Oklahoma Bankers Association We make bankers better!
In This Issue…
- From Adrian’s desk …
- Proposed rule by credit unions could further erode restrictions on membership
- First quarter Bank Performance Reports now available
- 2026 salary survey open for participation
- Welcome new strategic member
- 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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We’re one week out from the primaries. The gubernatorial race is really heating up as we had another poll hit the newswires. A JMC Analytics poll, taken last week, showed Mike Mazzei leading with 26%, followed by Gentner Drummond at 21%. The two seem to have separated themselves from the pack a bit as Jake Merrick, Chip Keating and Charles McCall III had 12%, 12% and 8% support, respectively.
I admit I’m a bit wary of putting TOO much stock into polls, and this one’s giant caveat is the 18% it shows still undecided.
The candidates have one more chance to state their case to the public in a debate set for June 11. It’ll air live on Channel 6 in Tulsa and Channel 9 in Oklahoma City.
As I always say, though: regardless of whom you support, just make sure to get out and vote!
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I’m still a bit bummed at the exits of the Nebraska baseball and softball teams. Watching Jeremy, here in the OBA offices, make plans to visit Omaha to watch his Sooners leaves me with some FOMO. Still, it was a fun year all around for Cornhusker athletics! I look forward to the 2026-27 season! As I said last week, I guess I’m ready to start watching the Cubs this summer. At least they’re still above .500 right now!
Proposed rule by credit unions could further erode restrictions on membership
A proposal to ease “common bond” membership requirements for federal credit unions is part of a series of policy actions that have steadily expanded credit union membership beyond the limits intended by Congress, the American Bankers Association said Monday in a letter to the National Credit Union Administration.
NCUA has proposed a new “streamlined” charter system for federal credit unions with changes for determining whether a credit union’s membership shares a common bond, as required under federal law. Currently, associations primarily based on a client-customer relationship do not qualify for common bond status. The proposal would remove that automatic disqualification and instead allow for a “most holistic evaluation,” according to the agency.
In its letter, ABA said the proposed change is narrow in scope but part of a larger pattern of “incremental changes that, taken together, have steadily expanded federal credit union membership beyond the limits contemplated by Congress.” That cumulative effect has had “a meaningful weakening of the common bond framework.”
First quarter Bank Performance Reports now available
Utilizing data from the quarterly FFIEC Call Reports, Bank Performance Results rank overall bank performance across eight different categories: net interest income, non-interest income, non-interest expense, efficiency, NPAs/equity and reserve, asset quality index, return on assets and return on equity.
The second quarter reports for 2026 are now available.
The reports offer a wealth of benchmarking data to help you determine your greatest strengths and opportunities. Utilize the BPR companion Excel eReports to sort down to your market or peer group. Need help or more data? Require assistance in backfilling trend lines? Contact BPR for more information about custom reporting and historical data.
For more information on the BPR, or to subscribe, Q1 2026 & BPR-Order-Form-Oklahoma.
2026 salary survey open for participation
OBA and Blanchard Consulting Group would like to invite you to participate in the 2026 Salary & Cash Compensation Survey! The survey gathers salary and cash compensation (salary + annual cash incentive/bonus + commissions) for approximately 200 executive, middle management and staff level positions. Data cuts will be broken out by asset size and region when we have a large enough sample size.
Survey Pricing:
- OBA Member Participant: $450
- OBA Member Non-Participant: $1,050
Survey Participation Instructions:
- Click on the link (2026 Salary & Cash Compensation Survey Link) to access the survey participation file.
- Download the excel file and complete the survey.
- Email the completed survey to surveys@blanchardc.com or utilize the secure upload link (Secure Upload Link) by Friday, June 26.
Pre-order & Questions:
- For pre-ordering or any survey-related questions, please contact Laura Roth at surveys@blanchardc.com or 612-850-0153.
The 2026 Compensation Trends & Lender Incentive Practices Survey is now available for purchase! Please contact surveys@blanchardc.com to learn more about the survey or to order a copy of the findings.
We thank you in advance for your participation and help in making our compensation surveys a continued success. We look forward to your participation.
Welcome new strategic member
The OBA would like to welcome a new strategic member to our family:
Castle Creative
Castle Creative is a Tulsa-based, full-service creative and marketing firm that specializes in branding and graphic design services. It also provides expertise in website development, videography, photography and social media to help your bank attract new customers and increase revenue.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact: Caitlyn Grossardt
Phone: (539) 895-0212
Email: caitlyn@castlecreativeagency.com
Website: castlecreativeagency.com
OBA education corner …
An underrated 80s and 90s country band we rediscovered recently is Sawyer Brown. The group became known after winning Star Search in 1983 and quickly hit it big with light, fluffy songs like Betty’s Bein’ Bad and Step That Step. If you ask us, though, it was their hits in the early 90s when they really hit their stride. Ditties like The Dirt Road, The Walk and Hard To Say showed growth in their music. After flashing back to the those tunes All These Years ago, make sure to keep up with what’s happening on the continuing education front, including the following:
- Coaching EQ: Developing Emotionally Intelligent Leaders & Teams, June 16, webinar — In this session, we’ll explore how we can champion EQ development through coaching strategies, talent management initiatives and everyday interactions.
- FCRA Compliance, June 17, webinar — This informative webinar will cover the basics of proper credit reporting and how best to respond to consumer credit reporting disputes.
- 2026 Fair Lending All-Day Live Streaming, June 17, webinar — An in-depth, detailed discussion of all things fair lending: what are the more recent developments? Where does our risk lie? What are the regulators’ expectations?
- Red Flags for Money Laundering and Fraud for Lenders, June 18, webinar — Training designed for lenders and lending staff to help them spot red flags tied to loan fraud and financial crime.
- Writing an Effective Credit Memorandum for a Successful Outcome, June 22, webinar — Credit memoranda are a primary means of communications within the banking industry utilized to present a loan request, identify the benefits and risks and to make a loan recommendation.
- Five Vital Steps for Proper Commercial Loan Documentation, June 24, webinar — This part of the lending process is essential to avoid loan losses due to poor documentation.
- Call Report: Current Matters and Common Questions, June 26, webinar — The Call Report is one of the first places examiners look—and it’s also one of the quickest ways small issues can turn into major exam findings.