Despite an economic setback caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the housing market is steadily recovering. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, new single-family home sales increased to a compounded annual growth rate of 708,000 in July. To read more about this story in its entirety from ABA Banking Journal, please click here.

In This Issue… FDIC looks for banker input OBA Bankers’ Night Out sponsorships available OBA education corner … FDIC looks for banker input FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams and newly appointed Chief Innovation Officer Sultan Meghji have asked the banking industry for input related to innovation around four general themes. Inclusiveness — How to increase access to banking services for those …

Client satisfaction with credit card issuers fell this year as issuers attempted to accommodate customers’ demands amid ongoing economic uncertainty, according to the J.D. Power 2021 Credit Card Satisfaction Study. Satisfaction with national issuers has dropped considerably, down from 811 to 805 on a scale of 1,000.  As a result, credit card issuers are searching for the causes of this …

I can’t believe it’s already the end of summer – spending the last weekend hunting for school supplies is one way to wrap up the season. We’ve got lots of things to look forward to in the fall and I’ll touch on this in a minute. While it usually slows down a little bit here at the OBA in the …

The OBA is proud to announce the group of inductees for the Oklahoma Bankers Hall of Fame, with the ceremony set for Dec. 2 in Oklahoma City. Bruce Benbrook, a longtime Woodward banker who is currently CEO and chairman of The Stock Exchange Bank in Woodward; Steve Burrage, a southeastern Oklahoma stalwart who is chairman of FirstBank in Antlers; the …

The OBA sent out last week a short survey about the COVID vaccine and whether our member banks have, or plan to have, a mandate for their employees. We wanted to share the results of the non-scientific survey with our members. Here are the results: (answers | percentage of total answers) Q1: Does your bank have a COVID vaccine mandate …

In This Issue… Results compiled from OBA bank vaccine survey CareerTech looks to partner with banks on apprenticeships 2021 versions of banking code, trust books available OBA education corner … Results compiled from OBA bank vaccine survey The OBA sent out last week a short survey about the COVID vaccine and whether our member banks have, or plan to have, …

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued on Monday supplemental examination procedures on remittance transfers covered by Regulation E. The supplemental procedures align the OCC’s supervisory approach with amendments to Reg E by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that took effect July 21, 2020. The Reg E amendments permanently allow depository institutions to estimate certain fees and exchange …

In This Issue… Information about Advance Child Tax Credits deposits into closed accounts Tax commission seeks feedback on ELT system OCC gives additional exam procedures for remittance OBA Bankers’ Night Out programs ready for fall OBA education corner … Information about Advance Child Tax Credits deposits into closed accounts The OBA’s compliance department wants banks to be aware the IRS …

Politico reported today the SBA plans to outline a new initiative aimed at encouraging borrowers with loans of $150,000 or less — accounting for more than 90 percent of the pandemic-era program — to apply for loan forgiveness. According to the report, the SBA will notify banks that the agency is setting up its own online, consumer-facing forgiveness platform. Rather …