Week of Feb. 16

In This Issue…

• From Adrian’s desk …
• Fed proposes changes to incentivize banks to originate, service mortgages
• FDIC, OCC release stress test scenarious
• ABA Washington Summit set
• National Consumer Protection Week scheduled in early March
• 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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Just a short note today as I’m in Orlando for the ABA Conference for Community Bankers. It’s a great event where we get to catch up on many topics that face the majority of Oklahoma banks. I’ll be returning later this week.

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It was an up-and-down week for my ‘Huskers as they fell (literally, to be honest) to Purdue early in the week, but rebounded for a blowout against Northwestern.

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Fed proposes changes to incentivize banks to originate, service mortgages

The Federal Reserve will soon issue proposals to change the regulatory capital framework in ways that incentivize banks to originate and service mortgages, Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said at ABA’s Conference for Community Bankers in Orlando today.

Specifically, the proposals would “remove the requirement to deduct mortgage servicing assets from regulatory capital while maintaining the 250% risk weight assigned to these assets,” Bowman said. They would also consider increasing the risk sensitivity of mortgage loans held by banks — that is, creating a broader range of risk weights that would reflect the relative characteristics of different loans, “rather than applying a uniform risk weight regardless of [loan-to-value ratio],” she explained.

Bowman’s speech came in light of a long-term erosion of banks’ role in the mortgage market that she said “has been costly for banks, consumers and the overall mortgage system.”

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FDIC, OCC release stress test scenarios

The FDIC and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency last week released the market scenarios they will use in their upcoming stress tests for financial institutions.

The agencies coordinated with the Federal Reserve to develop the scenarios, with the Fed releasing its scenarios last week.

The supervisory scenarios include baseline and severely adverse scenarios, according to the FDIC. The baseline scenario is in line with a survey of private sector economic forecasters. The severely adverse scenario is not a forecast. Instead, it a hypothetical scenario designed to assess the strength and resilience of financial institutions. Each scenario includes 28 variables — such as gross domestic product, the unemployment rate, stock market prices, and interest rates — covering domestic and international economic activity.

• View the FDIC scenarios.
• View the OCC scenarios.
• View the Fed scenarios.

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ABA Washington Summit set

The ABA’s Washington Summit is scheduled for March 9-11. Click here for more information.

There is no registration fee for this event. There is an all-day Emerging Leaders Forum on Monday, March 9. Hill Visits will take place on Tuesday, March 19.

Contact Megan McGuire at the OBA for more information!

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National Consumer Protection week scheduled in early March

March 1-7 is National Consumer Protection Week, which is a great time to remind customers you are their friend and not their enemy when it comes to fraud (as the fraudsters would have them believe).

Order free bulk publications to hand out:

• FTC https://www.bulkorder.ftc.gov/.
• Finra Foundation For Consumers.

Or, have printed publications available:

• How to handle unexpected calls that claim your money is at risk | Consumer Advice.
• Adult financial education tools and resources | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Share the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 877-908-3360

Talk to your employees about recognizing potential frauds and scams or customer behaviors that indicate victimization – The Fraud Fighter’s Handbook | PDF to Flipbook.

Work with a local newspaper or radio station for some quick spots on fraud prevention – Banks Never Ask That! Fraud Prevention, etc.

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OBA education corner …

We’re in the time of the year where the weather doesn’t know “come here” from “sic ’em.” Today, we might set a record high. This coming weekend, you should probably wear a coat. While trying to make sense of late winter weather in Oklahoma, take a little time to keep up with what’s happening on the continuing education front, including the following:

• Treasury Management: A Powerful Tool to Increase Deposits and Fee Income, Feb. 23, webinar — Unlock the potential of treasury management with our basic yet comprehensive course designed to elevate your financial institution’s success.
• Health Savings Accounts: Financial Institution vs. Customer Responsibility, Feb. 26, webinar — To keep insurance premiums lower, many people are choosing to have a high deductible health plan to minimize costs.
• 7 Habits of High Performing Bankers, March 2, webinar — Many bankers did not get into the business with the understanding that they would need to sell but in today’s highly competitive environment, they must!
• RTP Essentials: Real-Time Understanding of the Network, How it Works, Use Cases, and What’s Next, March 3, webinar — This 90-minute session provides a complete yet accessible introduction to RTP® — ideal for staff and leadership who want a practical foundation without getting lost in technical complexity.
• Marketing & Advertising Compliance: What Do We Have To Do?, March 5, webinar — In-depth, all day discussion of all things marketing and advertising compliance: what we must do, what we must avoid, best practices, examples and much more.
• The GENIUS Act & Stablecoins: A New Era for Electronic Banking, March 5, webinar — This landmark legislation creates new opportunities – but also introduces new responsibilities.
• Marketing Compliance: Avoiding Violations in Print & Digital Advertising, March 9, webinar — Whether your promotions are digital, print or televised, multiple compliance regulations strictly prescribe what can be said, the elements that should be included and how they should be displayed.
• Overdraft Programs and Related Issues – What Should We Do?, March 10, webinar — Discussion about the current state of overdraft programs, including regulatory requirements and recommendations, and a look to the future.
• What to Do When a Customer Dies, March 10, webinar — Oftentimes, when a financial institution learns a deposit or loan customer has died, confusion about what to do next seems to be the result.
• 2026 Retail Management Workshop, March 10-11, Oklahoma City — This workshop is designed to provide a complete overview of management and leadership principles for retail managers serving in all roles of retail banking.
• 2026 OBA Senior Management Forum, March 29-31, Indian Wells, California — One of the key benefits in the conference will be talking with your peers. Attendees at the OBA 2024 Senior Management Conference will be surrounded by those with similar titles, similar workloads, similar problems and likely solutions to issues that can be just as similar. If you have any questions or want to get signed up, contact the OBA’s education department at 405-424-5252.

Also, the OBA is proud to promote the recognition of bankers who have devoted 50 or more years of service to the banking industry. All eligible nominees will be honored at the 2026 OBA Convention on May 20 at the OKANA Resort in Oklahoma City. Click here to download a nomination form. If you have any questions, please contact Janis Reeser at 405-424-5252 or janis@oba.com.

Finally, several scholarships are now available to bankers from OBA-member banks for various graduate schools of banking. Applications should be submitted to the OBA’s Janis Reeser by email (janis@oba.com), regular mail (643 N.E. 41st St., OKC, 73105) or fax (405-424-4518).

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