How to
Save on Local Market Interest Rate Data
The GBA and
RateWatch have
teamed up to offer members discounts on important
competitive interest rate data to help you with your pricing
decisions and also to evaluate your local interest rate
markets related to new FDIC rules for rate caps.
More
about RateWatch discounts...
News about
Bond and D&O Coverage
The GBA-sponsored insurance
program formerly underwritten by Progressive Insurance has
been sold back to the American Bankers Professional and
Fidelity Insurance Co (ABPFIC) and will be managed by the
new entity ABA Insurance Services, Inc. The
transition is set to take place on April 2, 2010.
More
about Bond and D&O insurance... |
Georgia
General Assembly Nears 3/4ths Mark
 As we went to press, the General Assembly was preparing for a busy day
Friday. It’s the 30th Legislative Day of the 40-day session.
Two bills we’ve been following are on the calendar for Friday.
SB 362 by Sen.
Dan Weber
is a bill we’ve been watching that would change the process
of waiving release upon payment by those filing certain
liens by materialmen.
Also, the House is expected to pass
HB 1055
designed to raise all sorts
of fees paid for state services including upping the
$6.50 residential mortgage transaction fee to $10.
More details about
bills we're tracking this week at the State Capitol...
New FDIC Regional
Director Appointed
We
understand the FDIC has appointed Thomas J. Dujenski
as the new Atlanta Regional Director. Dujenski moves into
the Atlanta post from the same job in the Dallas Region.
He's been director in that region since 2008. We have not
seen an official FDIC release about it, so full details are
yet to come, but the appointment has been confirmed by the
FDIC Public Affairs office.
More about the new FDIC
Regional Director...
Interest Rate
Restrictions:
FDIC
Changes Branch-Count Methodology
The FDIC has updated its method for calculating local market averages
for determining interest rate caps for those banks falling under
interest rate restrictions. The new calculation method allows
the average market rate to be based on a
per bank basis rather than including rates at every branch of every bank
in that market. This is a change we've been supporting
for some time. The FDIC's Tim Hubby confirmed this at the
Southeastern Georgia Community Bank Symposium in Statesboro
this week. And, the new methodology is covered in FDIC's
updated Q&As on page 3. (See the story at top left about how to get
discounts on calculating rates in your area.)
More about
interest rate restrictions and access to the Q&A...
Regulatory
Reform:
Senate Committee OKs Reform Package
 Voting along party lines, the U.S.
Senate Banking Committee Monday passed (13-10) the
regulatory reform bill introduced last week by
Chairman Chris
Dodd (D-Conn.). There were a couple of minor
changes included in a manager's amendment dealing with
exemptions for Farm Credit System institutions.
Learn
why Dodd
thinks his bill will get bi-partisan support...
Action Alert:
Oppose Including CU Business-Lending Cap
Increase in Jobs Bill
We're
urging all bankers to send customized
letters to their U.S. House and Senate members asking them
to oppose including a proposal in an upcoming jobs-creation
bill that would increase the credit union business-lending
cap from 12.25 percent of a credit union's total assets to
25 percent. Of all
the credit unions in Georgia the current cap applies to, not
one is at or near the current cap of 12.25 percent. The
closest an individual credit union comes to this cap is 8.91
percent.
More about CU legislation and how to take
action...
Fed Announces
Final Rules on Gift Cards
Earlier this week, the Federal Reserve Board announced final
rules issued under Regulation E, applicable to fee
restrictions and expiration dates for gift cards. The rules
take effect Aug. 22.
More about Gift Card rules...
GBA In the News:
Facts about Mortgage Modifications
Georgia is sixth in Home Affordable Mortgage Program
mortgage modifications, and more than 220,000 Georgia
mortgages have been modified since 2007 by companies in the
HOPE Now Alliance. Those were the key nuggets of a Pro & Con
article about mortgage modifications in Sunday's Atlanta
Journal Constitution in which Joe Brannen, GBA
President and CEO, was featured. We provided the comments to
emphasize that banks and mortgage servicers are making
progress to help Georgians keep their homes when possible,
and acknowledge that it is difficult and ongoing work.
Interesting Trends in Bank Deposits
According to a research report
provided by GBA Associate Member A.M. Best, total
bank deposits have proved surprisingly resistant to
lingering disruptions in financial markets. Core deposits
appear to be the most resistant to pressures from the
financial crisis, while noncore deposits have likely
declined because of low interest rates and systemic risk.
More about deposit trends...
Videos of Shelby, Hoyer, Media Panel at ABA Summit Available on CSPAN
We
reported last week about the great lineup of speakers at the ABA
Government Relations Summit. C-SPAN has created a special Web site where
you can watch videos of some of those guests. The speakers are Senate
Banking Committee ranking member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), House
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), a panel of Federal Reserve
Bank presidents, and three financial reporters who discussed the media's
banking-industry coverage.
Watch the video presentations...
HR
Professionals Institute a Success
 We
had a great turnout at the
HR Professionals Institute last week. Thank you to Committee Chair
Allyson Summerour,
The Peoples Bank, Winder and the
entire committee for planning an outstanding agenda.
Compliance Peer
Group Meeting a Hit
GBA-U's Compliance Peer Group met
this week in Macon and was a huge success. Cindy Hanson
of Kilpatrick Stockton provided great information
about new rules for providing information to credit
reporting agencies and how to handle direct consumer
disputes. Attendees also discussed and compared situational
issues and networked with other colleagues during roundtable
discussions.
More about Compliance Peer Group roundtable
topics...
Newsmakers
More people news...
Williams |
McCowan |
Adelman |
Minton |
Read All About It --
Send Us Your News
Please remember to include the Georgia
Bankers Association on the list of recipients for
announcements about promotions, new employees and special
recognition your bank has received. We want to share your
news with your colleagues across the state. Please forward
your announcements and photos to GBA's
Lydia Thomas. |
YOUR CAREER
Career Paths for BankersTM
The 44
most-common bank job descriptions, the skills/competencies
you need to have those jobs and links to training and
development by job title.
Job Bank
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HEADLINE EVENTS
Employee Investigations Seminar
Last Chance for Registration
March 30
Enroll Now in
Banking School
May 2-7
Executive Management Short Course
May 6-7
In coordination with Georgia Banking School
GBA Annual Convention
Dialogue with Counsel Always a Hit
June 13-16
Leadership Conference
Don't Miss our Roundtables
July 11-14
Security Conference
Interviewing Techniques Featured
April 13-14
Rural Development and
Lending Conference
Ag Market Trends Expert to Speak
May
13-14
Collections and Recovery Seminar
April 7
Basic Deposit and Operations Compliance
Seminar
Reg. DD, E, CC Covered
April 13
Basic Loan Compliance Seminar
Reg. Z, RESPA Issues Featured
April 14-15
Analyzing Personal Financial Statements
How to Spot Fraudulent Tax Returns
April 21
Managing Workouts to Optimize Portfolio Value
Reminder:
Now on
April 22
Legal Issues for New Account Documentation
April 27
National Teach Children to Save Day
April 27
Bank Trainer Peer Group Meeting
New Date: May 6
AIB Online Instructor Led Courses
AIB Online IRA Training
Introduction to IRAs
Webinars
Full GBA-U Calendar |
