The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) is the primary
trade group
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association partic ...
for small U.S. banks. It represents approximately 5,000 small and mid-sized financial institutions that are commonly known as "community banks." The ICBA hosts conventions, publishes the monthly magazine ICBA Independent Banker and lobbies the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
on issues relating to the banking industry.
The organization is headquartered in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
and maintains statewide chapters across the country. It was founded in 1930 and owns six subsidiaries: ICBA Bancard, ICBA Securities, ICBA Financial Services, ICBA Mortgage, ICBA Insurance Services and ICBA Reinsurance
Advocacy
During financial reform attempts in the US, the ICBA has lobbied for:
*credit unions to not obtain a perceived competitive advantage;
*a loophole that would allow smaller banks to still choose their regulator—which is expected to result in those banks choosing the most lenient regulator.
[Daniel Wagner, Stevenson Jacobs]
New financial rules might not prevent next crisis
Associated Press. May 23, 2010. Accessed May 29, 2010.
Legislation
On November 8, 2013, the ICBA published a letter in "strong support" of the bill
To enhance the ability of community financial institutions to foster economic growth and serve their communities, boost small businesses, increase individual savings (H.R. 3329; 113th Congress).
The bill would direct the
Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States of America. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a ...
to revise certain regulations related to small
bank holding companies
A bank holding company is a company that controls one or more banks, but does not necessarily engage in banking itself. The compound bancorp (''banc''/''bank'' + '' corp ration') is often used to refer to these companies as well.
United State ...
(BHCs).
Current regulations allow BHCs with assets of less than $500 million that satisfy other tests to incur higher amounts of debt than larger institutions in order to acquire other banks.
H.R. 3329 would apply the less-stringent standard to more BHCs by raising the asset limit to $1 billion, and the bill also would allow savings and loan holding companies to qualify.
The ICBA argued that "increasing the eligibility threshold to $1 billion to account for inflation, industry consolidation, and asset growth will help an additional 515 bank and savings and loan holding companies raise capital for additional consumer and small business lending, leading to job creation and community development."
References
{{reflist
External links
ICBA web site
Trade associations based in the United States
Banking in the United States
Organizations based in Washington, D.C.