GBA Officers Nominated

The GBA Nominating Committee is recommending two well-known and respected Georgia bankers for election to association-wide office at the upcoming GBA annual convention.  For Chairman-elect, the committee is nominating Andrew M. Williams, III, President, United Community Bank, Blairsville; and for Vice Chairman, the nominee is Charles E. Williams, President & CEO, North Georgia Bank, Watkinsville.  In commenting on the nominees, GBA past chairman and Nominating Committee Chair, Bobby Carmichael said, “We are pleased to recommend these two bankers to the membership to help lead our industry.  Both Andy and Chuck bring unique skills and backgrounds to their positions, and we could not have recruited two more qualified people to serve in these important roles.”  Andy is a former chair of GBA’s Community Bankers Committee, a member of the GBA Board of Directors and

The Georgia General Assembly passed three bills that will change certain procedures related to real estate transactions.  Should Governor Sonny Perdue sign two of the bills, they will become effective immediately.  The third bill will become effective July 1. So, you will need to plan accordingly to comply. Here’s a summary of the new legislation:

• S.B. 531 is the new foreclosure legislation.  The current notice provision is moved from 15 days to 30 days.  There are additional requirements to include in the notice contact information for someone who has authority to modify terms of a mortgage (there is also language in the bill to specifically state that nothing in the bill requires loans to be modified).  A final requirement deals with what must be recorded with the Clerk of the Superior Court prior to a sale.

• H.B. 1093 is the legislation dealing with the procedures followed to satisfy a mortgage.  The legislation addresses the underlying cause for nine class-action lawsuits pending against lenders.  In correcting that flaw, the General Assembly felt consumers should better understand their rights to have a mortgage satisfied, and a new notice is required.

• S.B. 355 is the legislation that narrowed the items that were statutorily equivalent to collected funds in a loan closing.  Assuming this bill is signed by the Governor or goes into effect without his signature, as of July 1, 2008, the only equivalent items to collected funds will include federally insured financial-institution-issued cashier’s checks, checks drawn on lawyers’ trust accounts, state and federal government checks and checks for $5,000 or less.  Language is also included in this bill to eliminate an inconsistency with the federal Truth in Lending Act as it applies to loans with right of rescission provisions.

We encourage you to incorporate these new requirements into your operational procedures and discuss the new language necessary for your documents with your bank’s counsel.  Please click here for a memo to Chief Executive Officers from GBA president Joe Brannen giving more details about the provisions in these three bills and recommending language to use for the new mortgage satisfaction notice.  The memo also contains the final versions of the bills passed by the Legislature.  With questions about any of this legislation, please contact GBA’s Elizabeth Chandler at 404.420.2027.

The Georgia Bankers Association’s annual business meeting will be Tuesday, June 17, at 7:45 a.m. at the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach in Dana Point, California.  The purpose of the meeting is to receive a report from the GBA Chairman, elect officers for the association, approve resolutions presented by the Resolutions Committee, recognize bankers who have 50 years of service to the industry and consider other items requested by the membership. 

Welcome New Associate Members

Congratulations to the following companies that were approved for Associate Membership at the April 10 GBA Board of Directors meeting:

• BFS Group, Atlanta, Jared Milbury, Partner

• Employment Screening Services, Atlanta, Sheila Benson, CEO

• FAS Construction Management, Sanford, Fla., Larry McDade, Southeast Regional Sales Director

• Financial Data Technology Corp., Franklin, Tenn., Elizabeth Saffle, Vice President

• James, Bates, Pope & Spivey, LLP, Macon, Lisa Lane

• Madison County Community Bank, Madison, Fla., Edward Meggs, President  and CEO

• Payments Information Circle, Atlanta, Terri Sands, Managing Director

• SECNAP Network Security Corp., Rome, Kevin Barnabe, Director

• Southwest Business Corporation, Alpharetta, Debbie Worthman, Region Vice President

Today, more than 200 businesses enjoy increased visibility and expanded marketing opportunities and banks have more options for top-quality, cost-effective products and services.  Company descriptions and contact information are available on our web site, or call GBA’s Kenyetta Parks at 404.420.2035 for more information.

There’s still space available in GBA’s Analyzing Commercial Financial Statements seminar slated for April 23-24 at Idle Hour Country Club in Macon.  The registration fee is $295 for members. Mike Allen, President and CEO of Georgia Trust Bank in Buford, is the instructor. 

Please click here to register or call GBA’s Courtenay Pope at 404.420.2015 with questions.

Designed for entry-level commercial lending officers, credit trainees and analysts, topics to be discussed include:

• Cash-Flow Analysis

• A Systematic Framework for Applying Ratio Analysis

• Financial Projections

• Case Studies for Practical Application of Concepts

• Early Warning Signals

AIB classes meet three hours each week for two to 15 weeks and are held at a local financial institution.  If you would like to see a specific AIB course offered in your area or if you have questions about AIB classroom courses, please call GBA’s Alison Moreau at 404.420.2034.  Following are the upcoming AIB classroom courses for Spring/Summer 2008:

• Principles of Banking, being taught by Randy Blalock at The Peoples Bank, Winder
  Beginning April 22, 10 weeks, $195, text $65

• Analyzing Financial Statements taught by Peter Faser of Security Bank at Cornerstone Bank, Atlanta
  Beginning June 3, 10 weeks, $195, text $75

Just a reminder about AIB online classes that begin the week of May 12.  Please register two weeks in advance to secure a seat.  These courses are instructor-facilitated with weekly assignments and can be taken from the comfort of your home or the convenience of your office… 

• ABA Online Review Course for the CTFA Exam (open enrollment), 12 weeks, $795

• Analyzing Financial Statements*, 16 weeks, $485

• Banking Today, 5 weeks, $295

• Financial Accounting*, 16 weeks, $485

• General Accounting*, 16 weeks, $485

• Principles of Banking Accelerated, 10 weeks, $315

• Problem Loan Workouts, 6 weeks, $295

• Today's Teller: Developing Basic Skills* (open enrollment), 8 weeks, $295

• Understanding Your Construction Borrower, 10 weeks, $385

There is still availability in the following AIB Online classes that begin May 5.  Please register as soon as possible to secure a seat in the class.

• Law & Banking:  Applications, 16 weeks, $435

• Money & Banking, 16 weeks, $385

• Principles of Banking, 16 weeks, $385

• Supervisor Certificate, 16 weeks, $695

The AIB Online Course Schedule has a complete course listing or call GBA’s Alison Moreau at 404.420.2034 with questions.

Just a reminder that GBA will offer the following webinars during the weeks of April 21 and April 28:

• Compliance Issues for Residential Lending – April 22

• Cross Selling & Stewardship – April 22

• Fair Lending: Overview and New Developments – April 22

• Flood Insurance Review & Update – April 22

• Construction Lending – April 23

• Robbery Preparedness for All Personnel – April 23

• Exceeding Your Deposit Target, Part 2 – April 24

• Microsoft Excel 2003/XP: Tips & Tricks – April 24

• Opening Deposit Accounts III: Fiduciary Accounts – April 28

• Checks & Holds for Tellers, Part 1 – April 29

• Debit and Credit Card Fraud Prevention – April 29

• Major Changes in Mortgage Lending – Reg. Z and RESPA Proposals – April 30

• New Accounts: Identifying & Meeting Customer Needs – April 30

Established in 1976 by Chairman William H. Strunk, Strunk and Associates, L.P. is a financial institution advisory service recognized nationally for its innovative design, development, and implementation of sustainable profit improvement solutions, most notably the Strunk “Overdraft Privilege Program,” for the financial services industry.  The firm’s reputation is built on more than 30 years of providing expert and objective advisory services to thousands of financial institutions and has received the exclusive endorsement of the GBA as a Strategic Partner. 

We are pleased to announce that the 2008 edition of the GBA Guide to Record Retention is available. This association-produced guide is an essential resource to help you stay in compliance with state and federal retention requirements and to save money by not keeping records longer than necessary. Up-to-date record-retention policies also provide guidelines your customers can count on if their bank records are subpoenaed.  The new GBA Guide to Bank Record Retention will help your bank develop a complete, workable and understandable record-retention program that is vital to the bank’s daily routine. 

STOP THIEF!  Is Check Fraud Draining Your Income?

Lower your bank’s losses from check fraud by participating in GBA’s Thumbprint Signature Program.  The thumbprint signature touch pad is proven to deter counterfeit and stolen-check fraud by requiring a thumbprint signature from non-customers when they are cashing on-us and not-on-us checks. 
Law enforcement agencies investigating fraud claims can use the thumbprint signatures, and just the presence of the

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