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Some Personal Observations
Some Personal Observations Many of you know that I am a history buff. Well, last weekend I was reading a history of the American Revolution and I got to thinking about how history is full of...
Snowblind
Snowblind As I look out the window of our home in suburban Washington, D.C. at the blizzard, I finally know the true meaning of the term snowblind. In recent weeks, there are those in our industry...
2024 Advocacy Priorities
Community banks are locally based and relationship-focused institutions serving the unique needs of their customers. With a time-tested business model of sound lending and conservative risk...
About Cam Fine
About Cam Fine Camden R. Fine is president and CEO of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), a national trade association representing the interests of nearly 7,000 community banks of...
Adding My Voice
Adding My Voice Anyone who knows me knows I hate to pass up any opportunity to talk about community banks. As a community banker for more than 20 years, I’ve seen firsthand the important role local...
Connect
Connect Subscribe to RSS Feed Follow Cam Fine on Twitter ICBA on Social Media Twitter: www.twitter.com/icba Facebook: www.facebook.com/icbaorg LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/icba YouTube:...
“Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics” and the Truth about the CFPA
“Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics” and the Truth about the CFPA My fellow Missourian Mark Twain made the following observations about lies: “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” “A lie can...
Standing Like a Rock
Standing Like a Rock Thomas Jefferson once said, “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” ICBA has long had the reputation of standing on principle...
Setting the Tone in Washington
Setting the Tone in Washington For decades Wall Street mega firms and their Washington, D.C. trade group allies have set the financial policy tone in the nation’s capitol. But beginning in early...
Mr. Lockhart, Old Stories and Shakespeare
Mr. Lockhart, Old Stories and Shakespeare After I read the transcript and viewed the video clip of Mr. Lockhart's remarks on CNBC’s "Squawk Box" in which he said, and I quote: "What we need is...
Naked What?—Cover your Eyes
Naked What?—Cover your Eyes As if bankers and politicians don’t have enough to worry about when it comes to public opinion and financial reform, the Senate has been debating whether or not to...
High Roads and Low Roads
High Roads and Low Roads There is no doubt that passions are running high in regard to the financial reform debate. There are many sides engaged in this generational issue. And all sides hold...
The Devil is in the Details
The Devil is in the Details Congress is working to wrap up the financial regulatory reform bill in the next few weeks. Community bankers know better than anyone how important it is to make sure...
Beware Those Unintended Consequences
Beware Those Unintended Consequences With a financial system as sophisticated, complicated and interconnected as ours, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that there are no easy fixes. We didn’t...
Friday Night Lights Out
Friday Night Lights Out Last Friday night, the lights went out for four “too-small-to-save” banks. They faced the ultimate in resolution authority. I knew the bank presidents of two of the four...
A Central Bank With No Center? A Lesson From the Falcon and the Falconer
A Central Bank With No Center? A Lesson From the Falcon and the Falconer A central bank without a central role in the American banking and financial sector? Crazy, right? Absurd, you say? Not so...
The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room “When elephants stampede; it is the grass that gets trampled.” Thai Army proverb...
The Voices of Main Street
The Voices of Main Street “Only connect,” the novelist E.M. Forster urged people, almost a century ago. And nowhere are connections more important than here in Washington. Thanks to social media...
The Status Quo—Great for Wall Street, Fatal to Main Street
The Status Quo—Great for Wall Street, Fatal to Main Street Today two forces are facing off over financial reform—those who want real reform of Wall Street's greed and damaging practices and those...
Singing Out of the Wall Street Hymnal
Singing Out of the Wall Street Hymnal Just 20 banks of 8,000 now control over three quarters of our nation's assets and over 60 percent of its deposits. Community banks are at a 0.40 to 0.60...