800.228.2581 MHM.INC Now more than ever people want self-service options. With our core integrated ITMs we can make this a reality both in the lobby and in the drive-up of your branch. SELF-SERVICE BANKING We feel bad for the credit union and its customers, but this story underscores how important it is for there to be someone out there helping community banks identify who the good guys with good products are. WHAT SHOULD STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATURES BE DOING TO PROTECT COMMUNITY BANKS? Federal and state legislatures have made it hard for community banks to survive, so advocacy on the national and state levels matters because it ensures that new legislation will help community banks instead of hurting them. We talk to legislators about the value of community banks. We educate them about best practices, and then they make better choices in the laws they write. WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF BIG BANKS? WHAT IS THE CORRECT ROLE FOR THEM? Banking isn’t a one-size-fits-all business. Big banks are a good space for big corporate organizations because they are set up to handle the biggest customers. Community banks excel at handling customers that are too small for the big banks. Big banks and community banks can exist together if they all focus on their strengths. WHY CAN’T BIG BANKS PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES AS COMMUNITY BANKS? The scale is wrong, which makes them too slow to be helpful. HOW DO BIG BANKS AND COMMUNITY BANKS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER? Big banks should be for big customers and leave community banks to help the rest of us. DO YOU HAVE ANY LAST WORDS? Bankers Helping Bankers can help your community bank. Community banks are good at loans and delivery, but 10 years ago, they didn’t have the resources available that are available now. The big boys already have those tools; now, we need to level the playing field and improve our use of innovative technology. If we succeed, we can ensure your charter won’t go away. Leveling the playing field means finding ways to cooperate with corporate fintechs. We need a good ecosystem so we can survive. The Bankers Helping Bankers program creates that ecosystem. It gives bankers a tool to help them get connected to the right people. We have to come together because community banks are important. For all of us to survive, we need to work as a community and support each other. I don’t want any charters to go away, including the bank down the street, because when community banks disappear, there’s a negative effect on local businesses, jobs and school districts. Too many banks are gone. Let’s make sure we keep the rest of them alive. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT BANKER 24
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