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When Fintech Meets Regtech
When Fintech Meets Regtech Unless you have been living on a desert island for the past few years, you would be hard-pressed to miss the technological revolution that is sweeping our nation’s...
Brave New Housing Market: Challenges and Opportunities for Community Banks
Brave New Housing Market: Challenges and Opportunities for Community Banks While policymakers continue debating new approaches to mitigate the coronavirus' ongoing impact, one issue has attracted...
Continuing the ThinkTECH Accelerator Journey
Continuing the ThinkTECH Accelerator Journey Growth is the synthesis of change and continuity, which is why we recently kicked off its application period for our third ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator...
SimplyBank’s Take on Fostering Community Bank Innovation
SimplyBank’s Take on Fostering Community Bank Innovation In an environment where innovation needs to be continual, how can community banks succeed? Blake Swafford, senior innovation officer at...
ICBA Bancard tool helps community banks assess their small business payments readiness
ICBA Bancard tool helps community banks assess their small business payments readiness From having to adapt to retail closings, diminished staff and customer capacities, a new work-from-home...
Energy and influence
Energy and influence Academic studies have shown that making yourself smile can actually boost your mood and that a warm smile can help convince other people of your competence. Smiling is also...
A summer reading list for leaders
A summer reading list for leaders Summer is approaching rapidly, and it’s often the best time to catch up on reading. So, here are some suggestions for great books to hone your leadership skills....
How Community Banks Can Lead in Weathering Natural Disasters
How Community Banks Can Lead in Weathering Natural Disasters The coronavirus pandemic, hurricane season, and the wildfires on the West Coast, stand as prudent reminders of how critical disaster...
Using Payments to Attract and Retain Gen Z Customers
Using Payments to Attract and Retain Gen Z Customers Community banks have long served the small-business market, but given the pandemic impact, new opportunities have emerged to support these...
Budgeting for a 2021 Innovation Agenda
Budgeting for a 2021 Innovation Agenda With so many unknowns, budgeting is difficult, but there is a bright spot. With uncertainty comes the opportunity to look at what we do in a different light...
What Do Google’s Advertising Updates Mean to Bank Marketing?
What Do Google’s Advertising Updates Mean to Bank Marketing? As a bank marketer, you’ve had a lot to contend with this year. So if you missed Google’s announced updates to its advertising policies,...
As Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Evolve, Regulators Eye Bank Usage
As Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Evolve, Regulators Eye Bank Usage As we continue to see regulatory focus on innovation and emerging technologies, it comes as no surprise that the...
The Right Mix: Selecting the Next ThinkTECH Accelerator Cohort
The Right Mix: Selecting the Next ThinkTECH Accelerator Cohort The experiences of 2020 and our new digital normal have impacted the lens with which we view potential fintechs vying for a spot for...
Cryptocurrency Primer for Community Banks
Cryptocurrency Primer for Community Banks Bitcoin’s market cap is larger than the economies of some of the world’s smaller nations. The prices of popular cryptocurrencies continue to soar to new...
Know Before You Go: What to Expect from ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator 3.0
Know Before You Go: What to Expect from ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator 3.0 As we near the close of 2020, we’re all crossing our fingers and hoping that 2021 brings a stronger sense of stability and...
A Community Banker’s Perception of the ThinkTECH Accelerator Experience
A Community Banker’s Perception of the ThinkTECH Accelerator Experience In our industry if you’re not moving forward, you’re in danger of falling behind. It’s why we created the ICBA ThinkTECH...
Community banks earn victories with stimulus advocacy
Community banks earn victories with stimulus advocacy Community bankers have hit the ground running this year with another round of Paycheck Protection Program lending, Economic Impact Payment...
What You Need to Know about Today’s Credit Card Rewards Programs
What You Need to Know about Today’s Credit Card Rewards Programs Having the right rewards program to match your existing and targeted cardholder customer base is more important than ever. That’s...
Will Google’s latest changes prompt banks to rethink customer acquisition?
Will Google’s latest changes prompt banks to rethink customer acquisition? If you don’t know what third party cookies are, you’re in luck. They’re on their way out. But you’re not completely off...
Community Bank Demand for Innovative Solutions Surging: ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator 2021 Records Three-Fold Increase in Bank Participation
Community Bank Demand for Innovative Solutions Surging: ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator 2021 Records Three-Fold Increase in Bank Participation After 12 fully immersive weeks and hundreds of meetings...
ICBA advocacy push continues during lame-duck Congress
ICBA advocacy push continues during lame-duck Congress While the 116th Congress winds down in the coming weeks with its post-election "lame duck" session, ICBA's efforts to pass much-needed...
ThinkTECH Discussion: Capturing the Innovation Mindset with Avidia Bank
ThinkTECH Discussion: Capturing the Innovation Mindset with Avidia Bank To think differently, you have to, well, think differently. While that is not a profound concept, it can be alarmingly...
Meeting Customers Where They Are for Today’s Digital-First World
Meeting Customers Where They Are for Today’s Digital-First World For community banks, the digital-first nature of today’s world creates an opportunity to forge deeper connections with existing...
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Primer
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Primer As you know, there are currently two forms of central bank money in America: paper currency and money held by institutions on deposit at the Federal...
Community Banking's Finest Hour
Community Banking's Finest Hour We have had to juggle countless responsibilities this year—to our families, to our businesses, to our communities, to each other. With so many simultaneous demands,...
Policymakers Share Plans to Support Community Bank Innovation at ThinkTECH Summit
Policymakers Share Plans to Support Community Bank Innovation at ThinkTECH Summit In a time of ambiguity, you take notice when there’s unilateral consensus, as was the case at last month’s...
Through the Fire and Flames: The Road Ahead for Community Banks
Through the Fire and Flames: The Road Ahead for Community Banks Economic security rapidly evaporated for many households in 2020 as the coronavirus imposed an indelible mark on our nation’s...
Simple Steps to Start Saving for Your Financial Future
Simple Steps to Start Saving for Your Financial Future Studies show most Americans have too much debt and not enough savings. Being prepared doesn’t have to be a chore or a burden. With a few...
Continuing the Conversation: What You Need to Know about Today’s Credit Card Rewards Programs
Continuing the Conversation: What You Need to Know about Today’s Credit Card Rewards Programs Recently, ICBA Bancard, in partnership with TCM Bank, released the white paper, “Cultivating the...
Community Bank Innovative Solutions for Customer-Centric Experiences
Community Bank Innovative Solutions for Customer-Centric Experiences In a world where technology has made it possible for instant gratification in customer and business relationships, community...
How My Bank’s Team Delivered and Received Value from the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator Experience
How My Bank’s Team Delivered and Received Value from the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator Experience Last year I flew to Little Rock, Ark. to participate in the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator program and...
A Fresh Focus on Innovative Solutions for Community Bank Back-Office Operations
A Fresh Focus on Innovative Solutions for Community Bank Back-Office Operations ICBA and The Venture Center gave particular attention to identifying innovative back-office solution providers for...
Digital Dollar Digest: What Is a CBDC?
Digital Dollar Digest: What Is a CBDC? Countries are racing to create central bank digital currencies, or so it appears from the constant stream of reports, articles, and speeches by officials....
Crypto Chronicles: What is a stablecoin and what do community bankers need to know?
Crypto Chronicles: What is a stablecoin and what do community bankers need to know? Since its debut, Bitcoin has experienced spectacular fluctuations in value. While some accept the risks that come...
Employing Financial Literacy as a Tool to Attract Gen Z Bank Customers
Employing Financial Literacy as a Tool to Attract Gen Z Bank Customers Generation Z already outnumbers millennials and baby boomers and in a matter of years they’ll become the most financially...
Regulators Discuss the Future of Community Bank Innovation at Fintech Symposium
Regulators Discuss the Future of Community Bank Innovation at Fintech Symposium Community banks’ focus on next-generation digital solutions was on full display during a recent symposium hosted by...
How Community Banks Can Help Customers Evaluate Buy Now, Pay Later Offerings
How Community Banks Can Help Customers Evaluate Buy Now, Pay Later Offerings Buy now, pay later or BNPL, is the latest cautionary payments tale for community banks. Much like digital wallets, its...
Why we need Black-owned banks
Why we need Black-owned banks Black-owned community banks have a long history of serving Americans historically left out of the mainstream banking system. Many well-established community banks...
How Community Banks Can Continue to Fight Elder Financial Exploitation and Abuse
How Community Banks Can Continue to Fight Elder Financial Exploitation and Abuse The past year has been a trying time for our nation, particularly for America’s elderly population who were...
Crypto Chronicles: Agencies Coordinate Crypto Approach Amid Ransomware Escalation
Crypto Chronicles: Agencies Coordinate Crypto Approach Amid Ransomware Escalation In the past several months, bad actors have escalated their attacks against critical infrastructure and industries....
Community Banker Perspective: The Importance of Financial Literacy for Teens
Community Banker Perspective: The Importance of Financial Literacy for Teens April may be Financial Literacy Month, but at Community Spirit Bank our focus on providing young people with a strong...
Digital Dollar Digest: Catalysts for Exploring a Central Bank Digital Currency
Digital Dollar Digest: Catalysts for Exploring a Central Bank Digital Currency What is galvanizing the world market to pursue central bank digital currencies? The factors are varied. In this...
Community Bank Guide to Managing Core Processor Relationships
Community Bank Guide to Managing Core Processor Relationships For community banks looking to strike a balance between high-touch services and high-tech capabilities, selecting the right technology...
Enhancements Community Banks Can Make To Improve Email Deliverability and Defend Against Phishing
Enhancements Community Banks Can Make To Improve Email Deliverability and Defend Against Phishing To better protect their institutions and customers from email scams, community banks can make...
The Problem with Public Banking
The Problem with Public Banking While community banks have again proven their importance to local communities as Paycheck Protection Program leaders, public banking proponents in some states and...
Crypto Chronicles: Bitcoin 101 for Community Bankers
Crypto Chronicles: Bitcoin 101 for Community Bankers The payments industry is abuzz with excitement as one topic continues capturing headlines, with profound implications for community banks:...
Digital Dollar Digest: What Central Bank Digital Currency Architecture Means for Community Banks
Digital Dollar Digest: What Central Bank Digital Currency Architecture Means for Community Banks CBDCs are taking center stage around the globe, with multiple research projects underway. As central...
Three Ways Community Bankers Can Increase Their Innovative Thinking
Three Ways Community Bankers Can Increase Their Innovative Thinking According to the 2020 Global Innovation Barometer from GE, COVID-19 had a significant downward influence on innovation. However,...
ICBA Polling on Strong Community Bank Favorability Fuels Successful Capital Summit
To support community banker meetings with policymakers on top industry issues, ICBA released new polling data affirming the industry’s strong public favorability at the state and national levels.
Expanding Interchange Price Controls Would Put Fraud Protections at Risk
Maintaining strong risk-mitigation technologies has never been more important for the banking industry, but “big box” merchant lobbyists are attempting to disrupt advances in card fraud mitigation...
How the TerraUSD Collapse Is Affecting Financial Markets
While the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin has captured the most attention, it was not the only stablecoin to fail during the market downturn. Here’s a look at the impact of the Terra decline on...
How Four Community Banks Recognize and Celebrate Juneteenth
While Juneteenth is the youngest U.S. federal holiday after it became formally recognized in a law enacted last year, it has decades of significance—with June 19, 1865, recognized as the end of...
Three Ways Community Banks Can Respond to Generational Digital Payments Needs
When it comes to payments, the generational divide has been shrinking. While Gen Z and Millennials still lead the way in digital payments adoption, Baby Boomers and Seniors (over 76) are increasing...
BNPL and the Illogical Argument for Credit Card Interchange Fee Regulation
When a new object comes along like “buy now, pay later,” or BNPL, merchants will gladly pay higher transaction fees than they do for credit cards. But this recent surge in BNPL adoption by...
Faster Payments Have Arrived — Now What?
Faster Payments Have Arrived — Now What? Faster payments have arrived. Accelerated by the pandemic, the growth in digital and contactless payments has pushed consumer and business expectations...
Community banks must engage customers on new IRS reporting mandates
If community bankers weren’t busy enough continuing their heroic economic response to the pandemic, a proposal to impose IRS reporting mandates on customer bank accounts has become anadvocacy...
How Community Bankers Association of Illinois Partnered with ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator to Further Community Bank Innovation
Community Bankers Association of Illinois (CBAI) is no stranger to fintech collaborations, but the idea of helping shape fintech offerings tailored to community banks was too intriguing an idea to...
How to Digitize the Community Bank Relationship Model
When it comes to community bankers’ technology to-do lists, 35% view investing in digitalization as their top business opportunity. We’ve clearly arrived at a tipping point.
A Community Bank Primer on the TerraUSD Collapse
ICBA has closely watched the growth of stablecoins over the past year and repeatedly raised concerns about the risks these systems may pose. Earlier this month, those concerns manifested with the...
How the TerraUSD Collapse Affects Stablecoin Regulation and Community Banks
The collapse of TerraUSD has affected the crypto sector and broader financial markets. But perhaps even more important for community banks, the market instability is fueling the policymaker push...