Independent Banker - January 2024 - 65

Next: What makes a top-performing bank? 
writing educational columns for their
newsletters and speaking at a variety
of events.
" ICBA Securities is a registered broker dealer
owned by ICBA-we're the only broker dealer on
earth that's owned by a trade association. "
-JIM REBER, ICBA SECURITIES
Stifel also aims to connect with
both current and prospective
community bank customers. Its
representatives attend ICBA and state
association conferences throughout
the year, and its strategists are
often asked to speak at other events
because bankers appreciate their
subject matter expertise.
According to Reber, " [Community
bankers] are always on the phone or
having email conversations with their
Stifel sales rep. "
broker dealer on earth that's owned by
a trade association, " says Jim Reber,
president and CEO of ICBA Securities.
ICBA Securities exists to educate
community bankers, connect them
with a broker to buy necessary bonds
and provide up-to-date information
about securities and portfolio offerings.
When it comes to its educational
resources, Reber likes to say,
" Nobody's got more than we do! "
He and his Stifel partners speak at
many live events each year, and they
present several webinar series under
both brands, often in collaboration.
In total, ICBA Securities and Stifel
produce 16 webinars a year, available
to community bankers free of charge.
These webinars offer continuing
professional education credits,
covering investment portfolios,
balance sheet management and
economic updates.
Why Stifel?
How does Stifel fit into the ICBA
ecosystem? As a full-service brokerage
and investment banking firm, it works
with ICBA to present community
banks with options for bonds and
investment insights.
" Stifel has got this fantastic set of
solutions, " says Reber. " And we've got
Meet with Stifel
At ICBA LIVE this year-March 14-17 in Orlando-Stifel
will host a meet-and-greet at the Expo as well as a
learning lab where attendees can see just what their
sales reps have to offer. Register for LIVE at icba.org/live
the ICBA name backing them. "
All community bankers can jump
on a virtual call with a Stifel strategist
to get insight into the opportunities
and solutions they can pursue
together. Stifel uses information in
call reports to target the needs of each
community bank it works with.
" If we get a third of a bank's
business, we consider ourselves to be
pretty important to that bank, and it's
repeat business, " says Reber. " It's an
ongoing dialogue between Stifel and
the community banks. "
The community banker stamp
of approval
As a true testament to ICBA
Securities' capabilities, 34 of ICBA's
state association affiliates have
endorsed the service. Reber has made
a point to nurture close connections
with these associations, including
Many banks have found success
working with ICBA Securities.
For example, an ICBA member
in Florida was seeking a $3 million
CRA qualifying investment. ICBA
subsidiary CRA Partners, which
helps community banks fulfill their
obligations under the Community
Reinvestment Act (CRA), called a
Stifel sales representative to help
this community bank. Stifel spent
two months finding a limitededition
bond that checked all the
bank's boxes, and it was able to get
CRA credit-compliments of ICBA
Securities and Stifel.
Working with ICBA Securities and
Stifel guarantees a meaningful bond
between bank and broker. Learn more
about what they can do for you at
icba.org/icba-securities 
Rachel Hatcher is associate editor of
Independent Banker.
independentbanker.org // 65
http://www.icba.org/icba-securities http://www.icba.org/live http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - January 2024

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