November 14, 2018


In This Issue: 
Message From the President

By John Witkowski, President & CEO

IBANYS Government Relations Briefing Focuses On New Makeup Of 
State Legislature & Congressional DelegationElection18GoForward

IBANYS held a post-midterm-election conference call for members of the Government  Relations Committee and member bank CEOs this past Friday. The purpose was to review the results of the election and its potential impact in both Albany and Washington, D.C. Along with myself, the briefing and update were presented by IBANYS Director of Government Relations/Communications Steve Rice and Legislative Counsel Bill Crowell.  The biggest change in Albany will be within the Legislature. Before the election, Republicans held a narrow one-seat majority that included the vote of Democrat Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) who voted with the GOP. After the election, the new Senate that convenes in January will have 40 Democrats (if Sen. Felder rejoins the Democratic conference as expected) and just 23 Republicans. A number of the new Democratic senators are viewed as from the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Clearly, the makeup and character of the state Senate - long a "firewall" for banking and business interests against Assembly actions - will be very different. 

From left to right: Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Sen. John Flanagan & Sen. Cathy Young

The new Democratic Senate Majority Leader will be Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers). There is no indication as yet who will chair the Senate Banks Committee in 2019. When the GOP-Independent Democratic Conference was still in effect, two IDC members served in the position: Diane Savino and Jesse Hamilton, both of Brooklyn. Hamilton lost his primary, and Savino, as a former IDC member, is not deemed likely to receive the chairmanship. Republicans will likely elect their Senate Minority Leader from among current Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-Suffolk County) and current Finance Committee Chair Cathy Young (R-Jamestown).

From left to right: Sen. Breslin, Sen. May & Sen. Kennedy

From the eastern tip of Long Island, New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, Delaware, Putnam and Ulster Counties, there will now be 37 Democratic state senators and just 5 Republicans.  Problematically, of the 40 Democratic state senators in the new majority, there will only be 6 north of Westchester/Rockland Counties and only 3 north and west of Albany , areas traditionally considered upstate. In these areas, only Senators Breslin (Albany) May (newly elected in Syracuse region) and Kennedy (Buffalo/Western New York) will be in the new majority. On Long Island, things have been reversed. There are now 6 Democrats and 3 GOP senators. Among the GOP senators who  lost were longtime senator Kemp Hannon, Carl Marcellino and current Senate Banks Chair Elaine Phillips. 
Speaker Carl Heastie

Furthermore, Democrats will continue to enjoy an overwhelming majority, led by Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), and will be heavily influenced by downstate interests, where the vast majority of their estimated 107 members are from.

Our New York congressional delegation (barring changes from absentee ballots and possible recounts) will now have 21 Democrats and just 6 Republicans. (The totals could change: Votes are still being counted in the 22nd C.D, where incumbent Republican Claudia Tenney was trailing Democrat Anthony Brindisi, and the 27th, where incumbent Republican Chris Collins was leading Democrat Nate McMurray. There are five newly elected Representatives: Max Rose from Staten Island; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from Queens; Antonio Delgado from the Hudson Valley; Anthony Brindisi from Utica and Joe Morrelle from Rochester. All are Democrats; Morrelle, the former Assembly Majority Leader, won the seat held for many years by the late Louise Slaughter.

The bottom line? IBANYS and New York community banks have work to do.  
With 20 new members of the State Senate, 25 new Assembly Members and 5 new members of Congress from New York, we'll need to conduct a major grassroots legislative outreach effort. It is imperative to inform the new lawmakers about the significant role of New York community banks within local communities and economies. IBANYS has prepared a packet of materials for bankers to use in this effort. We'll be updating you shortly.

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IBANYS' 2018-19 IBANYS Dues Notices MemberDues

2018 was a successful year for IBANYS, and we plan on making 2019 even better! There may be a few weeks left of 2018, but a new fiscal year has just begun at IBANYS effective November 1. As a result, we have mailed membership dues renewal notices for November 1, 2018 - October 31, 2019. Included with the dues notice is an update on current IBANYS events and plans for the coming year. If you have any questions regarding your dues, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at johnw@ibanys.net or 716-880-0518, or Linda Gregware at  lindag@ibanys.net or 518-436-4646.

We also have finalized our 2019 IBANYS Meetings Calendar, and we are excited about some changes we have made! The biggest involves our annual convention, which will now be held in June instead of the fall. 

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As always, thank you for your support of IBANYS and all you do for community banking in New York State.

Remember: IBANYS is YOUR association. Make it work for you!

- John
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Looking At 2019

Get Ready For Next Year's Convention!

 

SAVE THE DATE

When:  

June 10-12, 2019


Where: 

5218 Patrick Rd, Verona, NY 13478

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Get Ready for 2019 Meetings!  Meetings2019


Our 2019 Meeting dates and locations are now available! These educational conferences cover various subjects that are important within the community banking industry, spoken by the experts. T hey are also a great opportunity to network and earn CPE credits. Here is what we have planned for 2019:

Compliance Conference

                 March 12, 2019                                               March 13, 2019
                DoubleTree by Hilton                                                 Hilton Garden Inn
                1111 Jefferson Road                                                 235 Hoosick Street 
                Rochester, NY 14623                                                   Troy, NY 12180


Directors Conference

                   April 16, 2019                                                 April 17, 2019
           RIT Inn & Conference Cente                                  Hampton Inn Poughkeepsie
              5257 W.  Henrietta Road                                                  2361 South Rd.
                 Henrietta, NY 14467                                           Poughkeepsie, NY 12601


Security Conference

                   May 7, 2019                                                     May 8, 2019
           RIT Inn & Conference Center                                Hampton Inn Poughkeepsie
              5257 W. Henrietta Road                                              2361 South Rd.
                 Henrietta, NY 14467                                         Poughkeepsie, NY 12601


Lending Conference

May 21-22, 2019
Harbor Hotel Watkins Glen
16 North Franklin Street
Watkins Glen, NY 14891


Banking Executive Symposium

September 9-11, 2019
Location TBD


IBANYS' meetings provide insight into relevant issues spoken by experts in the field. They are also a great opportunity to network and earn CPE credits.

Have an idea for one of our meetings? Want to see a meeting or forum on a different subject? We want to hear from you!  Contact Linda Gregware at lindag@ibanys.net or me at johnw@ibanys.net with your thoughts and/or comments. 

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It's Time to Involved In IBANYS' 
Government Relations Effort!


Next year, we face major challenges in Albany and Washington. The NYS Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives will be controlled by Democrats. The political landscape has dramatically changed. New leadership will be placed in both chambers, as well as the chairs of the State Senate Banks and U.S. House Financial Services Committees. IBANYS is prepared to represent and protect the interests of New York community banks regardless of the political dynamic, but we cannot do it alone. We need the active involvement and support of all New York community banks to bring a united, clear message to lawmakers about the importance of our industry to the state and local economies. IBANYS members: get involved in our  Government Relations Committee ! With your participation, stay informed of legislative and regulatory activities/developments, and have full input as we formulate our positions and policies. It's the perfect opportunity to make your voice heard in the political sphere.

We also have additional committees and peer groups that would greatly benefit from your participation, including our Compliance Peer Group and our Security Committee. Learn more below. 

IBANYS CEOs: Sign up yourself, or designate someone from your senior team to represent your bank in these efforts!  Contact IBANYS' Government Relations Director Steve Rice at  stever@ibanys.net  or President/CEO John Witkowski at  johnw@ibanys.net  to join. NOW is the time!

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HearYourIdeas

In addition to our Government Relations Committee, we have other important committees and peer groups that would greatly benefit from your participation, such as our Compliance Peer Group, CFO/Senior Management Peer Group, and Innovation Committee. Please email  John Witkowski  or Linda Gregware for more information on these committees and how to sign up. 

IBANYS is always open to new ideas. If you have suggestions on other committees you'd like to see established, tell us! IBANYS is member driven and we work together to make the community banking industry better each day.


New Feature!
Spotlight Bank of the Week

Spotlight Bank of the Week is a new feature that we have added to our website and e-newsletter. It is an opportunity to promote anything about your organization, such as fun facts, organization news, special events, etc. The Spotlight Bank of the Week will be featured on our homepage slider, e-newsletter, and our social media platforms for one week. So don't miss out on this exceptional opportunity to showcase your bank to thousands of people!

To apply, just fill out our registration form and email it to Natalie Rowan at natalier@ibanys.net.

IBANYS Education/WebinarsWebinars
IBANYS Webinars IBANYSWebinars


Are you participating in IBANYS' webinars? Your peers are! They provide timely, important information on subjects of interest to New York community bankers. They are valuable not only for their content, but for their convenience. Take part from the comfort and privacy of your office, without leaving the bank.  Our  Webinar Series  offers many topics in the following categories:
  • Audit & Accounting
  • Collections
  • Compliance
  • Directors
  • Frontline & New Accounts
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • IRA
  • Lending
  • Operations
  • Security & Fraud
  • Senior Management
We are always adding more programs based on needs and requests of our members,
who drive our focus!  Take a look at the various series of webinars we offer by clicking each of the links below.

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2019 Webinar Schedule WebinarSchedule2019

The 2019 Webinar is now available! The Independent Bankers Association of NYS (IBANYS) partners with CBWN to bring you more than 150 webinars each year covering compliance, lending, regulations, security, operations, new accounts, collections, fraud, security and other topics. Even better, each time you purchase a webinar, you support IBANYS, because a portion of your registration comes directly to us. Thank you!  

You can view the 2019 Webinar Schedule here or by category here. In addition, CBWN has made some recent updates to provide better service to its consumers. Unfortunately, some changes may have caused you to miss important webinar announcements. Please read the IBANYS letter to view the updates and ensure that you do not miss another webinar.

CBWN and IBANYS thank you for your continued support of the education in the community banking industry. 

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FREE WEBINAR: ICS & CDARS


What the New Law Means for Banks
Thanks to the newly signed regulatory relief bill, most reciprocal deposits are no longer brokered. This comes as banks face intense and increasing competition for deposits.

Join Us for a Webinar
Join Promontory Interfinancial Network-- the nation's leading provider and inventor of reciprocal deposit placement services-- for a free webinar that outlines key provisions of the new law and the impact ICS®, or Insured Cash Sweep®, and CDARS® can have on banks' balance sheets. The webinar will also cover how banks can use ICS and CDARS to capitalize on the opportunities at hand; presenters will discuss cost-effective ways to use the services to attract high-value relationships (even as deposit competition intensifies) and to lock-in more low-cost funding (even as interest rates continue to rise.) This webinar is a "must" for decision-makers at banks of all sizes, especially for community banks that utilize collateralized deposits and/or listing services.

Choose a date and time that works for you!


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Presents a  Complimentary Recorded Webinar for
Our Valued Webinar Participants

GDPR: WHAT IS IT & SHOULD YOUR
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION BE CONCERNED?

GDPR is a hot topic! The General Data Protection Regulation is the European Union's new data protection and privacy regulation that became effective May 25, 2018. Although these EU rules were developed a continent away, don't underestimate how they might affect you.

Privacy is a fundamental human right under the EU Charter. GDPR is intended to protect EU residents' data privacy rights even outside the EU. Mandatory compliance may be closer than you think. A few states have introduced similar legislation and others are following suit. This free webinar will explain how to analyze when and how your institution will be affected by GDPR, and how it differs from your existing privacy rules.

Click the image below to access this complimentary webinar.



This free webinar is available until December 31, 2018.

View full information , including info about the presenters.


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Government Relations
AlbanyAlbanyGR

 

The New York State Legislature will convene its 2019 legislative session the first week in January, when Governor Cuomo will deliver his 9th "State of the State Message" and will present his proposed 2019-20 state budget.

Latest From The State Capitol
  • Statement by Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester County), who is expected to become the next State Senate Majority Leader: "The voters of New York State have spoken and they have elected a clear Democratic majority to the State Senate. I am confident ....we will finally give New Yorkers the progressive leadership they have been demanding."
  • Statement by current State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-Long Island): "....The Senate Republican Conference will continue to be a strong and important voice in Albany - standing up for hardworking taxpayers, advancing policies that help businesses create new jobs and new opportunities, and working every day to keep our families secure and safe...."
  • Governor Cuomo said in an interview that he wants the incoming Democratic majority in the House of Representatives to tackle the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, which he called  "an arrow at the heart of New York." He has criticized the cap as hurting high-tax states like New York, especially in areas like the New York City metropolitan region where property taxes are particularly high.
  • The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) today issued a new BitLicense to the New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG), allowing it to offer crypto-related services in the Empire State. NYDIG becomes the 14th institution to receive the virtual currency license, which has now been awarded to payments startups, crypto exchanges and a bitcoin ATM firm, among others. DFS has granted its virtual currency license to the company, allowing NYDIG to offer liquidity and asset management services to New York residents. DFS also granted the NYDIG Trust Company, a subsidiary to the main entity, permission to operate as a limited purpose trust company. NYDIG is now able to offer custody and trade execution services, including services for bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ether, XRP and litecoin. DFS Superintendent Maria Vullo noted: In a statement, Vullo noted that "strong regulatory safeguards" allow for "the responsible growth" of the space: "Today's approval further demonstrates that operating within New York's robust state regulatory system leads to a stronger fintech marketplace and promotes innovation and necessary compliance with effective risk-based controls."
  • As Democrats prepare to take control of the New York State Senate by a 40-23  margin, upstate New York "secessionists" who favor dividing New York into autonomous regions are promoting their plan calling for an amendment to the constitution to divide the state into two or three parts. "Divide NYS" is concerned over what it sees as a downstate-focused state government, and wants local town and county officials to sign a resolution in favor of creating autonomous regions - the New Amsterdam, Montauk and New York Regions - with a token state government. The secessionist movement remains fairly small, and many observers question the economic viability of an upstate New York that is broken off from New York City. 
     

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Washington, D.C.WashingtonGR


Congress returns to Washington this week. There are 25 days until the deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown, and only 12 legislative days days until Dec. 7 when funding runs out for a large part of the federal government. 


Senate To Vote On Miki Bowman's Fed Nomination This Week
 
Michelle "Miki" Bowman
The U.S. Senate is expected to take up the nomination today of Michelle "Miki" Bowman for the Federal Reserve Board as the first person to fill the Fed's community banking seat instituted by Congress in 2015. A final vote is expected by tomorrow. 

Her nomination was approved by the Senate Banking Committee in June on a bipartisan vote. ICBA (supported by IBANYS) successfully advocated for the position, and has urged the Senate to confirm her as soon as possible. A coalition of 43 state associations, including IBANYS, also expressed support for Bowman's nomination in a  joint letter to senators, citing her qualifications and bipartisan backing.  Bowman, the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, has also served as: vice president of Farmers & Drovers Bank in Council Grove, Kansas; worked for former Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS); served as counsel for the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform; executive for the Federal Emergency Management Agency; worked the for Department of Homeland Security.  Meanwhile,  the nominations of Brookings Institution fellow Nellie Liang and Carnegie Mellon professor Marvin Goodfriend for the other two open Fed seats on the seven-person board remain in limbo.

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Fed's Quarles To House Financial Services Committee: 
More Relief On Way For Community Banks 

Randal Quarles
The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing this morning to hear Federal Reserve Vice Chairman for Supervision Randal Quarles deliver 
"Semi-Annual Testimony  on the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of the Financial System."  Quarles told the Committee that the Fed isn't finished easing up rules for the nation's smallest financial institutions, saying  more changes are coming that will allow community banks relief from the post-financial crisis capital requirements.  "Our work to improve regulatory efficiency is not done, and we expect to make additional progress in the months ahead on a number of issues." He said the next proposal would be aimed at a leverage ratio proposal for community banks.  "We expect that this proposal would meaningfully reduce the compliance burden for community banking organizations, while preserving overall levels of capital at small banks and our ability to take prompt action when problems arise." Vice Chairman  Quarles will also testify  before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday. 

Quarles noted "the banking sector remains in strong condition... with lending growth, fewer nonperforming loans and strong overall profitability." He added that 99 percent of all regional and community banking are currently considered well capitalized.

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Incoming Chair Maxine Waters Gives A Preview For 2019

Maxine Waters
Prior to Quarles' testimony, the committee's likely incoming Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) discussed the future of banking regulation, and  said efforts to loosen the reins on Wall Street financial institutions won't be tolerated if she becomes chair as expected.  "Make no mistake, come January, in this committee the days of this committee weakening regulations and putting our economy once again at risk of another financial crisis will come to an end." She appeared  to direct her comments specifically to the bigger institutions, particularly the too-big-to-fail banks that helped trigger the crisis, stating:  "It is essential that the Fed keeps a watchful eye on the financial institutions it supervises and makes strong use of its existing enforcement tools to crank down on institutions that break the law. I must say that I am concerned about proposals the Fed has put forth this year to reduce capital and liquidity requirements for the largest financial institutions which would weaken strong safeguards established by  Dodd-Frank  to protect the U.S. economy from another costly financial crisis." 

There was, however, some conciliation. Rep. Waters said the press and even some of her colleagues have wrongly portrayed her relationship with Republicans, and she hopes they can cooperate, adding:  "I look forward to working with you in any and every way that I can." Current Committee Chairman Jed Hensarling (R-TX), who is retiring from Congress, told an interview today he doesn't believe Rep. Waters  will be successful in rolling back what the president and this current Congress has done, but cautioned  "she and others can slow down the pace of deregulation and thus harm economic growth in that way."

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House Ways & Means Chairman's Lame Duck Session Wish List

Kevin Brady
As Congress now begins its post-election "lame duck" session, outgoing House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) hopes to pursue bipartisan Internal Revenue Service reform, address expired tax breaks ("extenders") and tackle technical corrections to the GOP tax law in the lame duck period. 

However, it remains uncertain how many of those items might actually be addressed in the coming weeks. Chairman Brady said the most prominent bill, to make the 2017 individual tax cuts permanent, will likely not be pursued in the lame duck period.

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Other Federal Updates:
  • The United States reported a $100.5 billion budget deficit in October, which marked the start of its fiscal year. That represented an increase of about 60 percent from tone-year earlier. Spending grew approximately twice as fast as revenue, receipts hit $252.7 billion, a 7 percent rise from October 2017, and outlays jumped 18 percent to $353.2 billion.
  • New York's junior U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, re-elected last week by a wide margin, said this week she would be taking "a long, hard look" at the possibility of running for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020. Another potential candidate considering a run in what will likely be a very large field is the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). However, Governor Cuomo reiterated he has no plans to seek the presidency "I'm focused on the Governorship, and I'm a one thing kind of guy. And I love doing what I'm doing and I have a full agenda. . ."
  • Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), a Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee who backed S.2155, the regulatory relief law enacted earlier this year, has been elected to the U.S. Senate to replace retiring GOP Sen. Jeff Flake.
  • Senate Republicans re-elected Sen. Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader. and Senate Democrats re-elected Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as Minority Leader today. House Republicans were scheduled to hold leadership elections for the next Congress today and select Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), current House Majority Leader under Speaker Ryan, as their leader. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, also sought the post. Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is deciding whether to keep his post another two years or move over to chair the Finance Committee. If Grassley remains at Judiciary, current Senate Banking Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) may be in line to chair Finance, which would likely open up the Banking Committee chairmanship for Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA). House Democrats are scheduled to select their leadership after Thanksgiving. Once the new Congress convenes, the full House will vote to elect the next Speaker on January 3.

Industry Trends & Updates


EGF: 3 Client Success Stories
 
When banks partner with Excelsior Growth Fund (EGF), everyone wins. As a U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), EGF offers responsible and affordable financing options to small businesses.  By partnering with EGF, banks not only help their clients access capital, they also connect them to all the business services and support they need to become eligible for traditional financing in the future. 

Clients receive the funding they need to grow their business and banks get to help their clients succeed while keeping the door open with them for the future.  EGF values the critical role that their banker partnerships play in their mission. With the support of those partners, they're able to help small businesses and strengthen communities. To show their thanks and demonstrate the power of partnerships, EGF is sharing three success stories that were made possible by their banking partners.

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Two Fed Updates: Loan Demand Down; 
Veteran Owned Small Businesses At Disadvantage

According to the Federal Reserve's latest survey of senior loan officers, banks experienced weaker demand for commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and residential real estate loans. While banks reportedly eased their standards and terms for C&I loans and most categories of RRE loans, they left their standards unchanged for most categories of CRE loans. 

Next, the  Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Small Business Administration reported that veteran-owned small-business applicants are more likely than non-veterans to receive less funding than requested. The report stated that the financing shortfalls occur despite similar demand for financing, and  also found that veteran small businesses have lower approval rates at the most popular lenders, while the amount of SBA-guaranteed loans they have received has increased more slowly over time than for non-veterans.  The publication noted the discrepancy could be attributed to the smaller loan amounts that veteran-owned businesses seek, higher credit risk, and lack of information. 

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Consumer Price Index Up. . .

The U.S. Labor Department's Consumer Price Index rose 0.3 percent last month after edging up 0.1 percent in September.  In the 12 months through October, the core CPI increased 2.1 percent after advancing 2.2 percent in September.  Meanwhile, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index hit 98.3.


. . .As Mortgage Application Volume Down

The Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index reports that total mortgage application volume fell 4 percent last week from a week earlier, and was down 16 percent from a year ago.  Mortgage applications to purchase a home led the volume lower, falling 5 percent for the week to the lowest level in two years. Purchase applications were 0.2 percent lower than a year ago. Mortgage applications to refinance a home loan have been falling for more than a year and fell 3 percent more last week. Volume was 33 percent lower than a year ago. The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 39.1 percent of total applications from 39.4 percent the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity increased to 7.8 percent of total applications.

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TGA Article In "Banking New York" Wins Honorable MentionTGschHonorMent 

T. Gschwender & Associates, Inc. (TGA) received an Honorable Mention Award for their article titled "How Fast Is Your Loan Portfolio Going?"  at The Risk Management Association's (RMA) Annual Conference on November 6, 2018. The article was recently published in IBANYS' quarterly magazine, Banking New York RMA is a not-for-profit, member-driven professional association serving the financial services industry. Its sole purpose is to advance the use of sound risk management principles in the financial services industry. 

RMA promotes an enterprise approach to risk management that focuses on credit risk, market risk, operational risk, securities lending, and regulatory issues. Today, RMA has approximately 2,500 institutional members. These include banks of all sizes as well as non-bank financial institutions.
 
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Trigen Leasing's Turn-Key Equipment Leasing Product 
& Profit Center For Community Banks



Trigen Leasing offers a Turn-Key Equipment Leasing Product and Profit Center for Community Banks. This program requires no capital commitment from your bank. The Trigen Bank Lease program enables your bank to offer a competitive equipment leasing and finance product without relinquishing control of the process to a third-party or losing your banking relationship to a competitor. 

Trigen is perfectly positioned to offer a carefully-designed equipment leasing program for community banks that builds on your customer relationships, delivers value to your bank and its customers, and uses state-of-the-art technology and a proven platform to offer world-class service and simplicity. To view Trigen's Features & Benefits brochure that was handed out at the IBANYS Annual Convention last month, please click here Click here to read this article in full.

Banking News

Further Your Education at Barret Graduate School of Banking BarretGradSchool



Barret and IBANYS are aligned with a common interest: to represent the interests of the industry through effective advocacy and high quality educational offerings.

Located in Memphis, TN, Barret Graduate School of Banking offers a comprehensive graduate learning program for professionals in the financial services field. IBANYS has established partnerships with key industry educators including the Barret Graduate School of Banking. The school provides community bankers with an opportunity for a graduate degree in banking. 

We are currently endorsed by ICBA, ICBA Securities, Arkansas Community Bankers, CBAofGA, Indiana Bankers Association, CBAofKS, MIBA, CBAofOH, CBAofWV - with a couple more on the way. 

To learn more about Barret Graduate School of Banking, please visit www.barret.ws.

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Keep The Door Open For Your Small Business Customers

Excelsior Growth Fund (EGF) is NYBDC's nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution and IBANYS' exclusive online lending partner. Join the growing number of banks that work with EGF to offer their customers an affordable and responsible option when they do not qualify for traditional financing. EGF offers loans up to $500,000 with a convenient, digital process. Loans under $100,000 are disbursed within 5 business days.

 EGF's experienced team can work hand-in-hand with yours to develop a customized process to make referring seamless. To learn more about offering your customers a second look through EGF contact Bryan Doxford, SVP, at bryan.doxford@excelsiorgrowthfund.org at at (212) 430-4512. 

Spotlight Bank of the WeekSpotlightBank




Pioneer Bank was founded in 1889 by Henry O'Reilly Tucker and a group of printers from the Troy Daily Press. Their main goal was to establish a loan & savings association in order to encourage the practice of saving. After consulting with their employer, this goal soon became a reality and Pioneer Bank was created.   


Pioneer Bank offers a variety of financial products and services, including full banking services, insurance, wealth management, and employee benefits consulting. We also offer  our customers a comprehensive array of products and services, with competitive rates and the latest banking options. We have a suite of sophisticated, secure and easy to use eBanking tools, mobile banking apps, and other tools to help customers save time and do more with their money. We have branch offices and ITMs/ATMs throughout the region and we are a leader in local lending, with fast local decision making from people who know the are and go beyond expectations to make the deal happen. 

 
We relentlessly execute our business model of engaged employees and customer advocacy each day, driving our strong financial results. We look for ways to leverage technology to enhance the delivery of our products and services, as well as    to improve efficiency within our operations. Most importantly, we remain committed to operating with the highest level of integrity and will always make local decisions based on what is best for our employees, customers, and our communities.



To learn more about Pioneer Bank and our services, please visit  www.pioneerbanking.com.


IBANYS Spotlight Is On...



It's a new world in banking and finance. Banks are under more scrutiny than ever. The Federal Reserve, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and others are determined to improve efficiency, in part by preventing and detecting fraud, waste and abuse.  From banks, to mortgage and finance companies, to broker-dealers and credit unions, Bonadio understands the specialized services financial firms require.They offer impeccable financial statement audits and their extensive offering covers every issue a financial institution faces, such as:
  • Risk management services, from IT audits to IT penetration testing
  • Loan reviews and fraud investigations
  • Bank and federal reserve regulatory filings
  • Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
  • Initial public offerings
  • Private placements memorandums
  • Mergers and acquisitions
The Bonadio team is best known for its combination of practicing to the highest standards and taking a proactive approach with banking industry clients. Between Bonadio and their Moore Stephens North America member firms, they currently provide services to hundreds of financial institutions-including SEC registrants-ranging in size from de novo status to $24 billion in total assets. 

To learn more contact:
Jamie Keiser, CPA Partner at: (315) 422-7109, jkeiser@bonadio.com, www.bonadio.com

IBANYS Endorsed Services
IBANYS identifies offers products and services that provide value to your banks, companies, employees communities. These brief summaries provide links for information. Please contact IBANYS President John Witkowski with questions.

Health & Wellness

My Wellness Resource & TELADOC

The health and wellness landscape continues to evolve. "My Wellness Resource" can be a nice addition to your existing benefit package. 

Teladoc can save your banks time and money, and provide real value to your employees as this testimonial from a New York community bank CEO proves:
HERE'S WHAT YOUR FELLOW NEW YORK
COMMUNITY BANKER SAYS. . .
"I wanted to let you know that some of our employees and I have been using "Teladoc" and it is one of the best things we have done for the bank. We all love it: We are saving time, avoiding waiting in an urgent care center or a doctor's waiting room for non-emergency related illnesses . . .and it is easy to use and convenient. Once you use it, you are hooked! This was a great find! Would recommend it to all banks."

Mario Martinez 
Chairman & CEO
Catskill Hudson Bank

Contact Alan Justin: (716) 907-5500. 


"Cure the Blue" Helps Banking Industry Battle Prostate Cancer!

The "Cure the Blue" program sponsored by the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation allows New Yorkers to participate in one of the most comprehensive efforts to help promote prostate cancer awareness and research in the United States.  Lake Shore Savings Bank has provided prostate cancer literature and Cure the Blue information at all eleven of its branches and their headquarters in Dunkirk. The bank also offered Cure the Blue ceramic lapel ribbon pins for a $5.00 donations to Cure the Blue to all their customers. "We fully understand the severity of this disease and the devastating effect it can have on families" said Lake Shore Savings Bank President and CEO Dan Reininga. "Our support of the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation's "Cure the Blue" initiative is something that we are taking very seriously and are proud to support." Buffalo Bills Wall of Famer and Alumni Foundation President Booker Edgerson, a two time prostate cancer survivor, said the bank has been a tremendous longtime supporter, noting: "They have really stepped up to the plate with their unwavering support of our Cure the Blue initiative." 

IBANYS urges all of our member banks, associate members and allies to join the effort. Cure the Blue" raises funds and awareness regarding prostate cancer in New York State. Visit  curetheblue.com  to get involved! Of all new cancer cases in the nation, prostate cancer represents 9.6%. In 2017, there were an estimated 161,000 new cases, and more than 26,000 fatalities due to the disease. Support IBANYS' "Cure the Blue" campaign to help New Yorkers participate to promote prostate cancer awareness and research.


Secure, Enhanced Internet Presence

The .bank program by fTLD operates trusted, verified, more secure, easily-identifiable internet locations for financial companies and  customers. www.icba.org 

Did You Know?


. . .That until Donald J. Trump won the presidency in 2016, the last New Yorker elected to the office was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944? New York Governors Thomas Dewey (1944 and 1948) and Senator Hillary Clinton (2016) ran as major party nominees, but were defeated. Others, such as Governor Nelson Rockefeller (1960, 1964, 1968) and Senator Clinton (2008) sought their party's nominations unsuccessfully.

 
New York community banks play a key role in our state and local economies. Help spread the good news among our customers, business, elected leaders and the media!



John J. Witkowski
President & Chief Executive Officer

Stephen W. Rice
Director of Government Relations & Communications

Linda Gregware
Director of Administration & Membership Services

William Y. Crowell III
Legislative Counsel

Natalie Rowan
Marketing & Social Media Assistant