The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and other financial, mortgage, and civil rights groups today are calling on the Treasury Department and Federal Housing Finance Agency to delay and withdraw new product restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The SBA is warning Congress that the recently extended Paycheck Protection Program is starting to run low on funds with nearly two months left for borrowers to apply.

ICBA and other groups called on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and FHFA Director Mark Calabria to delay product and program restrictions for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

ICBA expressed support for legislation to raise the currency transaction reporting and Suspicious Activity Reporting thresholds to $30,000 and $10,000, respectively.

Following a dip in daily case numbers due to Easter Sunday, when many states did not report coronavirus data, a Johns Hopkins University tracker shows the US recorded about 79,000 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, with the seven-day average currently at 64,600.

ICBA Bancard, the payments services subsidiary of the Independent Community Bankers of America, today announced Malallai “Mal” Zalmai as vice president, project manager.

The April issue of Independent Banker magazine profiles ICBA's 2021-2022 executive committee. The interviews with ICBA leadership bankers cover the pandemic’s permanent changes to banking, evolving customer needs and expectations, community bank advocacy priorities, and more.

Senate Banking Committee Republicans led by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) called on federal regulators to use their authority to extend the 8 percent Community Bank Leverage Ratio through Dec. 31.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a set of rules changes to prevent foreclosures as emergency protections expire.

Last year as millions sheltered at home, e-commerce proved crucial to keeping retail sales flowing. Now, as outbreaks begin to subside and mobility returns, e-commerce’s share of total sales has fallen from its 2020 peak, raising questions about the lasting impact of the abrupt shift to e-commerce.

ICBA is encouraging community bankers to call on Congress to hold hearings on credit union acquisitions of taxpaying community banks.

ICBA and other groups thanked Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) for introducing legislation to permanently repeal the estate tax, which taxes the value of an estate at the time of death.

The IRS issued guidance for employers claiming the Employee Retention Credit for the first and second quarters of 2021.

Following the announcement of the largest-ever credit union purchase of a community bank, ICBA renewed its call for policymakers to investigate credit union acquisitions of community banks.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “warned” mortgage servicers to take all necessary steps to prevent a wave of foreclosures this fall.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and several other Democratic senators this week introduced legislation that would require estates to pay capital gains tax before assets are distributed to heirs, with an exemption for the first $1 million of capital gains.

While some sectors are back to their pre-pandemic employment levels, the overall US economy still has more than 8 million fewer jobs than it did before Covid-19 related job losses started a year ago.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is seeking public comment by May 5 on implementing new beneficial ownership information requirements.

Following the announcement of the largest-ever credit union purchase of a community bank, the ICBA today renewed its call for policymakers to investigate the growing trend of tax-exempt credit unions acquiring taxpaying community banks.

Regulators released 2020 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Loan Application Register data for approximately 4,400 HMDA filers. Annual loan-level LAR data for each HMDA filer are made available online by March 31.