SDBA eNews: January 15, 2015

In This Issue

2015 SD Indian Business Conference Seeking Presenters, Sponsors

 
The South Dakota Indian Business Alliance (SDIBA) invites proposals to present at the 2015 South Dakota Indian Business Conference May 18-20 at the Lodge at Deadwood.

In conjunction with the theme, "Expanding Economies in the New Native America," sessions will focus on best practices, successes and victories in forging Indian business, as well as dilemmas and challenges confronted in pursuit of that goal. The intent is to share successful models and strategies that foster the development of private Indian business on and off South Dakota's nine Indian reservations and to develop policy ideas and action strategies to address the dilemmas.

Proposals for presentations, workshops and trainings will be considered. The submission deadline is Feb. 11. Learn more.

The conference also provides a variety of sponsorship opportunities that enable conference sponsors to connect with Indian business development practitioners, raise awareness of their organization’s work, and support the work in this field. Sponsorship brochure.


First Dakota National Bank to Host AgriVisions 2015


First Dakota National Bank, Yankton, will hosts its AgriVisions 2015 featuring Dr. Brent Gloy Jan. 26 and 27 in Yankton, Crooks and Mitchell. Farmers, agri-business professionals and business owners are invited to attend.

Dr. Gloy is the founding director of Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture and co-founder of Ag Economic Insights. After many years of high commodity prices with strong profitability, the landscape in the row-crop sector has shifted dramatically. Dr. Gloy will provide a short and long-term economic perspective and strategies to position for long-term success.

The presentation will be held in Yankton on Jan. 26 and Crooks and Mitchell on Jan. 27. Learn more.


Upcoming Events

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Sponsorship Opportunity

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Questions/Comments

Contact Alisa DeMers, SDBA, at 800. 726.7322 or via email.

CFPB Seeks Comments on Model 'Safe Accounts' for Students


The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau yesterday requested feedback on draft documentation for “safe” financial products to be offered on college campuses, such as deposit accounts. The bureau’s model “safe account” would impose no fees for basic services except a monthly maintenance fee and would permit neither overdraft fees nor non-sufficient funds fees. The account would be required to provide at least two free money orders or e-checks per month.

The sample form -- a seven-page questionnaire and scorecard intended to help colleges compare offerings from financial institutions -- asks banks about “non-standard” fees, marketing practices, ATM access and customer service. In addition to the model “safe account,” the proposed “contract transparency” requirements call for a financial institution to be “transparent about any relationship” with a college and that it post the agreement with the college on its own website.

Among other queries, the bureau asked respondents to identify the kinds of fees students with campus-based accounts tend to incur the most and to list the kinds of products for which similar documentation would be most valuable. Comments are due on March 16.


ABA, ABIA Urge Withdrawl of FHLB Membership Proposal


The Federal Housing Finance Agency should withdraw its proposal to limit membership in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, ABA said Wednesday. The proposal contradicts Congress’ intent for the FHLBs and would harm the FHLBs, their member banks and the communities they serve, the association explained.

The proposal goes against recent legislative developments acknowledging the FHLBs’ role in providing liquidity to members beyond housing finance, ABA said. By requiring new FHLB members to hold 1 percent of assets in home mortgage loans, and to hold at least 10 percent of assets in residential mortgage loans on an ongoing basis, the FHFA would hinder the FHLBs’ mission of providing reliable liquidity.

Furthermore, the association noted, “there is no demonstrable need for the changes proposed.” Current FHLB rules require sufficient collateral for borrowing, an “efficient and elegant” structure allowing member banks “maximum flexibility.”

In related news, ABA’s American Bankers Insurance Association subsidiary urged the FHFA to withdraw its proposed definition of insurance company, noting that the proposal would prohibit captive insurers from being FHLB members -- an outcome inconsistent with the FHLB system’s authorizing statute. Read ABA’s letter. Read ABIA’s letter.


Obama Announces New Cybersecurity Package


In a speech at the Federal Trade Commission Monday, President Obama unveiled a new package of proposed legislation and executive actions designed to improve U.S. cybersecurity and protect customers from data breaches.

“Our industry shares the president’s commitment to protecting the security and privacy of Americans’ personal information, and we appreciate the White House’s engagement on this critical issue,” ABA President and CEO Frank Keating said. “We fully support legislation that will help facilitate increased cyber intelligence information sharing between the private and public sectors in a manner that protects consumer privacy and allows information sharing on serious threats to our critical infrastructures.”

Obama urged Congress to enact a national 30-day notification standard for when a data breach occurs. ABA has previously called for national notification requirements to be paired with a strong shared standard for how customer data is protected.

The president also announced that Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase would join the ranks of financial institutions offering free access to credit scores for their card customers, bringing to half the share of American adults with free access to their scores. Read more.


ABA Shares Legislative Platform for 114th Congress

 
As the 114th Congress gears up, ABA yesterday distributed its legislative platform to congressional leadership. “Our priorities represent an overarching focus on helping America’s hometown banks -- of diverse sizes and charter types -- serve their customers and grow the economy,” ABA President and CEO Frank Keating wrote.

Informed by the priorities developed by ABA’s Government Relations Council, ABA is seeking regulatory relief from overly prescriptive rules on mortgages, capital and liquidity; a balanced approach to regulation and enforcement; enhanced partnerships and security standards for cybersecurity and data breaches; a more tailored approach to bank regulations; a level playing field for all financial institutions, including credit unions and the Farm Credit System; and a protected payments system.

Bankers can use these legislative goals as a basis for conversations with lawmakers. Later this month, bankers will meet with freshman members of Congress to discuss the banking industry’s top priorities, and in March, bankers will meet with lawmakers during the ABA Government Relations Summit. Read the letter.  View ABA’s Government Relations Priorities.


ABA Seeks More Oversight of CFPB Complaint Database


ABA on Monday urged the Federal Reserve’s watchdog -- which also oversees the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau -- to increase its scrutiny of the CFPB’s customer complaint database. The Fed’s inspector general is currently conducting an audit of the bureau’s public database and a security review of the underlying database.

“We believe the audit should examine the degree to which complaint data that are published relate to a legal or regulatory violation or a bank practice or policy failure, as opposed to a more generalized expression of consumer frustration or anger,” ABA wrote.

The association also urged the inspector general to evaluate the CFPB’s proposal to include customers’ narratives in the database -- a plan that ABA has warned could range from useless due to necessary redactions of personal information to dangerous to the extent it includes inaccurate information. Read more.


SDBA Offers IRA Update/Current Events Seminar in Sioux Falls


The IRA Update/Current Events Seminar on Wednesday, Jan. 21, in Sioux Falls will give attendees a solid foundation of IRA knowledge. Real case problems and examples are included throughout the day to help participants apply information to job-related situations.

Attendees will leave this session able to work with IRA holders and process basic IRA transactions with confidence. The course is for people who are in a backup position or an IRA support person wanting to stay current. This is also a great review course for those that have been away from IRAs for a couple of years.

This course goes in a logical order from opening an IRA, to talking about contribution rules, then on to distribution rules and regulations, which includes RMDs and death distributions, plus the course will address moving money as a transfer or rollover. Learn more and register.