| RECENT NEWS |
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IBAT Leadership Division Surpasses 500 in Membership!!
Last Tuesday was a significant day in the history of the IBAT Leadership Division. Following its quarterly Board meeting at IBAT headquarters, the Leadership Board of Directors conducted a Membership Recruitment campaign. The results of the phone calling effort were outstanding!
Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of our board members, 49 bankers and Associate Members across Texas joined the Leadership Division as new members. Furthermore, 30 bankers and Associate Members have requested more information! As a result of the membership campaign, the Leadership Division has achieved its aggressive 2007 goal of 522 members!
Thanks to each new member…and Welcome. If you are interested in learning more about this dynamic group, click here. We would be pleased to have you join us.
A special thanks to Leadership Division President Darrell Brown (Town and Country Bank- Stephenville) for the great idea and to Membership Committee Chairman Kyle Irwin (Gruver State Bank) for the execution! We also want to thank all our members who support our Leadership Division by allowing their officers to participate and fulfill the mission of the Leadership Division, “Building Exceptional Leaders through Involvement." |
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| ON THE HILL |
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LLC Treatment for Banks
IBAT has been a longtime advocate and champion for flow-through tax treatment for banks. From the efforts originating in the late 1980's that resulted in the "Limited Banking Association" legislation, to our work to make Subchapter S a reality for banks (along with enhancements over the years) we have continued to explore options to allow for tax advantaged structures for community banks.
One of the areas being explored is the ability of banks to qualify for Limited Liability Corporations (LLC). There are many banks who may not be able to enjoy the benefits of Subchapter S status, but may be able to organize as an LLC to take advantage of flow-through treatment. Additionally, there are current Sub S banks who may find this structure more advantageous.
We have had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Kevin Brady and his excellent staff on this issue, and are pleased to report that the Congressman has submitted a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury requesting the necessary changes in IRS rules to allow LLC treatment for banks. We appreciate and applaud this intitiative from Congressman Brady, and are optimistic that changes will be forthcoming in this area.
Capitol Report
In case you missed it Friday, check out last week's Capitol Report for an update on what's happening at the state capitol. |
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| ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL VISIT |
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Our 15th Annual Congressional Visit is scheduled for April 24-26. This is a great opportunity to tell the community banking story to your elected officials in Washington. We hope you'll make plans to join us and help us make a difference for our industry.
We have a block of rooms at the Madison Hotel (room block cutoff is March 19). One of our members has alerted us to some really great airfares on American from Dallas that are as low as $225 round trip via Travelzoo's SuperSearch.
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| LEGAL EASE QUESTION OF THE WEEK |
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Question: How long do we have to keep originals when we have them optically imaged?
To find out the answer, click on the flashing question mark. And you can also check out our searchable database of other frequently asked questions. |
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| SOLUTIONS FROM SERVICES |
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Leading Techniques for Managing Your Network Security Logs
Log files are a treasure trove of security data. But, collecting, understanding and acting on this data is very difficult and time consuming. Many organizations have already deployed or are considering log tools like Cisco MARS and TriGeo to help collect and interpret their log files. However, very few understand what it takes to get the most value out of them. IBAT endorsed provider SecureWorks invites you to this free webcast where they'll cover log aggregation and monitoring, discuss what technology and resources are required and examine best practices.
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| CONSUMER TIPS |
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This month's Consumer Tips newsletter offers some helpful reminders about ATM safety. |
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| IBAT EDUCATION FOUNDATION |
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Question: When was the community-based campaign, Texas Saves, launched?
Answer: November 2004.
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| BAKER WEEKLY |
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U.S. Treasury yields fell this week as stock markets tumbled worldwide. Around the globe, markets declined from 3% to 9% as investors hit the exits following a rash of poor economic data in China and comments from former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan indicating that a U.S. recession may be imminent...Read more in this week's Baker Weekly.
Although this information has been obtained from sources, which we believe to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy. This is for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security. |
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ON THE EDUCATION FRONT |
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2007 Operations Compliance Summit
April 12-13, 2007 - Hotel Cutoff March 22
Omni San Antonio Hotel, San Antonio
More information...
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
 Overdraft privilege best practices and pitfalls
 BSA/AML examination issues
Information security issues
Stored value and payroll card issues
Check processing issues, including Check 21 warranties and remote capture opportunities
FACT Act Update |
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COMING SOON |
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For a complete listing of upcoming events, click here. Meanwhile, please mark your calendar for some of our key events for 2007.
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April 24-26, 2007 - Washington, D.C. |
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IBAT Leadership Conference
June 14-16, 2007 - Hyatt Lost Pines Resort |
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IBAT 33rd Annual Convention
September 30 - October 2, 2007 - Fort Worth |
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