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Amy Ledig: Setting Deregulatory Priorities to Help Community Banks
A rundown of five areas where ICBA’s advocacy is making an impact.
How the MPF® Program Keeps Community Banks Competitive
Through the Mortgage Partnership Finance® (MPF®) Program, community banks gain access to the secondary mortgage market while benefiting from key competitive advantages.
Lindsay LaNore: How to Play Well Without the Ball
There’s a rule that applies on the basketball court that can also be applied in the workplace. It’s called the 95% rule, and this is how it works.
4 Regulatory Challenges Community Banks Face Today
The regulatory environment for banks feels like it’s being turned upside down, but the fundamentals of compliance and risk management remain the same.
Still Processing Checks Like It’s 1995? Fraudsters Are Counting on It
Outdated check processing systems expose community banks to rising fraud and compliance risks.
New Analysis Shows Credit Union Acquisitions of Community Banks Harm the Communities That Can Least Afford It
ICBA and community bankers have long warned about the dangers of tax-exempt credit unions acquiring tax-paying community banks, a concerning trend that peaked last year and has continued in 2025.
On your marks
In just a few short weeks, the fixed-income market’s expectations for monetary policy have done a virtual about-face. This is not to say that investors are fickle.
Mission: Excellence—Are You Ready to Lead?
Every great leader has a moment when they’re called to step up—to lead with clarity, purpose, and excellence. For the next generation of community bank leaders, that moment is now.
Flood of national bank trust charter applications demands policy response from OCC
While the financial services industry continues to rapidly evolve, banking policy often struggles to keep up or suffers from ill-considered changes that miss the mark.
How Community Banks Can Compete with Major Credit Card Issuers
How Community Banks Can Compete with Major Credit Card Issuers In today’s credit card market, community banks face significant competition from the major credit card issuers. However, with a...
Attract the Next Banking Generation with a Great Credit Card Portfolio
As the banking landscape evolves, community banks can attract the next generation of banking customers by offering a strong credit card portfolio that emphasizes local involvement and customer...
Maximizing Value: Selling Community Bank Credit Card Assets
In today's financial landscape, community banks are increasingly considering selling their credit card assets to enhance profitability and focus on core operations. Selling these assets can unlock...
How to Improve Community Banking Customer Satisfaction in 2025 with a Cash Back Credit Card Program
How to Improve Community Banking Customer Satisfaction in 2025 with a Cash Back Credit Card Program In an increasingly competitive community banking landscape, offering a diverse line of credit...
Online Course Newsletter – August 2025
Did you know that employee training records within ICBA stay with the employee? This means if an employee worked at another financial institution that subscribed to ICBA’s online training, they...
Online Course Newsletter – July 2025
Did you know there is a Best Practices Video in the learning management system that covers everything an LMS Admin needs to know to effectively manage employee training with ICBA? Look for the blue...
How ICBA has worked to shape the GENIUS Act and what’s next for community banks
Following President Donald Trump’s signing of a new law on stablecoins—the GENIUS Act—on July 18, it is essential that the nation’s community bankers understand what it means for our...
Online Course Newsletter – June 2025
Did you know that the ICBA Online Training Custom Plan allows you to track in-house and third party training inside the Learning Management System?
Three Strategies to Safeguard Your Bank Against Sophisticated Fraud Attacks
My colleague Rhena Leitermann, treasury management operations manager at Citizens Bank of Las Cruces, and I recently sat down to discuss the state of fraud at our bank, in our market, and around...
Helping community banks compete and thrive in the payments industry: Introducing Judd Halverson
Get to know the staff members that support your bank and its payments business. We’re here to power your potential. See how our talented staff are well positioned to help.
Strength in Numbers: The Benefits of Information Sharing in Risk Mitigation
Battling fraud in today’s environment resembles the itsy bitsy spider climbing up the waterspout: just as you think you’ve reached a point of effective mitigation, a new scam emerges, dousing you...
Understanding the GENIUS Act
Last month, ICBA’s legislative team conducted a community bank briefing to help familiarize community banks with the ins and outs of the recently passed GENIUS Act, which introduced a regulatory...
ICBA advances latest principles for deposit insurance reform to focus policy debate
Large bank failures of 2023 demonstrated the need to reform the nation’s deposit insurance system. With lawmakers working to gather input & offer deposit reform proposals, ICBA has worked with...
How ICBA has worked to shape the GENIUS Act and what’s next for community banks
How ICBA has worked to shape the GENIUS Act and what’s next for community banks Following President Donald Trump’s signing of a new law on stablecoins—the GENIUS Act—on July 18, it is essential...
Flood of national bank trust charter applications demands policy response from OCC
Flood of national bank trust charter applications demands policy response from OCC While the financial services industry continues to rapidly evolve, banking policy often struggles to keep up or...
ICBA Applauds Circuit Court Ruling Upholding Fed Discretion Over Master Account Access
The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) today applauded the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit affirming the Federal Reserve’s authority to deny...
Fed’s Bowman prioritizes outreach to community banks
Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said she continues to prioritize community bank outreach to ensure their voice is part of agency efforts to shape a new regulatory framework.
Fed lowers interest rates by 25bp
The Federal Open Market Committee voted to lower target interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 3.75% to 4.0%.
CISA, NSA share Microsoft server security best practices
CISA, NSA, and international cybersecurity partners released Microsoft Exchange Server Security Best Practices, a guide to help network defenders harden on‑premises Exchange servers against...
ICBA, others: Interest rate cap bill would hurt consumers’ access to credit
ICBA and other groups expressed opposition to the Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act (S. 2781) which would institute government price controls for consumer loans, diminishing...
House Democrats express support for CDFI Fund
A group of 120 House Democrats urged the Trump administration to protect the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, saying its work is vital in supporting families, businesses, and...
ICBA calls for unified AI regulations
ICBA called on the White House to harmonize the regulatory framework for artificial intelligence to address ambiguities inhibiting AI adoption.
Fed seeks comments on annual stress test
The Federal Reserve requested comment on proposals to enhance the transparency and public accountability of its annual stress test for large banks.
Social Security benefits to increase 2.8% next year
Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments for more than 75 million Americans will increase by 2.8% in 2026, according to the Social Security Administration.
ICBA-backed letter to support CDFIs signed by 105 members of Congress
A group of 105 Republican senators and representatives strongly urged the Trump administration to continue carrying out the statutory obligations of the Community Development Financial Institutions...
Senate panel touts support for bill to raise CTR, SAR thresholds
The Senate Banking Committee published public support from ICBA and other groups for a bill to raise currency transaction reporting and Suspicious Activity Reporting thresholds.
OCC proposes rescinding recovery planning guidelines for large banks
The OCC proposed rescinding its recovery planning guidelines for certain large banks.
ICBA calls on policymakers to end government shutdown
With the ongoing government shutdown threatening to harm local economic growth, ICBA encouraged all sides to work together to reopen the government.
ICBA Statement on Ending Government Shutdown
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) issued the following statement on the federal government shutdown.
ICBA pushes deregulation in EGRPRA comments
ICBA called on federal banking regulators in the Trump administration to continue advancing ICBA’s deregulatory recommendations via the latest Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act...
ICBA Education releases 2026 seminar schedule
ICBA Education has announced preliminary dates for its 2026 certification institutes, seminars, and forums. While registration is not yet open, the schedule offers a first look at next year’s...