December 2023

In the age of technology, financial institutions are often looking for ways to automate processes and make them more cost-efficient. However, when it comes to check processing, many banks and credit unions who are still using the same solutions implemented at the time of Check 21 may be unaware of the underlying financial and operational impact.

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.

Sometimes, bigger loans are out of reach for community banks. To get around that obstacle, community banks can join with other financial institutions to cosponsor bigger loans. Loan participation is one way for community banks to break into the bigger corporate loan market, and they have been gaining traction.

If you’re a sports fan (and I know you are) and you’re also of a vintage that can recall back several decades, you may have heard of Todd Donaho. Donaho was the self-proclaimed “Commissioner of Sports Trivia” as the host of Time Out For Trivia (TOFT), a popular live call-in show that ran on the USA Network on weekday evenings from 1985 to 1990. The commish would fire off questions in rapid-fire succession to phone-in contestants who hoped to win prizes ranging from telephones to grills. Players would compete at their own peril, as Donaho would often ask “boneheads” who guessed incorrectly to “take a hike.” Nonetheless, it was a winning formula, and by cable TV standards, TOFT had high ratings.

In the fast-paced world of banking, employee development and onboarding are essential components of success. Banks are constantly seeking innovative ways to streamline these processes and enhance their effectiveness. Enter the Online Learning Management System (LMS), a dynamic tool that has revolutionized the way banks facilitate learning and development.

When it comes to cybersecurity, a good offense is a key component of a good defense. Much like organizations, hackers continuously learn and hone their skills. So, it’s critical to keep up with the latest threats they deploy, identify potential vulnerabilities and understand how your bank would respond to an attack. By examining vulnerabilities before a real hacker has the opportunity, your institution can take an offensive approach and mitigate cybersecurity risk.

ICBC celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2023 at The Hythe, Vail. The theme was Building on the past. Banking on the future. Thank you to our generous sponsors and to our exhibitors.

It’s no secret that commercial real estate lending has seen a significant decline recently, with lending volumes dropping 52% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year. This drop is being driven by several factors — rising interest rates, economic uncertainty, and lender caution about the commercial real estate market. As a result, lenders are becoming much more selective about loan-to-value ratios and requiring larger down payments.

As we recently celebrated Thanksgiving, it served as an annual reminder to take stock of the things for which I am most grateful: my family, my community, food on the table and a roof over my head, a fulfilling job, my team and our relationship-banking model.

In today’s environment, we hear a lot of hype about different technologies. That buzz leads to oversaturation, which can leave us questioning, “Am I missing something?” when we don’t feed into the frenzy.