Oklahoma Bankers Association We make bankers better!
In This Issue…
- From Adrian’s desk …
- Trump revokes AI, climate change rules on financial sector
- Trump names chairs, acting heads of several agencies, departments
- OBA, ABA to host webinar on national, state legislative issues
- OBA Bankers’ Night Out programs ready for spring
- 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 heading to San Antonio today for a meeting over the next few days. I hope it’s a little warmer down there than it is in Oklahoma the moment, but it sure doesn’t look like it’s going to be!
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President Trump was officially sworn into office on Monday, and he immediately set about making changes, some of which will affect the banking industry. You can read more about some of these moves in this Update.
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The pain train continued for Nebraska men’s basketball last week, with losses to Rutgers and Maryland. The combined margin in the two games was just six points, but these weren’t horseshoe contests, unfortunately.
Trump revokes AI, climate change rules on financial sector
As part of a sweeping action revoking multiple Biden-era policies, President Trump on Monday rescinded a 2023 executive order directing federal agencies to review and possibly draft new rules governing the use of artificial intelligence across multiple sectors of the economy, including financial services.
Trump also rescinded a 2021 executive order seeking more disclosure of financial risks linked to climate change.
Trump names chairs, acting heads of several agencies, departments
Immediately upon assuming office Monday, President Trump designated several chairs and acting heads of agencies and departments. Among agencies relevant to financial services, Trump designated the following:
- David Lebryk, fiscal assistant secretary of the treasury and the highest career official at the Treasury Department, as acting secretary pending the confirmation of nominee Scott Bessent.
- FDIC Vice Chairman Travis Hill as acting FDIC chairman following the resignation of Martin Gruenberg.
- Securities and Exchange Commission member Mark Uyeda as acting chairman pending the confirmation of nominee Paul S. Atkins.
- National Credit Union Administration board member Kyle Hauptman as NCUA chairman.
- Everett Woodel, district director for central and southern Ohio at the Small Business Administration, as acting SBA administrator pending the confirmation of nominee Kelly Loeffler.
- Federal Communications Commission member Brendan Carr as FCC chairman.
- Federal Trade Commission member Andrew Ferguson as FTC chairman.
OBA, ABA to host webinar on national, state legislative issues
The OBA and the American Bankers Association will host a free webinar on Jan. 30, exclusively for Oklahoma bankers, to discuss the upcoming changes and opportunities presented at both the state and federal levels for the banking industry.
New leadership coming to Washington presents many opportunities for the industry, and 2025 is certain to be a year of significant policy change. Both ABA and OBA are preparing to work with the new Congress and administration, ensuring the industry is well-prepared for what lies ahead.
During this webinar, ABA Executive Vice President of Congressional Relations Kirsten Sutton and OBA President and CEO Adrian Beverage will share valuable insights on the upcoming 119th Congress, the state legislative session and the evolving landscape at both the state and federal levels.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain critical knowledge on what to expect and how to navigate potential changes in policy.
OBA Bankers’ Night Out programs ready for spring
The dates for the OBA Bankers’ Night Out programs have been finalized. Mark your calendar for the date of the program that’s in your area of the state and plan to attend. Bring your coworkers with you so that everyone can be up to speed on the most recent developments affecting their job. In addition to state and federal legislative updates, the program will include a discussion on the recent developments in your industry.
As in the past, the schedule for each of these meetings is:
5:30 p.m. – Drinks
6:15 p.m. – Program
7 p.m. – Dinner
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. The cost is $60 per person. Click here for a registration form.
Locations and dates for this year’s events are:
- Guymon, March 13.
- Oklahoma City, March 25.
- Ardmore, March 27.
- Tulsa, April 1.
- Enid, April 10.
- Krebs, April 30
Additionally, a special lunch edition of the Bankers Night Out events will be held on April 30 at Shangri-La, in Afton. It will start at 11:30 a.m. and the cost is $50 per person.
Please contact Thi Pham (thi@oba.com) for sponsorship questions
OBA education corner …
Well, it may not be Christmas time anymore, but the weather outside sure is frightful! Right now, it just finished snowing a wee bit at the OBA offices in Oklahoma City, and the single-digit temperatures this morning made it hard to get to work after a three-day weekend. But, we still made it, and we’re here to encourage our bankers to take part in some upcoming continuing education opportunities for you and your staff in 2025!
- State of HMDA in 2025: Rules and Tips for Successful Submission, Jan. 28, webinar — There are more than a few tripwires and tricky data points to keep track of, and that requires a detailed and consistent process to ensure the right information is collected and submitted every time.
- Handling Legal Documents: POAs, Trusts, Estates and Guardianships, Jan. 28, webinar — Risk? Is taking court orders, power of attorneys and other documents too much risk?
- Applying the Reg. E Resolution Process to Today’s Transactions, Jan. 29, webinar — In each of the last several years, examiners have cited Reg E errors in their top five regulatory issues during compliance exams.
- Processing Garnishments on Accounts Containing Federal Benefit Payments, Jan. 30, webinar — This webinar provides participants with the federal rules that are applicable when processing garnishments on deposit accounts receiving federal benefit payments.
- Talent Management: Hiring for the Right Fit and Unlocking Performance and Potential, Feb. 3, webinar — Equipping managers and supervisors with the skills to excel in the hiring and development process is essential for both employee and organizational success.
- Check Frauds and Scams, Feb. 4, webinar — In February, FinCEN issued an alert indicating that there were 680,000 cases of possible check fraud reported last year, up from 350,000 in 2021, which itself was a 23% increase over reports in 2020.
- IRA Reporting to the IRS: Getting it Right!, Feb. 5, webinar — It cannot be stressed enough how you must “check the correct box,” “use the correct transaction code description,” and most importantly, “match what the customer is reporting on their tax return” to avoid them receiving unnecessary letters and bills from the IRS.
- Understanding & Using the Medallion Signature Guarantee Accurately, Feb. 6, webinar — Through the medallion signature guarantee, your financial institution warrants that a signature authorizing the transfer of a security is authentic.
- The UCC for Lenders, Feb. 6, webinar — This program is a comprehensive Uniform Commercial Code secured lending program for persons new to the financial services industry and is also recommended as a refresher.