The University of South Dakota's Beacom School of Business Career Success Center will hold a speed networking event for employers to come on campus and network with students on Thursday, Jan. 23, from 3-5 p.m. in Vermillion. 

Dacotah Bank has signed agreements to purchase First State Bank of Claremont and Stohr Agency, which include the Groton and Langford locations.

The SDBA 2020 State Legislative Day on Feb. 12 at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center in Pierre is your opportunity to stay up-to-date on both state and federal legislation which could affect the banking industry, visit with state legislators and constitutional officers, and make sure our industry is heard.

Jack Hopkins, president and CEO of CorTrust Bank, has been selected BankBeat magazine’s 2020 Banker of the Year. According to BankBeat, Hopkins receives this recognition for his ongoing commitment to growing his bank in an era of increasing consolidation, along with his career-long commitment to leading the community banking industry forward.

The SDBA is offering holiday signs that banks can print and display to notify customers when the bank will be closed. 

The SECURE Act was passed on Dec. 19, 2019, containing the most changes to retirement plans since the Pension Protection Act of 2006. JM Consultants will hold a webinar on the retirement plan changes in the SECURE Act on Jan. 16 and Jan. 22. The webinar will provide an overview or a snapshot of the changes to both IRAs and QRPs, in addition to other changes affecting IRA procedures.

Although additional guidance on the SECURE Act should be issued in the near future, it is important for IRA personnel to be aware of the changes as a majority took affect on Jan. 1, 2020. More detailed information will be provided in future training programs provided by the SDBA or by scheduling in-house customized training programs for you financial organization.

In a move supported by ABA, the Federal Reserve last week finalized new operating hours and procedures for the National Settlement Service and Fedwire Funds Service to facilitate adoption of a third same-day ACH processing and settlement window.

How can we work together to foster equitable community investments? The 2020 National Interagency Community Reinvestment Conference (NICRC) on March 9-12, 2020, in Denver is your chance to connect with leaders and peers from across the country and find out what works.

The Dakota School of Lending Principles, hosted by the NDBA and co-sponsored by the SDBA on April 14-17, 2020, in Bismarck N.D, is a learning event with one foot grounded in the classroom and one foot in the bank. This school allows students to learn the theory and process of basic lending and then put this knowledge to work in actual nuts-and-bolts sessions.

In the four modules on loan types (consumer lending, real estate lending, analyzing small business loans and loan documentation, and agricultural lending), learn the lending process by studying elements applicable to each loan type: terminology, the application process, interviewing, investigation, credit analysis, loan structure, decision communication and selling. Case studies and exercises provide hands-on learning experience. 

The Professional Appraisers Association of South Dakota (PAASD) will sponsor two seminars of interest to lenders and appraisers on Jan. 15 in Chamberlain at Arrowwood Cedar Shore Resort. The two seminars will total seven hours of continuing education.

The VA Home Loan Program for Real Estate Professionals will provide an all-new, four-hour seminar from 8 a.m. to noon. The seminar will provide a base knowledge of the Department of Veterans Affairs' guiding policies behind the Home Loan Guaranty Program for Veterans. The VA will have two presenters for the seminar--an underwriter and an individual from their appraisal team.

The SDBA 2020 State Legislative Day on Feb. 12 at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center in Pierre is your opportunity to stay up-to-date on both state and federal legislation which could affect the banking industry, visit with state legislators and constitutional officers, and make sure our industry is heard.

The South Dakota Grassland Coalition will hold the Holistic Resource Management Roadshow and Annual Meeting across South Dakota next week. The event will be held in Watertown on Monday, Dec. 16; Chamberlain on Tuesday, Dec. 17; Bell Fourche on Wednesday, Dec. 18; Hot Springs on Thursday, Dec. 19; and Faith on Friday, Dec. 20. Times are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Now is the perfect time to make plans to attend the NDBA/SDBA Bank Management Conference on Feb. 14-15 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Six keynote speakers will provide executive-level officers, bank directors and senior-level bankers with timely insights on the economic landscape, M&A trends, balance sheet management, talent acquisition, FinTech opportunities and top strategies for 2020.

Bankers value strategic information and networking with colleagues, and the Bank Management Conference offers plenty of both, in addition to some of the best hospitality Arizona has to offer. The conference will be held at Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, an AAA four diamond resort located adjacent to Kierland Commons. The conference will also include a golf tournament and programs for spouses and guests. 

Governor Kristi Noem on Tuesday announced that President Donald Trump had approved a presidential disaster declaration for September storm damage done in South Dakota, including the three tornadoes that struck Sioux Falls and the extreme flooding in communities such as Madison and Mitchell.

Meta Financial Group, Inc.® yesterday announced that MetaBank®, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meta, has entered into an agreement with Central Bank, headquartered in Storm Lake, Iowa, for the sale of MetaBank’s community bank division. Included in the sale are all of MetaBank's community bank branches located in South Dakota and Iowa, as well as deposits and fixed assets related thereto, representing approximately $270 million of deposits.

Jan. 14, 2020, is the day that Microsoft will discontinue product support for Windows 7. At that point, Microsoft will begin charging a fee for patches and related maintenance for Windows 7 users. By some estimates, just over 60% of financial institutions are either on Windows 10 or are in the process of migrating to it. A new free article on the ABA Banking Journal offers practical advice on questions to ask and options to consider as the clock ticks down.

With the farm economy in the midst of a prolonged downturn, the primary concern among ag lenders remains credit quality and the deterioration of agricultural loans, according to the latest agricultural lenders survey conducted by ABA and Farmer Mac. Respondents said they were also concerned about lender competition—particularly from the Farm Credit System, which 73.5% named as their primary competitor—as well as weakening loan demand and a shrinking market due to farm consolidation.

“Bankers are naturally concerned for their farmers and ranchers as the ag economy continues to regain its footing,” said ABA Chief Economist James Chessen. “Bankers know the cycles of agriculture very well and will continue to work side-by-side with their customers as they have done in the past. While uncertainty has risen, banks are well prepared to continue their support for the ag community through these challenging times.”

With net farm income declining since 2013, and with many consumers in rural America struggling to find access to credit, ABA is asking bankers to contact their lawmakers in support of the Enhancing Credit Opportunities in Rural America Act (H.R. 1872 and S. 1641).

The South Dakota Bankers Foundation has allocated $90,000 for the High School Scholarship Program for 2020. Matched by recipient banks, the program will result in a total of $180,000 in high school scholarships awarded to high school seniors throughout South Dakota in 2020.

Scholarship are available in $500 increments to the first 180 banks/branches who agree to match an equal amount. Banks who participated in the High School Scholarship Capital Campaign are eligible to apply for funding. 

Northern State University’s Banking and Financial Services master’s degree program is now offered completely online, making it even more convenient for professionals looking to advance their career.