March 26, 2025

So, just when we all have gotten used to the CAT Tool (well, maybe that is going a little far), financial institutions will now have to decide what new tool they will implement with the sunsetting of the CAT at the end of August 2025. While the FFIEC has provided several different options, they have not really provided any guidance. In fact, if you refer to the FFIEC IT Handbook regarding Control Self-Assessments (VI.D.3), there is only one paragraph describing the assessment.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) introduced the Working Capital Pilot (WCP) Program, a new loan program that supports the complex working capital needs of growing firms. As the SBA’s first new loan program in more than a decade, it supports lines of credit up to $5 million and fully complements the agency’s term loan programs. The SBA designed the WCP to support daily working capital needs, inventory purchases, and project financing.

For the first time in history, we have five generations in the workplace, which also means bankers are juggling the interests, needs and communication styles of members whose ages span over a half-century. Each of these groups has been influenced by the socio-cultural events that took place during the formative years of their lifetimes, including how each generation views its financial needs, goals and communication preferences. A generation is defined as “a group of people born around the same time and raised around the same place. People in this birth cohort exhibit similar characteristics, preferences and values over their lifetimes.”

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VACB and American Security and Privacy are proud to announce an innovative educational partnership in technology, cybersecurity, and data privacy!

The Treasury yield curve is a critical financial indicator that depicts the relationship between interest rates and the maturity dates of U.S. government debt. Typically, the yield curve slopes upward, reflecting higher yields for long-term securities compared to short-term ones. This essay explores how the shape of the Treasury yield curve affects community banks, focusing on their lending practices, interest rate risk management, and overall financial health.

As I wrote in the fall of 2024, my aspirations as Chair during the upcoming year are an effective executive transition, identification of new sources of revenue for the association, and relentless support of and advocacy for community banks.