June 1, 2018        

Digging Deeper into Temporary Beneficial Ownership Rule Relief
We reported a couple weeks ago that FinCEN provided short-term suspension through Aug. 9 for new beneficial ownership due diligence and reporting requirements for certificate of deposit rollovers and loans that renew automatically. There are some tips for banks to consider in dealing with their internal processes for eventually meeting the requirements and in ensuring no regulatory snags during or after the pause in a good blog post from GBA Associate Member firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. Access a link to it here…

Farm Credit Lending to Young Farmers is Flat
The latest information from the Farm Credit System shows that while loans overall increased, lending to young, beginning and small (YBS) farmers did not get a bump. Data shows Farm Credit System lending increased 9.7 percent overall between 2015 and 2017, but the total value of loans to YBS farmers remained flat, rising only from $32.64 billion at the end of 2015 to $32.85 billion at the end of 2017, and accounting for just 12.7 percent of total FCS lending. Read more here...

GBA Joins Comments to CFPB about Feedback and Rulemaking
The CFPB asked for feedback about its process for rulemaking and we’ve given it. In a joint letter we signed on to with 50 other state associations and ABA, we specified how changes to the bureau’s approach to external engagements could improve the rulemaking process. The detailed letter categorizes and spells out opportunities for enhancements in four areas…

Women in Banking Conference Speaker Slate to Include Heavy Hitters
The GBA Women in Banking Committee will host the fourth-annual Women in Banking Conference.  One of our speakers will be Professor Nancy Mansfield. As director of the WomenLead Program and Senior Faculty Associate for Women’s Leadership Development at Georgia State University, Mansfield has long been committed to excellence and innovation in undergraduate education and experiential learning as part of the university experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Professor Mansfield share the inspiring WomenLead story. GBA’s 2018 Women in Banking Conference will be August 22-24 at The Legacy Lodge on Lake Lanier. For a detailed agenda, hotel information and to reserve your spot at the conference, click here…

Take Action - Membership Housekeeping
Two Things to Help Keep You Connected to Member Benefits
We want to make sure all of you continue to get all the latest news and information about your valuable GBA memberships. There are a couple of things you can do to help us and yourself on that front…

Annual Meeting Mobile Website Available Soon!
To make the Annual Meeting information more accessible to everyone, once again, we’re creating a mobile website that you can access on your phone or tablet. The website will include all the information you need once you’re onsite, you’ll also have access to speaker presentations electronically. GBA’s 2018 Annual Meeting is June 17-20 at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, CA. With questions about the Annual Meeting, please contact GBA’s Susie McGehee at 404.420.2010.

Rooms Almost Sold out for 2018 Leadership Conference!
Rooms at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club are selling out quickly for Leadership GBA’s 2018 Leadership Conference. If you have not already done so, you can make your reservations by calling Ponte Vedra Inn directly at 904.285-1111 or 800.234.7842. Be sure to let them know you are with the Georgia Bankers Association group to get the discounted room rate of $219 - $239 per night. The cut-off date for reservations is June 8. After this date, all reservations will be subject to prevailing rate and space availability. The Leadership Conference is July 16-19. With questions about hotel rates and availability or the Leadership Conference in general, please contact GBA’s Kathy Friestad at 404.420.2024 or Susie McGehee at 404.420.2010. Make your reservations today!

Witham Banking System - It Worked Until It Didn’t
GBA past chairman Jackson McConnell, Pinnacle Bank, Elberton, sent us a photo someone at the bank recently found as they were cleaning out a storage room preparing for their main office renovation. The photo was from the 1912 Witham Bank Cashiers Conference. Apparently there is no connection between Witham and Pinnacle banks, so McConnell passed the photo along to GBA for our archives. And that reminded us of a story we included in our 100th anniversary book about the Witham Banking System that got its start in 1888, four years before GBA’s founding. Learn more about the Witham Bankers here…

Atlanta Population Growth among Top 10, Georgia up by 115K
We often note that population growth is a key factor in the success of and opportunity for banks and investment. The Census Bureau this week released its annual list of population growth in cities. Atlanta was No. 10 for growth, with 36 people per day, or 13,323 in total, moving in from July 2016 to July 2017. More broadly, Fulton County grew by 17,100 people, Gwinnett County 16,900, Cobb County 12,800 and Cherokee County 7,300. Cities in the South and West saw the greatest population gains overall. The release did not rank statewide population growth, but digging in to some other data shows that Georgia’s population grew by 115,759 people from July 2016 to July 2017. For perspective, that’s about 9,647 people per month, or 317 per day.

Detailed Analysis of First Quarter Bank Earnings
Well-known bank analyst and Georgia resident Nancy Bush has published a thorough overview of first quarter’s bank earnings. She notes some interesting details about the positive effects on earnings of the tax law changes, some insight into deposit pricing trends, a look at the good state of credit quality and thoughts from bankers on loan growth prospects. GBA Associate Member Banks Street Partners, Lee Burrows, CEO, distributed the report this week. Read more here...

Tight Labor Market, Deposit Pricing Pressure Noted in Southeast
Businesses in our part of the country have ramped up efforts to attract workers in a tight labor market, according to the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book report of economic conditions. Overall, the environment shows modest economic growth. Loan growth was characterized as “firm” and there was growth in retail sales, real estate and manufacturing orders. Community bank contacts reported that they were experiencing deposit pressure as competitors begin to raise rates, the report said. Read more here...

Online Classes - June and July
Bank Lines of Business and Building Customer Relationships
ABA facilitated online courses feature an online learning community with fellow students, instructor guidance and feedback. For more information, contact Alison Moreau, 404.420.2034. Click here for a list of all ABA offerings. There are eleven courses scheduled to begin in May…

New - Legal Foundations in Banking
Presents the underlying legal structure for conducting the business of banking. This course covers key legal requirements affecting banks and bankers, as well as core language that must be understood to be effective. It provides the critical legal knowledge that every banker should know. Learning objectives are…

Fill a Job, Find a Job with the GBA Job Bank
The GBA Job Bank is among the most popular and valuable benefits we provide to member banks and bankers. The Positions Available and Bankers Available sections on our website consistently are among the most visited pages. Best of all, the service costs nothing for member banks and bankers. To make the process of posting a job or resume easier and to answer any questions you may have, we've developed this Q & A document as a resource. It outlines how to submit open positions and resumes, our deadlines and timelines for posting, and other helpful details. If you have any questions, please contact GBA's Bo Brannen at 404.420.2014.

Get Started with a Free, No-obligation Demo
See Why Banks of All Sizes are using BankMarketingCenter.com
If your bank hasn’t taken a look at one of GBA’s newest Strategic Partners, BankMarketingCenter.com (BMC), it’s time you do. BMC is a web-based marketing portal that empowers banks to quickly and easily produce professionally designed, bank-branded marketing materials. Users have access to a library of over nine million stock photos from Getty Images, and the portal will route all material directly to a bank’s compliance department, printer or publisher of choice. BMC also offers banks a turnkey digital signage solution. Click here to request a free, no-obligation demo or contact BMC's Keith Pagel, 678.528.8041.

GBA’s Office Depot Program can Supplement Your Local Supplier
Through GBA’s Strategic Partnership with Office Depot you can access a national group buying program. Every bank in Georgia needs office and banking supplies. Make sure you are getting the best deal by signing up for the GBA’s Office Depot program. If you are purchasing supplies from a local vendor or bank customer you can still support the GBA by accessing Office Depot products and solutions that your local vendor may not offer. This could include anything from your print and copy needs, promotional products and branded collateral, cleaning and breakroom provisions, technology, furniture, and much more. To learn more about supplementing your local relationship with Office Depot solutions, email bank.opportunities@officedepot.com...

GBA Community Connections
We want to share all the good work GBA member banks, bankers, Associate Members and Bank Counsel Section members do to support their communities. Read all about the Community Connections our banks and members have below. Share your Community Connections by sending a brief paragraph and any photos of activities you have to us and we'll publish them at our earliest opportunity. Send information to Bo Brannen and David Oliver, or if your company would like to sponsor this content, let us know. Here's our latest installment...