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Unexpected allies
Meeting serendipitously at a ThinkTECH Accelerator showcase, Fintel Connect and Finzly prove that the best relationships allow both partners to complement each other’s strengths.
Out of Office: Tyrone Beatty
After becoming a fan of The Great British Baking Show, Tyrone Beatty, assistant branch manager at $2.3 million-asset 1st Security Bank of Washington in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., added baking to his...
Is commercial lending on the rise?
Loan providers share an infectious enthusiasm and growing optimism for one vertical’s prospects in 2022: commercial lending. Here’s how community bankers can take advantage of various...
Stealthy shopping for better service
It’s no secret why Alpine Bank’s mystery shopper program has helped the community bank meet and exceed customer expectations over the past two decades.
Jim Reber: Mayday for mortgages?
Rising borrower costs have consequences for MBS.
These Asian-American led banks are helping their communities
May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month—and these Asian American-led community banks are adding to that heritage every single day by helping bring dreams within reach.
How thrift and mutual banks are benefiting their customers
Thrift banks, otherwise known as savings and loans, focus on turning deposits into consumer mortgage loans. We take a deep dive into what lies at the heart of these community banks’ business models...
Demystifying Bitcoin and Digital Assets
SPONSORED—We sat down with Thomas Grundy for a conversation on demystifying Bitcoin and digital assets. A former regulator and compliance professional, Tom shared insights on where Bitcoin...
Are Bankers and Customers on the Same Page?
SPONSORED—Vericast surveyed financial services marketers and consumers about their banking goals, priorities, expectations and experiences. Industry experts analyzed the data and identified...
Out of Office: Justin Kitzinger
Justin Kitzinger, a private banking officer at $6 billion-asset Bankers Trust in Des Moines, Iowa, dedicates 200 hours each year to volunteer firefighting.
Rhonda Thomas-Whitley: Defending overdraft protection for consumers
Overdraft programs and policies are once again in the sights of officials in Washington. ICBA takes on the fight.
Charles Potts: Back-office innovation
Community bankers are embracing innovation like never before—with impressive results. But with so much emphasis placed on customer-facing products and technologies, innovating back-office...
Brad M. Bolton: Educating future leaders
Focusing on the ‘whys’ helps employees see how decisions fit together in a perfect puzzle for high-performing success, and it motivates them to be contributors to that success.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Community bankers are all in
Everything feeds into the customer experience, and that ability to meet and exceed customer expectations is what distinguishes us as community bankers.
The top-performing community banks of 2021
Independent Banker’s annual listing top-performing community banks of 2021 alongside interviews with some of the winners. In true community bank fashion, each has its own story to tell and its own...
Mortgage eClosing: The Path to eSignatures
SPONSORED | The path to eClosing is complex but achievable. During this Dialogue on Demand session, we will uncover the benefits and uses of eSignatures, legislation surrounding eSignatures and...
Prepare for a purchase market and create mortgage efficiencies
SPONSORED | The mortgage industry is very volatile. How can lenders be ready? In this webinar, you’ll learn about how APIs can enhance the experience for both borrowers and lenders and preparing...
Kentucky banks stand tall
After a historic tornado rocked western Kentucky last December, a host of community banks banded together in the spirit of generosity, using their financial power to start relief funds and bolster...
Lindsay LaNore: All in. All heart.
There’s nothing like going above and beyond—but being recognized for it feels pretty great, too.
Deborah Matthews Phillips: Stop the Durbin Amendment expansion
ICBA and other trade partners join the push for Congress to gain awareness and take action against the harmful financial effects of Reg II.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Stories worth telling
This Community Banking Month, I invite you to try something new to spread your story. Share a new development, community project or initiative.
The future of workplace flexibility
The pandemic forced the issue of remote and hybrid working for many employees, and though challenges remain, many companies are looking to accommodate employees’ expectations. We asked how banks...
Long-serving community bankers and their stories
What’s the secret to professional longevity? Four long-serving community bankers share the many ways they’ve grown in their respective careers, how the industry continues to evolve and, most...
The ICBA 22/23 executive committee is all in
The 2022/23 ICBA Executive committee members tell us what advocacy issues they’ll be focused on during their terms, while board members share their words of wisdom for up-and-coming community...
Brad M. Bolton: Advancing our communities
My bank’s tagline is ‘Where dreams meet solutions,’ and it serves as my guiding inspiration at the bank and, now, at the national level. As community bankers, our customers depend on us to keep...
Niche lending ideas: Green products and services
Community banks thrive in niche markets, and lending in new spaces is just one of the ways they serve their communities. As the market for “green” products and services evolves, we asked community...
Three Essential Strategies for a Winning Contact Center Culture
SPONSORED | Contact centers are increasingly expected to deliver more, often with less time and fewer resources. Keeping pace requires going back to employee engagement. Employee and customer...
It’s Time for a Shift: From Transactional to Relational
SPONSORED—While transactions are essential and can exist almost entirely online, the business of banking is about more than transactions. Forward-looking banks are following three guiding...
First Women’s Bank tackles small business inequity
Dismayed at the lack of business ownership opportunities and advancement afforded to entrepreneurial women, Marianne Markowitz spearheaded a consortium to form a women-founded, women-owned and...
Can fintechs enhance your bank’s marketing campaign?
Customized, well-thought-out interactions are integral to wooing new customers and retaining existing ones. We asked several banking leaders how they’ve employed fintech to ramp up their marketing...
The women leaders inspiring future generations
Women’s History Month is an opportunity to spotlight women leaders who have crafted successful careers in community banking. This trio of executives describe the ways they achieve their goals and...
6 smart marketing moves for 2023
When it comes to customer acquisition tactics, it’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s budget. Here, experts give their take on trends that can freshen up your community bank’s...
Build your community bank's brand with swag
Promotional merchandise, or swag, has long been regarded as a no-brainer approach to branding. Community banks are shedding those thrifty connotations with a mindful approach to company gifting...
Six ways data can boost your community bank's brand
Combining data with customer feedback can help community banks understand what customers think about their services and turn those thoughts into action.
How to collect positive customer reviews
When customers look up businesses online, reviews are one of the first things they see. These community bankers share how they collect positive reviews, and how to respond to negative ones.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Tell your story
In a world that’s so full of noise, the story we’re telling is compelling and resonates with our customers, because it’s one of work centered around human connection, care and community.
Robert Fisher: Driving change
Community banks have an amazing reputation on Capitol Hill, and we need to leverage it to drive necessary change.
Lindsay LaNore: The impact of rewards and recognition
Making recognition a part of your bank’s culture is remarkably easy and incredibly beneficial.
Aaron Stetter: Back to Capitol Hill
In person for the first time since 2019, the ICBA Capital Summit in Washington, D.C., is your chance to make your voice heard by your members of Congress—with support from ICBA every step of...