September 2023

Community Banks carry an ongoing burden of compliance for information technology (IT). Examiners expect the bank to undergo annual IT audits, penetration tests, policy reviews, and complete comprehensive technology plans, risk assessments and cybersecurity self-assessments all while trying to do the real work of banking in the community. Why do regulators expect this level of […]

The Independent Community Bankers of Colorado’s alliance of community banks offers your customers access to 24 surcharge-free ATMs throughout Colorado. As a member of the Independent Community Bankers of Colorado, you waive surcharges to the customers of banks belonging to our network while retaining the option to charge non-member customers who use your ATMs. Our alliance

As yields continue to set cyclical highs during 2023, many community bankers have asked me questions about what their next best purchase should be. Some of them have been surprised to hear an answer that I’ve been giving for the better part of this decade, even though absolute yields and the shape of the curve

Technology continues to insinuate itself into almost every facet of our daily lives, whether it is personal or work-related. As a result, protecting data privacy has become increasingly more relevant to every consumer and business. In 2022, 422 million people were affected by data breaches at U.S. companies with an average of 4.8 breaches per

ICBC Preferred Providers are selected by bankers just like you, so give them special consideration when considering their proposals for your bank! To learn more about ICBC’s Preferred Providers contact the ICBC at 303.832.2000. Please note: ICBC endorses the listed companies but not all products offered by the company. Contact: Scott Wintenburg | swintenburg@bbwest.com |

As community banks struggle to compete with the industry’s largest banks, as well as an ever-increasing number of fintechs and nontraditional lenders, offering attractive deposit pricing is key. At the end of 2022, banks were competing for $18T in deposits, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. While there have been multiple rate

The Federal Reserve’s FedNow® Service, which launched July 20, 2023, promises to revolutionize money movement by enabling more banks to process instant payments and provide unparalleled convenience to consumers and businesses alike. Unlike traditional payment methods that can take hours or even days to complete, real-time payments process within seconds and allow payment recipients to

Thompson Reuters reports that U.S.-based financial institutions have seen “soaring volumes of suspicious financial activity” over the past three years. Their “Suspicious Activity Reports 2023” sites market disruptions due to COVID-19, technological shifts and growing vulnerable populations as key drivers for the spike. And, of all suspicious activity reports (SARs), check fraud was ranked the