GCFM Sept_Oct 2021

BRANCH TRANSFORMATION | NEW & EXCITING PAC EVENTS | UPCOMING SCHOOLS & PROGRAMS

SEPT/OCT 2021

The Next GENERATION of Community BANKERS

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CONTENTS

F E AT U R E S

September/October 2021 C B A S TA F F John McNair President & CEO john@cbaofga.com Lori Godfrey Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff, Government and Regulatory Relations lori@cbaofga.com Kristi Greer Senior Vice President Professional Development kristi@cbaofga.com

Developing the Next Generation of Community Bankers 2

Where Are The Next Generation of Community Bankers?

member services

3

Educating Future Talent on Community Bank Career Opportunities Is Up to Us

trends

t h e l at e s t

5

Town Hall Talks

7

Upcoming PAC/PR Events

25

Portfolio Morph

27

For Smaller Community Banks, Size Is An Asset

29 Webinars

Developing the Next Generation Workforce

15 Keeping Talent in Georgia 17 Solutions for Sucess: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing 18 Branch Transformation

s tay connected

Lisa McNair Director of Finance lisa@cbaofga.com

professional development

s pot l i g h ts

9

23 2021 Preferred Service Providers

@CBAofGeorgia

30

Cyer Risk Summit

32

BSA/AML Compliance School

35

WINSPIRE

37

Consumer Lending School

39

Education Buzz/Executive Channel

40

Compliance Lending School

@CBAGeorgia

Lindsay Greene Senior Vice President Member Services, Marketing lindsay@cbaofga.com

Cassie Cornell Assistant Vice President Digital Strategy and Professional Development Marketing cassie@cbaofga.com Becky Soto Assistant Vice President Professional Development and LEAD Board becky@cbaofga.com Connie Shepard Assistant Vice President Professional Development and Member Engagement connie@cbaofga.com

@company/ cbaofgeorgia

Community Bankers Association of Georgia 1640 Powers Ferry Road SE, Building 28, Suite 100, Marietta, GA 30067-1425 (770) 541-4490 or (800) 648-8215 • Fax (770) 541-4496 | www.cbaofga.com • cba@cbaofga.com S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 1

VANTAGE POINT John McNair President & CEO Community Bankers Association of Georgia

Where Are The Next Generation of Community Bankers?

(Hint- closer than you think)

During her first semester at the University of Georgia, my daughter Lauren came home for the Thanksgiving break. As was her custom, the second she entered the car, she would adjust the radio to a station more suitable for her listening preferences over mine or my wife’s.

Picking her up from the airport, Lisa and I were so happy to see her, we didn’t even notice the station that she had tuned into until we were halfway home. Much to our surprise, she tuned into the country music station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (which we did not even know existed). Lauren immediately began singing along with the first song she heard, and we knew at that moment she was hooked on country music.

Over the next few days, we spent a lot of time together in the car driving around to visit family and friends and all we listened to was Lauren’s country music station.

A favorite band of hers was (and still is) the Zac Brown Band- hailing from Atlanta. Their hit song “Home Grown” makes me think about the amazing opportunity community banks have to secure the next generation of community bankers for their respective institutions.

Georgia is home to over 200 colleges and universities. In the southeast, only Florida has more with over 400. For Georgia’s community banks, this means a fresh influx of well-educated, “Home Grown,” students and graduates looking for internships and full-time employment every year. With a strong supply of newly minted graduates

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every year, creating awareness amongst students regarding the benefits of a career in community banking is needed.

In 2019, CBA started a college outreach initiative and attended career fair held by the University of Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia College, and Kennesaw State University. At each event, we spoke with dozens of students from several degree paths seeking internship and full-time employment opportunity. Much to our surprise, many of the students were hoping to find employment post-graduation in or close to their hometowns. As a result, we were able to facilitate many introductions for students to their local, hometown community bank and helped place several students for internships and full-time employment. Our featured article in this edition highlights the journey of Ms. Jasmine Brown from graduation into full time employment with CBA member Cadence Bank. CBA will once again participate in career fair days this fall and spring; however, we strongly encourage community banks to participate as well in the career fair days of the 200 plus colleges and universities throughout our great state.

Clearly, the “Home Grown” talent is here in Georgia and between CBA and Georgia’s community banks, we can perpetuate community banking for generations to come! Please contact CBA for assistance.

FROM THE TOP

Debra Weil Executive Vice President Community Banking Co. of Fitzgerald 2021-2022 CBA Chairwoman

Educating Future Talent on Community Bank Career Opportunities Is Up to Us As a proud graduate of Georgia Southern, I am also a proud example of a “Home Grown” community banker. While many of us long time community bankers have served in multiple capacities during our career, when most people think about their local community bank, they think of their local branch along with the tellers and manager that operate the branch.

Clearly, front line community bankers are critical to the success of any financial institution. However, what is not known by most is the vast array of behind-the scenes jobs that make a financial institution function daily. Below, I have outlined a few critical functions that are vital to the success of any community bank: Local Branch Personnel: As indicated, these are critically important position for the bank as they serve as the front line, customer facing representatives of the bank. Key branch positions include: • Bank Tellers: They are responsible for processing bank’s day-to-day transactions. They are the face of the bank that customers interact directly with the customer.

Tellers need to know the bank’s products and services, as well as how to operate the transaction processing system. Teller positions exist for both full-time staff and for part-time.

• Customer Services Representatives are responsible for opening accounts, assisting customers with technical support, general account maintenance, and assisting with the daily operations of the branch. They too must know the bank’s products and services and be prepared to introduce to the customer if the appropriate need arises.

• Branch Managers are responsible for the day-to-day operational side of the branch. In addition to overseeing the Customer Service Representatives and Tellers, the Branch Manager is responsible for attaining branch goals, visiting local businesses, maintaining the lines of communication between their branch, the back office, and other branches of the bank.

Lenders are the direct contact between the bank and those seeking to borrow money for a home, car, or small business. Lenders meet with people and/or businesses to help determine their credit needs and guide them through the complex loan process. They work in conjunction with Loan Operation personnel who handle the detailed underwriting on loan applications and prepares the required documentation for approval loans. They make sure the loan documents are properly completed, that the application is complete, and all documentation has been collected from the customer.

The Marketing Department at a bank is very similar to the marketing department at any other company. Their job is to create campaigns that will help to sell the bank’s services and products and promote the bank’s image in the community.

The employees in the Marketing Department do everything from representing the bank at events, to buying ad space, to maintaining the bank’s social media presence, to compiling data into spreadsheets.

The Human Resources Department has a large responsibility at every bank. They oversee the bank’s greatest resource: its employees The HR Department oversees all employment items, maintains compliance with labor laws, manages compensation and benefits, record keeping, addressing safety and health concerns, establishing employee relations and so much more.

As bankers, we know these and other roles exist throughout our respective institutions; however, I believe it is a good reminder when pursing the next generation of community banker to understand the perception challenge we face and to make sure to educate prospective employees as to the multiple opportunities within our banks. In my opinion, this well help prospective employees- especially those that may be new to the labor market, see future opportunities for growth in the community banking industry.

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THE LATEST

The Day at the Dome is coming to you! CBA is proud to partner with NFIB to present Town Hall Talks. These events are a grassroots alternative to the Day at The Dome. We are bringing your legislators to you!

We are proud to be partnering with The National Federation of Independent Business to host the first annual Town Hall Talks. These events will provide community bankers the opportunity to engage their legislators in a Q&A session and hear perspectives on legislative issues that may impact your community bank. The Town Hall Talks will feature a locally catered lunch. In addition to the networking opportunity with legislators, you will hear from your CBA Team regarding association updates and insights on the upcoming legislative session. As mentioned we are partnering with NFIB on this grassroots initiative, therefore, we encourage you to invite your small business clients to attend these events with you!

Your CBA Team is looking forward to visiting your community and bringing the Gold Dome to you!

NOW VIRTUAL

S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 5

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THE LATEST

2021 Fall Clay Shoots: September 28, 2021 – Albany | October 21, 2021 – Mansfield There’s something about coming together outdoors in the fall for a day of fellowship, skill, and raising money for a good cause. The North and South clay shoots honor two longtime bankers who were passionate about promoting community banking.

REGISTER/MORE INFO

Advocacy After Hours: September 23, 2021 - Athens | 4:00 – 6:00 PM

After WINSPIRE join us at the Foundry. Your registration includes a presentation on the history of jewelry making and different beads and gems. Then we will have a jewelry-making session where each attendee will make a necklace and bracelet with the beads of their choice. Followed by refreshments, networking, a presentation from Lori Godfrey on CBA Pac efforts, and lastly, you’ll hear from and visit with female legislators. You won’t want to miss CBA’s PAC/PR Advocacy After-Hours!

REGISTER/MORE INFO

Wine & Bourbon Tasting: October 25, 2021 | The Buckhead Club, Atlanta | 4:00 – 7:00 PM Enjoy wine, bourbon, hors d’oeuvres while supporting CBA’s PAC/PR Fund. Governor Brian Kemp will be attending this event. CBA has secured a Group Rate for those who wish to stay over at the Marriott Buckhead. REGISTER/MORE INFO

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SPOTLIGHT

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SPOTLIGHT ccording to a report published by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the University System of Georgia which includes 26 colleges and universities throughout the state, has seen a 24% increase in students who earn a college degree annually since 2011. Who makes up this increase in college graduates? According to published demographic information, the largest systemwide enrollment growth for fall 2020 breaks down along these lines: Hispanic and Asian students, both at 7.2% increase while African American enrollment rose by 3.9%.

So, what does this mean for community banks in our state and how can they harness this available, local talent right here in their own backyard? This article showcases recent college graduate, Jasmine Brown’s job search journey, her interaction with Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA), and what steps community banks should be taking to capitalize on the growing college graduate pool right here in Georgia.

In December of 2020, Jasmine Brown graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in finance. Prior to graduation, Jasmine had secured an

Community Banks Benefit by Leveraging Strong and Diverse Home Grown Talent S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 9

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SPOTLIGHT internship, but unfortunately it was cancelled because of Covid-19. As we remember all too well, this was during the earlier days of the pandemic when most of the country began to shut down due to slow the spread of covid-19. Not an ideal time to be a college graduate on the job hunt, but you must play the hand you’re dealt. Although feeling a little disappointed, Jasmine forged ahead with her job search without an internship by sending out resumes and following up on openings at banks in middle and South Georgia, but she was feeling disheartened as the process dragged on day after day and she wasn’t hearing back from many of the banks. The feedback she did receive though was that she lacked banking experience which of course is frustrating when a pandemic canceled an internship you had lined up

at Cadence Bank’s Reidsville location as a universal banker.

Jasmine has held her position as universal banker at Cadence Bank for nearly four months now. She told CBA she is still learning the ropes, but she has learned many lessons from her job search experience overall. First, she says networking is a must. She spoke with many people at Cadence Bank including the HR manager who forwarded her resume along after they spoke which was key in helping her get her foot in the door. Additional networking opportunities that came out of meeting John and the other folks at CBA’s career fair booth. Second, start early in taking advantage of the opportunities available to students on campus such as career fairs and internship programs. And third, don’t give up. Jasmine was motivated by the fact

and you’re trying to get that first job! Fortunately, though, she had attended a college career fair at Georgia Southern where she met CBA president John McNair and learned about community banking in Georgia. The two struck up a conversation and kept in touch via email.

that she would be able to help other new graduates who would one day be in her shoes trying to get that first job who might be thinking that it might not happen or doubting their qualifications or abilities.

She kept him updated on the job search and he encouraged her to continue applying for open positions and most importantly to continue to network with others in the profession. He also admired Jasmine’s strong work ethic and encouraged her to highlight that when being interviewed as it was a strong attribute she possessed and could bring to a community bank. She had worked her way through college balancing both classes and working to meet the financial responsibilities that come with a college education. Because she was working, Jasmine had little time to devote to clubs or activities on campus and felt that would be problematic to potential employers. Again, John encouraged her to showcase her work ethic. Through her persistent job search, Jasmine accepted a full-time position

How Community Banks Can Get Involved and Why It’s Important

Jasmine is only one example of the hardworking, dedicated college graduates who are coming out of Georgia’s colleges every year. This talent pool is rich in qualification and plentiful in numbers, and community banks don’t have to look far to fill their positions to grow their organizations.

Community banks should look at the colleges nearby and consider a booth at one of the career fairs or working with local universities to ensure any internships or open entry level job positions are publicized on campus. It’s also important for community banks to reach out to recruit the college graduates who return to their hometowns to find work after they get their degree.

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In 2019, the CBA began participating in college career fairs on "The partnership we have with the CBA of Georgia provides campuses around the state to attract new, young talent for our students with direct exposure to community bankers the community banking sector. through our fintech career fairs, Additionally, the CBA works to events, and student projects, “Community banks looking for the next foster internships for college stated Mr. Marshall. “Students generation of community bankers need students at member banks and now understand that starting to look no further than the expansive actively markets community a career in community banking university system in Georgia. banking as a professional path is an excellent way to quickly for graduates. Getting out in obtain hands-on experience CBA strongly encourages community front of these graduates is key in with fintech and banking." banks to participate in career fair days showing them what community and become engaged with nearby banking has to offer especially Banks have fewer younger colleges and universities. As the at this time when many sectors workers in their workforce for statistics reveal, the potential for interns of the economy are struggling to many reasons some of which and ultimately full time employees is find employees. include underutilizing current unlimited. CBA is committed to this senior bank employees to outreach and will assist whenever Another organization, working foster the next generation possible.” to attract young graduates back of bank leaders through to the banking/financial services mentorships (Bank Director).

John McNair, President & CEO, sector is The University System of Key senior level community Community Bankers Association of Georgia Georgia’s Fintech Academy. This bank executives are needed group bridges the gap between to teach the next generation fintechs, financial services and a diversified workforce. More of talent with hands on mentoring. So now is the time to than half of the students enrolled are minorities. actively market your community bank to graduates and let them know what community banking has to offer today to According to Tommy Marshall, Executive Director, Georgia turn the tide on any distrust. It’s time now for community Fintech Academy, Georgia Fintech Academy has 2,800 banks to get in front of new graduates by participating in enrollees to date and anticipate adding 600 enrollees this career fairs, marketing themselves and offering internships. fall. Final numbers are not in yet but Mr. Marshall estimates Graduates are more plentiful than ever before and most that 300 students were placed into internships and full- importantly right here in our own backyard. time tech jobs.

Georgia Bank Customer Surveys… …Find out what they told us about

Contact: Steve Bruyn, CEO Steve@foresightresearch.com

Foresight Research

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Peer to Peer Mobile Payment Apps

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Attracting New Business to Your Bank

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Digital vs. Branch Banking

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Consumer Resistance to A.I Banking

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Fintech / The Digital Only Financial Institution

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The Customer Experience & Payoff for High Satisfaction

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And More…

S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | (248) G e or g i a 608-1870 C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 13 www.foresightresearch.com

SPOTLIGHT

Recruiting Strategies that Work -

Top-Down Commitment, Real World Experience, Personal Touch

CBA is committed to the growth and success of tomorrow’s banker. Our mission is to help connect students of all majors with banks in their desired area seeking internships, fulltime and part-time jobs.

Building a pipeline for future talent often starts with offering an internship program that’s meaningful for the student and impactful for the bank. A successful program requires commitment of both time and resources from the bank’s management team. CBA recently visited with Harold Reynolds, CEO, BankSouth, Greensboro, who explained that the bank has had a good experience with interns, many who went full-time after graduation.

BankSouth has drawn students from across the Southeast including University of Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Missouri, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Gordon State College, and Kennesaw State to name a few. Interns have had the opportunity to work in nearly every area of the bank – Compliance, IT, Marketing, Retail – Operations, Credit & Underwriting, Banking Systems, Accounting and even a Core Conversion. The academic focus for the students varied to include: Management Information Systems, Marketing, Information Technology, Business Administration in Finance, Industrial Engineering, Finance, Risk Analysis, Economics, Advertising/Art, and Accounting.

CBA also had the opportunity to speak with Traci Thrasher and Jessy Piscitelli in BankSouth’s Human Resources Department. They explained that the bank goes the extra mile in welcoming interns and keeping them connected.

The bank might host a dinner at the CEO’s house where he cooks, a casual meet and greet with C-Suite employees as well as half-day programs where representatives from all departments present and help interns understand how the departments are connected.

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work experience and learning opportunities to individuals from varying backgrounds, disciplines and institutions. Our hope is that we can do our part to prepare them for the next step in their career and if that is with us, that’s the icing on the cake,” explained Traci Thrasher, PHR, Vice President – Human Resources, BankSouth, Watkinsville.

“I feel that being able to provide a personal touch to the program gives it that little extra finesse, making it more than just a summer job or an internship that is all grunt work,” said Jessy Piscitelli, Human Resource Generalist. “BankSouth goes above and beyond to provide personal interactions all the way up to our CEO, giving our interns a little extra attention while also gaining real world working experiences.”

Getting Started – Tips for Success: • Finding Interns: Post positions with CBA Career Center, Handshake, Georgia Fintech Academy, bank website and of course employee and customer referrals.

• Open Mind on Majors: Don’t pigeonhole someone because of their major. A candidate’s core characteristics often direct the best place in the bank to gain experience.

At CBA, we encourage our bankers to join us at college career fairs as we educate, inspire and recruit graduating students. Meet Tomorrow’s Top Banker Today!

SPOTLIGHT

Keeping Talent in Georgia The University System of Georgia (USG) awards more business-related degrees than in any other academic interest area, with a vast majority of those graduates staying to live and work in Georgia.

In fiscal year 2021, USG awarded an all-time high of 72,929 degrees, a 3% increase over FY20 and up nearly 33% since 2011. The FY21 figure includes 9,529 bachelor’s degrees in business-related majors and 2,933 master’s degrees in a business-related field.

One out of every five bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees awarded by the system were in business-related fields, with business administration and management, finance, and accounting among the top bachelor’s degrees. Among master’s degrees, general administration and management and accounting were awarded most.

The most recently available state data shows 78% of USG bachelor’s graduates and 75% of master’s graduates who majored in business were employed in Georgia one year after graduation. The data does not include graduates who were self-employed or employed by the military or federal government. Overall, 75% of USG bachelor’s graduates and 62% of master’s graduates were employed in Georgia one year after graduation.

• The Georgia State University Alumni Association reports 80% of graduates who have graduated in the past 11 years stay in Atlanta. That means, since 2010, 75,000 of Georgia State’s 93,000 graduates in remain in metro-Atlanta.

GSUs top majors are Business Administration, Psychology, Marketing, Finance, Nursing, Management, and Accounting.

Finally, a May 2021 study commissioned by USG showed a Class of 2020 graduate, on average, will earn an additional $852,162 over the course of their career as a result of their USG degree.

More specifically, a bachelor’s degree increases the work-life earnings of the median Georgia resident by $1,152,500. A master’s degree is worth an additional $247,000, and a professional degree is worth an additional $1,015,000.

Additionally, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center in 2020 released a report showing Georgia experienced among the largest increases in the nation for six-year college completion rates.

Special thanks to Aaron Diamant, Vice Chancellor, Communications, and the team at the University System of Georgia, for providing this data.

The University System of Georgia institutions also track several metrics specific to their own graduates. Among some examples: • The University of Georgia’s Career Outcomes Initiative provides insight into the employment and continuing education status of UGA graduates within an average of 6 months of their graduation date. Class of 2020 graduates accepted jobs in 48 states and 33 countries with 71% staying in Georgia.

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SPOTLIGHT

Solutions for Success: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

The Solutions for Success features timely issues and best practices from CBA Associate Members. CBA recently met with FITECH employees, Tanner Rizenbergs, Manager of Financial Institutions, and Sarah Humphrey, Director of Sales, to learn about the ways community banks can both identify and protect themselves from encroaching fintechs.

The age-old idiom, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, epitomizes today’s fintechs and the risk they pose to community banks.

Fintechs may appear harmless, but they are powerful, and they are rapidly taking away both commercial customers and depository fee income from community banks. And in many cases, community banks are unknowingly helping them to do so.

Detecting the risk As today’s merchants embrace new technologies, their desire for convenience is creating a threat to traditional banking models as providers like Square, Quickbooks and PayPal now offer payroll solutions, take payments, and even make loans. With these services—the backbone of community banks—fintechs are blurring the lines for merchant services and jeopardizing your long-term relationship with business customers.

Rethinking treasury management When was the last time your institution performed an ACH scrub to identify where deposits are coming from?

Community banks across the country have spent millions of dollars integrating with Quickbooks, but this accounting solution partners with Green Dot Bank, and is providing competitive banking services such as interest-yielding accounts, ACH transfers and Visa debit cards directly to the commercial accounts being shared with them. Are you making it too easy for your merchants to go elsewhere?

You’re not alone.

Fitech recently helped a community bank in South Carolina identify that 800 of its commercial accounts were using either PayPal, Square or Quickbooks. This lost business equated to nearly $27 million in initial deposits and $60,000 worth of merchant fee income in one year.

If your commercial account portfolio is stagnant, or declining, odds are your customers are going elsewhere.

Find a payment partner to help you compete in the marketplace and insulate your institution against customer

attrition, not poach your customers. Banks that control how their small business customers get paid, control where the deposits go.

Knowing fact vs. fiction Fintechs and fintechs-turned-bank, like Square, provide rapid onboarding with no monthly fees, thereby eliminating the most common barriers to payment processing.

However, there can be a downside. Because there are no pre-qualification criteria, Square often works with higherrisk businesses and has been known to hold merchant funds, sometimes for days or weeks, without notice.

Additionally, Square charges a higher flat rate than other processors, and requires the purchase of equipment that cannot be used with other systems.

Fitech, as an example, offers multiple ways to set up a merchant account, including a digitally secure application that can have the merchant accepting payments in as few as 24 hours. Plus, both pricing and billing are fully transparent, and funds are deposited the next day, with no unexpected account holds. Moreover, our non-proprietary equipment allows merchants to choose their processor; they are never “locked in” because of the equipment or software they use.

Finding the right partner Speed and convenience are important in a competitive, technology-driven environment, but you can’t forget about service. Your payment partner should be an adviser, an advocate, working in tandem with your institution to create a roadmap to reinforce your brand and to deliver a superior customer experience 24/7. If you aren’t taking care of your customers’ needs, someone else will.

Fitech, like the CBA, focuses on the interests of community banks. For help crafting a payment strategy that keeps you ahead of the competitors —both known and emerging — visit Fitech.com.

Tanner Rizenbergs Sarah Humphrey Manager, Director of Sales Financial Institutions S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 17

SPOTLIGHT

Branch Transformation As banks strive to adapt to evolving customer expectations and technology, branch transformation becomes increasingly important to offering an efficient and engaging environment.

CBA asked several of our partner firms to share what they are seeing in the field as well as trends and the journey to dialogue banking.

Branch transformation is happening in banks across the country and has become even more accelerated due to the recent labor shortage and pandemic. Financial institutions need solutions to help with efficiencies. Chris Nelson, President of STS Group, Madison, AL, shared how his company is delivering the latest technology to help banks achieve their goals.

“Teller Cash Recyclers (TCRs) are one of the most popular solutions we’re seeing in the financial industry. TCR’s allow branches to cut down on the amount of vault visits and increase the speed of night depository processing.

This technology provides significant efficiencies in commercial transactions and is easily implemented across any teller application,” explained Mr. Nelson.

“Can you Imagine the possibilities of staffing all of your drive-throughs 1 8 | ww w. cbao fga.com | Se p t ember/ O c t o b er 2021

in one centralized location, taking the burden of drivethrough transactions away from the branch staff? Thanks to ITMs (Interactive Teller Machines), banks can centralize their footprint of drive-through tellers into one location. This allows for staffing adjustments including hiring part-time tellers during peak hours and increasing efficiencies. As customers are becoming more comfortable with the use of self-service ITM’s, what was typically a teller transaction has become a self-service transaction.

This gives tellers the flexibility to cover more complex drive-through transactions,” he continued.

According to Mr. Nelson, the Universal Banker concept and concierge-style branch is here to stay. Self-service safe deposit boxes and self-service coin machines for lobbies are allowing branches to do more with less during a labor shortage. << TCR – Teller Cash Recycler

SPOTLIGHT

Speaking of ITMs, Rocky Golding, Marketing & Business Development, Southern Bank Equipment & ATMs, Duluth, notes the company has been in business almost 30 years and been able to partner with Georgia banks as they’ve grown and changed to adapt to evolving customer expectations and technology. This pandemic forced many financial institutions to re-evaluate the ways that they interact and support their customers while also keeping everyone safe. ITMs allow a face-to-face customer experience with the convenience and safety of never having to step inside a branch.

“At Southern Bank Equipment, we’ve seen the greatest success with ITM adoption among our customers who promote and embrace the machines as a true customer retention and acquisition tool.”

Some examples include: • Customer Culture Shift and Adaptation: Queensborough National Bank & Trust knew that their customers may be a bit apprehensive to use a machine in lieu of the teller line, so they got a creative. During early deployment, Queensborough had staff greet customers that were waiting to use the traditional drive through lane. Employees explained how to use an ITM and how the experience was the same as what they were already familiar with. QNBT also encouraged ITM use by giving away iPads to customers who used the machines to complete their transactions. Queensborough has seen so much success with their ITM deployment that they will soon be opening their very first branch with all ITMs (vs. standard drive through system).

Strategy.

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S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 19

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SPOTLIGHT • Personification - Meet “Pinny”: Pinnacle Bank was one of the earliest adopters of the Interactive Teller and truly bridged the gap between technology and personal experience when they gave their ITMs a persona. Pinnacle named their interactive teller “Pinny” and promoted their new “teller” in their branches and through all their marketing channels.

Russ Schoper, CMO & Business Development Consultant at CashTrans, Austell, has found organic growth and mobile/ online video account acquisition are cost-effective ways to attract new customers. Eli Tinsley, President & Chief Banking Officer Planters First Bank, Cordele, explained that the bank rolled out their digital program earlier this year. “Our bank has benefited significantly with this digital product which is linked to our website and a separate mobile video banking app within our Solutions Center. We have found that it is a quick and cost-effective way to onboard new customers,” he explained.

Michael Smith, Regional Vice President, Eclipse Brand Builders, Johns Creek, shared the struggle many banks face with the looming decision to dump the iconic teller line and move to the dialogue banking model. Though it was introduced more than two decades ago, dialogue banking is still a new concept to many community banks.

barriers (the teller line) and replacing traditional branch staff (tellers) with “universal bankers” who are both gifted with excellent people skills and cross-trained to handle any customer need.

The goal of dialogue banking is to improve customer service and create cross-selling opportunities by utilizing technology (teller cash recyclers) to remove physical

These changes create an interactive, friendly, and personal customer experience that fosters customer engagement and loyalty and drives sales.

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SPOTLIGHT

Planters First Bank, headquartered in Cordele, found themselves pondering these and other questions during early planning for a new branch office in Warner Robins and partnered with Eclipse Brand Builders, a consulting + design + construction firm to help the bank develop an office with a completely redesigned customer experience that can be used as a model for the bank going forward.

Lisa Lane, EVP, Chief Administration Officer at Planters First Bank shared the following, “I’m proud and excited to help bring a brand new, state-of-the-art banking center to Warner Robins and we are eager to provide our special brand of banking services under the leadership of Clay Corbitt and Kristina Gibbs.”

Dan Duchnowski, Chief Deposit Officer & Chief Marketing Officer for Planters First Bank, explained, “We’ve not built a new branch in several years, but our leadership understands that banking has changed dramatically. Rolling out a dialogue banking model was a natural next step for us. We are focused on commercial banking and this model fits well with our strategy to provide relationship banking and deliver a unique customer-centric experience that also provides a retail component.”

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Rendering of Planters First Bank’s New Warner Robins Branch

A unique feature is a dedicated space for video banking, which is a private location for customers and prospects to interact with banking experts through a secure portal no matter where the banker may be located in the bank’s network.

The new branch will include lending offices, a conference room and features such as a covered outdoor space for private and public gatherings; and a pandemic transaction counter located in the vestibule that can be activated should the bank need to close the lobby in the future, allowing customers to conduct business without entering the lobby.

The goals and outcome of every community bank’s decision to embark on the journey to dialogue banking will be unique to their brand, culture, and demographic niche.

CBA’S 2021 PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIDERS DIAMOND LEVEL

Harland Clarke Christine Ahlgren | christine.ahlgren@harlandclarke.com | (678) 500-5330

ICBA Securities Jim Reber | jreber@icbasecurities.com | (901) 762-5884 Independent Community Bankers of America Scott Brown | scott.brown@icba.org | (334) 328-5731

James Bates Brannan Groover LLP Dan Brannan | dbrannan@jamesbatesllp.com | (404) 997-6023 SHAZAM Alex Jernigan | jjernig@Shazam.net | (229) 220-0064 PLATINUM LEVEL

Warren Averett Lisa Small | lisa.small@warrenaverett.com | (770) 393-6151 Wipfli Mary Boortz | mboortz@wipfli.com | (715) 858- 6677 GOLD LEVEL

ATM Response Tony Webb | twebb@atmresponse.com | (770) 855-2989 Bankers Healthcare Group Brian Mullett | bmullett@bhg-inc.com | (315) 663-1121

Crescent Mortgage Skip Willcox | swillcox@crescentmortgage.net | (478) 357-4441 FITECH Matt Mingenback | mmingenback@fitech.com | (316) 518-8850 Genesys Technology Group, LLC David Saylor | david@genesystg.com | (770) 729-4139

Holtmeyer & Monson Arne Monson | amonson@holtandmon.com | (800) 340-7304

IntraFi Network Danny Capitel | dcapitel@promnetwork.com | (770) 630-6796

Point to Point Environmental Mark Faas | mfaas@p2penvironmental.com | (678) 565-4435 Ext 151 STS Group Chris Nelson | cnelson@stsgrp.com | (205) 567-3613

Travelers Diana Baker | dcbaker@travelers.com | (678) 317-7882 Interested in becoming a Preferred Service Provider?

The Preferred Service Provider packages offers Associate Members the option of upgrading to package of your choice. A few benefits include early access to advertising, exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, simplified budgeting and of course – increased exposure! All packages are reviewed by CBA’s Member Services Committee. To learn more, please contact Lindsay Greene at 770-541-0376.

SILVER LEVEL

ACG Phil Winn | Phil.Winn@acgworld.com | (678) 458-9899​

BCC-USA John Gianacaci | JGianacaci@BCC-USA.com | (609) 915-9168 CBIZ Kris St. Martin | kstmartin@cbiz.com | (763) 549-2267

CRA Partners Shea Gabrielleschi | shea@shcpfoundation.org | (901) 529-4773

Eclipse Brand Builders Michael Smith | msmith@eclipsebrandbuilders.com | (678) 890-1140

Executive Insurance Agency, Inc. Ryan Sower | ryan@executiveinsuranceagency.com | (770) 474-2355 Kasasa Ryan Busenitz | Ryan.Busenitz@kasasa.com | (678) 595-0625 Mauldin & Jenkins Ron Mitchell | rmitchell@mjcpa.com | (229) 446-3600

Newcleus Bank Advisors JR Llewellyn | jr.llewellyn@newcleus.com | (678) 427-1015

QwickRate Melissa Wallace | melissa.wallace@qwickrate.com | (678) 797-4062 BRONZE LEVEL

AgoraEversole Craig Eversole | craig@agoraeversole.com | (601) 366-7370

Bahr Consultants, Inc. Hank Bahr | hank@bahrconsultantsinc.com | (865) 694-6098 S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 23

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TRENDS

Portfolio Morph

Jim Reber

President & CEO ICBA Securities

Investment securities have undergone big changes this year.

If there’s a constant in the world of a community bank investment manager, it’s disappointment. If you buy a bond today and yields go down tomorrow, you wish you’d have bought more; if yields go up, you wish you had bought none.

If your overall portfolio has unrealized gains, you lament the poor yields that are available; if you are presented with attractive rates on new offerings, it means you’ve got losses on the balance sheet.

As we navigate the volatile rate environment of 2021, I’d like to convey some data that we’ve gathered about community bank portfolios. The motive is expressly not in the vein of misery loves company, but rather to share what your peers’ portfolios, sector weightings and yields look like.

I am also pleased that we’ve got two great reference points by which to measure performance: Dec. 31, 2020, and June 30. 2021. That six-month period saw a rise in interest rates and a steepening of the curve, and more than a 50 basispoint shock (0.50%) in the middle of the maturity range.

The five-year treasury note started 2021 at 0.36% and six months later was 0.89%.

Crowd favorites Our sample portfolio, which I’ve used often in this space over the years, is the Vining Sparks bond accounting client base.

Vining Sparks, which is ICBA Securities’ exclusive broker, provides this service for about 400 community banks with an average portfolio size of $140 million, which is 46% larger than pre-pandemic levels.

These portfolios have more than half of their dollars in some type of mortgage security. Fixed-rate mortgagebacked securities (MBSs) comprise 31% of the total, fixedrate collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) are 14% and floating rate MBS are 7%. Right around 29% of the investments are in municipals. The bulk of the remainder, 8%, is in government agency bonds.

Stretched out While the sector weightings are essentially unchanged over the past year, there are two stark differences: duration and market values. On Dec. 31, 2020, the average portfolio had a duration of 3.2 years (Duration is a major yardstick for investment managers, as it affects cash flow and market risk. The higher the duration, the greater the risk). Six short months later, duration had risen to 4.3 years. So, portfolios, at least in theory, have 34% more risk than at year-end.

the curve, as prepayments of amortizing securities tend to slow, and other callable securities don’t get called. The second—and more salient—cause was the very deliberate extension of average maturities as portfolio managers have tried to sop up the excess liquidity residing on community bank balance sheets.

Something else that’s changed as a result is the unrealized profit. Back in December 2020, the average portfolio was sitting on a 2.7% gain. By June, that number had shrunk to 1.0%. What this, in effect, means is that most banks currently own some bonds at gains and some at losses, which can be seen as condition that affords maximum flexibility.

Plug the leak Many portfolio managers are now focused on limiting fMany portfolio managers are now focused on limiting further extension risk. That should not be terribly difficult to do, as most securities that have any seasoning to them have already been repriced to a longer expected maturity.

Prepayment “speeds” have slowed from their peaks in the spring, and most models are predicting relatively consistent speeds for the near future.

Nonetheless, not all MBSs are created equally. Collateral with 10- to 20-year finals typically can continue to prepay with some consistency even if interest rates rise. Of course, the scheduled principal repayments will be much greater for shorter pools than for 30-year pools, independent of prepays.

A variation on this theme is to buy “structure.” This usually means a CMO. Recently issued CMOs have low passthrough rates (“coupons”) relative to the borrowers’ rates on the underlying collateral. This allows investors to keep their book prices closer to par, which will preserve book yields if prepayments were to kick back into high gear.

So, there you have a revisiting of the portfolio changes during 2021. By being on top of the changing complexion of your community bank’s investments, you can minimize your disappointments. Avoiding the constant sorrow of portfolio management—with apologies to the Soggy Bottom Boys— can be your milestone accomplishment of the year.

Jim Reber (jreber@icbasecurities.com) is President and CEO of ICBA Securities, ICBA’s institutional, fixed-income brokerdealer for community banks.

This duration growth was the result of two separate events.

The first was the rise in longer-term rates. I think we’ve come to realize that higher rates move average durations out on S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 25

SPOTLIGHT

Helping your bank fight elder financial abuse in your community

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shcpfoundation.org 877-232-0859

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TRENDS

For Smaller Community Banks, Size Is An Assest Retail customers typically go to the big banks. But small businesses favor community banks. These organizations work hard to develop products and services that are valuable to small business customers, such as late wire transfer cutoffs, same day ACH transactions and mobile check capture. But is your community bank reaching business customers right now? In the past, you could connect with them at the branch. It was easier to generate awareness within your community, too, through events and sponsorships. Since the pandemic, the effectiveness of these channels has diminished, and is only gradually returning to normalcy.

Fortunately, one bright spot has been the PPP loan program.

Suddenly businesses needed laptops and other tech for their employees to work remotely and needed help applying for PPP loans. If you’ve acquired new business customers through the PPP loan program, now is an opportunity to increase wallet share by promoting other offerings to them.

Successful community banks play to their strengths Big banks have enormous marketing budgets dedicated to customer acquisition and cross sell, but community banks have their own unique strengths. Because community banking is relationship-driven, there’s not necessarily a need to spend a lot on marketing technology. For example, Jill Castilla, President and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond (OK), used Twitter to directly connect with customers and prospective customers who needed help with the PPP process. In one article, she is quoted as saying, “JPMorgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon, may do that — I’m not aware that he does — but that’s something you get with a smaller institution: access to the CEO, access to the decision maker in your community. It’s really difficult for large institutions to compete with that.” One-quarter of her bank’s nearly 500 PPP applications came from new customers.

In fact, community banks have been a lifeline for small businesses shut out from applying for PPP loans from the big banks. Joe Dutra, President and CEO of a small candy manufacturer, has voiced his frustration saying “We went to one of our larger existing banks. They basically told us you should try to go to another bank because we are overwhelmed.” Another reason it’s now an excellent time to engage with customers you’ve acquired from the PPP program: customers are in flux trying to meet the challenges Covid introduced, and more open to doing business with a new bank.

Bells and whistles not required Unfortunately, it’s not enough to simply list the small business services your bank provides on your website or to send out one-size-fits-all communications. You need enterprise technology to target and customize your communications across channels like email and SMS. But for many community banks, that adds complexity and community banks don’t always have the personnel to dedicate to an enterprise-grade product: IT staff are too busy maintaining core systems, while marketing juggles multiple events and in-branch initiatives. These platforms come with an enterprise-sized price, and usually aren’t designed to make it easy for smaller customers to implement without support from third party providers.

Smaller financial institutions need to find ways to get the most out of their marketing software without sinking time and money into capabilities they’ll never use.

A right-sized solution Community banks ended up becoming a lifeline for small businesses unable to get help from the big banks when applying for PPP loans. In the same way, community banks may find more success using marketing solutions that fit their needs, not those designed for enterprises.

DataOceans provides a comprehensive solution that delivers better customer communications for financial institutions of any size.

Fred Soller Chief Revenue Officer DataOceans, LLC, Peachtree Corner

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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Community Lending Partners is a proud member of the Community Bankers Association of Georgia.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Over 60 Participate in CBA Cyber Risk Summit Participants in CBA’s Annual Cyber Risk Summit held in Savannah, heard from experts on wide variety of cyberrelated topics ranging from incident response, securing cloud security, to audits and regulator hot topics. Special thanks to our program presenters, sponsors and exhibitors.

“Over the last 4-5 years I’ve attended, the CBA Cyber Risk Summit has continued to grow and expand. CBA continues to bring the best of the best to this arena, ” said J. Carneage Young, The Citizens Bank of Swainsboro.

Bank ISOs, IT professionals, and operations professionals appreciated getting to learn and network with their peers while increasing and refreshing their expertise. Program topics included: Cyber Risk & Incident Response, IT Governance, Securing Office 365 and Cloud Security, Cyber Insurance, Risk-Based Audits, Employee Awareness Training, Fraud Prevention Strategies.

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John McNair, CBA President & CEO shared, “As an attendee of CBA’s Cyber Security program, my overall knowledge and awareness of the challenges for community banks was greatly increased. The presenters covered many crucial areas and provided resources for attendees to use to help their respective institutions. As the President and CEO of the CBA, I felt it was important for me to attend as a student to develop a greater understanding of the needs of CBA’s member banks. A major take away from me came from Dave Moorman, President of CBA partner Novatech.

Dave commented that Bank of America spends roughly 1.5% of gross revenues on Cyber Security. I believe this is an important statistic for community bankers to consider moving forward. Great job by Kristi Greer to develop the program and Becky Soto for her help in facilitating!”

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

More Scenes from CBA’s Cyber Risk Summit

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Cannabis, Cryptocurrency, Human Trafficking, Emerging Payments, Risk Assessments… Just a Few of the Topics Covered at CBA’s Advanced BSA/AML Compliance School “What a treat to stand in front of our BSA/AML professionals last week to see them fully engaged in the Community Bankers Association’s 14th Annual School at the King & Prince Resort on St. Simons Island. As CBA’s Director of Professional Development, I am honored to serve these excellent team members of our community banks. These bankers pour into their roles and job responsibilities each day through requirements of the regulations and policies to ensure they are doing what is best for their banks and customers.” Kristi Greer, SVP- CBA of GA.

Save the Date: The 15th Annual Advanced BSA/AML Officer School will be August 22-26, 2022 at the King & Prince.

Our lead instructor & program facilitator, Dianne Barton, President, Performance Solutions, Inc., opened the program by covering four key trends for 2020-2021, lots of updates from FINCEN and of course the updates and impacts of BSA Reform-National Defense Authorization Act. Last week’s school also included: • Updates & Hot topics from the OCC & GA State Banking Department • Updates from FINCEN Manual • Emerging Payment Trends • Cannabis Banking in GA & Marijuana-Related Business Updates • High Risk products and Services • Risk Assessments • Cryptocurrency • Human Trafficking • Roundtable activities and knowledge sharing to support in-house bank policy and procedures • 20 CPEs towards ACAMS Approved • Plus, door prizes, a scavenger hunt, great food, networking, and ongoing knowledge building.

Sebrina Sweeney, President & Founder, The Sweeney Compliance Group, LLC brought additional value and benefits to our school participants this year by sharing several tools that can be used to enhance BSA due diligence. We want to thank Sebrina, all our instructors, and sponsors who participated and shared knowledge last week.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Hear what the students had to say: “Everything was Great!”

- Judy Cunningham, Farmers State Bank “Always love attending CBA events!”

- Taylor Digby, First Port City Bank “I always leave the BSA school feeling re-inspired!”

- Ashley Lanier-Elston, First National Bank of Coffee County “CBA always provides excellent & trending topics.”

-S ​ herrie Williams, Carver State Bank

Build for the Future with FNBB FNBB is more than a correspondent service provider, we are your trusted partner. As an FNBB partner, you gain the access to a financially stable provider and the assurance that we will never be your competition. We are committed to building lasting relationships that help you grow and move towards a brighter future!

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Formerly Women in Banking, WINSPIRE is a positive and upbeat session with instructional and motivational presentations for all women. WINSPIRE promotes personal and professional growth and development in Mind, Body & Spirit.

AGENDA INCLUDES

• Set Yourself Up for Success -Special Message from Joni Taylor, UGA Women's Basketball Head Coach • April Farlow, a motivational speaker & performance coach, who founded Lydia’s Place will bring a fun, interactive session to encourage us to live our best life while lifting up others.

Keynote Speaker: April Farlow

• Business Development Opportunities: Being Your Best at Receptions includes etiquette, proper handling of wine glasses, reception food & beverages; introductions, handshakes, business cards, follow up) - Dianne Barton

• Business Development Opportunities: Being Your Best at Networking Events - Lunch & Dinner Table Etiquette - Dianne Barton • Relaxation Sound Bath Rebecca Turk - SNDBath Stretch Sesh - Personal Wellness: Taking Care of Self - Personal Trainer • Stretches & Cool Down ​Caroline Ward, TransFit Athens *Participants will want to dress comfortably.

Please either bring comfortable pants for the afternoon session or dress comfortably.

• And much more!

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Travelers is delivering $4.4 million in dividends to qualifying policyholders. Are you in?

If your bank is a Travelers policyholder, you’re currently enjoying outstanding Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) benefits.

If you’re not, you might want to consider the following reasons why you should be insuring with Travelers:

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Travelers ICBA Insurance program’s Policyholder Safety Group Dividend plan has been paid for 18 consecutive years. The most recent program year produced policyholder dividends of $4.4 million – for a total of nearly $65 million in dividends paid over the past 36 years.

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To learn more, talk to your independent agent or broker or visit travelers.com.

travelers.com Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America and its property casualty affiliates. Hartford, CT 06183 © 2020 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. Travelers and the Travelers Umbrella logo are registered trademarks of The Travelers Indemnity Company in the U.S. and other countries.

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All property casualty coverages may not be available in certain areas; certain lines of coverage may not be eligible for dividend payout. Dividends are not guaranteed and are subject to the approval of the company’s board of directors.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The CBA has been a leader for decades in providing training for community bank consumer lenders. This annual 4½ -day school is designed to take the student through the process of consumer lending to develop and advance the skills necessary to administer quality consumer loans. Numerous in-class case studies and exercises will be utilized to assist with comprehension and retention of these skills.

Instructor: Jeffery Johnson Bankers Insight Group

REGISTER TODAY!

The lending process includes making sense of the decision process which includes taking the application, analyzing the financial data, making the credit decision, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, policies and procedures, and loan documentation to ensure a successful closing.

Areas of Study • Loan Application and the Interview Process • Getting a Grip on Lending Regulations • Lending to the Self-Employed Borrower • Driving Success in a Changing Environment • Credit Investigation • Lending - A Regulator’s Perspective

• • • •

Evaluations and Decision Making Loan Documentation Credit Policy Practical Application of Consumer Lending Principles and Case Studies • And Much More!

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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Your customers have never needed capital more than they do right now. Plus you need to offset narrowing margins by increasing noninterest fee income.

SBA/USDA lending is the perfect answer. And ICBA recommends just one provider to make the process hassle-free: Holtmeyer & Monson. Give customers exactly what they need, at no net cost to your bank.

Call 800.340.7304 to start www.holtandmon.com

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Education Buzz: “One is Too Small a Number to Achieve Greatness.” In John C. Maxwell’s book, The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, he reminds us that we need each other to do great things. Teams can do a lot more than a single person. To be successful in organizations today and moving forward, we should embrace all generations. We need to create open communication, sponsorship and mentoring opportunities, teamwork initiatives for all levels

of employees. Passing knowledge forward is a must; therefore avoid hoarding knowledge and individual conquests. Successful teams put the best of the organization at the forefront of their minds, hearts, choices and actions. Every employee of an organization has a position to add value, open the door to develop all talent.

Choose CBA of GA to support your bank’s professional development strategies.

Kristi Greer

Senior Vice President Director of Professional Development Community Bankers Association of Georgia

Invite your board of directors to join you for these high-level and C-suite topics!

Facilitator: Corrie Hall James-BatesBrannan-Groover

Session III: October 5, 2021, Macon The year 2020 placed the entire world in a situation not seen in over 100 years. Now 2021 continues to see our Community Banks in uncharted waters. It is time to turn up the dial and get plugged in!

The Community Bankers Association of Georgia invites our Executive Level Bankers to join together as we prepare to take on the challenges the last half of 2021 is sure to hand our communities, our customers, our board, and our bank team members. ​

Register now for high-level in-person peer connections exclusively offered in CBA’s Executive Channel.

The Executive Channel provides a direct connection for Executive Bankers from across the state! CBA has gathered for you a group of industry leaders to share information and guide discussions.

Topics include: Mergers & Acquisitions | Executive compensation | Succession Planning

Special Thanks to Our Session III Sponsor

Flynt Gallagher Newcleus

Session IV: December 7, 2021 REGISTER TODAY! Topics include: Interest Rate Risk Management Round Table Discussion with Facilitator on topics and questions from attendees • Current Challenges Facing Community Banks • Examination Pulse Points & Criticisms • And other topics as deemed by the participants*

Special Thanks to Our Session IV Sponsor Drew Stelling The Burke Group

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Topics include:

Leah M. Hamilton, JD ProBank Austin

• Lending Process Overview & Key Considerations • Fair Lending • Includes: Reg B (Fair Lending Perspective), FHAct, FCRA, Overdraft • Regulation B/ECOA • FCRA/FACT Act • MLA and SCRA • Homeowners Protection Act (PMI) • Regulation Z • Deep Dive: Refis Vs. Mods; Deferments & Forbearance

• Deep Dive: Finance Charge Challenge • Deep Dive: Paying Restitution • HELOCS • TRID: What’s New? What’s Still a Challenge?

• RESPA • UDAP/UDAAP: Spot the Issue • Flood • COVID-19 Sanity Check & CRA • HMDA Hot Topics

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The #1 Source for Top-Performing Loans More than 1,300 banks have earned nearly $800MM in combined interest income — with $1.1B sold to banks in 2021.

W H AT YO U R BA N K CA N E X P E C T: 2.65 – 5.90% return for your bank

$0 historical loss on the BHG Core Loan Portfolio

~$10MM in loans available daily for purchase

35K+ borrowers seek financing monthly

Explore recently sold loans in seconds at BHGLoanHub.com/GA

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Anetria Connell ProBank Austin

The

STS Performance Advantage

STS Group is the trusted security and atm technology

Who’s driving your bank security and branch automation?

partner for banks across georgia and the South East.

CUSTOMER WEB PORTAL Manage service calls, projects and invoices with you own personal login.

SAME DAY SERVICE GUARANTEE We maintain an over-all service response time of under 8hrs. In most cases we are on-site within an hour.

AUTOMATED SERVICE UPDATES Real time notifications when a technician is dispatched and when the call is complete.

COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY EVALUATIONS Our custom (SecurityLink) CSE program provides accurate information about branches and equipment. Including customizable procedural questions and pictures.

REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS (ATM, ITM, TCR, DVR, Alarm) With (SecurityLink) Remote Diagnostics our remote diagnostics team can troubleshoot and repair over 20% of your service calls in minutes, saving you time and money.

2670 0 Su ccess D r ive Ph o n e Em a i l

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M a d iso n, A L 3575 6

855-683-9259

sa les@stag r p.co m

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Looking to maximize your company’s exposure to Georgia’s community bankers in 2022?

Dreading the budgeting process? CBA makes it easy with customized marketing packages to include advertising, targeted sponsorships, the best networking events and more.

We know the importance of connecting with bankers and communicating your message consistently throughout the year. Let CBA help you find creative ways to stretch your budget dollars.

Contact Lindsay Greene to begin your 2022 plans.

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