Faster payments have arrived. Accelerated by the pandemic, the growth in digital and contactless payments has pushed consumer and business expectations toward the real-time movement of money.

In the past several months, bad actors have escalated their attacks against critical infrastructure and industries. These actions are bringing renewed focus to the role of cryptocurrencies in facilitating criminal activity and helping foreign governments evade sanctions and to the resultant need for heightened regulatory intervention.

According to the 2020 Global Innovation Barometer from GE, COVID-19 had a significant downward influence on innovation. However, community banks found themselves in a different category—increasing their innovative thinking during the pandemic.

The fundamental duty of community bank directors and executive officers is to enhance shareholder value. One of the key tenets of enhancing shareholder value is providing actual common stock liquidity. In this regard, liquidity is defined as the ability of a shareholder to convert their shares to cash at a fair price in a timely manner.

As part of its ongoing efforts to expand financial inclusion, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) #GetBanked campaign encourages consumers to consider opening a checking account that can result in access to safer and lower-cost financial products.

Business continuity and disaster recovery are essential to an operation’s contingency plan. Following these established fundamentals can help increase your organization’s resilience.

Chances are, your bank’s portfolio has been affected by declining portfolio conditions, erratic cash flows, call option exposure, or paltry yield spreads over the past year. The wild ride in interest rates kept producing surprises for the bond portfolio, and, in truth, about the only thing positive to be said is that prices rose—then declined—over that period.

The past year has been a trying time for our nation, particularly for America’s elderly population who were disproportionately impacted — both in terms of hospitalizations and deaths — from the coronavirus pandemic.

In the wake of the high-profile cyberattacks on SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline affecting national security and the everyday lives of Americans, cybersecurity has never been a more pressing concern to community banks.

CBDCs are taking center stage around the globe, with multiple research projects underway. As central banks lay the framework for digital currencies, how money movement is architected could have a significant impact on community banks.