Montana Independent Bankers

12/31/2025

2026 BSA Update for BSA Officers: Are you ready for the next wave of BSA and AML compliance challenges?
This targeted BSA compliance webinar breaks down examiner hot buttons, SAR reporting updates, and the latest FinCEN guidance so you can sharpen your risk-based program and be exam-ready.

You will learn how to spot emerging fraud risks, manage CIP for fiduciary and POA accounts, and address red flags for elder financial exploitation, identity theft, check fraud, and cryptocurrency scams. Stay compliant and confident in a fast-changing regulatory world with tools to brief management and your board on current and upcoming changes.

Register now to get ahead of 2026’s BSA/AML challenges.
Link: https://fin-ed.info/4q25AkH

12/27/2025

Fraud and scams thrive not through any single vulnerability but through intricate webs connecting criminals, technology platforms, financial institutions and, unfortunately, victims. Addressing check fraud, for example, demands coordination among mail and shipping services, underground marketplaces, financial institutions, law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies at every level of government. Community banks, ICBA and its affiliated state associations have emerged as crucial advocates in this fight. They’ve driven meaningful legal and regulatory reforms, championed law enforcement engagement, advocated for appropriately scaled technology solutions, and developed targeted education programs for bank staff and customers.

Fraud and scams thrive not through any single vulnerability but through intricate webs connecting criminals, technology platforms, financial institutions and, unfortunately, victims.

12/24/2025

From all of us at the Montana Independent Bankers Association, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 🎄

We’re grateful for our members, partners, and communities statewide, and we’re excited for what the new year will bring.

11/29/2025

11/26/2025

From our team to yours -- have a safe, happy, and thankful day.

11/11/2025

Join us for HMDA Part 3: Commercial Loans on November 20, 2025, and get clear on the complexities that trip up even seasoned bankers.

Learn how to identify covered vs. excluded applications, define “dwellings” and mixed-use properties, and confidently handle demographic reporting and loan purpose classifications. Real-world examples and regulatory resources will help you minimize risk and strengthen data accuracy.
You’ll learn how to:
• Distinguish between covered and excluded applications
• Report demographics and gross annual income correctly
• Manage mixed-use collateral scenarios
• Use CFPB and FFIEC tools to improve data integrity
• Explain complex HMDA situations to your lending team

Get the clarity and confidence your compliance demands.

🔗 Register now: https://fin-ed.info/46dHHPc

11/08/2025

The Newest Edition of the MIB magazine, the community banker, is available to read online. This edition features the very successful MIB Women in Banking Conference held in October.

The Community Banker magazine is integral in our efforts to communicate with our members and in invaluable our efforts to further our mission. The focus of

10/24/2025

10/23/2025

New op-ed spotlights data showing harmful impact of credit union acquisitions
A new op-ed from ICBA leadership bankers says public data show why policymakers should examine the impact of federal tax subsidies on credit union acquisitions of community banks.

Negative Impact: In the Tyfone op-ed, ICBA Past Chairman Brad Bolton, president and CEO of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala., and ICBA leadership community banker Ken Hale, president and CEO of BOM Bank in Natchitoches, La., cite a recent ICBA analysis that found:
• Community banks account for roughly 69.3% of SBA loans provided by banks and credit unions since 2010, compared to 2.8% from credit unions.
• In service areas affected by credit union acquisitions in which community banks participated in SBA programs, SBA lending fell after the acquisition nearly 80% of the time.
• In service areas affected by an acquisition, 61% experienced an increase in mortgage denial rates.
Growing Media Scrutiny: The op-ed joins a growing list of articles covering the harm of credit union acquisitions of community banks:
• In recent op-eds in the Natchitoches Parish Journal and the Shreveport Bossier Journal, Hale details how credit union acquisitions of community banks harm local communities.
• Recent op-eds in American Banker and RealClear Markets target the credit union tax exemption following ongoing ICBA advocacy.
• A previous article in The Banker—an imprint of the Financial Times—says some credit unions may be abandoning their mission with “Wall Street-style” behavior and no longer serving their core members.
• In The CU Daily, retired credit union CEO Ed Speed cites the loosening of field-of-membership rules, regulatory maneuvering that exploits tax advantages, and expansion-focused growth strategies.

Recent ICBA Advocacy: ICBA this summer called on policymakers to end the federal tax exemption for credit unions with $1 billion or more in assets to uphold market choice for small businesses and consumers while addressing taxpayer-subsidized consolidation.

Written By: Brad Bolton President & CEO Community Spirit Bank & Past Chairman Independent Community Bankers of America & Ken Hale President & CEO BOM