The end of 2025 and beginning of 2026 have been eventful months for the economy. In this first market update episode of 2026, ICBB CFO Chris Dew, chief lending officer Brandon Feltner, and Scott Kimel from FNBB Capital Markets discuss mounting economic uncertainties and their effects on markets and community banks.

Helpful Links:

Register for LINK TN: LINK (TN) | ICBB Courses

Ladies LINK is fast approaching, and the lineup includes a topic that's key to career advancement but makes many want to run the other way: negotiation. As a preview of her session at Ladies LINK, Nan Gesche, speaker and author of "Ladies Let's Negotiate!" discusses how bankers, especially women, can reframe negotiation from competition to collaboration.

Helpful Links:

Ladies LINK | ICBB Courses

At ICBB, March is Women in Banking month. Three years ago, the team founding Fortuna Bank, a woman-owned bank in Columbus, Ohio, was interviewed on The Correspondent about the process of starting a bank and the need for women-owned banks. Now, Fortuna Bank has opened its doors, and CEO Ilaria Rawlins, and chief lending officer Michelle Haslinger have returned to give an update.

Helpful Links

Register for Ladies LINK: Ladies LINK | ICBB Courses

Learn more about Fortuna Bank: Home - Fortuna Bank

Follow Ilaria on LinkedIn: Ilaria Rawlins | LinkedIn

Follow Michelle on LinkedIn: Michelle Haslinger | LinkedIn

The Federal Reserve recently announced it will be sunsetting its Foreign and Canadian Check Service by year-end 2026, driven by declining transaction volumes and changing market demand, and community banks are racing to find alternative options. While Canadian checks are a small part of business for most banks, even services used infrequently can still play an important role for community banks and their customers. In this episode, Dan Caputo from ICBB's international payments partner, Ascendant, and customer experience manager, Chasity Bruce, discuss the transition and how community banks can prepare.

Helpful Links

Learn more about International Services: International Services - ICBB

Register for Ladies LINK: Ladies LINK | ICBB Courses

Register for BOOM: BOOM West | ICBB Courses

Everyone loves a good story. But how can storytelling help community banks break down complicated finance topics for their customers and communities? This episode answers that question with Emily Schwartz, music educator turned bank marketer. Emily is the director of financial education at MidFirst Bank, based in Oklahoma City, an instructor at the ABA's Bank Marketing School, and a highly sought after keynote speaker.

Helpful Links

Register for Ladies LINK: Ladies LINK | ICBB Courses

Follow Emily on LinkedIn: Emily Schwartz, Ph.D. | LinkedIn

Learn about Bank Marketing School: Bank Marketing School | American Bankers Association

As community bankers kick off 2026, they're considering new opportunities and grappling with continuing challenges like shifting customer expectations, the rapid development of new technologies, and changes in staff and leadership. In this episode, ICBB CEO and president Derek Hetherington, chief correspondent banking officer Todd Beers, and correspondent banking manager Zac Bodenheimer discuss how bankers can set themselves up for success in the new year.

Helpful Links:

The Evolution of Check Fraud Webinar: The Evolution of Check Fraud: How Financial Institutions Can Use Technology to Protect their Institution | ICBB Courses

Like much of 2025, Q3 has been an economically eventful quarter. In this market update podcast, chief lending officer Brandon Feltner; CFO Chris Dew; and Scott Kimel from FNBB Capital Markets discuss issues like recent drops in interest rates, political pressure on the Federal Reserve, and the effects on bank liquidity and loan demand.