Week of Feb. 19

In This Issue…

• From Adrian’s desk …
• OBA, ABA, other state bankers associations express opposition to reduce debit interchange cap
• OBA Senior Management Conference slated for Vegas in early April
• 2024 Compensation Trends & Employee Benefits Survey open for bank participation
• OBA education corner …

From Adrian’s desk …

By Adrian Beverage
OBA President & CEO

Just some random tidbits that might be of interest to our bankers this week!

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I’m at the state Capitol today, checking in on the movement of the HUNDREDS of pieces of legislation we’re keeping an eye on that could affect the banking industry in one form or another. Thankfully, that number will dwindle remarkably within a month or so here.

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Just out of pure curiosity, I’ve been interested to follow the Capital One purchase of Discover. The deal, said to be in the range of $35 billion – that’s with a “B” – would be a true monster. I’ll be really curious if regulators allow it to eventually go through.

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We’re in the doldrums of February sports right now, where basketball is still a few weeks from hitting the postseason, college baseball and softball have really just gotten started and we’re still more than a month away from Major League Baseball season. I did enjoy getting to see my Cornhuskers play its ancient rival, Oklahoma, in a baseball tournament this past weekend, even if it didn’t end up well for the northern version of the Big Red.

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OBA, ABA, other state bankers associations express opposition to reduce debit interchange cap

The OBA, alongside the ABA and 51 of its fellow state bankers associations, gave strong opposition in a recent letter to the Federal Reserve concerning its proposal to reduce the regulated debit interchange cap under Regulation II.

The groups urged the Fed to withdraw the proposal pending a rigorous study of its potential impact as well as the cumulative impacts of the tsunami of newly finalized and pending regulations from the banking agencies. In the letter, the associations emphasized the unintended consequences the proposal would have on community financial institutions. The groups pointed to data that shows a 35% drop in per transaction debit interchange for so-called “exempt” financial institutions.

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2024 Compensation Trends & Employee Benefits Survey open for bank participation

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OBA education corner …

The warm weather today makes us think of spring, even though it’s still a few weeks away (both by the meteorological standard, as well as the astronomical one). It makes us want to sit back and listen to a 30-year old album that always makes us think of spring, even if it’s not technically about the particular season, nor if we’re even IN that particular season. While pondering all this and wondering if you, too, belong among the Wildflowers, take a little the time to check out our upcoming continuing education opportunities!

• Loan Denials & Other Adverse Action Notices, Feb. 27, webinar — This webinar will cover compliance requirements and best practices for adverse action notices under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• Writing New Account Procedures, Feb. 27, webinar — During this program, we will take the core document from the deposit/share accounts handbook and set up a working document so that you can tailor your procedures to this framework.
• Compliance for the Universal Banker, Feb. 28, webinar — In an effort to provide one-stop, efficient service to accountholders, many institutions have transformed the traditional role of teller into universal banker. In this session, we will prepare staff members for these responsibilities and review compliance requirements they will need to know to succeed.
• What to do When a Customer Dies, Feb. 29, webinar — This webinar focuses on the deposit and loan issues that arise when a customer dies.
• Top Ten Loan Documentation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, Feb. 29, webinar — When it comes to loan documentation, you must know the correct procedures and how to avoid frequent exceptions and mistakes.
• ECOA Small Business Lending Data Collection, March 6, webinar — Although there have been delays and court cases, the Small Business Lending Data Collection requirements Section 1071 data collection requirements will come, sooner or later.
• Basics of ChatGPT, March 7, webinar — As artificial intelligence becomes a tool for everyday life, we need to embrace it and understand how it benefits us.
• Retail Management Workshop, March 13-14, Oklahoma City — This two-day, interactive workshop designed to provide a complete overview of management and leadership principles for retail managers serving in all roles of the retail banking line of business for the bank.
• Opening Business Accounts, March 26-Oklahoma City, March 27-Tulsa — In this evening seminar, participants gain confidence and a clear understanding of the regulatory, compliance, documentation and state law requirements for opening business accounts.

Finally, NOW is the time to get involved in your Association, and one good way to accomplish this is to join one of our committees! We are now taking names for those interested in our committees for the 2023-2024 year. By participating with the group three to four times a year, you learn more about your profession, meet other bankers, share ideas and become better at what you do.

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