Section 369.144 - Powers of an associationEach association incorporated pursuant to or operating under the provisions of sections 369.010 to 369.369 has all the powers enumerated, authorized, and permitted by sections 369.010 to 369.369 and such other rights, privileges, and powers as may be incidental to or reasonably necessary to exercise such powers granted herein. Among others, and except as otherwise limited by the provisions of sections 369.010 to 369.369, each association has the following powers:
(1) To have perpetual existence; to adopt and use a corporate seal, which may be affixed by imprint, facsimile, or otherwise; and to adopt and amend bylaws as provided in sections 369.010 to 369.369;(2) To sue and be sued, complain and defend in any court of law or equity;(3) To acquire, hold, sell, dispose of and convey real and personal property; and to mortgage, pledge, or lease any real or personal property in the exercise of the powers granted herein; provided, however, that such leasing activities are limited to the extent permitted a federal association;(4) To borrow from sources, individual or corporate. All such loans and advances may be secured by property of the association, and may be evidenced by such notes, bonds, debentures, or other obligations or securities as the director of the division of finance may authorize for all associations;(5) To obtain and maintain insurance of its accounts by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any successor thereto, or by any agency of this state insuring accounts in associations, or by any other insurer approved by the director of the division of finance, and may comply with conditions necessary to obtain and maintain such insurance;(6) To qualify as and become a member of a Federal Home Loan Bank;(7) In addition to the powers and authorities granted in this section, the director of the division of finance may, from time to time, with the approval of the state banking and savings and loan board, issue regulations granting such other powers and authorities as have been granted to federal associations subject to the supervision of the Office of Thrift Supervision or any successor thereto which are necessary to enable associations to compete. The regulations shall be promulgated as provided in this chapter and shall not be inconsistent with the constitution and laws of this state;(8) To appoint officers, agents, and employees as its business shall require and to provide them suitable compensation; to enter into employment contracts not to exceed five years in duration; to provide for life, health and casualty insurance for officers, employees and directors who are not officers, and to adopt and operate reasonable bonus plans, retirement benefits and deferred compensation plans for such officers and employees; to adopt and operate stock option and similar incentive compensation programs by capital stock associations; and to provide for indemnification of its officers, employees and directors as prescribed or permitted by sections 369.010 to 369.369 whether by insurance or otherwise;(9) To become a member of, deal with, or make reasonable payments or contributions to any organization to the extent that such organization assists in furthering or facilitating the association's purposes, powers or community responsibilities, and to comply with any reasonable conditions of eligibility;(10) To sell money orders, travel checks and similar instruments drawn by it on its commercial bank accounts, accounts it has with the district Federal Home Loan Bank or as agent for any organization empowered to sell such instruments through agents within the state;(11) When an association is a member of a Federal Home Loan Bank, to act as fiscal agent of the United States, and, when so designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, to perform, under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, all such reasonable duties as fiscal agents for the United States as the Secretary may require; and to act as agent for any instrumentality of the United States and as agent of this state or any instrumentality thereof;(12) To service loans and investments for others;(13) When an association is insured, to act as trustee of any trust created or organized in the United States and forming part of a stock bonus, pension, or profit-sharing plan which qualifies or qualified for specific tax treatment under section 401(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as amended, if the funds of such trust are invested only in accounts or deposits in such association or in obligations or securities issued by such association. All funds held in such fiduciary capacity by any such association may be commingled for appropriate purposes of investment, but individual records shall be kept by the fiduciary for each participant and shall show in proper detail all transactions engaged in under the authority of this subdivision;(14) To act as agent for others in any transaction incidental to the operation of its business;(15) To accept deposits, and to lend and invest its funds as provided in sections 369.010 to 369.369;(16) To use abbreviations, words or symbols in connection with any document of any nature and on checks, proxies, notices and other instruments, which abbreviations, words, or symbols shall have the same force and legal effect as though the respective words and phrases for which they stand were set forth in full;(17) To act as custodian or keeper of microfilm records of other savings associations or place microfilm records of the association for storage and safekeeping with another association;(18) To make donations in reasonable amounts for the public welfare or for charitable, scientific, religious, or educational purposes;(19) To act as agent for any electric, gas, water, telephone or other public utility company operating within this state in receiving moneys due such company for utility services furnished by such company;(20) To enter into agreements with others to supply data processing services and for the use of data processing equipment owned or controlled by the association.L. 1971 S.B. 3 § 28, A.L. 1982 S.B. 464, A.L. 1983 H.B. 570, A.L. 1984 S.B. 670 Revision, A.L. 1989 S.B. 40, A.L. 1994 H.B. 1165, A.L. 2011H.B. 464.