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.
How Community Banks Are Fighting AI-Powered Elder Fraud
Generative AI has made scamming vulnerable people alarmingly simple. Banks must raise awareness among their senior customers of the dangers and help build financial security.
February 18, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Compliance
Romero Rainey: Community bank-focused hearings show ICBA message is resonating
Last week’s simultaneous congressional hearings featuring ICBA witnesses spotlighted the industry’s policy priorities while demonstrating that community banks are being heard in Washington, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey wrote in a new op-ed.
February 14, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Deadline today to register to speak during EGRPRA meeting
Community bankers interested in speaking during the next Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act regulatory review must register by today.
February 14, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
EGRPRA s.2155
Report: Romance scams grew 40% in 2024
Revenue from romance scams—also known as “pig butchering”—grew 40% last year and accounted for more than a third of all crypto-related scams, according to a report by Chainalysis.
February 14, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Digital Assets
Romero Rainey: Community bank-focused hearings show ICBA message is resonating
Last week’s simultaneous congressional hearings featuring ICBA witnesses spotlighted the industry’s policy priorities while demonstrating that community banks are being heard in Washington, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey wrote in a new op-ed.
February 13, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
ICBA: Any changes to regulatory structure require community bank input
ICBA said any change to the structure of the nation’s banking agencies must involve careful study and input from all stakeholders, including community banks.
February 13, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Agencies/Regulators
Deadline tomorrow to register to speak during EGRPRA meeting
Community bankers interested in speaking during the next Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act regulatory review must register by tomorrow, Feb. 14.
February 13, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
EGRPRA s.2155
ICBA Congratulates Jonathan McKernan on CFPB Director Nomination
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Jonathan McKernan to serve as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
February 12, 2025 |
Press Release
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
ICBA Congratulates Jonathan Gould on Comptroller of the Currency Nomination
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Johnathan Gould to serve as comptroller of the currency.
February 12, 2025 |
Press Release
OCC
ICBA Statement on Media Reports of CFPB Actions, Banking Agency Consolidation
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on media reports related to actions at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and potential consolidation of banking regulators.
February 12, 2025 |
Press Release
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
SEC reverses course on ICBA-opposed climate rule
Acting Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mark Uyeda said his agency will seek to freeze court proceedings in a legal challenge to its final rule requiring climate-related investor disclosures, citing his opposition to the rule.
February 12, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Climate
ICBA weighs in on stablecoin debate
ICBA told Congress that current stablecoin arrangements are not subject to comprehensive supervision and lack many critical consumer and anti-money laundering protections—a regulatory gap that allows risks to the financial system to multiply, provides opportunities for financial crimes, and creates an unequal playing field with highly regulated community banks.
February 12, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Digital Assets
Powell: No CBDC while he leads the Fed
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. will never have a central bank digital currency as long as he leads the Fed.
February 12, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Federal Reserve
Independent Banker features ICBA Minority Bank Advisory Council insights
The latest edition of Independent Banker magazine provides insights on minority depository institutions from ICBA’s Minority Bank Advisory Council.
February 11, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
ICBA CRA Solutions Selects Ncontracts for Community Bank Compliance Offering
ICBA CRA Solutions, an ICBA subsidiary, announced a strategic alliance with Ncontracts, which provides integrated vendor, risk, and compliance management solutions to help community banks address Community Reinvestment Act requirements using precise, actionable insights.
February 11, 2025 |
Press Release
McKernan leaving FDIC
FDIC Director Jonathan McKernan announced he was stepping aside from the FDIC board of directors.
February 11, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
ICBA releases customizable language addressing depositor concerns
With some community bank customers inquiring about the security of their bank deposits amid government efforts related to federal spending and bureaucracy, ICBA released customizable language its members can use to answer customer questions.
February 11, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Deposit Operations
CFPB’s 1071 rule again paused by court in ICBA case
A U.S. court of appeals temporarily paused the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s 1071 small-business rule and extended its compliance deadlines until further notice, as advocated by ICBA.
February 10, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Compliance
ICBA releases customizable language addressing depositor concerns
With some community bank customers inquiring about the security of their bank deposits amid government efforts related to federal spending and bureaucracy, ICBA released customizable language its members can use to answer customer questions.
February 10, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Deposit Insurance Deposit Operations
ICBA Statement on Rodney Hood’s Appointment as Acting Comptroller of the Currency
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on the appointment of Rodney Hood to serve as acting comptroller of the currency.
February 08, 2025 |
Press Release
OCC
ICBA Thanks Russell Vought for Serving as Acting CFPB Director
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s designation of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
February 08, 2025 |
Press Release
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
ICBA’s congressional testimonies available
Recordings and full text of the testimonies ICBA leaders provided this week on Capitol Hill are available online.
February 07, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Congressional Matters
Independent Banker highlights what banks need to know about the open banking rule
Community banks with $850 million or more in assets will soon need to comply with the new open banking regulation, and smaller institutions might want to prepare for data sharing if their customers demand it, according to the latest Independent Banker magazine.
February 07, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Community Banks to Convene in Nashville to Celebrate Community Banking at ICBA LIVE
The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) will host ICBA LIVE 2025, the most comprehensive educational and networking event for community bankers. The event brings together thousands of community bank leaders to discuss key policies, and emerging technologies that shape the local banking landscape.
February 07, 2025 |
Press Release
Independent Banker shares ICBA LIVE’s can’t-miss events
When community bankers from across the country gather in Nashville next month for ICBA LIVE, a remarkable agenda awaits them, according to the latest Independent Banker magazine.
February 07, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
At congressional hearing, Romero Rainey urges regulatory transformation
At the first House Financial Services Committee hearing of the new Congress, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey called on lawmakers to transform the regulatory environment for community banks to promote locally based economic growth.
February 06, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Congressional Matters
ICBA urges regulatory and tax relief at House Small Business Committee hearing
In separate testimony on Wednesday at the first House Small Business Committee hearing of the 119th Congress, ICBA called on lawmakers to advance regulatory and tax relief that will further enhance small-business lending.
February 06, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Congressional Matters
ICBA supports bill to scrap CFPB’s 1071 rule
ICBA expressed strong support for new legislation to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s small-business data collection and reporting requirements under Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act.
February 06, 2025 |
ICBA NewsWatch Today
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Jacob Eisen: The Difference Between Direct and Agent Bank Credit Card Programs
Kick Lending Up a Notch With Digital Solutions
Increased efficiency and fewer errors are just two of the benefits of digitalizing your loan production process.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Payments
Lucas White: Tackling Fraud With Technology and Education
“[Fraud] must be a business priority, because our employees and customers truly are our first line of defense.”
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
United Community Bank Helps Veterans Take Flight
On Oct. 4, United Community Bank in Perham, Minn., hosted a Tailgate for Troops event in the nearby city of Frazee to raise money for the Veterans Honor Flight of ND/MN.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Jim Reber: Spreading the Good News
Incremental yield can indicate relative value.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Growing the Community
Michael Emancipator: ICBA Speaks Out Against One-Size-Fits-All Regulations
In the face of disproportionate compliance requirements, ICBA is advocating for threshold changes that would lighten community banks’ regulatory burden.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Advocacy
OneUnited Bank Uses Tech to Bridge the Racial Wealth Gap
OneUnited Bank’s AI-powered financial wellness tool is enabling the bank’s customers to make better financial decisions and build generational wealth.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Relief From the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
Community banks around the country came together to help those affected by Hurricane Helene, assisting with cleanup, donating supplies and more.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Out of Office: Aaron Hines
The commercial loan manager and SVP of $500 million-asset Denali State Bank in Fairbanks, Alaska, has ridden his snowmobile through the state’s vast landscapes, kicking up powder in untouched snowy areas.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Powering Potential: Rethinking Your Payments Strategy With ICBA Payments
ICBA Payments—formerly ICBA Bancard—hasn’t just rebranded. It has begun a multiyear phased investment strategy to modernize its technology and service offerings, which are designed to elevate your bank’s payments strategy.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Payments
Preparing and Nurturing Future Bank Leaders
How can community banks foster future leaders and make sure they’re prepared to take on a managerial role? It takes a healthy dose of attention, understanding and room for trial and error.
February 05, 2025 |
Independent Banker
Independent Banker
Independent Banker is the award-winning monthly member publication of ICBA. Continually rated the best news source by community bankers, IB provides timely, relevant information and insights to help community banks continue to flourish.
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