Pub. 11 2016-2017 Issue 4

www.nebankers.org 4 Extraordinary Service for Extraordinary Members. 16 20 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 EDITORIAL: The Nebraska Banker seeks to reflect news and information relevant to Nebraska and other news and information of direct interest to members of the Nebraska Bankers Association. Statement of fact and opinion are made on the responsibility of the authors alone and do not represent the opinion or endorsement of the Nebraska Bankers Association. Articles may be reproduced with written permission only. ADVERTISEMENTS: The publication of advertisements does not necessarily represent endorsement of those products or services by the Nebraska Bankers Association. The editor reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. SUBSCRIPTION: Subscription to themagazine, which began bi-monthly publication inMay 2006, is included in membership fees to the Nebraska Bankers Association. 8 7 President’s Message – Food for Thought Following a Divisive Election Like many of you political junkies, I slumped into bed about 3:00 a.m. on the morning following our turbulent, unpredictable, and unconventional national elections. By Richard J. Baier, President & CEO, Nebraska Bankers Association 8 Washington Update – How Banks Can Tackle the Student Debt Crisis More than almost any other issue, student debt is driving whether and how your younger customers engage with your bank. By Rob Nichols, President & CEO, American Bankers Association 12 Counselor’s Corner – ESOPs: A Solution to Bank Ownership Succession The employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is a powerful tool that has been linked to improved company performance. By John Schembari, Kutak Rock LLP 10 NBA Education Calendar 16 Tech Talk – Education Is a Powerful Marketing Strategy One of the difficult tasks banks continue to face is how to educate bank customers on the importance of cybersecurity. By Lauren Wiley & Stephanie Chaumont, CoNetrix 20 Bert Ely’s Farm Credit Watch – FCS Lenders Dominate Ranking of Largest Ag Lenders Farm Credit System institutions dominate the ranking of the nation’s largest ag lenders. This growing domination reflects the dramatic growth in the FCS’ share of total farm debt as reported in the last Farm Credit Watch. By Bert Ely, Alexandria, Va. 24 The Cloud Considerations Before You Make the Move Arguably one of the biggest ongoing buzz words in the IT industry is “the cloud.” So, what is the cloud and how can it benefit your bank? By Alyssa Pugh, Security+, CoNetrix 28 Farm Lending Can Still Be Good for Nebraska Banks Is it time for Nebraska banks to shed farm loan assets, or is it time to look for new opportunities in agriculture? By John Blanchfield