Oklahoma Banker

The Federal Open Market Committee announced this month it would raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 3.75 to 4% – the sixth rate increase this year and the fourth time the the rate was raised by 75 basis points. FOMC also reiterated it believes ongoing increases will be necessary to help return inflation closer to its …

The OBA is proud to announce the group of inductees for the Oklahoma Bankers Hall of Fame, with the ceremony set for Dec. 8 in Oklahoma City. Dr. Sinclair Armstrong Jr., chairman of the board at Armstrong Bank in Muskogee; Shirley Barber, former president and CEO of Security State Bank in Cheyenne and the first female member of the Oklahoma …

As this issue of Oklahoma Banker goes to press, the Republican Party remained dominant in statewide Oklahoma races. Gov. Kevin Stitt retained his seat as governor, as he defeated Joy Hofmeister, while Markwayne Mullin defeated Kendra Horn for the unfilled term of Sen. Jim Inhofe’s seat. In the other U.S. Senate race, incumbent James Lankford easily defeated Madison Horn. In …

It’s been almost three years, but it felt great to get the band back together. At the end of September, more than 60 Oklahoma bankers descended on Washington, D.C., for our Annual Washington Visit. It’s been two years since we last took a group to D.C. and I’ll say we definitely made up for lost time. While there were lots …

Nine in 10 Americans with a bank account (86%) say they are “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their primary bank, and 95% rate their bank’s customer service as “excellent,” “very good” or “good,” according to a new survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association. The survey, unveiled early this month at the start of ABA’s …

This is my favorite time of year. Hopefully, the temperature will start dropping, and most importantly, it’s college football season. We are one game into the season and both OU and OSU are undefeated and positioned to have great seasons. While fa ns of those schools get to enjoy victory after victory, I’ll be in the corner crying as Nebraska’s …

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released a strategic plan in early September for fiscal years 2023-2027 that calls on the agency to diversify its workforce, prioritize safeguarding public trust and enhance the implementation of risk-based supervision. The 11-page document also directs the OCC to promote strengthening and modernizing community banks, with a focus on small businesses and …

Well, here we are: In my opinion, this is the most dangerous time for any industry. We are within weeks of the first round of midterms for President Biden. History will tell you if Congress is controlled by the same party as the president, it will suffer a loss of congressional seats and usually control of the House. The current …

The Oklahoma Bankers Association has created “Banks are safe” public service announcements for its member banks, both in advertising form as well as in story form, ready for display at the bank or for insertions into local newspapers. These free ads and stories echo the Association’s successful “Nothing’s Safer Than Money In The Bank” public relations campaigns from the past …

The Oklahoma State Banking Department issued a statement this weekend concerning the FDIC’s position on the Skip-A-Payment program. The OSBD has yet to receive any complaints on the program, although the FDIC has recently determined it is “unfair and deceptive” unless accompanied by “clear and adequate disclosures. Below is the full statement from the OSBD: We understand the FDIC’s position …