The SBA and Treasury Department just publicly released loan-by-loan information about Paycheck Protection Program loans, as they said they would on June 19.
Given today’s competitive labor market and rising employee expectations, finding the right talent for your bank can be challenging. So, why not look internally and focus on the human capital that you already have?
In celebration of ICBA Bancard’s 35th anniversary, I sat down with our Chairman Greg Deckard, president, CEO and chairman of State Bank Northwest to reflect on key milestones that have led to the organization’s success.
Community Banker University® has noted an uptick in the number of bankers completing online training. Unfortunately, we have also seen a few instances where bankers are completing courses, but the system is not marking them as closed.
On June 5, 2020, the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) Flexibility Act was signed into law by the President. The PPP Flexibility Act could help organizations that may still be closed or partially closed meet the requirements for forgiveness.
What a difference three months make. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the outlook among bankers about the economy and the state of the industry was solidly positive. But as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty it has created, the view among bankers has sharply shifted direction.
If you are inclined to read bond analysts’ research reports, eventually you’ll chance upon some commentary that addresses the performance of mortgage securities.
While we have never before experienced anything quite like COVID-19, we can identify a bright spot: community banks rising to serve the needs of their communities.
Literally overnight — the night of March 26 — community banks answered the call to support small businesses fighting to survive COVID-19. In that one day, 3,700 institutions became new Small Business Administration lenders to support the Paycheck Protection Program.
With irrefutable evidence that the United States is in a recession, zealous market watchers are now searching for clues as to its size and scope. At ICBA, we took the liberty of crunching the numbers in search of some answers, and our conclusions point to a short, sharp, and spotty recession.
As ICBA’s Executive Brief on digital wallets demonstrated, consumer use of digital payments technology is increasing due to the convenience and speed these options offers. The same rings true when exploring digital payments apps.
As we continue our relentless focus on customers in need, we must not let our guard down in continuing to urge Congress, the agencies, and the public to “wake up” to an overly-opportunistic credit union industry.
Innovators see the world not as it is today but how it can be, which is why ICBA has pledged a three-year commitment to its ThinkTECH Accelerator program--to help community banks foster innovation and address their customers' evolving payment needs.
Launching a new lending initiative during a pandemic was a challenge in itself, but add in closed branches, remote customers, and government provisions, and community banks faced a trifecta of issues in entering this brave new world of lending.
When I really need to focus, I’ve noticed the process usually starts with decluttering both my mind and my environment. I love the quote, “Starve the distractions. Feed your focus.” To clear my mind before starting a project, I know that I have to be purposeful with my attention.
With the Senate considering Paycheck Protection Program reforms after the House passed its reform bill last week, now is the time for community banks to urge lawmakers to enact our recommended changes.
During the pandemic, three types of attacks and scams have risen sharply, and bankers should anticipate seeing more of these threats throughout the pandemic’s duration. This blog explains them and how you can protect your community bank.
