ICBA: ICBA Strongly Supports Senate Bill to Close Industrial Loan Company Loophole
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today expressed its strong support for bipartisan legislation to close the industrial loan company (ILC) loophole, which allows commercial companies to own full-service banks without full regulatory oversight. A loophole in the Bank Holding Company Act allows commercial and fintech companies to own or acquire ILCs chartered in…
ABA: Banking and Credit Union Groups Urge Congress to Reject Durbin-Marshall Bill
The American Bankers Association, America’s Credit Unions, Association of Military Banks of America, Bank Policy Institute, Consumer Bankers Association, Defense Credit Union Council, Independent Community Bankers of America, Electronic Payments Coalition, Electronic Transactions Association, Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America and National Bankers Association, today sent a joint letter to members of Congress strongly opposing the so-called Credit…
ICBA: Community Banks, Credit Unions Urge Congress to Reject Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Mandates
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), America’s Credit Unions, and Defense Credit Union Council wrote to express strong opposition to Durbin-Marshall credit card mandates, warning the proposal would harm consumers, small businesses, and community financial institutions while delivering a windfall to the nation’s largest retailers. In the letter, the organizations cautioned that the bill…
ICBA: 2026-2027 Board Nominees Named to Advance Community Banking Priorities
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today announced its 2026-27 board of directors nominees, whose perspective and guidance will chart the course for community banking in the new year. ICBA’s current board will vote on the nominations March 6-9 in San Diego, Calif., during ICBA LIVE 2026—the largest gathering of community banks in the…
ICBA: ICBA Joins House Financial Services Committee in Support of Legislation to Transform Community Bank Regulation
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey today joined a House Financial Services Committee fireside chat at the U.S. Capitol in support of the committee’s new Main Street Capital Access Act opens in a new tab(H.R. 6955). Following Romero Rainey’s testimony opens in a new tablast year at the committee’s first hearing of the…
ICBA: ICBA Urges Reform to Credit Union Tax Exemption
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on the year’s first reported acquisition opens in a new tabof a tax-paying community bank by a tax-exempt credit union that has already acquired a community bank. “With tax-exempt credit unions continuing their troubling pace of acquiring tax-paying community banks into…
ABA: Community Bank Leaders Urge Senate to Protect Local Lending from Stablecoin Risks
The American Bankers Association’s Community Bankers Council, representing community banks across all 50 states and territories, is urging the U.S. Senate to take decisive action to protect local economies from emerging risks in the digital asset market. In a letter sent to Senators, more than 200 community bank leaders from across the country expressed concern that some crypto companies are exploiting a regulatory loophole, undermining the intent of the GENIUS Act, which…
OCC: Proposed Guidance Issued on CRA Simplified Strategic Plan Process to Reduce Regulatory Burden for Community Banks
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today issued proposed guidance for a simplified strategic plan process for community banks to comply with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The OCC’s action builds on a series of reforms the OCC announced in October and November to reduce burden and tailor examination activities for community banks. “Community banks are…
ICBA: ICBA Opposes PayPal Application to Form Industrial Loan Company
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today expressed strong opposition to PayPal’s application opens in a new tab to form an industrial loan company—a type of financial institution that receives federal deposit insurance while avoiding full regulatory oversight. “The FDIC should deny ILC applications from PayPal and other Big Tech companies and not allow these nonbank firms to benefit from the federal safety net while avoiding prudential regulation…
ICBA: Analysis Shows Permitting Interest on Payment Stablecoin Holdings Would Reduce Community Bank Lending by $850 Billion
As Congress crafts legislation to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets markets, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today released new data showing the harmful impact on local economies of allowing crypto exchanges, affiliates, and other intermediaries to pay interest, yield, or rewards on payment stablecoin holdings. Based on macroeconomic modeling from new industry research, ICBA estimates that continuing to allow crypto intermediaries to pay interest or yield on payment stablecoin holdings would reduce community bank…