04/07/2014

Community Banking Month Continues with Social Media Contest

ICBA NewsWatch Today 04/07/2014

Go LocalCommunity Banking Month Continues with Social Media ContestICBA continues to celebrate Community Banking Month this week by offering custom resources for community banks and continuing its ad blitz in the nation’s capital ahead of the ICBA Washington Policy Summit. ICBA offers a Marketing and Communications Toolkit with customizable resources to help community bankers celebrate Community Banking Month throughout April. Meanwhile, ads on Washington, D.C.-area buses, trains and a key Capitol Hill Metro station are will run through the ICBA Washington Policy Summit, slated for April 29-May 2 in the nation’s capital. Community bankers can celebrate Community Banking Month by tweeting with the #BankLocally hashtag and sharing their photos with ICBA on Facebook. Additionally, community bankers coming to the nation’s capital for the Washington Policy Summit can enter a social media contest. Community bankers who tweet ICBA a photo of themselves and a #BankLocally Metro ad will be entered for one of five $50 gift cards. Learn More About the Contest. Too-Big-To-FailFine: Community Bankers Not Surprised by New Too-Big-To-Fail ReportsA new round of studies offer further evidence of the cost advantage megabanks enjoy over smaller institutions because of their too-big-to-fail guarantee, ICBA President and CEO Cam Fine wrote in a new American Banker op-ed. Fine wrote that studies from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and International Monetary Fund show that investors believe the largest banks benefit from a taxpayer-funded backstop. These conclusions come as no surprise to community bankers, who have to operate their businesses under these conditions every day, Fine wrote. Read the Op-Ed. ICBA NewsWatch Today is sponsored by FIS:Developing Your EMV Strategy?  Looking to attract and retain customers?  When it comes to serving community banks, FIS is right in your neighborhood and we understand 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’ Card Personalization Solutions and our complete suite of EMV migration support tools by visiting www.fisglobal.com/cardperso.RegulationFDIC Announces Steps Supporting Wash. Mudslide RecoveryThe FDIC announced a series of steps to provide regulatory relief to financial institutions and to facilitate recovery in areas of Washington state affected by flooding and mudslides. The FDIC is encouraging banks to work constructively with borrowers experiencing difficulties beyond their control because of damage caused by the flooding and mudslides. Banks may receive favorable Community Reinvestment Act consideration for community development loans, investments and services in support of disaster recovery, the agency said. Read More from FDIC.PollTake This Week’s Quick PollTake this week’s Quick Poll on the end of Microsoft support for Windows XP, and view results from the previous poll on celebrating Community Banking Month. View the Archive.EducationICBA Strategic Financial Planning Webinar TomorrowAn ICBA webinar slated for tomorrow featuring economist and former commercial banker Tom Parliment will review the strategic financial planning process and help community bankers develop an approach that will work for their community bank. Parliment also will examine a host of competitive lending strategies and offer suggestions to improve the ALCO process. “The Catalyst for Thinking ‘Outside the Box’” is scheduled for 11 a.m. (Eastern time). Register Online.Products and ServicesWhite Paper Covers Boston Marathon Bombings One Year LaterOn the one-year anniversary of the Boston Bombings, ICBA Preferred Service Provider Agility Recovery offers a white paper on how to communicate effectively before, during and after a crisis. The white paper illustrates how to build a crisis communications team, use text messaging and social media, communicate effectively with all parties and use an alert notification tool. Read the White Paper.Products and ServicesWebinar: Strategies for Marketing Your Farmer Mac ProgramFarmer Mac, an ICBA Preferred Service Provider, is hosting a webinar at noon (Eastern time) this Wednesday along with a panel of bankers who will explain what they are doing at their banks to promote the Farmer Mac program and grow their portfolios. Topics include offensive vs. defensive tactics, advertising examples, media and technology, and compensation plans for loan officers. Register Now.