Ag lenders are invited to take part in South Dakota State University Extension's 2022 South Dakota Farm Real Estate Market Survey.  SDSU Extension is requesting select groups of individuals to complete the survey including appraisers, assessors, realtors, agricultural lenders and Extension field specialists.

ABA and a coalition of trade groups yesterday urged congressional leaders to increase the authorization level for the Small Business Administration’s 504 loan program. Demand is expected to reach the program’s authorization cap of $7.5 billion in early summer, likely June, the groups said. Without congressional action, the program would be unavailable to small businesses for an entire quarter of the fiscal year until the authorization level resets, they added.

The program previously reached its congressionally authorized cap on Sept. 7, 2021, and SBA was unable to approve new 504 loans until the program’s authorization level reset on Oct. 1. That three-week shutdown of the program caused a number of issues for small-business borrowers, including the loss of real estate and endangered escrow, the groups wrote. Read the letter.

The crypto-asset market could reach a point where it presents a threat to global financial stability, according to a new report released yesterday by the Basel, Switzerland-based Financial Stability Board.

The SDBA and its membership were successful this week in defeating a bill before the South Dakota Legislature that would have mandated how banks should operate their businesses. Senate Bill 182 titled “Prohibit discriminatory actions against persons engaged with the firearm industry” was brought by special interest groups outside South Dakota. The legislation was aimed only and squarely at banks and would have restricted a bank’s ability to do business with the state if a bank has policies regarding banking firearms customers. 

The measure would have eliminated a banking institution’s capacity to make fair business and lending decisions on financial factors. Instead, it mandated that banks who conduct business with the state are required to do business with a specific industry, regardless of considerations, including credit history or the ability to repay.

Three GOP lawmakers yesterday raised concerns about the CFPB’s pending rulemaking to implement Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act. Citing concerns received from industry stakeholders, including banks of all sizes, Reps. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), French Hill (R-Ark.) and Roger Williams (R-Texas) flagged several issues and called on the CFPB to remedy these issues within the final rulemaking.

In particular, the lawmakers expressed concerns about the potential effects of the rule on small banks and urged the CFPB “to exclude as many small financial firms as possible” and also called for a longer implementation period, given the complexity of the rule.

The ABA on Tuesday launched its 2022 financial education campaigns, calling on America’s banks and their more than two million employees across the nation to participate in these important and effective industry-wide efforts to promote consumer financial readiness. 

More than 80 bankers from across the state gathered in Pierre yesterday for the SDBA's State Legislative Day. The annual event is an opportunity to stay up-to-date on both state and federal legislation which could affect the banking industry and to make sure our industry is heard. 

Presenter Keith Prather spoke to attendees about issues affecting the economy and if 2021 is really in the rear view mirror, and Gov. Kristi Noem spoke about issues of importance being discussed at the State Capitol and took questions from bankers. The day also included special sessions for emerging bank leaders, an SDBA Legislative Committee meeting and an association update from SDBA President Karl Adam. The day culminated with a reception with state legislators and constitutional officers.

South Dakota banks and their employees are cornerstones of their communities, providing philanthropy and volunteer leadership that helps transform lives. South Dakota banks make a difference in our communities.

The SDBA unveiled the results of its Banks Make a Difference Survey during its State Legislative Day yesterday in Pierre. Copies of the promotional handout were provided to all attendees, state legislators, and mailed to all banks and branches.

Are you interested in becoming an officer of the South Dakota Bankers Association? SDBA officers include the chair, chair-elect, vice chair and immediate past chair. The SDBA is currently seeking people who are interested in running for the vice chair position, which will be elected at the NDBA/SDBA Annual Convention on June 15, 2022, in Bismarck.

The current chair-elect, David Bangasser (Dacotah Bank, Sioux Falls), will automatically assume the chair position on June 15. The current vice chair, David Nelson (First Fidelity Bank, Burke), will be eligible to run for chair-elect. The position of vice chair will be up for election. Current Chair Kristina Schaefer (First Bank & Trust, Sioux Falls) will become immediate past chair.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) have been added to the speaker lineup for ABA’s Washington Summit, a free in-person and virtual event to be held March 7-9. Tester, a key member of the Senate Banking Committee, will share his thoughts on the committee’s 2022 agenda and the critical issues facing the banking sector. McHenry, the ranking Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, will also offer his perspective on major banking policy issues and his outlook for action in the House in 2022 and beyond.

Summit attendees will hear from lawmakers and regulators, as 2022 promises to be a pivotal year for the banking industry—with new leaders now in place at major regulatory agencies, Congress eyeing the midterm elections and the nation's economic recovery still uncertain. All bankers and associate members are encouraged to attend the Washington Summit to learn about major policy issues in play and have their voices heard. Register now for this free event.

Issues of importance to the banking industry are surfacing at the South Dakota Legislature, and bankers are needed in Pierre next Wednesday, Feb. 9, to make sure that our industry's voice is heard. 

All bankers are encouraged to attend the SDBA State Legislature next Wednesday at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center. The day-long event will include an SDBA Legislative Committee meeting, lunch, SDBA update, featured speaker Keith Prather, Gov. Kristi Noem, and the chance to visit with state legislators at the State Capitol.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testified last Thursday before the U.S. House Agriculture Committee on the state of the rural economy. During the four-hour meeting, Vilsack discussed a wide range of topics, including supply chain issues, employment, exports, COVID-19 relief funding, demand and price increases, underserved rural communities, the needs of specific farming sectors and the reauthorization of the farm bill, which expires next year.

SDBA President Karl Adam and SDBA Legal Counsel Brett Koenecke met with the SDBA Legislative Committee yesterday via Zoom to discuss legislation this session that could impact the banking industry and how, with a united approach, the SDBA intends to address these bills and initiatives going forward.

As part of that united approach, bankers should attend the SDBA State Legislative Day on Feb. 9 in Pierre. This daylong event is a great opportunity to stay up-to-date on state and federal legislation that could affect the banking industry, visit with state legislators and constitutional officers, and make sure our industry is heard.

The Federal Reserve last Thursday issued a highly-anticipated report assessing the potential benefits and risks of creating a U.S. central bank digital currency, or CBDC. The paper also requests public feedback on these topics and comments will be accepted until May 20. While the Fed took no official position on creating a CBDC, the agency said it “will continue to explore a wide range of design options,” adding that it “does not intend to proceed with the issuance of a CBDC without clear support from the executive branch and from Congress, ideally in the form of a specific authorizing law.”

The paper noted that a CBDC “would best serve the needs of the United States by being privacy-protected, intermediated, widely transferable and identity-verified.” Among the various CBDC structures the Fed is contemplating is an intermediated model through which the private sector would facilitate the management of CBDC holdings and payments through accounts or digital wallets. Such a model “would facilitate the use of the private sector’s existing privacy and identity-management frameworks; leverage the private sector’s ability to innovate; and reduce the prospects for destabilizing disruptions to the well-functioning U.S. financial system,” the Fed said.

As expected, President Biden last Friday nominated Sarah Bloom Raskin to serve as vice chair for supervision at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Raskin—a former Maryland commissioner of financial regulation—previously served on the Fed board from 2010 to 2014, and also served as deputy secretary of the Treasury under President Obama.

President Biden also announced two additional Fed board nominees: economists Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson. Cook is currently a professor at Michigan State University who previously served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration. Jefferson is a professor and administrator at Davidson College in North Carolina and previously worked as a Fed economist.

A recent report issued by the Government Accountability Office highlights the strategies and techniques used by criminal groups to engage in trafficking and money laundering, as well as efforts by the federal government to combat these illegal activities. The report was issued as required by the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

As consumers increasingly look to banks to help them safely hold cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols announced in an ABA Viewpoint blog post on Tuesday that the association has invested in NYDIG, a leading provider of bitcoin solutions for banks.

Nichols noted that the investment would help support banks’ ability to meet customer demand for crypto products and services, citing NYDIG’s compliance-first approach, focus on the community bank market and focus on supporting banks rather than competing with them.

The ABA is offering each state banking association $750 scholarships for two emerging leaders to attend the ABA Emerging Leaders Forum and Washington Summit on March 7-9 in Washington D.C. The ABA Emerging Leaders Forum is an opportunity to share challenges and strategies with peers as you work to cultivate a strong, dynamic and diverse banking industry for the future.

Five FDIC-insured banks yesterday announced the launch of the USDF Consortium, a group that was formed with the goal of building a network of banks to facilitate the adoption of USDF, a bank-minted stablecoin. The consortium’s founding members include New York Community Bank, Denver-based NBH Bank, Nashville-based First Bank, Montebello, N.Y.,-headquartered Sterling National Bank and Columbus, Ga.,-based Synovus Bank, and the group said it intends to “significantly grow its membership of FDIC-insured banks through 2022 and beyond.” Figure Technologies and JAM Fintop are also founding members.

‌USDF will operate on the public Provenance Blockchain, will be minted exclusively by U.S. banks and will be redeemable on a one-to-one basis for cash from a consortium member bank.

If you have not yet reserved your hotel room for the SDBA's State Legislative Day on Feb. 9 in Pierre, the hotel blocks have been extended. The hotel block at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center has been extended to Friday, Jan. 14, and the hotel block at the ClubHouse Hotel & Suites has been extended to Tuesday, Jan. 18. 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with South Dakota’s lead decision makers at the SDBA State Legislative Day. Stay up-to-date on state and federal legislation that could affect the banking industry, visit with state leaders, legislators and constitutional officers and be the voice for the banking industry.