North Dakota Bankers
Extraordinary Leadership for North Dakota Banks

NDBA E-News

Unlock Potential and Possibility at NDBA Regional Member Meetings

Four Locations to Choose From!

September 8 | Grand Forks - UND Gorecki Alumni Center
September 9 | Fargo - Holiday Inn
September 10 | Bismarck - Sixteen03 Main Events
September 11 | Bottineau - Annie’s House | New location for 2025!

[click here] to for complete event brochure
[click here] to register online
[click here] for PDF registration form to save & send

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Featured Speaker:
JOE FINGERHUT

HOW CAN I? UNLOCK POTENTIAL AND POSSIBILITY

“We tried that. It won’t work. There’s no way to do that right now.” Sound familiar?

These common excuses hold people and organizations back from reaching their full potential. But get ready - because Award-Winning Entertainer and International Speaker Joe Fingerhut is here to flip the script!

With high-energy storytelling and an engaging, interactive style, Joe takes audiences on a lively journey that leads to three powerful words that spark change and possibility: HOW CAN I?

Joe’s dynamic presentation is the perfect kick-off to Regional Member Meetings - setting the tone for excitement, connection, and momentum. You'll walk away with practical tools to overcome obstacles, reframe challenges, and create energized teams that support each other and get things DONE.

 


2025 IBA Succession Planning
Online Workshop Series

[click here] to register online

Workshop Topics

Part 1: Laying the Foundation: November 3 • 10 am - Noon

  1. Building a Strong Future: Establish your Succession Planning Process – from how you identify employees retiring and potential successors to how you train and develop your successors including the timeline.
     
  2. The Blueprint for Success: Developing your Succession Plan for the CEO, Senior Leadership Team, next level managers, and key positions in the bank. Leverage AI to help you find the right successors based on their personality, skills, and experience and match them to the types of jobs needing to be filled.
     
  3. Future-Proofing Your Bank: Conducting a Talent Assessment to identify the talent you currently have in the bank, and potential skills gaps your organization may need for future growth, including new positions.


Part 2: Developing Your Successors : November 17 • 10 am - Noon

  1. Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders: Creating Personal Development Plans for your identified successors in the various areas. Leverage AI to help you create individual plans.
     
  2. From Potential to Performance: Developing a Leadership Talent Development Program and Management Skills Training Program for the successors based on their personal needs.
     
  3. Empowering Successors: Establishing a Technical and Job Skills Enhancement Program to prepare your successors to take on their new jobs at the right time and to retain your top talent.
 

NDBA's Fall IRA & HSA Seminar Registration Open

IRA Fundamentals
October 27 – Delta Hotel by Marriott, Fargo
October 29 – Courtyard by Marriott, Bismarck
[click here] to register online
[click here] for PDF registration form to save & send

Advanced IRAs  
October 28 – Delta Hotel by Marriott, Fargo
October 30 – Courtyard by Marriott, Bismarck
[click here] to register online
[click here] for PDF registration form to save & send
 
HSA Half-Day Workshop
October 31 – Courtyard by Marriott, Bismarck
[click here] to register online
[click here] for PDF registration form to save & send
 

   

Nominate a Banker Today!

Have you seen the Bulletin article featuring Steve Gerhardt of Kirkwood Bank & Trust - July's Banker You Should Know? See it here (page 22).

Every day, amazing people, just like Steve, working in North Dakota’s banks are making a difference—whether they’re on the front lines or in leadership roles. 

These banking heroes show up with passion, push through challenges, support their teams, and make a real difference in people’s lives and in their communities. They deserve to be celebrated!

If you know a banker who stands out and lives these values, give them the spotlight—nominate them to be featured in NDBA’s Bankers You Should Know Bulletin series.

Fill out the online nomination form. You will be notified if your nominee is chosen and in which Bulletin issue they will appear. 

"Next to excellence is the appreciation of it."


  

Ask the Fed® Upcoming Webinar

Thursday, August 7 (1:00 p.m. CT)

Ask the Fed®: Oil & Gas Update

Please join us for a 75-minute session on Oil and Gas (O&G) on August 7, 2025. During the first half of 2025, economic uncertainty and geopolitical events have driven significant volatility in energy markets. Energy economists Jesse Thompson and Garrett Golding, from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, will provide some insight into what may lie ahead for domestic and global oil and gas markets. Additionally, O&G credit risk specialists Matthew Monteith and Thomas Quint will provide an update on oil and gas syndicated lending conditions and provide an update on managing price risk for O&G Reserve Based loans (RBLs).

Registration is open now at www.askthefed.org. As always, we appreciate receiving questions in advance of the webinar. Questions should be emailed to: questions@askthefed.org. The presenters will take questions during the session as well, but questions received in advance will receive priority treatment. 
 


NDBA to host Effective Leadership Seminar this Fall

[click here] to register online
[click here] for PDF registration form to save & send


September 30 - October 1, 2025
Event Location: Holiday Inn, Bismarck ND

Leaders need practical tools that work. Effective Leadership trains leaders how to utilize the most effective leadership style in any given situation using the four leadership styles:
Directing | Coaching | Supporting | Delegating

About the Program

Individuals in leadership roles who want to increase their effectiveness – executives, managers at all levels, project managers, team leaders and supervisors – will reap many benefits from this presentation by Mark Stenson. This new generation of leadership training emerged from research and feedback from thousands of managers, and has been proven and tested in the real world.

About Presenter Mark Stenson
 
Mark Stenson is the president of Stenson Management Consulting. Mark has 37 years of experience in the financial services industry and consults with 17 community banks across the country in areas of performance-based compensation, strategic planning and management development. In addition, he speaks at numerous conferences, conventions and schools. Mark is the former President & CEO of First American Trust Company in western Minnesota.
 
 

Working to Keep You Informed!
Learn To Live Mental Health Program

Access to this benefit is provided to the NDBBT by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. Access code is BLUEND.

July Webinars

  • Setting Boundaries for Well-Being: the Art of Assertiveness: Do you ever say “yes” when you really want to say “no”? Maybe you struggle to speak up or feel guilty setting limits with others. If so, you’re not alone. In our time together, our clinical team will explore the four communication styles, how to practice assertiveness, and ways to create healthy boundaries that protect your well-being and allow you to live your life more fully.

    Thursday, August 7th: 10-10:30am CST/11-11:30am EST
     
  • Raising Future-Ready Kids 1: Resilience & Grit: Kids face challenges ranging from peer pressure to criticism and that's not going to change anytime soon. Future ready kids will need both resilience—the ability to bounce back from hard things—and grit—the ability to stick with difficult tasks. Our clinical team shares proven strategies to help you support your kids in bouncing back from life's challenges for now and the future.

    Wednesday, August 13th: 11-11:30am CST/12-12:30pm EST
     
  • Time Management: Capturing our Time Thieves: Struggling to get it all done each day and feeling overwhelmed? Juggling workload, family obligations, squeezing in time to see our friends and set aside some time for ourselves? It can be a lot! But chances are, we can accomplish our goals with just a few adjustments to our approach. We’ll explain how we get off track and provide practical tools for achieving our goals when it feels like there is never enough time.

    Friday, August 15th: 12-12:30pm CST/1-1:30pm EST
     
  • Raising Future-Ready Kids 2: Anxiety and Depression: Childhood anxiety and depression have been on the rise for over a decade now. As parents, watching a child struggle with anxiety and depression can be overwhelming. Learn to Live’s clinical team will provide you with information on what anxiety and depression might look like for the kids in your life and share with you effective Cognitive Behavioral Therapy strategies to help you and your children overcome these challenges.

    Wednesday, August 20th: 11-11:30am CST/12-12:30pm EST
     
  • Raising Future-Ready Kids 3: Empowering Parents in a Social Media World: Do you ever feel like you're sailing on stormy seas when it comes to your kids and social media? In a world where our kids are getting more depressed, more anxious and more isolated, there's a clear link, and parents may be the key to turning the ship around. In this webinar, the Learn to Live clinical team will share common challenges parents face today and offer simple, research-backed tips to help you set healthy tech limits—while still giving your child room to explore.

    Wednesday, August 27th: 11-11:30am CST/12-12:30pm EST
 

OTHER BANKING NEWS

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Senate Banking Committee Advances Bill to Accelerate Housing Construction

The Senate Banking Committee has unanimously voted to advance bipartisan legislation to boost housing supply by removing regulatory barriers to building homes, expanding rental assistance and allocating funds for infrastructure that supports new housing.
 
The ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, sponsored by committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), incorporates legislation from members across the committee, according to a joint statement. The 315-page bill includes language to reward communities that build more housing supply, ease environmental review of new construction, rethink regulations to hamper additional lending for small-dollar mortgages, and expand tenant assistance and protections.
 
“This is a collaborative effort that includes the work of my colleagues across the committee, and I look forward to advancing these solutions to the full Senate,” Scott said.
 
“With this historic bipartisan bill, we are taking a critical first step to bring down families’ number one monthly expense–housing costs,” Warren added.
 
Among its many provisions, the proposed bill would:

  • Increase the Public Welfare Investment cap for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve from 15% to 20%, which would enhance banks’ capacity to make investments in affordable housing.
  • Allow the Department of Housing and Urban Development to give more weight to grant applicants that are located in, or primarily serve, designated opportunity zones to support housing preservation and construction.
  • Require the Federal Housing Administration to assess barriers to FHA-insured lending for modular housing and direct the HUD secretary to modify the financing draw schedule to encourage modular housing construction.
  • Direct HUD to develop best practice frameworks for zoning and land-use policies.
  • Require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to issue a report to Congress studying the effect of various factors of loan originator compensation on the availability of small-dollar mortgage loans and assess the barriers they pose to the availability of such mortgages.
  • Require the CFPB and Federal Housing Finance Agency to evaluate the effects of existing regulations that limit the points and fees that lenders can charge on qualified mortgage loans, which vary by loan limit. Based on such evaluation, the CFPB would be directed to make any necessary regulatory changes to points and fees to help encourage additional lending for small-dollar mortgages.
  • Permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery and establish the Office of Disaster Management and Resiliency within HUD to administer the program.

To read more, visit: https://www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/road_to_housing_act_of_2025_section_by_section.pdf


NDBA Joins Letter to Seek Federal Study on Credit Unions’ Tax Status

The Treasury Department should conduct a study of the $2.37 trillion credit union system to determine whether its current activities align with its longstanding tax-exempt status, 52 state bankers associations, including NDBA, said in a joint letter to the department.
 
Credit unions have become increasingly complex since the passage of the Federal Credit Union Act in 1934, which exempts the institutions from many taxes as long as they serve individuals of modest means. However, their recent activities call into question whether they should still qualify for that tax exemption, with 450 credit unions now holding more than $1 billion in assets, the associations said. Last year, credit unions announced 22 bank acquisitions totaling nearly $12 billion in assets, and one federal credit union bought the multimillion-dollar naming rights to the Washington Commanders’ NFL stadium.
 
“Seemingly at odds with their mission and structure, these credit unions acquire commercial banks, offer nationwide membership and sponsor professional sports teams,” they said. “They even draw tax-exempt income from business entities for IT, insurance and other services. Their growth suggests that they are operating like banks without the same requirements, including federal corporate income tax obligations.”
 
Along with a study on their tax-exempt status, the Treasury Department should provide recommendations about whether Congress should introduce legislation that would require all credit unions to pay federal income tax and compel federal credit unions to pay unrelated business income tax like other nonprofits, the associations said.
 
To read the letter, visit: https://www.aba.com/-/media/documents/letters-to-congress-and-regulators/jointltrkies20250729.pdf


More Than 59 Million People Covered by Health Savings Accounts In 2024

Health savings accounts helped cover health care expenses for more than 59.3 million Americans in 2024, according to a new survey by Devenir and the American Bankers Association’s HSA Council.
 
The survey found there were 39.3 million HSAs by the end of last year. Millennial account holders accounted for a significant segment of HSA growth, with approximately 30% of HSAs held by individuals in their 30s.
 
At the same time, account holders ages 55 and older had accumulated over $63 billion in their accounts at the end of 2024, a 21% increase from the previous year. The average HSA balance for the age group reached $6,564.
 
HSAs also exhibited broad socioeconomic adoption, with 64% of health savings account holders living in zip codes with median household incomes of less than $100,000.
 
“Devenir’s 2024 findings show that health savings account adoption remains strong, especially for working Americans with nearly seven out of 10 households that use HSAs to pay for current and future healthcare expenses earning less than $100,000 per year,” said Kevin McKechnie, executive director of the HSA Council. “Our hope is that Congress will allow older Americans on Medicare, veterans and other populations access to the only health insurance product that helps you save for retirement while taking care of you as you work. Almost 60 million Americans use HSAs now and we believe that number will only continue to grow in the years ahead.”
 
To view the survey, visit: https://www.devenir.com/2024-devenir-hsa-council-demographic-survey-findings/


FHFA Proposes to Repeal Fair Lending Rule

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is proposing to repeal a 2024 final rule that codified many of its existing practices and programs regarding fair housing and fair lending oversight of its regulated entities: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks.
 
In a notice published in the Federal Register, FHFA said it was seeking public comment on repealing the Fair Lending, Fair Housing, and Equitable Housing Finance Plans regulation. The agency cited President Trump’s executive order in February directing federal agencies to repeal “unnecessary” regulations as a reason for walking back the final rule.
 
Among other things, the 2024 rule made changes to Fannie’s and Freddie’s Equitable Housing Finance Plans to promote greater accountability; added oversight of unfair or deceptive acts or practices to FHFA’s fair housing and fair lending oversight programs; required additional certification of compliance by all the entities; and established more precise standards related to fair housing, fair lending and equitable housing principles for the entities’ boards. The rule also created a new requirement for FHLBs to annually report on any actions they voluntarily take to address barriers to sustainable housing opportunities for underserved communities.
 
Comments on the proposed repeal must be submitted to FHFA by Sept. 26.
 
To read more, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/28/2025-14183/fair-lending-fair-housing-and-equitable-housing-finance-plans
 


Upcoming Events

 
 
Fraud Academy   August 12-14, 2025
Virtual and In-person | Lexington KY
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Regional Member Meetings   September 8-11, 2025
Grand Forks, Fargo, Bismarck and, new location for 2025... Bottineau!
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Effective Leadership Seminar   Sep 30-Oct 1, 2025 | Holiday Inn, Bismarck
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Ag Credit Conference   October 2-3, 2025
Radisson Hotel, Bismarck
Information to come

NDBA Peer Group Consortium   October 20-21, 2025
ND Heritage Center & National Energy Center of Excellence
[CLICK HERE] for more information on NDBA Peer Groups

IRA Essentials   October 27, 2025 - Delta Hotel by Marriott, Fargo
October 29, 2025 - Courtyard by Marriott, Bismarck
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Advanced IRAs   October 27, 2025 - Delta Hotel by Marriott, Fargo
October 29, 2025 - Courtyard by Marriott, Bismarck
[CLICK HERE] for more information

HSA Half-Day Workshop   October 29, 2025 - Courtyard by Marriott, Bismarck
[CLICK HERE] for more information
     
 

Cyber Showcase: Review, Revoke, Repeat - Security Through Access Review

Date: Thursday, August 7
Time: 2:30 - 3:30 PM CT
Cost: Free

User access reviews are a simple but powerful control to prevent unauthorized access, detect privilege creep, and ensure compliance with regulatory expectations. Join us for this free webinar as we discuss why regular access reviews matter, what makes them effective, and how our newest module of TRAC is being built to support these efforts!

Save your spot! | click here

Cyber Showcase is a free monthly webinar series from SBS Cybersecurity that aims to translate complex information and cyber security topics into plain English. Mixing education and sales information, these webinars highlight existing SBS services and provide a platform to roll out exciting new offerings.
 


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