First Federal Savings Bank and ICBA: Relationship Banking Powers Local Prosperity

EVANSVILLE, Ind., Feb. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Federal Savings Bank and the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) are highlighting the vital role community banks serve in helping customers achieve financial goals while reinvesting in the neighborhoods they call home.

“At First Federal Savings Bank, relationship banking goes beyond a philosophy—it’s the way we do business,” said Courtney Schmitt, VP Marketing Manager. “By truly knowing our customers and understanding their goals, we can support their financial futures, because when our customers thrive, we all do.”

Community banks are financial stewards of their communities, funding nearly 60 percent of small businesses, more than 80 percent of agricultural loans, and helping local families finance major purchases and build financial security. Community banks:

• Respect and honor community ties by channeling loans to neighborhoods where their depositors live and work, which helps drive the local economy.
• Are relationship lenders, taking a holistic approach to lending to consider numerous data sources, including credit history and discretionary spending.
• Understand and embrace local businesses. The Federal Reserve has repeatedly found that small businesses that apply for loans with community banks are more successful and satisfied.
• Are innovative, partnering with technology providers (as showcased through ICBA’s Innovation initiatives, to deliver high-tech, high-touch experiences.
• Give back. Serving local communities is a part of the community bank tradition, as reflected in ICBA’s National Community Bank Service Awards.
  
  

“Community banks play an essential role in local economic development, providing access to capital, supporting entrepreneurship, and helping families build long-term financial security,” ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said. “By fostering strong relationships and investing directly in the communities they serve, community banks help create opportunity, stability, and long-term prosperity.”

For more information about community banks and to find one of First Federal Savings Bank’s local branches, visit banklocally.org. Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #BankLocally.

About First Federal Savings Bank Member FDIC

First Federal Savings Bank was established on Evansville, Indiana's Westside in 1904. A community bank offering eight locations in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Henderson County. First Federal Savings Bank is also proud to offer Home Building Savings Bank locations in Daviess and Pike County.

About ICBA
The Independent Community Bankers of America® has one mission: to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. We power the potential of the nation’s community banks through effective advocacy, education, and innovation.

As local and trusted sources of credit, America’s community banks leverage their relationship-based business model and innovative offerings to channel deposits into the neighborhoods they serve, creating jobs, fostering economic prosperity, and fueling their customers’ financial goals and dreams. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at icba.org.

CONTACT: Media Contacts
Courtney Schmitt
cschmitt@fbei.net
(812) 492-8295

Nicole Swann
Nicole.swann@icba.org
(202) 821-4458
@ICBA_nswann