Credit Union Times Magazine June 27, 2012

Featured Story

Prime Alliance Sold to Mortgage Tech Firm

After 11 years as a leading mortgage CUSO, Prime Alliance has been sold to become a subsidiary of Mortgage Cadence, a mortgage technology firm with a similar approach and some credit union clients. As a subsidiary of Mortgage Cadence, the firm will no longer remain a CUSO.

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Featured Story

Core Processing Rethink Has Begun

By Robert McGarvey

The brain of every credit union is its core computer system–the tabulation of every transaction and thus the essential record. But voices increasingly are heard that it is time for a substantial reevaluation of those core systems.

Front Page News

CFPB Card Database Could Be a Boon to Credit Unions

By David Morrison

A new publicly available database of consumer complaints about big bank credit card programs may benefit credit unions trying to market their card programs, industry observers speculated.
Crime Fighters Get Training

By David Morrison

More credit unions around the country are having at least their senior security officers obtain certification as recognized financial crime investigators as they attempt to both counter existing crime threats and prevent future criminal activity.

News

European Crisis Could Undercut CUs’ Net Worth, Loan Demand

By Heather Anderson

Problems in Greece, Spain and other Euro zone countries could show up on credit union balance sheets, according to industry economists.
Fees Tied to Lifestyle Endorsed by Consumers, Study Finds

By Natasha Chilingerian

The results of Market Rates Insight’s first nationwide integrated study on service fees revealed that credit union members are more willing to pay for “lifestyle financial services”–financial services that support mobile, efficient lifestyles–than bank customers are.
Quince Account Finds a Niche at Florida Credit Union

By Myriam DiGiovanni

It’s a little easier for little girls’ dreams of the perfect Quinceanera celebration to be a reality thanks to Grow Financial Federal Credit Union.
Kabbage Links Social Media With Cash Advances

By Michelle A. Samaad

How much is a Tweet or a ‘Like” on Facebook really worth? For some small business owners, it could mean having the much-needed funds to grow a fledgling shop.
Transfer Day Founder Thanks Industry, Scorns Vermont Attack

By Jim Rubenstein

Eight months after Bank Transfer Day, Kristen Christian, its California founder, reiterated her gratitude to both industry leaders as well as frontline staffers for providing her a life-changing appreciation of credit unions, something that she said has made her a better American.

Editor-in-Chief's Column

Conference Awash in Common Sense, Little Action

By Sarah Snell Cooke

Credit union conferences are a curious thing. They’re great networking opportunities for executives and can provide education for those seeking it.

On-Site Conference Coverage

Strategies for Credit Unions in a Challenging Economy

By Heather Anderson

SAN DIEGO — Two credit union leaders shared strategies that resulted in record years despite economic challenges at a breakout session during America’s Credit Union Conference last week.
As CEOs Prepare to Retire, Look at All C-Level Salaries

By Heather Anderson

SAN DIEGO — Without a proper executive benefits package for the entire executive team, credit unions risk losing potential CEO replacements to organizations, competing banks and other credit unions, said CUNA Mutual Group’s Scott Albraccio, executive benefits sales manager, during a breakout session at America’s Credit Union Conference.

Tech Bytes

Sharon CU’s iPad App Is a Hit

By Marc Rapport

More than 250 members at the $439 million Sharon Credit Union in Sharon, Mass., have used the credit union’s new iPad app in the first six weeks after it was launched, the credit union said.
Ongoing Operations Hosts CheckAlt

By Marc Rapport

CheckAlt Payment Solution will be using the cloud services of Ongoing Operations LLC of Hagerstown, Md., to host its Check 21 platform, the companies said.
Bay FCU Sells Software

By Marc Rapport

A document management solution developed in house and used for the past 10 years at the $674 million Bay Federal Credit Union in Capitola, Calif., will be sold and offered to other credit unions.
Phishing Attacks on Credit Unions Increase

By Marc Rapport

The latest RSA Online Fraud Report shows credit unions gained attention from phishing fraudsters more in May than in the month before.
Geezo PFM in Remarket Deal With Computer Services Inc.

By Marc Rapport

Geezeo said its personal financial management platform is now being offered to the regional and community bank clients of Computer Services Inc. of Paducah, Ky.
Eli Lilly FCU Launches Mobile

By Marc Rapport

Eli Lilly Federal Credit Union said more than a thousand members of the $1.1 billion, 66,000-member have begun using its new mobile service since its soft launch in early May.
Summit CU to Convert to Symitar Core

By Marc Rapport

Third-party integration and increased efficiencies were cited in the decision by the $1.8 billion Summit Credit Union in Madison, Wis., to convert to the Symitar core processing platform from Jack Henry & Associates, the company and credit union said.
Aventa CU in Connect Financial Software Deal

By Marc Rapport

Connect Financial Software Solutions said it has inked the $150 million Aventa Credit Union in Colorado Springs, Colo., to a multi-year agreement for online banking, mobile and account opening services.

CEO's Corner

CEOs’ Corner: Many Chiefs Are Anticipating the Gold Watch

By Eileen Courter

A lot of credit unions will be shopping for gold watches the next few years as large numbers of CEOs retire.

Opinion

Guest Opinion: TIPS Market Quirks to Keep in Mind

By Andrew McGeorge

At a recent NCUA listening session in Alexandria, Va., representatives from the agency were asked whether investment regulations might be broadened to allow credit unions to purchase Treasury Inflation Protected Securities.

Letters to the editor

Small CUs Snared by Negative Trends

By Kenn Bell

I appreciated the Editor’s Column on small credit unions [July 20 issue]. Fact is, small credit unions shouldn’t be saved just because they are small. On the other hand, the sense of cooperation and fair play is nearly gone from the language of larger credit unions.

News Briefs

Dow Louisiana FCU Names Richard Williams New CEO

By Staff Writer

The Dow Louisiana Federal Credit Union board of directors last week announced the selection of Richard Williams as the credit union’s new CEO.
CUES Membership Hits a Milestone

By Staff Writer

The Credit Union Executives Society recently reached a membership milestone. It now serves more than 10,000 individual credit union members. And the organization noted that CUES membership has grown by 50% since 2009.
Members Trust ETFs on Morningstar

By Michelle A. Samaad

Morningstar has added MEMBERS Trust Co.’s exchange traded fund models to its listing.
CUNA Mutual Slates Online Discovery Conference

By Staff Writer

CUNA Mutual Group’s third annual, daylong “Online Discovery Conference” is scheduled for Oct. 9.
N.Y. Court Halts Taxi Plan

By Michelle A. Samaad

New York State Acting Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron issued a temporary injunction against Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 2011 plan to create a new class of up to 18,000 liveries authorized to pick up street hails in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and much of Manhattan.
Langley FCU Taps Thomas Ryan as CEO

By Marc Rapport

After 26 years at Digital Federal Credit Union, Thomas Ryan heads to Virginia, where he will succeed Jean Yokum, who has spent more than 55 years at the $1.7 billion, 165,500-member Langley Federal Credit Union.
NASCUS Board Names Linda Charity

By Staff Writer

NASCUS Chairman Orla Beth Peck has appointed Florida regulator Linda Charity to the NASCUS board of directors. Charity is the interim commissioner for the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and also serves as director of the OFR's Division of Financial Institutions.

Focus Report

Summit CU, L9 Forge Connections via New Website

By Natasha Chilingerian

Visit www.summitcreditunion.com, and you might forget you’re perusing a financial institution’s website. After deciding a simple, purely informational site just wouldn’t cut it, the $1.7 billion, Madison, Wis.-based credit union called upon its web management vendor, the Barre, Vermont-based L9, to create something interesting, customizable, and most importantly, interactive.
Mobile Banking Surge to Continue

By Staff Writer

The Raddon Financial Group’s Spring 2012 National Consumer Research study, which is based on 1,230 survey responses gathered in February of this year, showed that household mobile banking use has more than tripled in two years from 6% in 2010 to 20% in 2012.
Guest Opinion: Putting Mobile Banking on the Map

By Bill Simmons

To know where you are going, it’s good to reflect upon where you’ve come from. The first banks date back to around 2000 BC in Assyria and Babylonia and consisted of merchants that made loans to farmers and traders that carried goods between cities.
Tablet Interest Builds in Next Phase of Mobile Usage

By Robert McGarvey

Just as one format for mobile banking enters the mainstream, another form is beginning its stampede across the financial services landscape.
Wallets’ Multiple Uses May Aid Decision to Adopt

By Robert McGarvey

Mobile wallets are coming – that is a certainty, some experts say. But just about everything else around this issue remains uncertain as credit unions, banks, and merchants scramble to attempt to keep pace with a fast evolving marketplace.
Gen Y Values Mobile But Still Visits Branches: Study

By Natasha Chilingerian

When you think of Gen Y’s preferred banking activity, the thought of waiting in the teller line at a branch doesn’t exactly come to mind.