ABA: 5 Ways to Protect Your Small Business from Ransomware Attacks
National Small Business Week is April 30- May 6 WASHINGTON — Ransomware has become one of the fastest growing malware threats to small businesses in recent years. According to the FBI, in 2015, more than $1.6 million was lost due to ransomware attacks. The popular malware is used by cybercriminals to freeze business networks and…
ABA: Report | Farm Banks Increase Ag Lending 5% in 2016
Strong performance, asset quality and capital levels in 2016 WASHINGTON — Farm banks increased agricultural lending by 5.3 percent in 2016 and held $103.4 billion in farm loans at the end of the year, according to the American Bankers Association’s annual Farm Bank Performance Report. Asset quality remained healthy at the nation’s 1,912 farm banks…
OCC: New Deputy Comptrollers in Midsize and Community Bank Supervision Announced
WASHINGTON — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced the selection of Scott Schainost to be Deputy Comptroller for Midsize Bank Supervision and Troy Thornton to be Deputy Comptroller for the OCC’s Southern District. “Scott and Troy bring more than three decades of bank supervision experience each with them to these…
CFPB: Making the Decision to Rent or Buy
Buying a home is exciting. It’s also one of the most important financial decisions you’ll make. Choosing a mortgage to pay for your new home is just as important as choosing the right home. You have the right to control the process. Check out our other blogs on homebuying topics, and join the conversation on Facebook…
CFPB: Thinking About When You’ll Claim Social Security Benefits Is Time Well Spent
How much will you receive from Social Security when you claim your retirement benefits? If you don’t know, you’re not alone. According to a recent study , one in five people are guessing how much their Social Security retirement benefit will be each month. As it turns out, your prediction might be off by quite…
CDFI Fund: CY 2017 Round of New Markets Tax Credit Program Opens
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) released today the Notice of Allocation Availability (NOAA) for the calendar year (CY) 2017 round of the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC Program). The NOAA makes up to $3.5 billion in tax credit allocation authority available for the CY 2017 round….
ABA: What You Need to Know About the Grandparent Scam
WASHINGTON — According to the Federal Trade Commission, the agency received more than 400,000 complaints in 2016 from consumers reporting they were victims of impersonation scams. One of the most common is called the “Grandparent Scam,” which uses impersonation tactics to deliberately target and exploit older Americans. To commit this crime, fraudsters call claiming to…
OCC: Upcoming Financial Literacy Events
Financial Literacy Seminar Series in D.C. May 2017 (Washington, D.C.) The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC) at George Washington University sponsor this initiative bringing together academics, practitioners, policymakers, and other experts to present and discuss cutting-edge research in financial literacy. Financial Coaching Fundamentals and…
SBA: Hawaii Entrepreneurs Honored as 2017 National Small Business Persons of the Year
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of National Small Business Week, Linda McMahon, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, today recognized this year’s Small Business Person(s) of the Year and other national award winners at a ceremony and reception at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. “It is my extreme pleasure to announce that…