Consumers and businesses are increasingly using payment platforms that allow them to pay or transfer money faster than ever before, with U.S. faster payments transactions topping $900 billion in 2020.

The importance of experienced advocacy representation of community banks’ payments needs has never been greater, which is why the ICBA Payments and Technology Policy team has imbedded resources into myriad decision-making boards, committees, and standards-setting bodies.

Community bankers are nothing if not predictable, and I mean that as a compliment. They are bright, enterprising, have a nose for the risk/reward dynamic and a sense of duty and loyalty to their customers and staff. They’re also deathly afraid of rising interest rates.

According to Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the metaverse is the future of life as we know it, where all activities will happen in a virtual reality world. To many community bankers, the idea of banking in the metaverse seems closer to laughable than it does to reality.

With inflation running hot, the Federal Reserve Board has recently begun accelerating its tapering program. In addition, the latest dot plot for the median Federal Funds rate show that short-term interest rates could increase three times in 2022.

If your bank is average, your credit portfolio will contain a concentration of over 70% in real estate loans. While you might have the best intentions for underwriting real estate loans with the utmost of care, doing what you can to maintain the credit risk, may not be enough.

We have to demystify that fintech is complicated, or fintech is difficult, or fintech is risky or scary. Fintech, to me, is opportunity,” says Greg Ohlendorf, President and CEO, First Community Bank and Trust.

The pandemic has clearly had a lasting impact on customers’ payment behaviors, marked by an unprecedented rise in ecommerce transactions, projected to reach $8.3 trillion by 2025. Amidst this sea of change, community banks are asking, “What does this shift mean for my payments strategy?”

I would venture to guess that nearly every one of you have talked with Cathy VonWhalde here at Community Banker University at least once. Some of you may talk to her monthly. I am excited, proud, and saddened to share the news that after 31 years with ICBA, Cathy has decided to live the good life and retire on May 2, 2022.

Bank innovation continues to be a central focus for regulatory agencies. From the launch of innovation offices and office hours to policy statements encouraging innovative approaches, regulators have embraced—and now expect—new forms of responsible innovation. Often, this innovation relies upon strategic bank-technology collaborations.

While stablecoins have drawn increased scrutiny from policymakers in Washington, the policy response has only just begun. Here’s a look at the policy outlook and what it means for community banks.

The Federal Reserve recently took a major step toward curbing inflation by raising the effective federal funds rate by 25 basis points. Here’s a look at what this means for community banks and local communities.

Officials in Washington have in recent months increased their focus on overdraft programs and policies. With community banks already subject to strict overdraft regulations and offering overdraft services designed to meet the demands of their customers, ICBA and community bankers are fully engaged in the debate.

The volume of stablecoins in circulation has grown rapidly in recent months, drawing increased attention from policymakers and the media. Here’s a breakdown of where this increasingly significant market stands and how community banker concerns align with those in Washington.

As the debate proceeds, ICBA is reminding policymakers that the Durbin Amendment has distorted the debit card and consumer checking markets to the detriment of community banks and consumers nationwide.

“There is only one threat, and it’s inaction,” said The Venture Center’s Wayne Miller in his opening remarks at the ThinkTECH Accelerator Showcase at ICBA LIVE. That set the tone for the session, where each fintech in the cohort presented not only their solutions but emphasized the results behind them.

I’ll let you in on a secret: sometimes your columnist runs out of new ideas to cover. A dearth of new products, no new regs, a stable rate environment—all of these can cause a writer to run aground while sailing the financial seas in search of material.

The 20 online training courses that are included in your Bank Director Program subscription are a great tool to onboard new bank directors while also ensuring your seasoned directors are up-to-speed on topics ranging from the Bank Secrecy Act to fair lending.

As more community banks engage with fintechs to support their business plans, due diligence continues to become an even bigger piece of the puzzle. While every bank is different there are several questions every community bank should consider as they enter into these agreements.

Public and regulatory expectations regarding climate change and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues are rapidly changing. The largest banks have made climate commitments pledging hundreds of billions of dollars to sustainable finance.