Credit Union Times Magazine February 15, 2012

Failed Mergers Caused by Multiple Factors

By Jim Rubenstein

The postmortem on last month’s two failed merger attempts that were victims of member opposition hits on three ingredients: poor communications, a rushed timetable and lack of enough advance explanation to constituents and the public.

Bank Lending Veteran Helps Clackamas FCU

By Michelle A. Samaad

If you ask Jon Gramenz, a former banker with more than 20 years of commercial lending experience, what still boggles his mind about credit unions, his answer comes swiftly.

CFPB Eyes Overdraft Regs

By Claude R. Marx

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray said his agency is discussing how best to proceed on additional regulations concerning overdraft protection and other checking account disclosures. The CFPB could issue proposed rules later this year.

Exam Appeals Bill’s Fate Is Up in the Air

By Claude R. Marx

The disagreement between financial institutions and regulators over changes in the exam process may not be resolved on Capitol Hill any time soon.

Business Owners Hike the Hill for MBL Increase

By Claude R. Marx

WASHINGTON — With legislation to raise the cap on member business loans languishing in committee, CUNA reached out to business groups to help make its case.

CUNA Mutual’s New Structure Opens the Door for Acquisitions

By Michelle A. Samaad

While the 550,000 policyholders of the newly restructured CMFG Life Insurance Co. may not see any substantial changes, the firm’s parent company is looking forward to how the move will help it diversify and expand beyond the credit union industry.

Sallie Mae Updates Forbearance Policy After Backlash

By Natasha Chilingerian

After more than 75,000 people asked Sallie Mae to stop charging forbearance fees to unemployed college students via an online petition, the education-focused financial services company made a compromise.

Orman Site Goes Dark on CU Cards

By David Morrison

Celebrity financial adviser Suze Orman has removed a link from her website to a site that helps consumers find credit union-issued credit cards and replaced it with a link to the NCUA's credit union locator site.

Trades Weigh in on IRS Regs for 457 Plans

By Michelle A. Samaad

With some recent suggestions from both CUNA and NAFCU, the IRS may be one step closer to providing guidance on determining whether a retirement plan offered by federal credit unions are considered a governmental plan under the Internal Revenue Code.

Different Advertising Strokes for Different CU Folks

By Myriam DiGiovanni

Credit unions kicked off 2012 determined to get consumers to take a second, serious look at a new banking alternative.

Chip Cards Hit the Million Mark, Says Visa

By David Morrison

Visa USA has reported that U.S. financial institutions have issued more than one million credit and debit cards that use information on embedded computer chips to validate transactions instead of magnetic stripe technology.

Bluepoint Solutions Aids Homeless Children

By Natasha Chilingerian

Vista, Calif.-based technology vendor Bluepoint Solutions’ mission stretches beyond providing paperless technology solutions to its clients, which include more than 1,500 credit unions.

Editor's Column: Credit Union Wallflowers and Media Mongers

By Sarah Snell Cooke

As the credit union community watches the evolving situation in North Carolina, no matter which side of the issue you’re on, you’re witnessing organizations that know how to grab attention.

Trailblazer 40 Below: Anderson Is On a Search and Rescue Mission

By Myriam DiGiovanni

With the philosophy of life being too short to do something you don’t enjoy, seven and a half years ago Nathan Anderson, chief operating officer at Mountain America Credit Union, had an opportunity to take his career in a different direction and has never looked back.

Guest Opinion: Challenges of Succession Planning

By Stuart R. Levine

Maximizing and ensuring member value and performance requires an ongoing review of the depth of talent in your credit union as well as the right complement of skills to lead effectively and navigate changing strategies. As markets become more global and technology continues to play an even greater role in...

Marx on Capitol: Election May Usher In More Regulatory Oversight

By Claude R. Marx

Except for Newt Gingrich’s two mischaracterizations, credit unions haven’t come up as an issue in this election campaign so far.

Guest Opinion: Green Lending Is Profitable and Smart

Some people just don’t get it. The Filene Research Institute released a new report, “Finding Sustainable Profits: Green Lending in Credit Unions.”

Guest Opinion: Need a Plan and Strategy for Social Media

Over the last couple of years, especially in 2011, many credit unions flocked to social media to extend their presence into the digital realm.

Letter to the Editor: Orman Ads Get Results

Ever since Oct. 5, 2011, was dubbed Bank Transfer Day, credit union officials and others have been speculating about how many consumers joined credit unions on that day. Later this month, the NCUA will put an end to the speculation when we compile membership data from credit unions’ fourth-quarter call...

Letter to the Editor: The Trades’ Dream Regulator a Minimalist

I read, with great interest, the Editor’s Column on the recently introduced legislation pertaining to the oversight review of financial regulators [CU Times, Feb. 8]. It is no surprise that the two major credit union trade organizations have jumped on the bandwagon of those supporting HR 3461, the Financial Institution...

People’s CU CEO Marks Her 30th Year

People’s Credit Union’s board of directors have congratulated Ellen Ford, the credit union’s president/ CEO, on her 30-year anniversary.

Texans CU Gets $60 Million in Subordinated Debt

In an apparent effort to remain financially sustainable, Texans Credit Union has received $60 million in subordinated debt.

Valley FCU Has New CEO

Valley Federal Credit Union of Billings, Mont., has announced the selection of Michael Silvers as the credit union's next president/CEO, effective Jan. 23.

Greater TEXAS FCU Celebrates 60th Birthday

This year marks Greater TEXAS Federal Credit Union’s 60th anniversary of service to its membership across the state of Texas and nationwide.

Dakota Foundation Offers Grants

The Credit Union Foundation of the Dakotas announced that it has grants available to community organizations and credit unions affiliated with the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas.

Johnston Economics and Callahan Team Up on Commentary

Dwight Johnston Economics and Callahan Financial Services are partnering to provide a new daily economic commentary written specifically for credit union leaders.

Texas CUSO Buys Two Insurance Agencies

Two more insurance companies have been purchased by TDECU Insurance Agency LLC.

University FCU Opens Austin Office

University Federal Credit Union, Austin, Texas, has purchased a 246,000-square-foot corporate office facility that will serve as its headquarters.

Trade PACs Gear Up for the Election

If money really does talk, then CUNA and NAFCU have been doing the financial equivalent of vocal exercises. The political action committees of both groups each ended last year with six-figure amounts in their coffers, as they gear up for an election year that features a large number of competitive races...

Marketing: Will 2012 Be the Year of the Tablet

By Eileen Courter

Santa may have left a lot of tablets under Christmas trees last December, and for marketers, that could mean unwrapping a new opportunity.

COMPASS Signs Two for Reg Help

By Marc Rapport

Washington compliance specialist COMPASS 4 CUs said it has signed the $172 million Ashland CU in Ashland, Ky., and $189 million Arlington Community FCU in Arlington, Va., as new clients.

WESTconsin CU Offers Mobile

Mobile banking is now being offered by the $731 million WESTconsin Credit Union of Menomonie, Wis., to its 67,400 members.

New Core Platform From Open Solutions

A newly rewritten core processing platform is now in place at all the credit unions that had been using the DNAsme (small market edition) solution from Open Solutions Inc., the company said.

UW CU Issues Instant Plastic

By Marc Rapport

New and existing members at the $1.4 billion UW Credit Union can now get new credit cards on the spot from their credit union, which said it’s the first financial institution in the state to offer the instant issue service.

Listerhill CU Proffers Range of Mobile Services

By Marc Rapport

The 70,000 members of the $536 million Listerhill Credit Union in Sheffield, Ala., are now being offered a wide range of mobile banking options.

Insight CU Upgrades Its Bill Pay

By Marc Rapport

The 54,000 members of the $436 million Insight Credit Union in Orlando, Fla., are now being offered expanded bill pay functionality, the credit union said.

EasCorp Signs Up 200,000 for RDC

By Marc Rapport

More than 200,000 individuals and businesses have now signed up as users of the DeposZip remote deposit capture service from EasCorp and its Vertifi Software LLC subsidiary, the corporate said.

CO-OP Hits 200 Million Electronic Transaction

By Marc Rapport

More than 200 million electronic payment transactions were processed by CO-OP Financial Services in December, its most ever in a single month, the California-based CUSO said.

Passageways Books Record Revenue

By Marc Rapport

Passageways LLC said it recorded its ninth-straight year of growth and record revenue, notching 127 portal sales in 2011 and signing its 300th enterprise customer.

Maps CU Will Convert Its Core Processing

By Marc Rapport

Open Solutions Inc. said it will convert the $410 million Maps Credit Union in Salem, Ore., to its DNA core processing platform.

First Eagle FCU Adopts Web Loan Lead Generator

By Marc Rapport

A Web-based loan lead generation system has netted the $76 million First Eagle FCU in Owings Mill, Md., more than $690,000 in new loans in its first few months, the credit union said.