Oklahoma Bankers Association We make bankers better!
In This Issue…
- From Adrian’s desk …
- Agencies formally define ‘unsafe and unsound practices’
- Take advantage of fraud-fighting resources, including upcoming First Friday Fraud Forum!
- OBA Book Club discussion set for Thursday
- Washington Visit room block deadline this week!
- Join us for Bankers at the Ballpark
- 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 elections are finally behind us and … wait … I guess we still have that pesky GENERAL election in November. You know, the one where the candidates are actually elected into the positions they’re seeking? It just seems this is the never-ending election season and we’re going to be cursed with ads for several more weeks!
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I’ve said it a million times, but the importance of getting out to vote is even more relevant in these divided times. It became obvious when we saw Mike Mazzei defeat Gentner Drummond by fewer than 3,000 votes last week. That’s fewer than 3,000 votes in a state with 1.3 million registered Republican voters.
Your vote counts! Never forget that!
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It’s here! It’s here! College football season is finally here! My ‘Huskers open with a pesky Ohio squad on Saturday. The Sooners open with a not-so-pesky UTEP team on Friday. Honestly, the game I might watch closest will be Oklahoma State at Tulsa on Saturday, to see what this entirely new-look Cowboys team has under the hood.
Agencies formally define ‘unsafe and unsound practices’
The FDIC and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency finalized a rule last week to formally define “unsafe and unsound practices,” which they said would bring more certainty to bank supervision.
The two agencies first proposed adopting a formal definition of the term last year, noting there was no statutory or regulatory definition of what constitutes an unsafe or unsound practice. The new joint rule defines safe and unsound practices as those that are “contrary to generally accepted standards of prudent operation” and, if continued, could materially harm the institution or present a material risk of loss to the Deposit Insurance Fund.
The rule also establishes uniform standards for when and how the agencies may issue matters requiring attention (MRA) as part of bank supervision, as well as how they will communicate supervisory observations and other violations of laws and regulations. As part of that effort, the OCC issued revised policies and procedures manuals for MRA as well as proposed rulemaking on the subject.
Take advantage of fraud-fighting resources, including upcoming First Friday Fraud Forum!
Registration is open for ABA’s consumer fraud education campaign, #BanksNeverAskThat. This year, learn what it means to become a Scam Slayer with brand new materials including social media posts and graphics, informational and entertaining videos and more.
Registration is free for all banks — making it easy for you to help your customers spot the red flags of scams and protect their money.
Looking for check safety tips? ABA’s #PracticeSafeChecks campaign is still here to help. Register for both campaigns today and join the industry-wide launch on October 1!
FedPayments Improvement staff education resources (https://fedpaymentsimprovement.org/) includes numerous toolkits on check fraud, scam mitigation, synthetic identity fraud, and this one on account takeover fraud which is prevalent in Oklahoma right now https://fedpaymentsimprovement.org/resources/account-takeover-fraud-mitigation-toolkit/.
While you’re checking out these fraud related resources, don’t forget to join our First Friday Fraud Forum virtual meeting at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. For this month’s call, click here for the Zoom link. The Meeting ID is 891 5026 6850 and the passcode is 129461 . The dial-in information for those without Zoom audio is 1-346-248-7799. Any banker who is a member of the Oklahoma or Arkansas Bankers Associations may join this call.
OBA Book Club discussion set for Thursday
The OBA Book Club will discuss its latest selection – “Atomic Habits” – 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3 via Zoom.
This bestselling book explores how small, consistent changes can lead to remarkable personal and professional growth over time. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, “Atomic Habits” offers insights into building good habits, breaking unproductive ones and creating systems that support long-term success.
Click here for the Zoom link. The Meeting ID is 869 9122 5830 and the passcode is 386842.
To get involved in the OBA Book Club, please email Joan Anderson, and she will add you to the Book Club Roster.
Washington Visit room block deadline this week!
Registration continues to be open for the 2026 OBA Washington Visit, Sept. 20-22, but the deadline to book your hotel through our room block is Friday!
Reserve your spot, book your hotel room and encourage one of your banking peers to join us in D.C.!
The Washington Visit registration page includes the agenda, hotel information and everything you need to plan your trip. Many bankers arrive Saturday and gather informally that evening before the Washington Visit officially begins Sunday evening.
Nearly 100 Oklahoma bankers participated in last year’s visit. Help us build an even stronger Oklahoma presence this year.
As you all know, in Washington, numbers matter. The bigger the group the more attention we’ll get. If we show up with more than 100 bankers, it will speak volumes to our delegation and the regulators.
Registration information is live on our website, but you can also download the registration and information form, and get more info on the hotel, by clicking here (.pdf). Click here to access the hotel reservation link.
If you have any questions, contact Megan McGuire at the OBA.
Join us for Bankers at the Ballpark
Join fellow bankers for Bankers at the Ballpark on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The Oklahoma City Comets host the Sugar Land Space Cowboys at 12:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Before the game, OBA’s Sharon Lewis will provide a brief fraud update and share practical fraud prevention tips bankers can pass along to customers this fall.
Oklahoma Bankers Association
$17.29 per person
Specially priced OBA Ticket Includes souvenir Comets hat and boxed lunch
Link to purchase tickets
OBA education corner …
“Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Joooooleeeene!” An American treasure died last week when Dolly Parton left this mortal coil, but her legacy and music remain. From bemoaning another woman taking her man, to the ups and downs of the modern workforce, Dolly was truly a one-of-a-kind singer and songwriter. Did you know she wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” on the same day?! That’d be akin to Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel and writing “Jolene” on the same day! Dolly will always love us, but did you know that if you think about love, you’ll think about her? Put on your Coat of Many Colors and enjoy some Dolly this week, but also make sure to keep up with what’s happening on the continuing education front, including the following:
- Dealing with Artificial Intelligence in Banking, Sept. 8, webinar — This event is an examination of where AI is becoming mainstream in the financial services industry, including a discussion of pros and cons, as well as risks to be monitored.
- Safe Deposit Box Compliance: Disclosures, Due Diligence, and Drilling Procedures, Sept. 8, webinar — Are you properly monitoring for suspicious activity in your SDB area? What happens if an SDB lessee passes away? When is it OK to drill a box and when isn’t it? When do unclaimed property rules apply? If you hesitated in answering any of these questions, then this session is for you!
- What to Do When Your Customer Dies, Sept. 9, webinar — This webinar focuses on the deposit and loan issues that arise when a customer dies.
- Elder Financial Exploitation Program — Policy, Procedures and Referrals, Sept. 17, webinar — The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is issuing this advisory to alert financial institutions to the rising trend of Elder Financial Exploitation targeting older adults and to highlight new EFE typologies and red flags since FinCEN issued the first EFE Advisory in 2011.
- Top 10 IT Audit Recommendations for 2026, Sept. 18, webinar — In this session, we’ll share the 10 most frequently recommended IT Audit findings over the past year, and how your organization can leverage these findings to get ahead of your next IT audit.
- Commercial & Business Lending Basics for Support Personnel, Sept. 21, webinar — This webinar is designed to take the mystery out of the commercial and business lending process and the confusing terminology often used by lenders.
- 2026 Real Estate Lending Compliance, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, Oklahoma City — This two-day seminar provides a practical review of the major federal laws and regulations governing residential real estate lending.