October 24, 2018


In This Issue: 
Message From the President

By John Witkowski, President & CEO


Gavel

IBANYS Board Holds Final Meeting Of 2018BoardMeeting

Mike Briggs
Yesterday, IBANYS held our final Board of Directors meeting of 2018 -- the last under our 2017-18 Chairman Mike Briggs of USNY Bank. On behalf of our entire membership, I want to thank Mike for his outstanding leadership of our association this past year. His vision and guidance helped lead the association forward, and he leaves IBANYS in a strong position -- financially, politically and perspectively. Mike is a true leader of New York's community banking industry, and we sincerely appreciate his commitment to IBANYS and his willingness to share his time and efforts. 

Tom Amell
Mike's successor Tom Amell of Pioneer Bank will assume office as our new Chairman next week on November 1. IBANYS is good hands going forward under his leadership, and that of our new Vice Chairman Mike Wimer of Cattaraugus County Bank and Treasurer Tom Carr of Elmira Savings Bank.

The Board approved our 2018-19 budget, heard updates on our strategic initiatives for the coming year, reviewed and discussed our future educational programs and projected membership growth and overall processes for the year ahead. 

With your help, 2018 has been a successful year for IBANYS. Working together, our officers, board of directors, membership and staff are dedicated to making 2019 even better.

Let's get to work.

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Major Challenges Ahead In 2019;
Get Involved In IBANYS Government Relations Effort!

Each year, there are a number of issues that come before the State Legislature, Congress and our state and federal regulators that can have a major impact on community banks. For example, tax-exempt credit unions have been working overtime for years to enhance their powers in Albany and Washington, D.C. by seeking access to the municipal and public deposits business, increased commercial loan ceilings and expanded investment powers.  If successful, they would make what is already an uneven playing field vis-a-vis taxpaying community banks even more uncompetitive. 

IBANYS has battled hard -- and successfully -- to stop these initiatives. For example, in 2018 we defeated the credit union initiative to gain entry into the state's Business Development Program (a first step into the public deposits business) in the Senate after it had passed the Assembly. Yet looking  to 2019, we may face even greater challenges.  Democrats may well capture the majority in the New York State Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. That would dramatically change the political landscape, and place new leadership in both chambers and new chairs of the Banks and Financ ial Services Committees.

IBANYS will be prepared  to represent and protect the interests of New York community banks regardless of the political dynamics. However, make no mistake:  We need the active involvement and engagement of all New York community banks to bring a united, consistent and persistent message to lawmakers about the importance of our industry and member banks to the state and local economies, homeowners, small businesses and the communities we serve. 

IBANYS members can start by getting involved in our Government Relations Committee. We need the participation of every member bank in this process. Stay informed of legislative and regulatory activities and developments, and have full input as we formulate our positions and policies. 

Your participation is needed now more than ever.

Please sign up to join our IBANYS Government Relations Committee. During the legislative session (January to June), there will be scheduled conference call meetings at 9:00 a.m. every Friday morning to discuss policy proposals important to our membership and industry, monitor developments at the state and federal levels and plan our agendas and responses to the issues of the day.

This is the perfect opportunity to make your voice heard in the political sphere. Voice your ideas in an open and welcoming environment,  drive the policy debate and identify and promote issues vital to your bank and the community banking industry.

IBANYS CEOs: Sign up yourself, or designate someone from your senior team to represent your bank in these efforts! Contact IBANYS' Government Relations Director Steve Rice at [email protected] or me at [email protected] to join. NOW is the time!

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We also have other important committees and peer groups that would greatly benefit from your participation, such as our Compliance Peer Group, CFO/Senior Management Peer Group, and Innovation Committee. Please email me for more information on these committees and how to sign up. 

IBANYS is always open to new ideas. If you have suggestions on other committees you'd like to see established, tell us! IBANYS is  member driven and we work together to make the community banking industry better each day.

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Get Ready For IBANYS' 2019 Meetings!

We are currently planning our educational conferences in various subjects. Returning to our calendar in 2019 are: 
  • Compliance Conference
  • Directors Conference
  • Human Resources Conference
  • Lending Conference
  • Security Conference
  • Banking Executive Symposium
IBANYS' meetings provide insight into relevant issues spoken by experts in the field. They are also a great opportunity to network and earn CPE credits. You can preview when these meetings will be held on our website. In addition, we have also begun planning for our 2019 Annual Convention, which will be held June 10-12, 2019 at Turning Stone Resort & Casino. More information for the 2019 Annual Convention can be found in the Convention section of today's newsletter. 

Have an idea for one of our meetings? Want to see a meeting or forum on a different subject? We want to hear from you!  Contact Linda Gregware at [email protected] or me at [email protected] with your thoughts and/or comments. 

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As always, thank you for your support of IBANYS and all you do for community banking in New York State.

Remember: IBANYS is YOUR association. Make it work for you!

- John
SocialMedia
Follow IBANYS On Social Media!

Have you found and followed IBANYS on social media yet? Connect with us today!


 

Facebook: @ibanys1 | Twitter: @ibanys1

Instagram: @ibanys1 | LinkedIn: @ibanys

2018 Annual ConventionConvention


Thank You!

Our 2018 Annual Convention at the Hilton Albany was a success and we can't thank everyone enough for attending and participating! Special thanks to our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, donors to PAC and speakers. A big thank you to ICBA as well for their generous donation for our "one mission" growth to help support community banks in New York. 
  • We elected our 2018-19 officers, witnessed the passing of the gavel from outgoing Chairman Mike Briggs (President & CEO, USNY Bank) to incoming Chairman-elect Tom Amell (President & CEO, Pioneer Bankand, elected two new IBANYS board members: Theresa Phalon (President & CEO,  North Country Savings Bank) and Steven Woodard (President & CEO, Alden State Bank).  
  • Our educational sessions featured outstanding speakers and panelists. All speaker presentations are now available to view/download. We thank everyone for their continued support of IBANYS and believing in the power of community banking.

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Get Ready For Next Year's Convention!

 

SAVE THE DATE

When:  

June 10-12, 2019


Where: 

5218 Patrick Rd, Verona, NY 13478

New Feature!
Spotlight Bank of the Week

Spotlight Bank of the Week is a new feature that we have added to our website and e-newsletter. It is an opportunity to promote anything about your organization, such as fun facts, organization news, special events, etc. The Spotlight Bank of the Week will be featured on our homepage slider, e-newsletter, and our social media platforms for one week. So don't miss out on this exceptional opportunity to showcase your bank to thousands of people!

To apply, just fill out our registration form and email it to Natalie Rowan at [email protected].

IBANYS Education/WebinarsWebinars
IBANYS Webinars IBANYSWebinars


Are you participating in IBANYS' webinars? Your peers are! They provide timely, important information on subjects of interest to New York community bankers. They are valuable not only for their content, but for their convenience. Take part from the comfort and privacy of your office, without leaving the bank.  Our  Webinar Series  offers many topics in the following categories:
  • Audit & Accounting
  • Collections
  • Compliance
  • Directors
  • Frontline & New Accounts
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • IRA
  • Lending
  • Operations
  • Security & Fraud
  • Senior Management
We are always adding more programs based on needs and requests of our members,
who drive our focus!  Take a look at the various series of webinars we offer by clicking each of the links below.
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Buy any 2 webinars and get a coupon code for  1 FREE 
until Oct. 31. 

Here's how to get your free webinar:

Add two webinars to your cart. Before completing your order,  enter  "Send my free webinar code!"  in the  Comments box A coupon code for your free webinar will be  emailed to you within one business day. Webinar topics can be seen above.

(Not applicable for full Series orders)

 


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FREE WEBINAR: ICS & CDARS


What the New Law Means for Banks
Thanks to the newly signed regulatory relief bill, most reciprocal deposits are no longer brokered. This comes as banks face intense and increasing competition for deposits.

Join Us for a Webinar
Join Promontory Interfinancial Network-- the nation's leading provider and inventor of reciprocal deposit placement services-- for a free webinar that outlines key provisions of the new law and the impact ICS®, or Insured Cash Sweep®, and CDARS® can have on banks' balance sheets. The webinar will also cover how banks can use ICS and CDARS to capitalize on the opportunities at hand; presenters will discuss cost-effective ways to use the services to attract high-value relationships (even as deposit competition intensifies) and to lock-in more low-cost funding (even as interest rates continue to rise.) This webinar is a "must" for decision-makers at banks of all sizes, especially for community banks that utilize collateralized deposits and/or listing services.

Choose a date and time that works for you!


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Presents a  Complimentary Recorded Webinar for
Our Valued Webinar Participants

GDPR: WHAT IS IT & SHOULD YOUR
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION BE CONCERNED?

GDPR is a hot topic! The General Data Protection Regulation is the European Union's new data protection and privacy regulation that became effective May 25, 2018. Although these EU rules were developed a continent away, don't underestimate how they might affect you.

Privacy is a fundamental human right under the EU Charter. GDPR is intended to protect EU residents' data privacy rights even outside the EU. Mandatory compliance may be closer than you think. A few states have introduced similar legislation and others are following suit. This free webinar will explain how to analyze when and how your institution will be affected by GDPR, and how it differs from your existing privacy rules.

Click the image below to access this complimentary webinar.



This free webinar is available until December 31, 2018.

View full information , including info about the presenters.


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Government Relations
AlbanyAlbanyGR

 

DiNapoli: New York Among Five States With Worst Return 
On Money Sent To Washington

 
NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli
According to a report by NYS Comptroller DiNapoli, New York State got back 90 cents in federal spending for every dollar it sent to Washington last year -- one of the biggest  imbalances in payments between the states and federal government. The report  New York residents and businesses sent nearly $250 billion to Washington in income tax payments, Social Security tax, unemployment insurance tax and other payments in the fiscal year ended September 2017.  The state got back $225.7 billion in federal spending, including Medicaid and Social Security payments and grants and salaries for federal employees working in the state.  The imbalance of $24.1 billion equals 90 cents in federal spending in New York for every dollar sent to Washington. New York placed among the five states with the largest negative balance in payments. States, on average, received a return of $1.19 per tax dollar sent to the federal treasury.  New Jersey fared worst among the 50 states, getting back 79 cents last year. New Mexico did best, receiving $2.54.

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Election Day Is Less Than Three Weeks Away: 
Have You Contributed to NYSIBPAC?

This year's election is one of the most important in recent history for New York community banks. Control of the New York State Senate is very much up for grabs. Traditionally, the Senate -- under Republican control for most of the last half-century -- has provided a firewall for businesses, the financial services industry and specifically for local independent community banks.  IBANYS' state political action committee, NYSIBPAC, works hard to determine candidates and incumbents for state offices -- including the NYS Legislature -- who understand the needs, priorities and challenges of New York's community banks. 
  • This is the year to make certain you support our efforts -- it could make all the difference going forward. 

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Analysis On New York State Senate Races

Governor Cuomo will reportedly launch a $2 million TV and digital ad campaign to help "flip" control of the State Senate to the Democrats. A net gain of one seat by Democrats would put them in control of the chamber. 

Meanwhile, the latest City & State Political Report sees 29 safe Democratic senate seats, 1 likely Dem seat,  19 safe GOP seats, 5 "likely" GOP seats, 3 "leaning" GOP seats and four "toss-up" seats -- including the Long Island seat held by Senate Banks Chair Elaine Phillips. Read the latest full analysis. 

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Washington, D.C.WashingtonGR


White House Update: New York's Economic Growth

Kevin Hassett (left) & Lawrence Kudlow (right)

I BANYS participated in a conference call this week coordinated by the White House and ICBA.  Lawrence Kudlow, Director of the White House National Economic Council and Kevin Hassett,  Chairman  of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA),  provided an update on New York State's economic growth during the past year under the Trump administration. Among the items discussed:
  • New York has demonstrated strong economic growth during the past year, with low unemployment and gains in real per capita personal income across the state.
  • The unemployment rate in New York was 4.1 percent in September, the lowest rate of unemployment rate since 1988. 
  • The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump last year is estimated to lead to a 6.6 percent increase in wage and salary income for New York's average household representing an average increase in wages of nearly $5,000. 
  • Unemployment insurance claims fell by over 16.8 percent since President Trump's inauguration and this year reached the lowest number ever recorded. 
  • Over 200,000 jobs have been added across all sectors in New York since the election of President Trump. 
  • Real personal income per capita grew over 4 percent to a record high of $60,833 during President Trump's first year in office, the fastest pace of annual growth in 10 years. 

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Latest On Credit Unions, Tax Cuts, Interest Rates
  • Credit unions will get at least one more year to prepare for the National Credit Union Administration's (NCUA's) long-anticipated risked-based capital rule. The agency's governing board has approved a pair of modifications to the regulation. It pushed back the effective date to Jan. 1, 2020, and increased the asset threshold that defines the so-called "complex credit unions" to be subject to the rule to $500 million.
  • President Trump promised a middle-income tax cut plan days before the midterm
    Kevin Brady
    election. Congress is out on recess; there are no known plans to address the issue before election. GOP Senator Tillis (R-NC) warned any second round of tax cuts cannot add to the national debt: "We've got to make sure that it's at least supported by facts around dynamic growth. It has to pay for itself. We can't go further in debt." House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) said the House would work with the White House on a new round of tax cuts if Republicans keep control of both chambers in the midterm elections. "We will continue to work with the White House and Treasury over the coming weeks to develop an additional 10 percent tax cut focused specifically on middle-class families and workers, to be advanced as Republicans retain the House and Senate." 
  • President Trump said that he "maybe" regrets nominating Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to head of the central bank. The Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate three times so far this year. The president, who has pushed for lower interest, added Powell "almost looks like he's happy raising interest rates."
  • The FDIC will set up an office of innovation to foster a more welcoming environment for banks to adopt financial technology changes. FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams said that federal bank regulators could do a better job of encouraging institutions to innovate, which is partly why the most dynamic changes are occurring outside the banking industry. 

Industry Trends & Updates

Housing Market Slumping 

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of previously owned homes nationally declined more than expected last month, falling to the lowest level since November 2015. Existing home sales (completed sales of single-family homes, town houses, condominiums and co-ops) declined 3.4 percent month-on-month in September to an annualized pace of 5.15m units. 

Overall, t he housing market is enduring its longest slump in four years, attributed to a combination of rising mortgage rates and higher home prices, a dearth of inventory and the new tax law that may be reducing incentives for homeownership. 

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FDIC Unbanked & Underbanked Survey

According to the latest FDIC unbanked and underbanked survey, the number of U.S. households without a bank account continued to fall in 2017 when unbanked households declined to 6.5 percent. That was the third consecutive decrease, and represents the lowest rate since the agency began the survey in 2009.  The unbanked rate was 7.0 percent in 2015. The highwater mark was 8.2 percent in 2011. 
  • Underbanked U.S. households-those with a bank account that have nevertheless used alternative financial services in the past 12 months-were also down. In 2017, 18.7 percent of U.S. households (24.2 million) were considered underbanked -- 1.2 percentage points lower than 2015. 
  • Unbanked and underbanked rates were higher among lower-income, less-educated, younger, and minority households, as well as households headed by individuals with a disability or with incomes that vary from month to month. 
  • For banked households, the survey found that mobile banking use nearly doubled to 40.4 percent, with 81 percent of those households also visiting a branch at least once in the past 12 months. Further, nearly 13 percent of households demonstrated unmet demand for mainstream small-dollar credit, while one in five did not use mainstream credit in the prior 12 months.
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Trigen Leasing's Turn-Key Equipment Leasing Product 
& Profit Center For Community Banks



Trigen Leasing offers a Turn-Key Equipment Leasing Product and Profit Center for Community Banks. This program requires no capital commitment from your bank. The Trigen Bank Lease program enables your bank to offer a competitive equipment leasing and finance product without relinquishing control of the process to a third-party or losing your banking relationship to a competitor. 

Trigen is perfectly positioned to offer a carefully-designed equipment leasing program for community banks that builds on your customer relationships, delivers value to your bank and its customers, and uses state-of-the-art technology and a proven platform to offer world-class service and simplicity. To view Trigen's Features & Benefits brochure that was handed out at the IBANYS Annual Convention last month, please click here Click here to read this article in full.

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Fed Wants Feedback On Faster Payments

ICBA and IBANYS urge community bankers to provide feedback to the Federal Reserve on its role in faster payments. The Fed is hosting a series of town hall meetings and accepting comments on facilitating real-time interbank settlement of faster payments and a liquidity management tool to support settlement services. 

The meetings start next week in each of the Fed's 12 regional districts. Fed representatives will provide an overview of conceptual approaches, answer questions, and facilitate stakeholder discussions. Formal comments to the agency are due by Dec. 14.  ICBA has called on the agency to ensure a role for itself in faster payments to guarantee universal access for financial institutions of all sizes. 

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York town hall will be held Friday, November 2 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon at 33 Liberty Street, New York. Town hall attendees will learn about and have the opportunity to ask questions and share views on the potential actions the Fed is considering. As part of its overall mission, the Federal Reserve has a fundamental interest in ensuring there is a safe and robust settlement infrastructure on which the private sector can provide innovative payment services that serve the broad public interest.  The settlement infrastructure concepts outlined in the Notice are intended to advance public policy goals for faster payments and to help support the modernization of the payment system. They are requesting your feedback to help assess the potential actions under consideration for achieving this.
 
To register for a town hall:



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OctBreastCancerAwareness   

October marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetime. That is why it is essential to highlight the importance of self-exams and going to the doctor each year. The statistics below illustrate  how prevalent the battle against breast cancer is: 
  • In 2018, an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 63,960 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
  • About 40,920 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2018 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989. Women under 50 have experienced larger decreases. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
  • For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
  • As of January 2018, there are more than 3.1 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.

To learn how you can help or donate to research please visit  www.nationalbreastcancer.org.


Cybersecurity Awareness MonthCyberAwarenessMonth

Cybersecurity Awareness Month Tips: Physically Protecting Your Devices

Every Thursday during October, IBANYS will post cyber security tips on our social media platforms. They can also be seen in our e-newsletter, the following Wednesday.



1. Privacy Policy -  Before submitting your name, email address, or other personal information on a website, look for the site's privacy policy. This policy should state how the information will be used and whether or not the information will be distributed to other organizations. Companies sometimes share information with partner vendors who offer related products or may offer options to subscribe to particular mailing lists. Look for indications that you are being added to mailing lists by default-failing to deselect those options may lead to unwanted spam. If you cannot find a privacy policy on a website, consider contacting the company to inquire about the policy before you submit personal information, or find an alternate site. Privacy policies sometimes change, so you may want to review them periodically.

2. Make sure your information is being encrypted - T o prevent attackers from stealing your personal information, online submissions should be encrypted so that it can only be read by the appropriate recipient. A lock icon in the bottom right corner of the window indicates that your information will be encrypted.  Some sites also indicate whether the data is encrypted when it is stored. If data is encrypted in transit but stored insecurely, an attacker who is able to break into the vendor's system could access your personal information.

3. Do business with credible companies - Before supplying any information online, consider the answers to the following questions: Do you trust the business? Is it an established organization with a credible reputation? Does the information on the site suggest that there is a concern for the privacy of user information? Is legitimate contact information provided? If you answered "No" to any of these questions, avoid doing business online with these companies.

4. Do not use your primary email address in online submissions - Submitting your email address could result in spam. If you do not want your primary email account flooded with unwanted messages, consider opening an additional email account for use online.  Make sure to log in to the account on a regular basis in case the vendor sends information about changes to policies.

5. Avoid submitting credit card information online - Some companies offer a phone number you can use to provide your credit card information. Although this does not guarantee that the information will not be compromised, it eliminates the possibility that attackers will be able to hijack it during the submission process.

6. Devote one credit card to online purchases -  To minimize the potential damage of an attacker gaining access to your credit card information, consider opening a credit card account for use only online. Keep a minimum credit line on the account to limit the amount of charges an attacker can accumulate.

7. Avoid using debit cards for online purchases - Credit cards usually offer some protection against identity theft and may limit the monetary amount you will be responsible for paying. Debit cards, however, do not offer that protection. Because the charges are immediately deducted from your account, an attacker who obtains your account information may empty your bank account before you even realize it.

8. Take advantage of options to limit exposure of private information - Default options on certain websites may be chosen for convenience, not for security. For example, avoid allowing a website to remember your password. If your password is stored, your profile and any account information you have provided on that site is readily available if an attacker gains access to your computer. Also, evaluate your settings on websites used for social networking. The nature of those sites is to share information, but you can restrict access to limit who can see what. 


Banking News

Further Your Education at Barret Graduate School of Banking BarretGradSchool



Barret and IBANYS are aligned with a common interest: to represent the interests of the industry through effective advocacy and high quality educational offerings.

Located in Memphis, TN, Barret Graduate School of Banking offers a comprehensive graduate learning program for professionals in the financial services field. IBANYS has established partnerships with key industry educators including the Barret Graduate School of Banking. The school provides community bankers with an opportunity for a graduate degree in banking. 

We are currently endorsed by ICBA, ICBA Securities, Arkansas Community Bankers, CBAofGA, Indiana Bankers Association, CBAofKS, MIBA, CBAofOH, CBAofWV - with a couple more on the way. 

To learn more about Barret Graduate School of Banking, please visit www.barret.ws.

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Keep The Door Open For Your Small Business Customers

Excelsior Growth Fund (EGF) is NYBDC's nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution and IBANYS' exclusive online lending partner. Join the growing number of banks that work with EGF to offer their customers an affordable and responsible option when they do not qualify for traditional financing. EGF offers loans up to $500,000 with a convenient, digital process. Loans under $100,000 are disbursed within 5 business days.

 EGF's experienced team can work hand-in-hand with yours to develop a customized process to make referring seamless. To learn more about offering your customers a second look through EGF contact Bryan Doxford, SVP, at [email protected] at at (212) 430-4512. 

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6 Steps to Help Clients Prepare for Loan Applications



Capital is critical when expanding a business, and one option your clients may consider for financing is a business loan. To help increase their chances of approval, we're sharing  six common issues we see in loan applications and steps to help your clients overcome them.

When Oneida Franco and Rick Diaz, of  Franco Blueprint, Inc. needed working capital to keep up with their rapid growth, they turned to EGF. Thanks to their preparedness, Oneida and Rick were quickly approved. Learn more about how an EGF loan allowed them to expand their marketing budget and hire new staff to help take on their business's increasing demand.


Spotlight Bank of the WeekSpotlightBank




Empire National Bank is a Long Island-based independent bank that specializes in serving the financial needs of small and medium sized businesses, professionals, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, real estate investors, and consumers.  The bank has four full-service banking offices located in Islandia, Shirley, Port Jefferson Station, Mineola as well as a private banking branch office in Manhattan. Our bankers take pride in understanding the needs of each customer so the bank can deliver the highest quality service with a sense of urgency. 

Empire National Bank's locations

Empire National Bank is pleased to have the opportunity to offer both the SBA 7A and 504 products so that customers are afforded additional financing solutions for business growth, machinery, equipment or commercial real estate acquisitions. Our SBA loan applications receive prompt, personal attention.


SBA 7A term loans offer flexible options and wide criteria for businesses that may not qualify for conventional lending, such as companies that have been in business as few as two years.

They offer amounts ranging from $50,000 to $5,000,000 so that borrowers can use the funds to:
  • Refinance existing business debt
  • Purchase or refinance existing real estate
  • Purchase inventory
  • Purchase machinery and equipment
  • Expand an existing business
  • Purchase a franchise
  • Obtain working capital
  • Acquire an existing business
Terms have maturities up to 25 years, which are fully amortized as well as a Loan to Value that can be as high as 90%. The benefits of a SBA 7A include: wide lending criteria; loans with higher LTVs; companies in business as few as two years; longer terms that conventional loans; lower monthly payments based upon longer amortizations, etc.

With a SBA 504 term loan, borrowers can purchase owner occupied commercial real estate or refinance owner occupied real estate with loan amounts up to $5,000,000. Terms include the commercial portion up to 25 years, with five (5) year interest rate resets; and the SBA portion to 25 years with a fixed interest rate. The Loan to Value has a maximum combined as high as 90%.

For more information or to apply for your SBA loan today, please call Phil Amico, SBA Specialist at 631-533-9940 or visit empirenb.com/SBA.

Phil Amico


Let's build together.


 
IBANYS Spotlight Is On...

Accume Partners has a long history of providing internal audit, regulatory compliance and risk management services to banks and financial institutions. As the level of regulatory and business complexity has surged, so has the need for specialized knowledge and focus. Accume is organized to achieve that goal -- providing their clients with deep knowledge, expertise and approaches in the following areas:
  • Internal Audit
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Enterprise Risk Management
  • Technology Risk Management & Cybersecurity Solutions
  • Operations and Process Improvement
Through these key areas of focus, Accume is able to stay in front of change, bring balanced perspectives and the specialized knowledge demanded by today's banks and financial institutions.


IBANYS Endorsed Services
IBANYS identifies offers products and services that provide value to your banks, companies, employees communities. These brief summaries provide links for information. Please contact IBANYS President John Witkowski with questions.

Health & Wellness

My Wellness Resource & TELADOC

The health and wellness landscape continues to evolve. "My Wellness Resource" can be a nice addition to your existing benefit package. 

Teladoc can save your banks time and money, and provide real value to your employees as this testimonial from a New York community bank CEO proves:
HERE'S WHAT YOUR FELLOW NEW YORK
COMMUNITY BANKER SAYS. . .
"I wanted to let you know that some of our employees and I have been using "Teladoc" and it is one of the best things we have done for the bank. We all love it: We are saving time, avoiding waiting in an urgent care center or a doctor's waiting room for non-emergency related illnesses . . .and it is easy to use and convenient. Once you use it, you are hooked! This was a great find! Would recommend it to all banks."

Mario Martinez 
Chairman & CEO
Catskill Hudson Bank

Contact Alan Justin: (716) 907-5500. 


"Cure the Blue" Helps Banking Industry Battle Prostate Cancer!

The "Cure the Blue" program sponsored by the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation allows New Yorkers to participate in one of the most comprehensive efforts to help promote prostate cancer awareness and research in the United States.  Lake Shore Savings Bank has provided prostate cancer literature and Cure the Blue information at all eleven of its branches and their headquarters in Dunkirk. The bank also offered Cure the Blue ceramic lapel ribbon pins for a $5.00 donations to Cure the Blue to all their customers. "We fully understand the severity of this disease and the devastating effect it can have on families" said Lake Shore Savings Bank President and CEO Dan Reininga. "Our support of the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation's "Cure the Blue" initiative is something that we are taking very seriously and are proud to support." Buffalo Bills Wall of Famer and Alumni Foundation President Booker Edgerson, a two time prostate cancer survivor, said the bank has been a tremendous longtime supporter, noting: "They have really stepped up to the plate with their unwavering support of our Cure the Blue initiative." 

IBANYS urges all of our member banks, associate members and allies to join the effort. Cure the Blue" raises funds and awareness regarding prostate cancer in New York State. Visit  curetheblue.com  to get involved! Of all new cancer cases in the nation, prostate cancer represents 9.6%. In 2017, there were an estimated 161,000 new cases, and more than 26,000 fatalities due to the disease. Support IBANYS' "Cure the Blue" campaign to help New Yorkers participate to promote prostate cancer awareness and research.


Secure, Enhanced Internet Presence

The .bank program by fTLD operates trusted, verified, more secure, easily-identifiable internet locations for financial companies and  customers. www.icba.org 

Did You Know?


. . .That e very two years, one-third of the senate seats are up for election. . .but that until the seventeenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution in1913, members of the United States Senate were NOT by the public? That amendment  established the popular election of  United States Senators  by the people of the states. Prior to that,  U.S. senators were elected by  state legislatures



 
New York community banks play a key role in our state and local economies. Help spread the good news among our customers, business, elected leaders and the media!



John J. Witkowski
President & Chief Executive Officer

Stephen W. Rice
Director of Government Relations & Communications

Linda Gregware
Director of Administration & Membership Services

William Y. Crowell III
Legislative Counsel

Natalie Rowan
Marketing & Social Media Assistant