Community bankers are nothing if not predictable, and I mean that as a compliment. They are bright, enterprising, have a nose for the risk/reward dynamic and a sense of duty and loyalty to their customers and staff. They’re also deathly afraid of rising interest rates.

According to Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the metaverse is the future of life as we know it, where all activities will happen in a virtual reality world. To many community bankers, the idea of banking in the metaverse seems closer to laughable than it does to reality.

With inflation running hot, the Federal Reserve Board has recently begun accelerating its tapering program. In addition, the latest dot plot for the median Federal Funds rate show that short-term interest rates could increase three times in 2022.

If your bank is average, your credit portfolio will contain a concentration of over 70% in real estate loans. While you might have the best intentions for underwriting real estate loans with the utmost of care, doing what you can to maintain the credit risk, may not be enough.

We have to demystify that fintech is complicated, or fintech is difficult, or fintech is risky or scary. Fintech, to me, is opportunity,” says Greg Ohlendorf, President and CEO, First Community Bank and Trust.

The pandemic has clearly had a lasting impact on customers’ payment behaviors, marked by an unprecedented rise in ecommerce transactions, projected to reach $8.3 trillion by 2025. Amidst this sea of change, community banks are asking, “What does this shift mean for my payments strategy?”

I would venture to guess that nearly every one of you have talked with Cathy VonWhalde here at Community Banker University at least once. Some of you may talk to her monthly. I am excited, proud, and saddened to share the news that after 31 years with ICBA, Cathy has decided to live the good life and retire on May 2, 2022.

Bank innovation continues to be a central focus for regulatory agencies. From the launch of innovation offices and office hours to policy statements encouraging innovative approaches, regulators have embraced—and now expect—new forms of responsible innovation. Often, this innovation relies upon strategic bank-technology collaborations.

While stablecoins have drawn increased scrutiny from policymakers in Washington, the policy response has only just begun. Here’s a look at the policy outlook and what it means for community banks.

The Federal Reserve recently took a major step toward curbing inflation by raising the effective federal funds rate by 25 basis points. Here’s a look at what this means for community banks and local communities.