Montana Independent Bankers

ICBA Survey: New Mortgage Rules for Balloon, Rural Lenders Would Limit Access to Credit in Rural Areas

Laura Welker — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:36:13 +0000

Washington, D.C. (May 9, 2013)— Many residents in rural America would have reduced access to mortgage credit despite accommodations included in new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) mortgage rules, according to survey results released today by the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA). ICBA’s Community Bank Qualified Mortgage Survey found that provisions for balloon-payment mortgage Read the Rest...

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Action Alert! The Time Is Now To Act on Too-Big-To-Fail

Laura Welker — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:33:41 +0000

Tell Your Senators To Support S. 798 To the nation’s community bankers, After decades of dealing with the systemic risks, government-subsidized competitive advantages, and regulatory burdens caused by the largest financial institutions, there is now growing momentum to fundamentally address the too-big-to-fail problem. Fortunately for community bankers and the communities we serve, Washington and the Read the Rest...

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Banking Groups Split on “Too Big To Fail”

Laura Welker — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:09:18 +0000

Two of the largest bank lobbying groups each wants to be the voice of community banks in Washington, but when it comes to the reinvigorated debate over “too big to fail” — they are taking decidedly different positions. The Independent Community Bankers of America has come out swinging against Wall Street giants and last week Read the Rest...

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Wait on TBTF Reform? That’s Tempting Fate

Laura Welker — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:48:54 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree that tough questions about the nation’s “too big to fail” problem needs to be discussed. This is a complex issue that affects not just Washington policymakers and Wall Street money-movers, but our entire financial system and communities nationwide. Therefore, we as a nation must discuss whether the costs of “too big to Read the Rest...

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Back to School: ICBA offers free access to its popular Online Education Center courses to help with staff compliance training

Laura Welker — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:37:53 +0000

Recognizing the progressively more complicated regulatory compliance issues community banks are facing as a result of regulatory reform, ICBA is offering members access to 50 of its best online compliance courses at no cost, for six months. That’s free access to 50 compliance courses through the ICBA Online Education Center authored and monitored for updates Read the Rest...

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Washington Watch: Simply Way Too Big

Laura Welker — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:36:01 +0000

A lively “break ’em up” debate is buzzing in the nation’s capital Just a couple of months ago, few Washington observers would have expected that the problem of too-big-to-fail financial institutions would once again be a top priority of policymakers. But a funny thing happened on the way to the 113th Congress. Following comments from Read the Rest...

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From the Top: Fighting for What’s Right

Laura Welker — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:33:40 +0000

As a community banker in West Virginia, I would hope the furthest thing from my mind would be Wall Street. Like all community bankers, I’ve got plenty of other things to keep me busy—meeting with local customers and small-business owners, lending within my community of Franklin, W.Va., conferring with employees of the bank, dealing with Read the Rest...

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Fine Points: Cause and Manifold Effects

Laura Welker — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:31:19 +0000

Consider it a modern Newtonian banking principle of action and overreaction. For every arrogant, boneheaded or downright abusive misdeed by a megabank that’s uncovered, count on a disproportionately excessive and convoluted response from Washington, D.C. Though driven by manmade institutions rather than nature’s forces, this phenomenon has proven widely predictable over the years. It’s also Read the Rest...

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Executive Director Update: April 3, 2013

Laura Welker — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:24:48 +0000

The Legislature has decided to pay for the state building projects contained in HB 14, rather than bond them. The Appropriations Committee yesterday heard HB 14 again, and voted to support paying for the projects authorized therein with the so-called budget surplus funds. An issue that popped up recently involved involving concealed carry rights. SB Read the Rest...

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ICBA Backs Senate Bill Offering Relief from Municipal Advisor Mandate

Laura Welker — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:54:20 +0000

Washington, D.C. (April 12, 2013)—The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) today expressed its support for legislation to exempt community banks from proposed regulations that would require community banks and their employees to register as municipal advisors with and be examined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Municipal Advisor Relief Act of 2013 (S. Read the Rest...

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