NewsWatch Today

ICBA’s Independent Banker magazine opened nominations for its 2025 Best Community Banks to Work For awards, sponsored by FIS.

The Treasury Department announced it is seeking public input on its plans to transition federal disbursements to electronic payments.

After community bankers convened in Washington this month for Capital Summit, ICBA noted the inclusion of a modified version of the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act (ACRE - S. 838) in the House version of the reconciliation bill (H.R. 1) and urged senators to include ACRE in its version of reconciliation.

About 90% of smartphone users now use digital wallets regularly, offering opportunities for community banks to innovate and respond to customer expectations, according to the latest Independent Banker magazine.

The Treasury Department sanctioned Funnull Technology Inc., a Philippines-based company that provides computer infrastructure for hundreds of thousands of websites involved in virtual currency investment scams, commonly known as “pig butchering.”

ICBA is reminding community bankers that federal regulators’ Cybersecurity Assessment Tool is scheduled to sunset on Aug. 31.

Community banks reported a 10% first-quarter increase in net income from the previous quarter and an 8.5% increase from the previous year, according to the FDIC’s latest Quarterly Banking Profile.

After a new acquisition of a tax-paying community bank in Arizona by a tax-exempt credit union, ICBA said the need for policymaker action is urgent.

President Donald Trump said he is working to take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of conservatorship while maintaining an implicit government guarantee on their obligations and securities.

A legal team can play an important role in helping community banks devise a watertight succession plan that adheres to its corporate guidelines, according to the latest Independent Banker magazine.

Several ICBA members last Friday participated in a roundtable discussion with Treasury Secretary Bessent.

ICBA is reminding community bankers of the Fedwire Funds Service’s upcoming conversion to the ISO 20022 message format.