Oklahoma Bankers Association We make bankers better!
In This Issue…
- From Adrian’s desk …
- OBA, ABA, other state associations support narrower focus on data-collection rule
- Agencies announce increase in special appraisal threshold
- OBA education corner …
From Adrian’s desk …
By Adrian Beverage
OBA President & CEO
Just some random tidbits that might be of interest to our bankers this week!
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The OBA staff held its annual staff Christmas party on Monday, coinciding with some annual training and such. It’s always a fun time and I hope all our banks enjoy their own Christmas get-together events as much as we did!
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Speaking of the OBA staff and Christmas, just thought I’d drop the FYI that our offices will be closed on both Christmas as well the immediate day following (Friday, Dec. 26). We’ll reopen at our regular time on Monday, Dec. 29.
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I read an interesting note the other day. To paraphrase, on Nov. 12, the last U.S. penny was minted. The U.S. Mint reported $85.3 million lost on the nearly 3.2 billion pennies it produced at a cost of 3.69 cents each. The present value of the savings to taxpayers is $2.1 billion. Due to a preponderance of cash transactions ending in 8 and 9, however, the loss of the penny introduces a small net “rounding-up tax” of about $6 million/year.
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As football season winds down, it’s always a toss-up if I’m going to be able to enjoy Nebraska hoops season since it can be so up and down. It looks like it might be an “up” season this year, however, as the ‘Huskers toppled 13th-ranked Illinois on Saturday to remain undefeated and continue the best start in program history!
OBA, ABA, other state associations support narrower focus on data-collection rule
The OBA, the American Bankers Association and 51 other state bankers associations said they support most of the proposed revisions to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s small-business lending data rule to scale back the scope of data collection.
The CFPB released a final rule in 2023 to implement Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which requires financial institutions to report data on small-business lending. Several lawsuits followed, including one brought by the Texas Bankers Association and American Bankers Association. In response, the CFPB last month released a revised rule that scales back its scope to “more modest requirements” focused on core lending products, lenders and data.
In a joint letter, the associations said they agree with the narrower focus, and that the bureau should maintain that focus unless there is compelling evidence that the rule needs to be expanded, with due consideration of the costs to small businesses. They also approved of the revised Jan. 1, 2028, compliance date, although they asked for more flexibility for the years that lenders may use to determine if their loan volume meets the rule’s 1,000-loan threshold, given the new date.
Agencies announce increase in special appraisal threshold
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced on Monday the 2026 threshold for higher-priced mortgage loans that are subject to special appraisal requirements will increase from $33,500 to $34,200.
The Dodd-Frank Act added special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans to the Truth in Lending Act, or TILA. The new threshold amount will be effective Jan. 1, 2026, and is based on the 2.1% annual increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, known as CPI-W, as of June 1.
Separately, the CFPB and Fed announced the dollar thresholds used to determine whether certain consumer credit and lease transactions in 2026 are subject to certain protections under Regulation Z, which implements TILA, and Regulation M, which implements the Consumer Leasing Act.
Based on the 2.1% annual increase in the CPI-W, Regulation Z and Regulation M generally will apply to consumer credit transactions and consumer leases of $73,400 or less in 2026, the agencies said. However, private education loans and loans secured by real property, such as mortgages, are subject to Regulation Z regardless of the amount of the loan.
OBA education corner …
That was one of the quickest cold snaps we’ve seen in a while: freezing on Sunday, back to 60 degrees today! While keeping your head on a swivel trying to follow all the crazy weather changes, make sure you take a little time to keep up with what’s happening on the continuing education front, including the following:
- You’ve Been Served: Best Practices in Processing Subpoenas, Garnishments and Tax Levies, Jan. 6, webinar — This webinar will provide attendees with best practices and red flags for dealing with the various legal documents served upon financial institutions.
- 2026 OBA Commercial Lending School, March 1-6, Oklahoma City — This school is an intensive, one-week functional school designed for bankers with a basic understanding of credit and financial analysis. The school will demonstrate how to apply this knowledge in profitable commercial lending situations.
Also, an OBA program to be aware of is the OBA Intern Program.
The Intern Program will be active in 2026 and we’re looking for participating banks! For more information on this IMPORTANT program – important not only to aspiring students, but also to participating banks – Contact the OBA education department at (405) 424-5252 or click here for more information!
Finally, just a quick note to mark your calendars as the OBA Convention and OBA Senior Management dates and location have been set for next year! The 2026 OBA Convention will be held May 18-20, back at the Okana Resort, in Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, the 2026 OBA Senior Management Conference will be held on March 29-31 at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa, in Indian Wells, California. More details will be available in the coming weeks, but go ahead and get those notes on your calendar today!