Wednesday, March 12, 2025
We make bankers better!

Week of March 11

March 11, 2025

In This Issue…

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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Bankers’ Night Out events start this week! In a switch from previous years, we’re going to start our statewide trek in Guymon for the first meeting of the spring on Thursday. Usually, Guymon is our last stop of the tour, but it’ll be the first one on this go-around.

I look forward to seeing a bunch of our Panhandle bankers at Hunny’s, where you can enjoy some good food and good conversation with everyone.

I also look forward to the giant milkshake I always grab at Braum’s in Woodward, helping me stay awake on the drive home that night!

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I read a report in American Banker magazine recently that mergers of banks and credit union – specifically the acquisition of banks BY credit unions – have slowed down rather dramatically in these first few months of 2025.

After 22 proposed acquisitions last year, there has only been only one bank/credit union merger announced this year.

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The bad news kept a-comin’ last week for Nebraska basketball. Although the ‘Huskers only played one game, they managed to lose that single contest at home against a going-nowhere Iowa squad.

Evidently, there’s some out there that still feel Nebraska can make the NCAA Tournament, at which I can only be surprised. I guess the Big 10 conference tournament awaits …

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ACRE Act of 2025 introduced

The Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act of 2025 was introduced in the both the U.S. House and Senate last week.

The ACRE Act aims to ease this burden for rural America by promoting greater access to credit and reducing borrowing costs for agricultural producers. It would exclude from gross income the interest received by lenders on new loans secured by farm real estate and aquaculture facilities, as well as new home mortgage loans that do not exceed $750,000 in rural communities of no more than 2,500 people.

“ABA applauds today’s bipartisan, bicameral introduction of the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act of 2025, and we thank the bill’s lead sponsors Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Don Davis (D-N.C.) and Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) for their leadership on this issue,” American Bankers Association President and CEO Rob Nichols said.

“The ACRE Act will deliver much-needed financial support to farmers and ranchers working through a difficult economic cycle by lowering the cost of credit without creating new government payments or programs. It would also drive down the cost of homeownership and increase access to credit in more than 17,000 rural communities across the country. We urge all members of Congress to support this critically important legislation.”

The ABA also prepared information sheets to share with your customers and local media about how the ACRE Act of 2025 could affect Oklahoma specifically.

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Modernizing vehicle titling: What bankers need to know

Service Oklahoma is making key improvements to vehicle titling processes to enhance security, improve efficiency and simplify transactions for financial institutions, dealers and lienholders.

The most significant updates include:

  • Electronic Lien Placement for Dealers — Beginning April 7, 2025, dealers will have the ability to add liens electronically through their OkCARS account, making the process faster and more streamlined for lienholders.
  • Expansion of Vehicle Information Requests — Starting April 7, 2025, dealers and lienholders will have access to additional vehicle information in OkCARS, providing critical details needed for transactions—even outside of normal title office hours.
  • Transition to Electronic Titles — Beginning July 1, 2025, Oklahoma will fully transition to electronic liens and titles. Standard paper titles will no longer be printed. Lienholders will use electronic records, and dealers will have the option to use electronic bills of sale for title transactions.

This transition builds on Oklahoma’s title-holding policy adopted in 2022 and aligns with national trends in modernizing vehicle services. Our goal is to provide a more secure and efficient system that benefits the auto industry, financial institutions and Oklahomans alike.

Service Oklahoma is committed to ensuring a smooth transition. We will provide detailed resources, training materials and additional guidance in the coming months to help you prepare for the April 7 and July 1 expansions in digital functionality. Stay tuned for more updates!

In the meantime, for questions about ELT or lienholder OkCARS accounts, contact the Service Oklahoma team at eltaccounts@service.ok.gov.

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OCC ends policy on bank engagement with cryptocurrency

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency last week published an interpretive letter rescinding the agency’s policy on bank engagement with cryptocurrency “to reaffirm that a range of cryptocurrency activities are permissible in the federal banking system,” according to an agency statement.

During the Biden administration, the OCC and other banking regulators often emphasized the risks that digital assets pose to the financial system in their guidance and statements to the industry. The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have argued that those actions led to “debanking” of individuals and companies in the crypto sector.

The OCC’s Interpretive Letter 1183 states that cryptoasset custody, certain stablecoin activities and participation in independent node verification networks, such as distributed ledger, are permissible for national banks and federal savings associations, the agency said. The letter also rescinds the requirement for OCC-supervised institutions to receive supervisory nonobjection and demonstrate that they have adequate controls in place before they can engage in crypto activities.

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OBA Bankers’ Night Out programs begin this week

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:

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.

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OBA Emerging Leaders socials set for spring

Join your banking peers for an Emerging Leaders social!

There is no registration fee, but please RSVP to let us know you’ll be there. Questions? Email Megan McGuire.

Oklahoma City: Click here to RSVP.  The Oklahoma City Emerging Leaders social is sponsored by Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.
Date: Tuesday, March 25
Time: 5-5:30 p.m.
Location: Embassy Suites OKC Downtown, 741 N. Phillips Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Ardmore: Click here to RSVP.
Date: Thursday, March 27
Time: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Location: Dornick Hills Country Club, 519 Country Club Rd, Ardmore, OK 73401

Tulsa: Click here to RSVP.
Date: Tuesday, April 1
Time: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Location: Hard Rock Hotel, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa, OK 74015

These socials will be held at the Bankers’ Night Out locations in Oklahoma City, Ardmore and Tulsa. If you plan to attend the BNO after the social, please register accordingly.

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IS MAFIA meeting at OBA on Friday

The OBA will host an IS MAFIA meeting on Friday.

Jamy Casteel, vice president of offensive security within cyber strategy and risk consulting at Kroll, will be a guest speaker at the meeting. With over 20 years of experience in IT and cybersecurity, he specializes in offensive security. Casteel holds an MBA from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and a master’s in information security engineering from the SANS Technology Institute. He is also a GIAC Security Expert and holds multiple other certifications, including CISSP, OSCP, CRTO, and CRTP/CARTP.

No registration or reservation is required to attend this meeting. You only need to sign and return a non-disclosure agreement to cwilson@tbb.bank or simply bring it to the meeting with you.

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Welcome, new strategic member

The OBA extends a welcome to our newest strategic member:

CSPI

As a valued software and service provider leading the FinTech industry for over 35 years, CSPI continues to focus on the needs of today’s progressive community banks to meet the growing demands of account holders by providing core solutions, digital banking, document management, item processing and managed services.

Contact: Emily Twillman
805 West Stadium Blvd.
Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone: (800) 933-4873 DIRECT: (573) 556-3251
Email: etwillman@cspiinc.com
Website: https://auroradigitalbanking.com

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OBA education corner …

Is anyone keeping up with the Yellowstone spinoff, 1923? Some here at the OBA dare to say it might be even better than the mothership show, which would be considered sacrilege in some corners! While realizing what a great couple Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren make, don’t forget to take part in some upcoming continuing education opportunities for you and your staff in the coming weeks!

  • Commercial and Business Lending Basics for Support Personnel, March 17, webinar — This webinar is designed to take the mystery out of the commercial and business lending process and the confusing terminology often used by lenders.
  • Fraudulent Cashier’s Checks: Best Practices for Avoiding Losses, March 19, webinar — Learn about the unique risk cashier’s checks pose to financial institutions and the best practices for limiting losses when processing these transactions.
  • Mortgage Origination Compliance – 2-Part Series, March 19 & 26, webinar — How can you keep all the requirements straight in your head so you can be sure to not miss anything? In this two-part webinar, we’ll discuss all the relevant requirements and considerations in the origination process.
  • 2025 Bank Director Symposium, March 25, Oklahoma City — The objective of this symposium is to provide updates on topics including regulatory expectations, vendor management, succession planning, talent acquisition, ALCO and other critical areas for a bank’s success.
  • Basic Bankruptcy 101, March 26, webinar — Every financial institution employee should have a fundamental understanding of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and your institution’s rights and obligations under this code.
  • Opening Business Accounts, March 26-Oklahoma City; March 27-Enid — In this evening seminar, participants gain confidence and a clear understanding of the regulatory, compliance, documentation and state law requirements for opening business accounts.

Also, the OBA is proud to promote the recognition of bankers who have devoted 50 or more years of service to the banking industry. All eligible nominees will be honored at the 2025 OBA Convention on May 14 at the Skirvin-Hilton in Oklahoma City. Click here to download a nomination form. If you have any questions, please contact Janis Reeser at 405-424-5252 or janis@oba.com.

Additionally, are you interested in joining an OBA board or committee? Click here to complete the Committee Interest Form for 2025-2026. We would love for you to get involved!

Finally, a last reminder for a couple of graduate school of banking scholarships, along with announcement of a new one! First, the deadline is approaching for both the GSB-Wisconsin and SWGSB scholarships. Additionally, GSB-Colorado, in partnership with the OBA, has unveiled its new Bold Leaders Scholarship, which will replace the previous Bolder Bankers Scholarship. This scholarship will be given to an individual who has completed either the OBA Intermediate School or the OBA Emerging Leaders Academy.

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