies meeting next week on CRA reform, climate risk

The Federal Reserve Board and FDIC board of directors scheduled meetings for next week on two high-profile regulatory issues: the Community Reinvestment Act and climate risk.
October 18, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

Fed’s Bowman: CBDC benefits remain unclear

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said she has yet to see a compelling argument that a U.S. central bank digital currency could address payments system problems more effectively, efficiently, or with fewer risks than alternatives.
October 18, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

New blog post: Crypto concerns renew digital assets policy debate

A new ICBA blog post recaps the significant upheaval in the digital assets market over the past year and what it means for Washington’s response.
October 17, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Digital Assets 

FHFA’s Thompson addresses rise in enterprise repurchase requests

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson recognized mortgage lenders’ concerns with rising repurchase requests from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, though she said requests have declined since their peak in early 2022.
October 17, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Housing Finance Agency 

FHFA expands ‘rep and warrant’ relief to loans with COVID-19 forbearance

The Federal Housing Finance Agency said it will revise the treatment of active single-family mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for which borrowers elected a COVID-19 forbearance under the enterprises' representations and warranties framework.
October 17, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Housing Finance Agency 

FHFA issues new set of appraisal data

The Federal Housing Finance Agency published a new set of data points and trends found in appraisal reports.
October 17, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Housing Finance Agency 

ICBA plan to promote mortgage affordability makes news

ICBA’s joint proposal to reduce mortgage rates by an estimated 100 to 150 basis points is making news.
October 16, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Mortgage Rules 

Senate hearing tomorrow on CDFIs

The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow for a subcommittee hearing on community development financial institutions.
October 16, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   CDFI 

Credit unions labeling themselves community banks: Romero Rainey

Community bankers have for years warned of the expansion of credit union powers, but Navy Federal Credit Union’s new “Community Bank” brand indicates credit unions recognize they’ve gone too far, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey wrote in a recent LinkedIn post.
October 16, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Credit Unions 

ICBA National Campaign Toolkit offers audio materials

The ICBA National Campaign Toolkit features numerous assets for community banks and state partners, including customizable audio ads.
October 16, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Marketing 

CFTC charges head of failed crypto bank with fraud

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission charged the former head of failed crypto brokerage firm Voyager Digital with fraud and registration failures in connection with the digital asset platform.
October 13, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Digital Assets 

Payments council releases instant payments operational guide

The U.S. Faster Payments Council released a new resource for banks working to implement instant payments.
October 13, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Faster Payments 

CFPB, DOJ: Law protects credit applicants regardless of immigration status

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Justice Department said in a joint statement that all credit applicants are protected from discrimination under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, regardless of their immigration status.
October 13, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Compliance 

CFPB issues guidance on fees for providing account information

ICBA said it is reviewing new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidance requiring banks and credit unions over $10 billion in assets to provide account information requested by customers without charging fees.
October 12, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Compliance 

FDIC launches deposit insurance awareness campaign

The FDIC launched a national campaign to increase the public’s awareness of deposit insurance and how it can protect people’s money in the event of a bank failure.
October 12, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 

Bowman: Regulators should avoid harming bank viability

Banking regulators should ensure changes to the regulatory framework do not harm the long-term viability of banks, especially midsized and smaller banks, Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said.
October 12, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Federal Reserve 

Fed’s Bowman: Advocacy on CDFI proposal making a difference

Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle Bowman recognized community banker concerns with proposed changes to the community development financial institution certification application.
October 11, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

ICBA supports bill to establish USDA Express loan program

ICBA expressed support for a recently introduced House bill based on an ICBA proposal to speed up approval times for USDA loans and thereby enhance access to credit in rural communities.
October 11, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   USA Farm Loan Programs 

Agencies issue additional guidance on open-source security

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other agencies issued a fact sheet on improving security of open-source software in operational technology and industrial control systems.
October 11, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Cybersecurity 

Credit unions now labeling themselves community banks: Romero Rainey

Community bankers have for years warned of the expansion of credit union powers, but Navy Federal Credit Union’s new “Community Bank” brand indicates credit unions recognize they’ve gone too far, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey writes in a new LinkedIn post.
October 11, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Credit Unions 

Nacha expanding spot checks of ACH Contact Registry info

Nacha encouraged financial institutions to ensure their information in the ACH Contact Registry is correct and up to date.
October 10, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   ACH 

Credit union data reporting exemption covered in Politico

A new Politico column draws attention to the lack of regulatory transparency at tax-exempt credit unions, particularly their exemption from federal reporting requirements on overdraft fees.
October 10, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Credit Unions 

Chopra: CFPB’s 1033 consumer data proposal coming this month

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this month will propose standards for sharing consumer financial data, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said.
October 10, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Compliance 

ICBA releases handout on 1071 rule for small-business customers

ICBA added a new handout for small-business customers to its collection of customizable tools on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Section 1071 rule.
October 10, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Compliance 

Interagency appraisal panel meeting next month

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s Appraisal Subcommittee next month is scheduled to hold its third public hearing on appraisal bias, the residential appraisal process, and associated regulations.
October 10, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today  

ICBA releases handout on 1071 rule for small-business customers

ICBA added a new handout for small-business customers to its collection of customizable tools on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Section 1071 rule.
October 06, 2023 | ICBA NewsWatch Today   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 

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