The regulatory compliance burden is a big and growing consideration for community banks. Thankfully, there are plenty of techniques and resources for keeping on top of this ever-changing task. TODAY'S COMPLIANCE LANDSCAPE off ers its fair share of challenges for community bank leaders and their compliance teams. A June 2024 study from ICBA found that more than nine in 10 ICBA member community bankers said the current regulatory environment is more challenging than it was fi ve years ago. Further, 71% of respondents identifi ed regulatory factors as one of their bank's top three challenges. " The evolving compliance landscape requires vigilance and accountability. So, it kind of all concerns me, " explains Debbie Robertson, vice president, compliance at $236 million-asset Grand Rapids State Bank in Grand Rapids, Minn. Bankers also think it will get worse before it gets better. According to the Second Quarter 2024 Community Bank Sentiment Index from the Conference of State Banking Supervisors (CSBS), 80% of community bankers believe their regulatory burden will be greater in the future. Bank compliance teams face mounting pressures to address current requirements, balance them with pending preparations and institute procedural rollouts to ensure bank staff understand By Colleen Morrison independentbanker.org // 45http://www.independentbanker.org