Credit Union Times Magazine April 4, 2012

Business Lending Losses Bring Down Telesis

By Michelle A. Samaad

Since at least 2010, Telesis Community Credit Union’s member business loan program has been in a downward spiral.

Telesis Takeover Puts Member Business Lending on Trial

By Jim Rubenstein

After years on a regulatory watch list, NCUA and the California Department of Financial Institutions finally pulled the plug last week on the $318 million Telesis Community Credit Union, placing the Los Angeles-based credit union into conservatorship. The NCUA was appointed conservator, ending a troubled saga.

Credit Unions 2030: A Look Way Ahead

By Robert McGarvey

Come 2030, credit unions will be in business serving up some kind of financial services, essentially one generation removed from today. However, getting there will be as wrenching—as full of dislocations and pains—as was the shift from 1950s-style credit unions with no share drafts into today’s full-service financial supermarkets.

Credit Union Members Displaying Confidence in Economy, Finances

By Natasha Chilingerian

Do credit union members think more positively than non-credit union members do when it comes to the U.S. economy and their personal finances? According to the Discover U.S. Spending Monitor, a monthly consumer survey conducted by banking and payment services giant Discover Financial Services, the answer is yes.

Heather Anderson Named New Washington Reporter for Credit Union Times

Heather Anderson joined Credit Union Times’ staff full time as the Washington reporter effective April 2. She previously served as a correspondent for CU Times from 2005 through 2010.

Bluepoint Solutions Heads to Vegas

By Marc Rapport

After a dozen years in laid-back suburban San Diego, Bluepoint Solutions is going where the action is, Las Vegas.

Change Coming in Executive Compensation

By Eileen Courter

When the CEO of Home Depot was dumped in 2007, he walked away with a $210 million severance package, a pay-for-failure approach that drew disparaging headlines and a barrage of criticism.

GFA FCU's Bank Buyout Grabs Industry Interest

By Jim Rubenstein

The proposed buyout by GFA Federal Credit Union of a troubled New Hampshire savings bank continues to generate industry interest but with a pivotal question: Can the credit union and bank clear the legal hurdles with the NCUA, the Comptroller of the Currency and the FDIC.

Hierarchy of Payments Fluid, Credit Bureau Says

By David Morrison

Payment data analysis by TransUnion, a national credit reporting bureau, demonstrates consumers’ shift in loan payment habits, making auto loans the first major bill that gets paid each month.

Auto Lending Market Share Inches Up To Pre-Recession Highs

By Michelle A. Samaad

This year may be a turning point for credit union auto loan programs with monthly market shares poised to range from 18% to 24%, which were highs experienced prior to the recession.

Experts Ponder Which Security Threats May Gain Speed

By Robert McGarvey

Wake up and smell the hack. “Mobile banking, I would argue, presently, is significantly more secure than is online banking,” said Kevin Travis, a partner with Novantas, a New York-based management consulting firm.

Shifts in Payment Habits Helps Steer Mobile Wallet Demand

By Robert McGarvey

What’s your wallet made of – leather, or bits and bytes? At CUNA’s recent Government Affairs Conference held in Washington that was a key question raised among those close to the evolution of payment transactions.

Congress: Expand CU Business Lending Now: Editor's Column

By Sarah Snell Cooke

I discovered that Credit Union Times’ coverage of Telesis Credit Union’s conservatorship and the actions leading up to it were being used against credit unions’ efforts to expand the member business lending cap from 12.25% of assets to 27.5%.

Congressmen Race to Back Cherry Blossom Run

Congressional Federal Credit Union has announced that 188 members of Congress have agreed to serve as honorary race chairs for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run 5K Run-Walk.

Automated Platform Helps Lending Surge at GTE FCU

By Marc Rapport

Automated lending tools have helped the $1.5 billion GTE Federal Credit Union see an average increase of 83% in monthly lending volume in the second half of 2011.

Charlotte Credit Union Liquidated After Less Than Two Years

By Marc Rapport

The $379,000 Shepherd’s Federal Credit Union in Charlotte, N.C., has been liquidated by the NCUA, about 18 months after it opened its doors to serve a faith-based, low-income membership.

Clint Bramlett Named CEO at Enfield Community FCU

By Myriam DiGiovanni

Enfield Community Federal Credit Union recently announced Clint Bramlett as the new president/CEO of the Enfield, Conn.-based credit union.

Alaska USA Insurance Names New President

Timothy Maudsley has been named the new president of Alaska USA Insurance Brokers.

PCUA Offers LEVERAGE from League of Southeastern Credit Unions

By Andrew Corselli

LEVERAGE has announced plans to partner with the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association service corporation to offer Ventelligence, a vendor management system, and its ePurchasing buying platform which the League of Southeastern Credit Union’s service corporation said will revolutionize the way CUs procure contracts.

eDOC Innovations Adds Lakeview Credit Union

By Marc Rapport

eDOC Innovations has added the $103 million Lakeview Credit Union in Neenah, Wis., as its 14th credit union owner, the CUSO and credit union said.

Space City, Independence Parkway Plan Houston Merger

By Jim Rubenstein

The Houston-area, $37 million Space City and the $20 million Independence Parkway FCU of La Porte, Texas, plan to merge this summer.

Fiserv Adds to Acumen, XP2 Rosters

By Marc Rapport

Another large credit union has committed to Fiserv Inc.’s new Acumen core platform, while new users for its XP2 core platform and mobile banking solutions also were signed, the company said.

Roche's Leadership Facilitates Board/CEO Relations: Women to Watch

By Myriam DiGiovanni

“What gets measured, will get done” is a motto that has well served Jan Roche, president/CEO of State Department Federal Credit Union in Alexandria, Va.

Contact Data Crunching for Credit Unions: Guest Opinion

By Thomas Schutz

The use of contact data is changing for credit unions. Today, financial institutions are using contact data to ensure that communications reach members and prospects, but, perhaps more importantly, those institutions are also leveraging contact information to better understand their members through database consolidation and a single member view.

Walk Before You Run With Online and Mobile: Guest Opinion

By Brian Day

A mobile triple play describes a financial institution’s offering when it provides customers access to mobile banking in a total of three ways: mobile browser, text and mobile application.

We’re Not All Slackers: Gen Y Back Talk

By Natasha Chilingerian

Of the many Gen Y nicknames one that really fascinates me is “trophy kids,” referring to the fact that when Gen Y members participated in activities as kids, where everyone was guaranteed a trophy. By receiving prizes even when their performance levels were poor, these kids avoided feeling like losers....

Sales, Tech Equal Convenience and Growth: Guest Opinion

By Erin Steffen

The credit union industry has made excellent member service a cornerstone of our business model. For current credit union members, this approach seems to have worked; according to a Filene study, credit unions outperform banks for member/customer satisfaction.

All Ages Want Fast Access: Guest Opinion

By Chris Jackson

One thing is unavoidable for all credit unions – consumer behavior continues to shift toward virtual service channels.

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