A shift in strategy for partnering with realtors
In recent years I have authored many articles, Blogs and emails about the coming shift in Real Estate Lending from a Refi-dominated for market—due to many years of very low interest rates—to a [...]
News Archives
7 ways to save on beauty products
The typical woman spends $15,000 in her lifetime on makeup, including $3,770 on mascara alone. Thankfully, there are ways to save. Looking polished shouldn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. [...]
PODCAST: Building a better brand
In Mark Arnold's dictionary, branding has two definitions. The textbook example: "Your brand really is a reflection of the holistic personality of your credit union." The real-world meaning: "Branding is everything, from the board room [...]
Massive fraud scheme victimizes Wisconsin’s fourth largest credit union
A federal judge in Chicago sentenced Nikesh Patel to 25 years in prison Tuesday for running a $179 million fraud scheme that victimized financial institutions, including Wisconsin’s fourth largest credit union. Paul Kundert, president/[...]
Prevent huge volumes of cash from being “jackpotted” out of your ATMs
Reports are flooding in that costly ATM jackpotting schemes have begun to spike - and will continue to spike - across the nation. We have already received a few reports of these attempts among our [...]
Don’t let bad data kill your credit union’s brand
Trust is important for any brand, but it is the lifeblood of the financial services industry. Indeed consumer trust is arguably the greatest competitive advantage any bank or credit union possesses. As a result, financial [...]
FinTech is fundamentally changing mortgage lending right now
The digitalization of mortgage lending is not a gimmick to attract millennials but a fundamental shift in the way mortgage lending is done. If you don’t have plans in the works for a fully [...]
Compliance Corner: CECL – what is it and why does it matter?
Accounting for loan losses is at the heart of credit union accounting. Setting aside reserves for loan losses is an important accounting component, but an increase in allowances reduces a credit union’s capital. Under [...]
3 Lessons from CUNA GAC to enhance the member experience
We had the pleasure of attending and exhibiting at CUNA GAC 2018. It’s the annual conference where the credit union industry comes together to advocate for issues that matter, such tax status, common-sense regulation, [...]
S. 2155 proceeds to debate in Senate as CUNA continues call to action
The Senate voted Wednesday evening to proceed to begin formal debate on the bipartisan, CUNA-supported Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155). “We're pleased to see S. 2155 making forward progress," said [...]
Tomorrow last day to submit Annual Awards entries
Tomorrow is the last day for NAFCU member credit unions to submit entries for the association’s 2018 Annual Awards Competition. The awards recognize association member credit unions, professionals and volunteers for their dedication and [...]
4 tips to lower your tax bill
April 15 is usually tax day, but this year, taxpayers have two extra days to fork over money to Uncle Sam. This year, tax day is April 17 because April 15 falls on a Sunday, [...]
Should wearables be on your tech radar in 2018?
A big question for many credit unions this year is: do we need to embrace wearables such as Apple Watch? Around 2010, credit union executives saw that members demanded mobile banking. Many insisted on mobile [...]
The silver bullet for board recruitment
I was recently asked if there is a silver bullet for recruiting millennial-aged board members. This question comes up frequently when I’m on the road presenting to credit union management and volunteers. I believe [...]
Choosing the right marketing channels
List 6 channels you could use for your next marketing campaign. How long did that take you - a minute or less? In this age of connectivity, you can probably rattle off a dozen marketing [...]