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Embrace your inner photographer! Submit your photos of Nebraska for the 2025 NBA Scenes of Nebraska Calendar by March 1, 2024.

The calendar celebrates Nebraska's beauty through the lenses of bankers and their families. Whether it's cityscapes, rolling hills, monuments or countryside, the photographs showcase what makes Nebraska special.

If you have questions about the calendars or the photo submission process, contact Laurie Johnson at the NBA at laurie.johnson@nebankers.org or 402-474-1555.

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"Operation Homeless" check cashing fraud has again been reported in Nebraska. Criminals obtain genuine business checks through theft from unsecured mailboxes or by acquiring banking details from the dark web. They alter amounts, payees and check numbers to create high-quality forged checks. They then recruit vulnerable people, such as the homeless, to cash the fraudulent checks in exchange for a percentage of money. In recent cases, the criminals have taken the homeless from Omaha to rural banks to attempt to cash the checks.

Law enforcement advises bank employees to exercise heightened vigilance when dealing with individuals attempting to cash what appear to be business payroll checks.

To help banks combat this issued, the American Bankers Association is hosting a webinar on Feb. 1 at 1:00 p.m. CT on mitigating check fraud.

Register

Legislative, Policy and Regulatory Updates

CFPB Proposes Ban on NSF Fees for Instantaneously Declined Transactions

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a proposed rule today that would prohibit charging nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees on transactions declined instantaneously. The proposal covers transactions conducted through debit cards, ATMs or certain person-to-person apps. The CFPB acknowledged that financial institutions rarely charge these types of fees but called the proposed rule a "proactive step."

Read the Proposed Rule

Debit Card Interchange Fee Proposal Comment Period Extended

The Federal Reserve announced on Monday that the comment period on its proposed rule to lower debit card interchange fees has been extended to May 12. The proposal would lower debit interchange fees to 14.4 cents plus an additional .04% of the transaction amount, while increasing the fraud-prevention adjustment to 1.3 cents. The NBA previously sent a letter in opposition to the plan.

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Regulators: Banks Must Ensure AI Complies with Law

Officials from the federal banking regulators said that any adoption of new technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), by banks must align with existing laws. Speaking at a symposium on responsible AI use, the officials underscored that banks bear the ultimate responsibility for the deployment of technology, even when collaborating with third-party providers offering AI-powered products and services. They also asserted that their agencies already possess the statutory authority to regulate this evolving technology.

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Jan. 17 - 23

Email your news, press releases, photos and/or newspaper articles to be published in Banks & Bankers. Send content to news@nebankers.org.

Review Alliance

Did you know that mobile deposit holds do not need to be released in accordance with Regulation C?

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Compliance Alliance

Q: Regarding escrow shortages, is 12 months the maximum that we can spread a shortage out over?

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The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) and the GROW Nebraska Foundation are accepting Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act grant pre-applications. Nebraskans interested in establishing a small business or owners of businesses established in the past five years and with fewer than five full-time equivalent employees are eligible. Grant funds may be used for startup costs, working capital, equipment or access to professional services.

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Agricultural producers can sign up for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2024 crop year. The election and enrollment period runs through March 15, 2024. These commodity crop safety net programs were extended as part of the one-year farm bill extension.

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