We've seen a lot of shifts and change this year—the continued uptick in check fraud, the election, credit union acquisitions, etc.—but we community bankers are as steadfast, scrappy and resilient as ever. In fact, we show no signs of slowing down. According to Rebeca Romero Rainey, ICBA president and CEO, we've had a very successful year for ICBA's advocacy and grassroots efforts.

Take the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Section 1033, for example, where ICBA helped secure an exemption for community banks under $850 million. "What this this exemption tells me is that we've been very effective and have been heard that the challenges for some of our smaller institutions when it comes to working, for example, with the corporate service providers and being able to provide these solutions with while not completely increasing the cost to do is an incredible challenge," says Romero Rainey. "It's an example of what we've been able to achieve over the years."

ICBA's pushback against Section 1033 is just the tip of the iceberg. In this episode, Romero Rainey and host Charles Potts reflect on 2024 advocacy and look ahead to the wins we are likely to see in 2025, thanks to the past year's efforts.

This episode is sponsored by FIS.

Links

• Advocate for your industry by writing and speaking to your members of Congress. Check out our grassroots lobbying resources here.
• Want to dig into ICBA's innovation pillar? Take a look at our cutting-edge webinars and solution providers, courtesy of ICBA Innovation.
• Be sure to read Independent Banker magazine's monthly Checks & Balances column, where we cover the legislative and regulatory issues we see and fight every day.

As the holidays approach, it's time to stay even more vigilant against fraud. That's because fraudsters are more likely to seek out vulnerable, lonely or busy people at the end of the year. How can community bankers get ahead of year-end fraud and raise awareness among consumers?

"I think that's the responsibility of community banks," says Kausar Kenning, global head of payment systems intelligence for VISA. "Make sure that you're taking all those safety precautions, make sure that you're being proactive in your effort, and you're helping to prevent it from before it even begins."

As Kenning points out, proactivity is key to fraud prevention. She and host Charles Potts talk about the latest scams, why fraud increases toward the end of the year, and how community banks can fight it.

This episode is sponsored by FIS, VISA and ICBA Payments.

Links

• ICBA Payments provides products and services to help mitigate fraud loss. Learn more about its Fraud Loss Protection Plan at icba.org/flpp
• ICBA offers a number of on-demand webinars highlighting fraud trends at icba.org/education/webinars
• Keep an eye out for Independent Banker magazine's new column on fraud beginning in February. We'll be covering fraud topics every other month.
• Learn about other bankers' fraud experiences, straight from the source, on ICBA Community.

If you're looking to advance your career, you may be thinking, "Where do I start?" But options abound—you just have to know where to look. Alexander Price, CEO of Citizens State Bank in Ouray, Colo., pursued further education and career development at the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, which is just one of the options available to bankers.

"[School is] one of those things where you just have time, you have space, to think about things and to talk about things. It's worth its weight in gold," Price says. "I would also say the Graduate School of Banking, its emphasis is in community banking, and that's the thing that I'm really passionate about now."

Price and Stephanie Gambill, VP of Grand Rapids State Bank in Grand Rapids, Minn., chat with host Charles Potts about their insights from banking school and other ways they've solidified their footing within the community banking industry.

This episode is sponsored by FIS.

Links

• Access ICBA's own Professional Development Planner for educational resources.
• Check out Independent Banker magazine's August 2024 article on professional development as an employment benefit.
• Get involved with ICBA Innovation through Innovation Bootcamp, a two-day webinar event detailing an effective four-phase approach to innovation.
• Ask and learn about other community bankers' professional development journeys on ICBA Community.

Check fraud isn't new, but it has re-emerged as an appealing way for fraudsters to target community banks and their customers. That's why ICBA has brought check fraud to the forefront of its conversation with its members, to discuss the ways they can band together to solve this issue.

"The one advantage that we have—which is a really, really strong advantage—is that we have an incredibly dedicated and engaged membership of folks who are working on the frontlines of check fraud, and who understand the problem, and who are ready to really roll up their sleeves and dive in and tackle the challenge head on," says Scott Anchin, VP, operational risk and payments policy at ICBA.

Anchin and David Long, Bryant Bank's executive vice president, correspondent banking/capital markets, join host Charles Potts to showcase the efforts of bankers and ICBA alike and why ICBA's new check fraud guide can help fight this alarming epidemic.

This episode is sponsored by FIS.

Links

• ICBA members can browse our check fraud guide at icba.org and join the new fraud subgroup on ICBA Community at community.icba.org
• Check out Independent Banker's January and June 2024 articles on check fraud mitigation tips.
• Watch the recording of ICBA's recent ThinkTECH Solutions Forum on fraud as well as on-demand webinars on check fraud and Treasury check fraud.
• Access ICBA's Solutions Directory to identify payments, compliance, and security service providers dedicated to community banks, including ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator program alums.

As technology and customer expectations change, fintechs must adapt and pivot to meet the needs of the community banks they work with. Whatever community banks are looking for—streamlining data collection, cutting down operation costs, etc.—there should be a fintech stepping up to provide a solution. But that means they must know exactly what the community bank customer desires.

"The majority of the conversations that I am having on this topic is a function of helping that fintech founder connect the products, which are usually amazing, to real, tangible, deep balance sheet and P&L and outcomes," says Allan Rayson, founder and CEO of Finov8r Consulting.

So what do those fintechs need to know or adjust to serve the industry? Rayson and Saroop Bharwani, CEO and founder of Senso.ai, join Charles Potts to discuss how fintechs can accelerate community banks' digital transformation.

This episode is sponsored by FIS.

Whenever you hear stories from people who have been to ICBA LIVE for the first time, they're just blown away from the atmosphere, from the camaraderie, from that one mission focus … It just makes such an impression that you will never be the same once you come to this event," says Brad Bolton, former ICBA chairman and president and CEO of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala.

In March 2024, Orlando plays host to thousands of community bankers looking forward to connecting, learning and pushing the industry forward.

Bolton and Lindsay LaNore, ICBA's senior executive vice president, chief learning and experience officer, join Charles Potts to talk about their experiences at ICBA LIVE and some advice for new and returning attendees.

This episode is sponsored by FIS.

Technology is ever advancing, and it's critical for community bankers to stay ahead of it. According to Dharmesh Mistry of FinTech Futures, a media platform dedicated to global banking and the fintech industry, three of those trends are generative AI, faster payments and the cloud.

"2024 can continue to be a transformative year for community banks. Cloud is a way to pursue that to drive down some of the costs, create some more efficiencies," Mistry says. "It's not just about pure expense reduction and revenue growth but creating more efficient operations, and I think that's a very interesting and important trend that we should definitely all pay attention to in 2024."

Mistry joins Charles Potts to look at the fintech trends of 2023 and what community banks need to pay attention to as we enter 2024.

This episode is sponsored by FIS.

The November issue of Independent Banker provides insight on the strides made in AI and other need-to-know technology.

Connection is at the heart of what community bankers do. That's one of the reasons that the social networking platform ICBA Community was created. And it's not only creating online connections, it's helping bankers build relationships with each other outside of the forum.

"It's been helpful right now just to have others that you can go to and really connect with," says Leah Brink, marketing and training director of BankStar Financial and co-lead of ICBA Community's marketing group. "I've seen examples to where people are reaching out to each other through the through the app, but then they're probably taking some of their conversations offline and direct. And that's, to me, the essence of a good networking group."

This episode, Charles Potts and Brink discuss the positive impact ICBA Community has fostered and how community bankers can make the most out of the platform.

This episode is sponsored by FIS.

• ICBA Community already has over 1,700 members and continues to grow. Join the conversation today.
• Check out the November issue of Independent Banker for more information on what ICBA Community can help you accomplis

With hundreds of millions of cyberattacks happening each year, it's critical for community banks to fortify their cybersecurity operations. While it may be tempting to go after the hottest new cyber protections, it's important not to forget the basics, says Adlumin Inc.'s CEO, Robert Johnston.

"If you get the blocking and tackling done correctly, 85% of threats you can take off the table," he says. "Get that right and you will save yourself a lot of pain from just brilliance in the basics."

It can be daunting to figure out how to best keep your cybersecurity defenses strong, but partnering with a fintech can remove some of the heavy lifting and grant your bank and its customers extra protection and peace of mind.

Johnson and James Anderson, VP, information technology manager of Kitsap Bank in Port Orchard, Washington, talk to host Charles Potts about the cyberthreats community banks should look out for and how to prevent and mitigate them.

Independent Banker podcast is sponsored by FIS and this episode is sponsored by Adlumin Inc.

• The October issue of Independent Banker features tips and guidance on what you need to know about cybersecurity today.
• Partnering with a fintech can help your community bank optimize its cybersecurity operations and practices. ICBA's ThinkTECH Accelerator is a great place to start.

AI technology is growing exponentially. While it can bring many advantages to community banks, some bankers may have concerns about possible security issues. So, why take the risk if your bank is performing well? BAC Community Bank in Stockton, Calif., which worked AI-specialist fintech Agent IQ, was able to develop a thorough understanding of the technology and create better systems that benefited both staff and customers.

"We weren't really trying to solve a problem," says Jackie Verkuyl, EVP/CFO of BAC Community Bank. "But it gave us this opportunity—that we could have better communication, a better tool, a better process for working with our existing customers."

Dipping your toe into using new AI tools at your community bank can be daunting. But as AI technology develops, so do opportunities for banks to use it to help their staff and customers. Verkuyl and Agent IQ's CEO and president, Slaven Bilac, speak with Charles Potts about how they work together and what new developments in AI mean for community banks.

This episode is sponsored by FIS