Friday, October 4, 2024

Week of March 24

In This Issue…

SBA webinars filled … but more information is available

We apologize to the  bankers who didn’t get registered for the SBA webinars on the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. These webinars, which are actually hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, have filled quickly. The OBA is talking with the Department of Commerce on either hosting another call and/or the possibility of having the call recorded for download by everyone at a later time.

When we have more information,  you can be assured the OBA will share it with our bankers as soon as possible.

In the meantime, all bankers are welcome to listen to recorded comments by SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza during a radio program today, as well as tune into the ABA’s own webinar on Thursday concerning SBA loans during the pandemic. This webinar is open to both ABA members AND nonmembers. You can click here for more information.

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Federal Reserve announces new measures to support economy

The Federal Reserve announced Monday several new measures to help businesses and consumers in light of the current pandemic.

These include support for critical market functioning; supporting the flow of credit to employers, consumers and businesses; and establishment of two facilities to support credit to large employers.

You can read about all the measures by clicking here.

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FBI sees rise in fraud schemes related to pandemic

The FBI has seen a rise in frauds attempting to take advantage of the pandemic. To aid in clamping down on these fraudsters, they released info on the different frauds being perpetuated, which you can view by clicking here.

To assist in their efforts, if any bankers comes across any coronavirus-related frauds or scams, please email Casey Cox at the FBI.

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OBA’s COVID-19 teleconference call recording available for download

The OBA hosted a teleconference on Wednesday, March 18, discussing the banking response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The call included representatives from many of our member banks, along with Gov. Kevin Stitt, Sen. James Lankford, State Banking Commissioner Mick Thompson and Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development Sean Kouplen.

The call lasted nearly 50 minutes and includes much information from the officials to help banks going forward.

To download/listen to the teleconference call, click here (large file!)

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OBA 2021 Views & Vistas Photo Contest deadline approaching

The Oklahoma Bankers Association is proud to offer again the customized calendar, “Oklahoma Views & Vistas” from photographs of Oklahoma submitted by Oklahoma bankers and their family members and board of directors and their family members.

These calendars will be sold exclusively to banks across the state of Oklahoma for bankers to give to their customers to enjoy all year long!

If you or a family member is an amateur photographer and would like the opportunity to have your creativity displayed in homes and businesses across Oklahoma, the OBA has a great opportunity for you! So send us your photos of farms, barns, agricultural activities, historical Oklahoma locations, county fairs, carnivals, parades or festivals, fall colors, winter snowfalls, spring flowers or summer fun; any photo that shows the history and beauty of the great state of Oklahoma.

The deadline to submit photos is Friday, March 27. All photos submitted will be scored by a panel of judges. The top scoring photos will be featured in the 2021 Views & Vistas calendar! Click here for a contest form!

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OBA education corner …

While live events and seminars are currently on hold, the OBA’s education department has plenty of webinars lined up:

  • COVID-19 New FMLA and Paid Leave Obligations, March 30, webinar — President Trump and Congress have enacted emergency benefits to support financial industry employees as we battle COVID – 19. This session is intended to provide specific guidance to banks from a compliance and human resource perspective.
  • Loan Participations: What You Should Know, April 1, webinar — This presentation will help banks that buy or sell participations among affiliate banks or to unrelated institutions. Leave with a firm understanding of minimum required standards to purchase and sell loan participations or participate in loan syndications to remain in compliance with sound banking practices.
  • Work Appearance, Dress Codes, etc., April 2, webinar — What are an employer’s rights to regulate employee appearance? This serious subject is presented with humor and down-to-earth examples and advice by an attorney who has helped companies throughout the United States effectively address employee appearance issues in an ever-changing workplace.
  • SECURE Act: What’s New Now?, April 2, webinar — Every week brings more news and clarifications of the “last-minute” SECURE Act that was signed into law on December 20, 2019 and made effective 12 days later on January 1, 2020. Is it a rumor or is it a reg? There is a lot of misinformation being published on the internet. Don’t believe everything you read. Because we are still waiting for some finalized rules and guidance, beware of those who are saying what they “think” will happen vs what is actually written as a rule.
  • Overdraft Requirements & Best Practices, April 7, webinar — This webinar will dissect the regulatory requirements and examiner expectations related to overdrafts in plain English.
  • Understanding Commercial Loan Documents, April 8, webinar — Taught at a basic level (for bankers, not lawyers), the instructor will lead participants through all sections of the various required loan documents.
  • Treasury Management: A Powerful Tool to Increase Deposits and Fee Income, April 9, webinar — In this course, you will gain a deeper understanding of how the Sales, Treasury Management, IT, Marketing, and Deposit Operations team members must collaborate to successfully sell and implement the products and services at your institution. We will cover the ideal organizational design for Treasury Management and how to incentivize the sales team.
  • New FFIEC Business Continuity Management Handbook, April 10, webinar — This webinar will consist of an overview of the new BCM Booklet and provide insight in how to develop your BCM Program.
  • Robbery Prevention & Response, April 13, webinar — In this session, find out what makes a robber choose his target, and learn ways to safeguard you and your institution against these criminals. Every employee can play a role in prevention, and all should be well versed in the safest method of response. Recent case studies and trends will also be examined to extract lessons learned.

Also, are you interested in joining an OBA board or committee? Click here to complete the Committee Interest Form for 2020-2021. We would love for you to get involved!

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