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Independent Banker: Seven ways to navigate risk
2026-09-25 The latest Independent Banker magazine shares seven areas for community bankers to watch when evaluating risk. Details: The article in the September issue lists new concerns, such as...
Regulators clarify SAR confidentiality rules for community banks
Regulators clarify SAR confidentiality rules for community banks Federal banking regulators issued a statement clarifying how community banks can communicate with customers about potentially...
ICBA: UCC updates would help community banks fight payment fraud
ICBA: UCC updates would help community banks fight payment fraud ICBA shared Uniform Commercial Code updates that would allocate losses, establish standards of conduct between banks, and...
Senate passes romance scam prevention bill
2026-09-29 Senate passes romance scam prevention bill The Senate passed by unanimous consent an ICBA-supported bill to help prevent romance scams. Legislation Details: The Romance Scam Prevention...
Gould: OCC has no intention of slowing down on tailored regs
Gould: OCC has no intention of slowing down on tailored regs Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said the OCC is working to reduce burden and tailor supervision for community banks and has...
Rebecca Romero Rainey: The Importance of AI Security for Community Banks
Community banks face growing AI fraud threats including deepfakes and voice cloning. ICBA president and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey explains how ICBA's AI Security Readiness Guide and advocacy efforts...
Alice P. Frazier: Team, Training and Tools for Community Bank Cyber Resilience
Learn how community banks can strengthen cybersecurity through a layered approach combining skilled staff, ongoing cybersecurity training, access controls, network segmentation and vetted solutions...
How Fidelity Bank's Zurich Classic Sponsorship Drives Community Engagement
Learn how Fidelity Bank leverages community bank sponsorship of the Zurich Classic to build nonprofit partnerships, boost brand awareness, and support Louisiana charities through its Community...
All-Green Fraud: How Community Banks Can Detect and Stop It
All-green fraud—when fraudulent transactions pass every authentication check—is the top fraud challenge for community banks in 2026. Learn how behavioral biometrics, AI fraud detection, and...
Wayne Miller: Bank Middleware and Core Banking Modernization
Learn how middleware for community banks enables core banking modernization without full replacement. Discover how banking APIs and a reusable connectivity layer reduce dependency on legacy core...
Estate Planning for Banks: A Customer Retention Strategy for the Great Wealth Transfer
Community banks are using digital estate planning platforms and fintech partnerships to retain customers during the $124 trillion great wealth transfer. Learn how legacy planning tools strengthen...
Core Conversion Best Practices for Community Banks
Community bankers share core conversion best practices—from clean data for core conversion to employee communication during core conversion—that streamlined operations and enhanced customer...
Bank Insurance Strategy: A Holistic Approach to Community Bank Risk Management
Learn how community banks can build a unified bank insurance strategy that treats coverage as a strategic asset, closes insurance coverage gaps, and strengthens enterprise risk management.
Lindsay LaNore: How to Map Your Bank's Future State
Learn how future-back thinking helps community bank leaders create a strategic roadmap. Discover a four-step future-state planning exercise to align your leadership team and drive innovation.
Bank Teller Training Strategies for Community Bank Success
Learn how future-back thinking helps community bank leaders create a strategic roadmap. Discover a four-step future-state planning exercise to align your leadership team and drive innovation.
Municipal Bond Credit Risk: Infrastructure Funding or Warning Sign?
With municipal bond issuance hitting $600 billion in 2026, community bank portfolio managers must evaluate credit risk indicators. Learn key metrics for assessing municipal debt quality.
GENIUS Act One Year Later: What Stablecoin Regulation Means for Community Banks
The GENIUS Act's first anniversary has passed, but payment stablecoin rules remain incomplete. Learn how stablecoin yield restrictions and digital assets regulation affect community bank deposits...
Community Bank Fraud Prevention: Seneca Savings Bank's Fraud Friday Initiative
Learn how Seneca Savings Bank builds customer trust through fraud education with its Fraud Friday email campaign, frontline staff training, and Positive Pay for fraud protection. A fraud prevention...
Community Bank Sponsorship in Action: Bank of Botetourt
Discover how Bank of Botetourt's community bank sponsorship of the Beaver Dam Farm Sunflower Festival drives $1.4 million in local economic impact and strengthens small business bank support across...
Community Bank Marketing: 5 PR Tips for Stronger Social Media Results
Discover proven community bank marketing strategies for PR and social media success. Learn how to build trust, create authentic content, and leverage ICBA resources for stronger engagement.
How Community Banks Teach Kids About Money and Boost Youth Financial Literacy
Discover how community banks build youth financial literacy through bank-school partnerships, Junior Achievement programs, financial education, Credit for Life Fairs, and youth banking programs.
How to Succeed in Specialty Lending
Learn proven niche lending strategies for community banks, from SBA lending and equipment finance to ESOP programs. Discover how specialty lending drives growth and loan portfolio diversification.
Community Bank Cybersecurity from A to Z: Threats, Solutions & Bank Fraud Prevention
Explore the top cybersecurity threats facing community banks—from AI-powered deepfakes to vendor risk—plus proven solutions like zero trust architecture, multi-factor authentication, and NIST CSF 2.0.
What Your Exception Reports Are Really Telling You About Commercial Lending Performance
Alogent_Sponsored What Your Exception Reports Are Really Telling You About Commercial Lending Performance SPONSORED | Exception reports do more than support compliance. They can uncover workflow...
The MVP of Bank Funding
The MVP of Bank Funding SPONSORED | Just as a great player brings both durability and flexibility to a lineup, reciprocal deposits offer a scalable, dependable source of funding that can adapt as...
Your Core Should Support Your Bank’s Strategy
Community banks are expected to deliver convenient experiences, operate efficiently and keep pace with change. For many, the biggest obstacle isn’t outdated technology. It’s a core relationship...
Rethinking Check Fraud Mitigation in the Age of AI
SPONSORED | Fraud losses are only part of the cost. For community banks, excessive reviews and false positives consume valuable staff time. AI can help prioritize risk and focus human expertise...
ICBA urges OCC to refine rule on matters requiring attention
ICBA urges OCC to refine rule on matters requiring attention ICBA said it supports the OCC’s effort to focus corrective actions on substantive violations rather than immaterial procedural findings,...
FinCEN proposes rule to cut off funds from shadow banking network
FinCEN proposes rule to cut off funds from shadow banking network The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposed a rule that would prohibit transmittals of funds regarding transactions involving...
Fannie and Freddie offer temporary UAD 3.6 exception
2026-10-02 Fannie and Freddie offer temporary UAD 3.6 exception Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced a temporary policy exception for sellers that need more time to complete their Uniform Appraisal...
Treasury announces automatic enrollment for Trump Accounts
Treasury announces automatic enrollment for Trump Accounts The Treasury Department announced the completion of automatic enrollment for Trump Accounts, tax-advantaged investment accounts for...
ICBA Sues OCC Over National Trust Bank Charters for Crypto Firms
justice gavel lawsuit lady justice image.jpg 2026-10-02 ICBA Sues OCC Over National Trust Bank Charters for Crypto Firms Washington, D.C. (Oct. 2, 2026) — Independent Community Bankers of America...
SEC proposes removing barriers to crypto advice
SEC proposes removing barriers to crypto advice The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed rules and amendments to provide a framework for the custody of crypto assets for registered...
Fed extends deadline for commenting on Reg O proposal
The Federal Reserve extended until Nov. 4 the comment period for its proposal to modernize Regulation O standards on extending credit to bank executives, board members, and major shareholders....
ICBA objects to Block's national trust bank charter application
ICBA objects to Block's national trust bank charter application ICBA objected to the application of Block Inc. to organize Builders Bank & Trust as an uninsured national trust bank, citing legal,...
ICBA sues OCC over national trust bank charters for crypto firms
ICBA sues OCC over national trust bank charters for crypto firms ICBA filed a lawsuit against the OCC for authorizing novel entities that deal in cryptocurrencies to enter the banking system...
New Polling Shows Public Support for Strengthening Reporting Rules for Tax-Exempt Credit Unions
Washington, D.C. (Oct. 7, 2026) — With a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scandal leading to the closure of a tax-exempt credit union just days after its former CEO pleaded guilty to federal...
Bowman says Fed will redo supervision structure
Bowman says Fed will redo supervision structure Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said the agency is restructuring its supervisory functions. Details: Speaking at the...
Treasury reports progress in fighting payments fraud
The Treasury Department announced it deployed safeguards that verified more than $3.7 trillion in federal payments in the past year. Highlights: Treasury cited increased access to the Do Not Pay...
ICBA: Strengthening robocall database would benefit community banks
ICBA: Strengthening robocall database would benefit community banks ICBA said efforts to strengthen the Robocall Mitigation Database and prevent scam calls would significantly benefit community...
Report: GAO to examine CFTC staffing issues
Report: GAO to examine CFTC staffing issues The Government Accountability Office will examine staff levels at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as it expands its role in regulating digital...
State regulators reach settlement with crypto kiosk operator
State regulators reach settlement with crypto kiosk operator The Conference of State Bank Supervisors announced that 34 state financial regulatory agencies reached a $2.5 million settlement with...
FHA updates policy for implementing alternative credit scores
2026-10-09 FHA updates policy for implementing alternative credit scores The Federal Housing Administration published updated minimum decision credit score methodology to formalize the addition of...
Debit Card Fraud Trends and Risk Mitigation for Community Banks
Debit card fraud remains a substantial payments risk. Federal Reserve Financial Services’ 2026 Risk Officer Report found that 75% of surveyed financial institutions had encountered debit card fraud...
Meet Toby Mattson: Helping Community Banks Grow Stronger Card Programs
Meet Toby Mattson: Helping Community Banks Grow Stronger Card Programs The ICBA Payments staff are here to power your bank’s potential. Get to know the people who support your bank and its payments...
More Than a Card: Strengthening Business Relationships Through Payment
At Citizens Bank of Las Cruces, our mission is to provide and deliver the best financial services the first time, every time, but when it came to our business card program, we were in a stagnant...
Study: ICBA-supported ban on mortgage ‘trigger leads’ paying off
Study: ICBA-supported ban on mortgage ‘trigger leads’ paying off ICBA-supported legislation enacted last year can reduce the drawbacks of mortgage “trigger leads” while preserving opportunities for...
Fed survey shows growth in families’ net worth
Median family income rose 7% between 2022 and 2025, according to the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances. Background: The Fed said the survey, which is undertaken every three years,...
CISA issues alert on hacking threat
CISA issues alert on hacking threat The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency reported that Chinese government-linked cyber threat actors, enabled by the Integrity Technology Group, are...
ICBA: Regulators should harmonize CRA modernization efforts
ICBA said FDIC and OCC proposals to amend Community Reinvestment Act regulations are a positive step, but all federal regulators should harmonize CRA rulemaking. Details: In a letter to the FDIC...
Advancing Technology Stacks Through Conferences
Advancing Technology Stacks Through Conferences The ICBA Innovation Team takes to the road in the fall for conference season. Whether it is speaking at and attending state banking conventions,...
Bowman: Supervisory modernization must continue following SVB failure
2026-10-16 Bowman: Supervisory modernization must continue following SVB failure Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said community banks engaged in conventional lending and...
Fannie Mae foresees 7.5% mortgage rates for 2027
Fannie Mae foresees 7.5% mortgage rates for 2027 Fannie Mae predicted the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate will be 7.5% in 2027. Upward Trend: In its latest monthly analysis, Fannie Mae...
Billion-Dollar Credit Union’s Fourth Florida Community Bank Acquisition Since 2023 Exposes the Cost of Outdated Policy
Billion-Dollar Credit Union’s Fourth Florida Community Bank Acquisition Since 2023 Exposes the Cost of Outdated Policy Washington, D.C. (Oct. 19, 2026) — Independent Community Bankers of America...
ICBA: Latest credit union out-of-state bank acquisition exposes the cost of outdated policy
2026-10-20 ICBA: Latest credit union out-of-state bank acquisition exposes the cost of outdated policy After the reported acquisition of a tax-paying Florida community bank by a...
ICBA: GENIUS Act rules must protect local lending
ICBA: GENIUS Act rules must protect local lending ICBA said stablecoin rules should consider the effect on community bank deposits and credit availability in local communities. Recommendations: In...
ICBA, others urge Fed to extend comment period for GENIUS Act proposals
ICBA and other groups urged the Federal Reserve to extend by 60 days the comment periods for two proposals implementing the GENIUS Act. Details: In a joint letter, ICBA and the other groups said...
FDIC, CFPB to host scam-prevention webinar next week
FDIC, CFPB to host scam-prevention webinar next week The FDIC and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are scheduled to host a webinar next week for financial institutions on protecting older...
ICBA Continues Call for OCC to Ensure Stablecoin Rules Limit Harm to Local Lending
Washington, D.C. (Oct. 21, 2026) — Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on today’s Office of the Comptroller of the...
ICBA, OpenAI Announce Strategic Alliance to Bring Frontier AI Cybersecurity Capabilities to Community Banks
ICBA, OpenAI Announce Strategic Alliance to Bring Frontier AI Cybersecurity Capabilities to Community Banks Washington, D.C. (Oct. 22, 2026) — The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)...