Credit Union Times Magazine June 15, 2011

CU Outreach Aids Afghanistan

By Michelle A. Samaad

In the unsettling atmosphere across parts of Afghanistan, small business owners and farmers are getting the capital they need from the country's Islamic investment and finance cooperatives.

CUSO to Help CUs Deal With REO

By David Morrison

Call it a sign of the times. A Utah-based CUSO has partnered with a firm that specializes in managing and selling real estate owned by financial institutions to offer those services to other credit unions.

Another Fight Brews Over Member Business Lending

By Claude R. Marx

Might this time finally be the charm for member business lending? After years of lobbying and cajoling, credit unions will finally get their wish on June 16 when the Senate Banking Committee holds a hearing on Sen. Mark Udall’s (D-Colo.) legislation to raise the cap on member business loans.

Members Report Snags in First Tech CU Conversion

By Jim Rubenstein

The $4.9 billion First Tech FCU, the product of a California-Oregon mega-merger this year, experienced a few negative hits during its Memorial Day computer conversion.

California Capital Program Seeks More CU Participation

By Michelle A. Samaad

With only a handful of credit unions enrolled, the state of California is pulling out all the stops to get more signed on to a nearly $100 million business lending program.

Maryland, DC Credit Union Group and New Jersey League Decide Against Merger

By Marc Rapport

After several months of studying the idea, the Maryland and DC Credit Union Association and New Jersey Credit Union League have decided not to merge.

After a Year of Due Diligence, Kinecta and NuVision File Bid

By Jim Rubenstein

The nation’s second largest mega-merger, that of the $4.7 billion California pairing of Kinecta FCU and NuVision FCU, moved a step closer this month with a formal application filed with the NCUA.

Fraud Concerns Raised by Fed Proposal to Reduce Check Hold Times

By Claude R. Marx

Parts of a proposed Federal Reserve regulation that would require credit unions to reduce the hold time on certain checks could increase the incidents of fraud and threaten safety and soundness, according to letters from CUNA, NAFCU and several credit unions.

Baxter CU Signs On for Visa’s High-Dollar Signature Card

By David Morrison

A second credit union has begun offering Visa's Signature Card, a card aimed at affluent, high-dollar spenders.

Jason Dias: ‘Geek Up’ Your Brand With Music, Music, Music

Eloquent Online President Jason Dias kicked off the MAC conference by getting the over 100 attendees on their feet, singing along with musicians Scott Mckenna and Nyke Van Wyk.

Insurance CUSO Debut Sparks Momentum to Build More

By Michelle A. Samaad

Plans were already on the table for South Carolina Federal Credit Union to launch another credit union service organization when one of the biggest threats to the industry started to reverberate.

Another Revenue Stream Bites the Dust

By Sarah Snell Cooke

Last week credit unions and banks failed to muster the votes to even delay the interchange fee cap regulation by a year. One could argue it was a failure of the American political structure that grants some groups or individuals inordinate amounts of power.

Amanda Thomas Brings Daredevil Skills to CU Marketing

By Myriam DiGiovanni

The words “not possible” and “can’t be done” do not compute for Amanda Thomas, marketing/business development manager at Columbus, Ohio-based Members First Credit Union.

Marketers Urge CUs to Appeal to Consumers’ Emotions

By Myriam DiGiovanni

Never underestimate the power of an emotionally appealing marketing campaign.

Myth Busters Deliver Some Reality Checks to Attendees

By Myriam DiGiovanni

Don’t make the mistake Jeffry Pilcher's social media reality check for bashing.

Hot Topics: Loan Growth, Compliance and Interchange

By Myriam DiGiovanni

Loan growth, compliance concerns and the impact of interchange legislation dominated a hot topics open forum at the MAC 2011 Annual Conference.

Corp One Capital Plan

The June 8 issue of Credit Union Times contained a very comprehensive article titled, "Pay to Play: Comparing Capitalization Requirements." The timing of this article couldn’t be more appropriate as credit unions across the county are performing due diligence on potential new service providers, both inside and outside the corporate...

Boards Must Harness the Tech Challenge

Last week I attended a governance conference in New York City. The primary focus of the meeting was education of directors who serve members and other important stakeholders. The real challenge that CEOs and boards face is to learn as fast as the world is changing. This implies a commitment...

Mortgage CUSO Regulations: Consumer Friend or Foe?

By Katherine Weber

They tell you to keep your eye on the ball. But these days we are all wondering, which ball? The skill of a major league batter is needed to respond to the speed and number of regulatory balls of late fired at credit unions and CUSOs making mortgage loans. What...

How Valuable Are Credit Union Industry Conferences?

Ohio League, WOCCU to Work With Romanian Federation

The Ohio Credit Union League and the World Council of Credit Unions have committed to helping a small Romanian group take on the task of modernizing that country’s credit union system.

Radio Host and Author Partners With Grow Financial on Auto Buying

An author and radio host has signed a book purchase and relationship agreement with Grow Financial Credit Union to help members better negotiate the sale of their vehicles.

Silver State Curtails Its Shared Branching

Contending it needs to focus solely on its own members, Silver State Schools Credit Union is ending some of its shared branching operations in Nevada, effective in August.

Iowa Rep. Praised by CUs for MBL Support

Rep. Bruce Braley’s (D-Iowa), co-sponsorship of legislation that would increase the member business lending cap, is getting high marks from the state’s credit unions.

Ex-PCUA Leader Passes

The former chairman of the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association, Ronald Lasich, 66, of Bridgeville, has died.

A Go on CO-OP Card Processing

CO-OP Financial Services is continuing to build its credit card processing service, pitching it especially to CO-OP FS client credit unions that are attracted to the cost savings of bundling their credit and debit card processing together.

Fed Nominee Diamond Withdraws

Peter Diamond, a professor at MIT whose nomination to the Federal Reserve has been blocked by Senate Republicans who say he lacks the needed expertise, announced last week he was withdrawing his nomination for the post on the board of the nation’s central bank.

Card Analysis School

Card Analysis Solutions, a credit union card portfolio consultancy, has announced it will offer its card management school again this fall. The new card management program is scheduled for Sept. 19-21 in Chicago.

Yellow Light on Mergers

Considering the poor economy, Pennsylvania’s Belco Community Credit Union is moving ahead with its first merger of a small ailing credit union in years, but it warns that CUs looking to expand had better be cautious.

CU Sues Lehman

A bankruptcy court is scheduled to hear a case between the $1.2 billion Evangelical Christian Credit Union and Lehman Brothers Inc. on a foreclosed property in limbo as the investment firm revises its Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan.

Saving Less

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s fifth annual financial literacy survey has found that some 26% of Americans are spending more, saving less and still carrying credit card debt.

Lake Trust Hits Halfway Mark on Merger Plan: So Far, So Good

By Eileen Courter

Perhaps the office in Brighton, Mich., reflects what’s been happening as Lake Trust Credit Union marks its first year.

First Corelation Core Customer Goes Live

After six years of development, Corelation Inc. of San Diego has a credit union customer live on its new KeyStone core processing platform.

Smart Financial CU Rolls Out Mobile Apps

Users of all three of the major mobile device platforms will find a home in the new service rolled out by the $470 million Smart Financial Credit Union in Houston.

Mitek Wins Patents

The developer of the mobile remote check deposit platform used by many of the major vendors to credit unions said it has been granted four new patents for its RDC technology.

Wescom Offers P2P Service

Wescom Resources Group is offering its credit union clients mobile person-to-person payment service from PayPal.

Fiserv Hits 375 Mobile Banking Mark

Mobile banking adoption continues to rise sharply among credit unions, according to a major vendor to the industry.