Main Street Matters Blog

With a new Congress and administration arriving in Washington, ICBA and the nation’s community banks face a momentous opportunity to make significant changes to a regulatory system that is flat-out broken.

Most representatives of the broker-dealer industry have been suggesting to their customers, especially community banks, that their collection of bonds could be situated to perform pretty well in 2025.

As the number of acquisitions of community banks by credit unions skyrocketed at a shocking rate in 2024, ICBA has rightfully sounded the alarm to legislators and regulators. As a community banker, an S Corporation bank leader, and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) bank owner, this issue presents a real and present danger to my community and local communities nationwide.

This year we’ve doubled down on our commitment to year-round innovation—with the opening of our Center for Innovation in Atlanta, the rollout of two 10-week ThinkTECH Accelerators, and a host of specialized forums and showcases—in our effort to address our bankers’ most pressing business challenges and opportunities.

ICBA and community bankers focused much of our attention in 2023 on differentiating our industry in the wake of failures at larger institutions, while 2024 was all about elevating our positions on key issues at a time of intense political debate.

With a new Congress and administration descending on Washington, now is the time for policymakers to act decisively to free the government-sponsored enterprises, or GSEs, from government control to support the nation’s housing sector.

While we in the financial services sector start thinking about monetary policy in the coming year, there’s a new wrinkle to consider. Many Fed-watchers, rate prognosticators, economists and even investors had been betting on substantially lower rates in 2025 for many months.

Ninety-two percent of ICBA member banks rely on at least one ICBA Preferred Service Provider (PSP), and 52% of ICBA members say they would not be able to provide some services without ICBA, according to a recent ICBA member survey. These numbers demonstrate the tremendous value PSPs bring to community banks and highlight why ICBA is dedicated to fostering these relationships.

In today’s fast-paced and competitive landscape, it’s more important than ever for community banks to effectively share their stories. Through conversations with members like you, we’ve seen firsthand how your stories carry the heart and impact needed to elevate our industry in the eyes of consumers.

As an entrepreneur at heart, I truly like to build businesses. When I look at ICBA Payments, I see a fantastic opportunity to take a solid 40-year history and write our own story of innovation and growth into the future.