Go LocalICBA Upgrades Community Bank Locator with Social MediaICBA has upgraded its Community Bank Locator to allow community banks to include their social media information in addition to all of their branches. The association is encouraging community banks to add their social media outlets to the locator via their company profile. To update your branch or social media information, go to www.icba.biz and use your username and password or email ICBA with your information. Questions? Email info@icba.org or call 800-422-8439. The Community Bank Locator, which is available at www.banklocally.org, allows consumers and small-business owners to find their local community bank by simply typing in their ZIP code. The locator also is available via an app for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone devices. With marketing activities planned for next month’s Community Banking Month and the ICBA Washington Policy Summit, community bankers will want to ensure their Community Bank Locator profile is up to date. Update Your Profile. RegulationHouse Panel Marks Up Bills to Provide Community Bank ReliefThe House Financial Services Committee marked up ICBA-advocated legislation to provide relief from new mortgage regulations and the Volcker Rule. The committee advanced legislation to create a process in which individuals could petition the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to have the rural status of a county reassessed. The CFPB Rural Designation Petition and Correction Act (H.R. 2672), introduced by Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), would allow for a broader range of evaluation criteria, more accurately identify rural counties and help ensure continued access to mortgage credit in those communities. The panel also advanced a measure that would allow community banks to retain debt securities of collateralized loan obligations issued before Jan. 31, 2014. The Restoring Proven Financing for American Employers Act (H.R. 4167), also introduced by Barr, would repeal a Volcker Rule requirement that banks divest their holdings of CLOs by July 2015. ICBA supported both H.R. 2672 and H.R. 4167 and advocated the measures in letters to lawmakers. Financial LiteracyDeadline for NerdWallet Community Bank Award Entries Is FridayNerdWallet, a financial advice website, this week announced its first-ever Community Banking Local Project Award, which invites community banks across the country to showcase the loans they provide that help local economies. NerdWallet is seeking submissions on community bank projects that highlight how community banks work with borrowers through good times and bad. To be considered for the award, entrants will need to prepare a short description of a local project funded in 2012 or 2013 that is $100,000 in total financing or larger. ICBA Senior Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Terry Jorde will serve as the expert judge. The finalists and their financings will be recognized on NerdWallet’s award homepage and in a special feature on the website. The winning bank will be presented with an award, and NerdWallet will donate $1,500 to a charity of the winning bank’s choosing. Entries, up to three per bank, must be submitted by this Friday. Enter Today! Social MediaICBA Announces Twitter Contest Winner of Free 2015 Convention RegistrationCongratulations to John Manolides of Commencement Bank in Tacoma, Wash., for winning a free registration to Community Banking LIVE 2015 via ICBA’s Twitter contest. Attendees of the 2014 ICBA Community Banking LIVE convention in Honolulu entered the contest by tweeting with the #ICBALive14 hashtag and following @ICBA. There were more than 2,000 tweets using the hashtag before, during and right after the event, averaging nearly 500 tweets per day during the convention. The majority of tweeters were community bankers, followed by exhibitors and staff. Tune in next year for additional contests, sneak peeks and insider information by following @ICBA on Twitter. ICBA NewsWatch Today is sponsored by FIS:When it comes to serving community banks, FIS is right in your neighborhood. FIS understands that you’re more than a bank. You’re a vital resource to your community. That’s why we offer a wide range of integrated solutions that can be tailored to the unique needs of your valued customers. To stay competitive in an ever-changing banking landscape, you need to be more connected with your customers than ever before and FIS is focused on connecting the best people, processes and technology to your business to help you succeed. Learn more about FIS’ solutions at the “2014 FIS InfoShare – Future Forward,” April 8 – 11, 2014, at The Gaylord Palms and Resort Convention Center, Orlando, FL and register for our EMV pre-conference Workshop, “EMV Migration and Chip Card Fundamentals.” For more information on FIS’ complete suite of technology solutions, visit www.fisglobal.com.Farm BillUSDA Revises ‘Rural’ DefinitionThe USDA notified lenders that the definition of “rural” has been revised consistent with technical changes in the farm bill and recent appropriations legislation. This does not affect the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s definition of “rural” for its mortgage rules. Read the USDA Notice.Federal ReserveFederal Reserve Banks Pay $80B to Treasury in 2013The Federal Reserve released the 2013 combined and individual annual financial statements for the Federal Reserve Banks. The Federal Reserve Banks' 2013 earnings, inclusive of other comprehensive income, were $81.4 billion. They provided $79.6 billion in remittances to the U.S. Treasury.AdvocacyWashington Policy Summit Registration Fee WaivedRegistration for the upcoming ICBA Washington Policy Summit is free for community bankers and a spouse or guest. Scheduled for April 29-May 2 in the nation’s capital, the summit will feature addresses from Washington insiders and face-to-face meetings with members of Congress and regulators. Senate Banking Committee members Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) are confirmed to speak, as is FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg. Visit ICBA’s Washington Policy Summit webpage to learn more and register today. Learn More and Register. PollTake This Week’s Quick PollTake this week’s Quick Poll on the 2014 ICBA Washington Policy Summit, and view results from the previous poll on the impact of winter weather on job and economic growth. View the Archive.EducationLeveraging Credit Analysis Audio Call Next WeekAn upcoming ICBA audio conference featuring credit and business-relationship expert Jeff Judy will review the credit decision-making process and examine the “trusted advisor” approach loan officers can employ when providing assistance to a client. In this approach the loan officer becomes a key part of the client's financial activities and cultivates a relationship with the business, which opens the door for new products and services. “ Leveraging Credit Analysis for Growth” is slated for 11 a.m. (Eastern time) Monday, March 24. Register Online.Products and ServicesWebinar Features Expansion Analysis and Evaluating New Markets and StrategiesBank Intelligence Solutions from Fiserv, an ICBA Preferred Service Provider, offers a webinar at 2 p.m. (Eastern time) this Thursday titled “Expansion Analysis—How to Evaluate New Markets and Strategies.” For many community banks, 2014 represents an opportunity for growth and expansion. This webinar will feature a deliberate approach to evaluating new markets and identifying best growth opportunities, including new market segments, existing branch footprints and new products. Register Online.