Credit Union Times Magazine November 21, 2012

Featured Story

NCUA Approves 6% Budget Hike

The NCUA Board voted at its Nov. 15 meeting to increase its fiscal year 2013 budget by 6.1% from that of fiscal year 2012. But it voted to leave other numbers associated with the budget, the overhead transfer rate and operating fee for federal credit unions, largely unchanged.

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Featured Story

Credit Union Guides Trucker’s Drive on Entrepreneurial Road

By Michelle Samaad

ODENVILLE, Ala. — Two days before Christmas in 2007, Glenn and Sara Sasser’s plans were obliterated like an unsuspecting step on a hidden land mine.

Front Page News

Digital Wallet From Visa

By David Morrison

Credit unions processing their payments with FIS and The Members Group are among the first to have the chance to sign on with V.me, Visa’s new digital wallet program designed to make online shopping easier and more secure.
Interchange Deal Advances

By David Morrison

The multiple-party, multiple-year case over credit card interchange moved one step closer to resolution on Nov. 9 when the Honorable Judge John Gleeson granted preliminary approval of the settlement agreement between retailers, payment networks and nine major card issuers.

News

For Holiday Spending, Consumers Will Use Cash and Debit

By Peter Strozniak

As consumers head to the malls and shopping strips this holiday season, more than half are expected to use cash or debit cards and only one out of three shoppers will break out credit cards to buy gifts, so reports an online survey of Litle & Co., a Lowell-Mass.-based payments...
Tax Exemption Excision Added by Mistake to House Bill

By Marc Rapport

Eliminating the tax exemption for credit unions was mistakenly included in the House bill that contains the seven immediate reforms recommended by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, its sponsoring congressman said last Wednesday afternoon.
Growth: Sales Is a Not a Four-Letter Word

By Myriam DiGiovanni

Don’t be so quick to write off sales as a dirty word, said Sean McDonald, president of Your Full Potential and chairman of CUNA’s marketing/business development council.
Altura CU Touts Latest Financials Despite MBL Hit

By Michelle Samaad

A year ago, unemployment was 14% around the Inland Empire in California, much higher than the national average.
FedComp Adds HomeCU Integrated Internet Banking

By Natasha Chilingerian

The partnership between the Fairfax, Va.-based FedComp Inc. and the Boise, Idaho-based Database Management Services Inc. is a demonstration of how two technology vendors can marry their strengths to best serve their clients.
Merger and Conversions Demonstrate Challenges Met

By Natasha Chilingerian

For credit union executives planning a core banking system conversion, feelings of fear and stress are common. Throw another factor into the mix, like a merger, and the conversion process becomes that much more overwhelming and complex.
CFSI Study Sees CU Opportunities in the Underserved

By David Morrison

A new report from the Center for Financial Services Innovation suggests that products and services marketed to unbanked and underbanked consumers could represent a huge and growing market for the nation’s credit unions.
Wanting To Retire But Can’t

By Michelle Samaad

Nearly 32% of U.S. adults who would like to retire said they either do not know if they will be able to or do not believe they will ever be able leave the workplace for good.

Editor-in-Chief's Column

Credit Unions Caught in Political Dodge Ball: Editor/Publisher's Column

By Sarah Snell Cooke

Last week, credit unions’ federal tax exemption appeared to be in jeopardy. H.R. 6474 would have gradually repealed credit unions’ tax-exempt status over five years. Fortunately for credit unions, a spokesman for Rep. Dennis Ross, the bill’s sponsor, explained that the inclusion of this in the bill was accidental,...

Data Processing/Tech

Call Center Software Provides CU of America With Smooth Sailing

By Natasha Chilingerian

Any major operational change at a credit union, such as a move, merger or core system conversion, can cause an influx of member service requests and potentially a call center nightmare.
Seasons FCU Transforms Hectic IT Schedule

By Peter Strozniak

Credit unions know that offering the latest in online, mobile and text banking technologies evens the competitive field against the convenience perceptions of large banks.

Opinion

Guest Opinion: Business Intelligence and Your Bottom Line

By Jean Huy

The term business intelligence and its acronym BI are so pervasive in today’s data-intensive lexicon that it’s a challenge to know just what to make of it.
CU Best Practices for Global Payments: Guest Opinion

By Bob Dowd

Credit unions often find it difficult to provide international payment services to their members, the demand for international drafts, wires, international ACH and encashment of foreign receipts grows daily as global trade becomes an increasingly important part of business for companies and individuals.
Smart Use of Shredding Services: Guest Opinion

By Ed Delamater

Most credit unions keep sensitive personal information in their files–names, Social Security numbers and account data–that identifies customers and employees. When sensitive data falls into the wrong hands, it can lead to fraud and identity theft.
Cameron Dickey to Lead Cy-Fair FCU

By Staff Writer

Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union has announced that Cameron Dickey has been hired as president to succeed retiring President Debbie Blackshear.

Tech Bytes

Symitar Signups for Marketplace Add-On

By Marc Rapport

More than 500 people have begun using a new collaborative marketplace for customized add-ons to the Symitar Episys core processing platform in its first month, Symitar said.
Fraud Fighting Features New at CU*Answers

By Marc Rapport

Two more credit unions have bought shares of CU*Answers, giving it a record 14 new owners in a year and pushing the ownership list to 107 credit unions, also a new record.

News Briefs

Mercy CU, JetStream Merger Set to Close

By Peter Strozniak

Earlier this month, the members of Mercy Credit Union of Miami voted overwhelmingly in favor of merging into JetStream Federal Credit Union. The merger creates a credit union with more than $150 million in assets, eight branch locations, and over 19,000 members throughout Miami Dade County and Puerto Rico.
First Tech FCU Names CEO

By Staff Writer

First Tech Federal Credit Union announced the appointment of Gregory Mitchell as its new president/CEO, effective immediately. Mitchell previously served as CEO of Irvine, Calif.-based First PacTrust Bancorp and PacTrust Bank.
CUNA Mutual Honors Six

By Staff Writer

Six credit unions were recognized for their exemplary practices by receiving CUNA Mutual Group’s excellence in lending awards at the CUNA Lending Council’s 18th annual conference.
Idaho League CEO Sets Retirement Date

By Marc Rapport

After working in the credit union industry for more than 35 years, Idaho Credit Union League President/CEO Alan Cameron said he plans to retire June 30, 2013.
Madison, Wis., Mayor Honored by League Chapter

By Staff Writer

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin was recently honored by members of the Madison Area Chapter of the Wisconsin Credit Union League for his efforts to drum up mayoral support for credit union member business lending legislation.

On-Site Conference Coverage

California and Nevada Leagues Bask in Recovery Mode

By Robert McGarvey

LAS VEGAS — The stated theme of this year’s California/Nevada Credit Union Leagues’ annual meeting was “right here, right now”—but the sense in the halls of the Mirage where the event was held was more poignant. That sense was simply that the credit unions in these two states, both devastated...