Oklahoma Bankers Association We make bankers better!
In This Issue…
- From Adrian’s desk …
- ABA, ICBA, others warn Clarity Act fails to protect community banks
- Agencies promise more scrutiny of core provider business practices
- Deadline approaching: OBA Emerging Leaders Academy taking applications
- OBA Views & Vistas calendar order deadline is TODAY
- ODP Business Solutions will become Office Depot Business
- OBA to host Bank Fraud Investigators Group next week
- 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 piece today as I’m doing my impression of a yo-yo this week. I’m currently in Washington, D.C., to talk to Sen. Lankford and others about the Clarity Act.
I return later today … but then pack up again and head BACK to the nation’s capital this weekend for our association’s Annual Washington Visit.
The airline miles rewards are piling up at least!
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Speaking of the Annual Washington Visit, I look forward to our meetings during the first part of next week. The Visit is one of the best things we do here at the OBA as we’ll bring along around 100 bankers to meet with the legislators and regulators that affect the banking industry.
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That was a wild weekend of football here in the state of Oklahoma, but my ‘Huskers kept chugging along with a big win against a bad Bowling Green team. I admit, I felt a little old seeing NFL legend Eddie George as a coach and not a player this weekend.
ABA, ICBA, others warn Clarity Act fails to protect community banks
Proposed language in the Clarity Act giving regulators a short time frame to decide whether to close the stablecoin payment-of-interest loophole is no safeguard against the deposit flight that would harm many community banks, the ABA, ICBA and a coalition of banking trade associations said.
Senate Republicans on Monday released a new draft of the Clarity Act as a possible compromise to gain the 60 votes the bill needs to avoid a filibuster. One proposed change – dubbed a “regulatory circuit breaker ” – would direct the Treasury Secretary to determine within 18 months of passage of the bill whether failing to close the loophole has led to “substantial detrimental impact” for community banks, defined as institutions with less than $10 billion in assets. If the answer is yes, then the banking agencies must promulgate regulations to close the loophole.
In a joint letter, the associations said the current draft “provides loopholes and avenues for the prohibition to be easily evaded that would still allow interest and interest-like payments to be made on stablecoin balances.” They also said the inclusion of the circuit breaker is an acknowledgment that failing to close the loophole could threaten credit availability, leading to broader economic consequences.
Agencies promise more scrutiny of core provider business practices
The federal banking agencies pledged late last week to step up oversight of third-party core providers whose business practices “unreasonably limit” community banks from conducting due diligence or from negotiating contract terms that address the banks’ business needs.
The FDIC, Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a joint statement “to provide clarity on their risk-based supervision of certain services provided to community banking organizations,” or CBOs.
In addition, they proposed joint guidance with the National Credit Union Administration to assist financial institutions in better tailoring third-party risk management practices to the risk levels specific to each third-party relationship.
Deadline approaching: OBA Emerging Leaders Academy taking applications
Take note the OBA 2026-27 Emerging Leaders Academy is currently accepting applications. We’re looking for the best and brightest bankers who seek to sharpen their leadership skills.
There are six sessions to the Academy: Nov. 4, Dec. 8, Jan. 22, Feb. 24, March 25, April 29. Each session delivers takeaways that can be implemented immediately. Graduation will take place in May 2027 at the OBA Annual Convention.
Academy applicants should be able to demonstrate an increasing level of responsibility, potential for continuing to play a leadership role in Oklahoma banking and a desire to further their careers and grow professionally. A panel of bankers will review the applicants and choose those accepted into the Academy (maximum 30 bankers).
Click here to apply! The application deadline is Sept. 25. For more information, please contact Megan McGuire at megan@oba.com or (405) 424-5252.
Oklahoma Views & Vista calendar order deadline is TODAY
The 2027 Oklahoma Views & Vistas Calendars is now ready for orders.
The deadline for all orders is TODAY, and will be delivered to your bank by Nov. 15. This is a great way to share your bank’s logo and information to your customers in them for the holidays!
ODP Business Solutions will become Office Depot Business
ODP Business Solutions is transitioning into Office Depot Business.
This change reconnects the business division with the familiar Office Depot name and is part of a broader effort to simplify the brand structure.
The OBA has partnered with Office Depot Business to provide association members significant discounts on a wide range of office and banking supplies, cleaning supplies, furniture, break room provisions, print solutions and promotional products. OBA’s partnership with Office Depot Business is part of a national state bankers association discount program accessed by hundreds of banks across the country. The program has proven to deliver an average cost savings of 20-30% to participating members.
New Customers: Register for an account at www.odpbusiness.com/banksignup.
Please contact Thi Pham for more info.
OBA to host Bank Fraud Investigators Group next week
The OBA Fraud Division will host the Bank Fraud Investigators Group meeting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 in the Harris Event Center at the OBA.
This quarterly meeting is for financial institutions and law enforcement in the state of Oklahoma to discuss electronic transaction crimes: card fraud, wire/ACH fraud, internet scams, crypto scams, business e-mail compromises, ATM fraud/jackpotting, etc. Registration is not required.
We encourage you to come with information to share. If you know of a financial institution or law enforcement agency that may be interested in attending, please invite them. We hope to see you there!
9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23
Oklahoma Bankers Association
643 NE 41st St
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
OBA education corner …
Here we are, middle of September, and STILL dealing with near-100-degree temperatures. Maybe, just maybe, it appears a break might be on the horizon this weekend. In the meantime, it’s too exhausting to even talk, so just make sure to keep up with what’s happening on the continuing education front, including the following:
- Cryptocurrency Workshop, Sept. 23, webinar — It is essential for community banks, no matter the size, to understand the crypto economy, the illicit typologies and have open-source tools in hand to investigate when needed.
- HELOC Compliance Deep Dive: Disclosures, Docs and More, Sept. 23, webinar — This training provides bank staff with the knowledge needed to identify key HELOC compliance requirements, recognize potential risks and apply regulatory expectations for HELOCs.
- The Right of Setoff: What Bankers Need to Know, Sept. 30, webinar — The right of setoff is a complicated, but very effective, tool for collecting debts owed to a financial institution. Learn the best practices and dangers that can arise when using this process.
- Security Officer Fundamentals, Sept. 30, webinar — In this session we will review the minimum-security guidelines outlined by the Bank Protection Act to discourage robberies, burglaries and larcenies and to assist in the identification and apprehension of persons who commit such acts.
- 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.
- Legal Issues of Checks, Oct. 1, webinar — Having an understanding of endorsements and handling checks is crucial to making sound check cashing decisions.
- How to Ensure Cybersecurity When You Outsource, Oct. 7, webinar — This session explores the real and growing threat of cyberattacks targeting financial institutions and their external partners.
- Avoiding Check Fraud Liability: From Prevention to Loss Allocation, Oct. 7, webinar — This webinar provides attendees with tips to avoid check fraud losses, as well as an overview of the laws that apply to loss allocation when check fraud occurs.
- 2026 Advanced BSA/AML, Oct. 21-Tulsa; Oct. 22-Oklahoma City — This practical, focused one-day program examines what is changing, what today’s banks are actually seeing, and what BSA/AML professionals should be doing now.