Pub. 2 2012-2013 Issue 4

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G C O L O R A D A N S R E A L I Z E D R E A M S January • February 2013 5 The Colorado Bankers Association One of Your Best Investments Dear CBA Members, What are the biggest challenges facing your bank today? Is it dealing with the crush of regulations and learn- ing how to keep up with new rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or the Dodd-Frank Act? Is it managing your capital, especially with more requirements coming from Basel III? Is it figuring out how to make mortgage loans knowing there are intense new rules coming from the CFPB? Do you know how to manage the disparate treatment rules and do you understand the issues surrounding a qualified mortgage? Is it competing with credit unions, knowing that they have an unfair competitive advantage by not having to pay income taxes? These are all issues that make our business more difficult in today’s environment and these are all issues that the Colorado Bankers Association is working hard to address on our behalf. I continue to be impressed by all the CBA does and how they are a model for other bankers associations across the country. Below are a number of the things they have been working on to support our industry: 1. CBA is an owner of a company called The Compliance Alliance which focuses on giving us all the resources to keep up with the new crush of regulatory issues coming out of Washington. To learn more about this very valuable asset, you can visit the CBA website or call Compliance Alliance at 888-353-3933 or email them at info@ compliancealliance.com . You will be impressed by the breadth of their work. 2. Don Childears and the Board of the CBA have been working aggressively with the Colorado Congressional delegation to educate them about the number of issues confronting our industry. We have met for hours to explain the rules coming out of the CFPB and Dodd-Frank and the negative impact they have on our business and on our country. We have met with each one of the major regulatory bodies including the FDIC, the OCC and the Federal Reserve and have filed comment letters regarding the new proposed rules. 3. No bankers association in the country has done more to amend and delay the onerous elements of the Basel III accord. Raising and maintaining capital in a community bank is a significant issue today and many elements of this accord will create even greater stress. Go to the CBA website ColoardoBankers.org under Government Regulations/Federal Issues/Basel III and get copies of the letters sent to the regulators on your behalf to better understand this important issue. 4. Another key effort of the Colorado Bankers Association is to address the unfair advantage that credit unions have in the competitive environment today. CBA has been working aggressively to defeat Senator Udall’s Senate Bill 2331, which would expand broad commercial lending powers of credit unions. As you can tell from this impressive inventory of actions, we have a tremendous ally in the Colorado Bankers Association, and as your Chairman, I am proud of all they do to support us. If you are a CBA member you should be proud too, and if you are not, you should consider becoming a member. There is no better investment that you can make today to ensure the future of your own bank. Q Bruce Alexander, CBA Chairman President & CEO, Vectra Bank Colorado