In less than two months, the International Standards Organization (ISO) standards update for 8-digit Bank Identification Numbers, or BINs, takes effect. This new standard means that card processors must be able to accommodate and manage transactions using 8-digit BINs.

The Federal Reserve Board recently released its long-anticipated report on how the U.S. might advance towards an “age of digital transformation” with a future central bank digital currency (CBDC).

Fair Lending has always been a hot button during regulatory examinations. But with the change in administration, the CFPB has made it quite clear that fair lending will be at the forefront for the enforcement of consumer protection laws. Because of this, fair lending training is a must for the majority of bank staff.

Our Online training catalog continues to expand as we break down those long and tough regulatory compliance courses into bite-sized sections. This month we tackled the Flood Disaster Protection Act and added four new courses that detail specific parts of the law.

It’s hard to believe that we recently kicked off our fourth ThinkTECH Accelerator and even more astonishing that the caliber of companies applying to help community banks’ greatest pain points continues to improve.

A timely conversation about recruiting and retaining top bank talent in today’s competitive job market with Kim Kirk, COO of Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company; Tommy Marshall, Executive Director of Georgia Fintech Academy; and host Charles Potts, Chief Innovation Officer of Independent Community Bankers of America.

The average person spends nearly two and a half hours on social media per day, so it’s no wonder social payments have started to infiltrate the financial services industry.

With time ticking down until ICBA LIVE, schedules are solidifying, speeches are taking shape, details are firming up, and hotel rooms are filling up (not to worry, we just added more, but space is limited, so book now). The energy and momentum around coming together in San Antonio February 27 – March 3 is palpable.

TCM Bank, N.A., the credit card bank of ICBA Bancard®, announced the promotions of three of its executives, Terri Howard as executive vice president and chief people officer, C.J. Littrell as executive vice president and chief operating officer and David Gonzalez as executive vice president and chief risk officer.

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.

The third quarter of 2021 yielded the second-highest quarter on record for fintech financing, up 147% over the previous year. Despite this growth, a recent analysis by EY research of 45 banks working with fintechs revealed only one-quarter had deep engagement due to “barriers to collaboration.”

Rebeca Romero Rainey, President and CEO of ICBA, talks with host Charles Potts, Chief Innovation Officer, about how and why ICBA made the decision to stand alone in public opposition to the nomination of Prof. Saule Omarova to the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC)

It's the end of another calendar year! For many community banks, that means it's also the end of another training year. Here are a few helpful tips to close out your year-end training records.

The average person spends nearly two and a half hours on social media per day, so it’s no wonder social payments have started to infiltrate the financial services industry.

While all community banks place a firm focus on serving, when you are a CDFI, serving is at the very core of your business identity. Couple that with an increased desire to think creatively, and what you get is a new recipe for innovation.

In the innovation world, 2021 may go down in history as the year of community bank innovation. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated challenges thrown in our path, community banks continued to meet their customers’ needs.

Maybe the U.S. economy has improved to the point where further quantitative easing isn’t as critical to the Federal Reserve’s policy of “accommodation.” It certainly looks like the Fed has some further work to do.

For the financially underserved in the United States the widening wealth gap and financial hardships resulting from the pandemic are not just media headlines. They are a reality.

The role of a board member of any organization is constantly evolving. Economic cycles, leadership transitions, market dynamics, competitive changes, governance activists, and even political shifts can impact board composition and best practices in corporate governance seemingly out of the blue.

For more than 90 years, ICBA has provided value to our membership in a wide variety of ways and places. Today, we are refocusing efforts to better serve our members on Twitter.