Senior Lender Forum
Group 1: February 5, 2025; June 11, 2025; October 15, 2025
Group 2: February 6, 2025; June 12, 2025; October 16, 2025
IBA will organize the forum based on bank size and market to ensure that participants have as much in common as possible. The group will be small - usually no more than 20 participants. The Forum will meet three times during the year. Eight to ten topics will be discussed at each session; participants are strongly encouraged to suggest agenda topics of interest. Forum participants get the benefit of working with expert consultants on a cost-saving basis. Comprehensive handout compiled and provided to each group member, along with a binder for retention of handouts, notes and references.

Midwest Agricultural Banking School - December 1 - 4, 2025
The Midwest Agricultural Banking School is designed to provide you with the practical aspects of agricultural credit & finance, farm management, marketing & related subjects. The development and implementation of this curriculum has involved literally hundreds of bankers and has resulted in a nationwide system of quality banker education. This school is designed to further enhance the education of bankers in the field of agricultural finance.

Commercial Lending School - June 2-6, 2025
The purpose of the IBA Commercial Lending School is to prepare mid-level bankers and commercial loan officers to serve effectively and profitably by developing an understanding of your bank’s risk appetite, risk tolerance, risk culture and the risks assumed in the loan portfolio. The faculty of this school are top-notch banking veterans who will give you plenty of opportunity to ask questions, share concerns and learn from the best. You will receive an information-packed manual. Each module contains learning concepts and resource materials. You will return to your bank as a valuable asset with a comprehensive and practical overview of banking. The school prepares you to tackle complex commercial lending situations and helps you boost your banking career

Mortgage Lending School - September 16 – 18, 2025
This three-day mini institute provides the real-estate lending professional with a solid foundation for managing and producing a quality mortgage portfolio. This hands-on institute includes exercises in buying and selling mortgages in the secondary markets, a visit to a construction site, and analysis of the tax return of a self-employed borrower. The institute’s objective is to assist the participants in three areas: improved customer service, more efficient processing and servicing and stronger underwriting. All of these should result in increased earnings from the mortgage portfolio. The “new” underwriting findings are also discussed.

Consumer Lending School - August 19 - 20, 2025
This two-day school is designed to prepare consumer lenders to meet two primary challenges. The first challenge is to originate loans to qualified consumer and residential borrowers and minimize collection problems and loan losses. The second challenge is to be in compliance at all times with ever-changing fair lending regulations.

Financial Statement Analysis & Business Cash Flow Analysis - February 11-12, 2025
Want to learn how to analyze business financial statements and tax returns in a compact, intense, case-based two-day virtual session? Want to move beyond ratio analysis and into the operating, investing and financing cash flows of a business and how they affect loan repayment? This workshop is your answer, whether you are new to lending and financial analysis, or even if you have been away from financial analysis for a while and need a refresher.

Advanced Credit Analyst School - February 13-14, 2025
This two-day course provides lenders and analysts with important tools beyond basic business financial ratios and credit analysis. First, it expands the conventional ratio analysis into cash flow analysis. Second, the non-financial issues faced by the business (industry, market and management risk) are discussed in relation to the ratios and cash flow results. Third, we introduce advanced tools that bring all of these concepts together: sustainable growth rate and break-even analysis. These tools lay the groundwork for developing assumptions to be used with computerized projection models. Finally, we discuss how to bring these issues into your written analysis of the credit.

Breaking into Banking 101: Fundamentals of Commercial Banking - Feb 26, 2025 (Virtual)
Commercial banking can be intimidating because of its complexity and the risk-oriented nature of the work. This course is a clear and thorough introduction to the key concepts, terminology, and processes involved in credit and lending. It doesn’t assume much prior knowledge of the topic, so it’s ideal for those in their first year in the industry. Learners will walk away with a clear understanding of their job and how their specific role fits into the bank’s overall profitability goals. New credit analysts, lenders, and underwriters, as well as bankers who don’t do credit analysis but need a working knowledge of the process. This may include statement spreaders, loan processors and closers, treasury management associates, administrative support for credit or lending officers, branch managers, and interns.

Analyzing Repayment Services - March 26, 2025 (Virtual)
This 9-module online course is a “sequel” to the 101 course and is best taken after completion of that course, though it is not a prerequisite. The 201 course includes a case study and dives deeper into topics covered in modules 4, 6, and 8 of the 101 course: analyzing a borrower’s balance sheet, income statement, collateral, and risk ratings. This course is most appropriate for credit analysts, lenders, portfolio managers, and others who need skills in financial statement analysis and writing credit documents.

Loan Operations Manager Forum - March 20, 2025; July 17, 2025; December 11, 2025
The Forums provide an opportunity for community bank loan operations professionals to exchange ideas freely, dissect problems and discuss important issues with their peers. For most banks, the investment in technology to support the lending function continues to expand and become more complex. The Loan Operations Manager Forums are designed to help deal with the technical side, as well as to be a rewarding experience where members can grow professionally and personally.

Ag Clinic - December 4, 2025
For more than 50 years the IBA Ag Clinic has served as one of the largest agricultural banking conferences in the country. Sponsored in cooperation with the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University, the Clinic provides a wide range of general and concurrent sessions addressing the most current issues facing agricultural lenders. The clinic also provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to interact with more than 250 senior lenders and agricultural leaders from throughout the region.

Advanced Commercial Lending School - December 9 & 10, 2025
This advanced, two-day course will focus on effective initial structuring and subsequent monitoring of commercial lending relationships. It goes beyond the basics of financial analysis and portfolio management to provide experienced bankers the advanced tools to influence credit quality and profitability. We explore critical quantitative factors such as the role of sales growth in the financial performance of the borrower, as well as qualitative issues of industry, market and management risks. Participants will learn how to improve their handling of a loan portfolio such that credit quality can be maintained along with producing new revenues for the bank.