Credit Union Times Magazine November-25, 2009

New Corporate Rules Focus on Capital, Investments, Disclosure

By Claude R. Marx

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Corporate credit unions would face higher capital requirements, more limits on the type of investments they can make and more disclosure requirements

MBL Delinquencies at Core of Examiner Scrutiny, NCUA Says

By Michelle A. Samaad

The huge spike in member business loan delinquencies coupled with several troubling scenarios that continue to come up during examiner visits was the backdrop for a NCUA-hosted Webinar last week.

Pentagon FCU Teams Up With AmEx on Cards

By David Morrison

The $13.5 billion Pentagon Federal Credit Union has announced that it is the only credit union in the country, at least for now, to directly issue American Express cards.

NCUA Closes Ensign FCU and Authorizes Purchase of Assets by EDS CU

The impact of the recession on Nevada's already battered economy was again evident when the NCUA closed Ensign Federal Credit Union and authorized EDS Credit Union to buy its shares and assets.

Lawmakers Focus on Systemic Risk Issues

By Claude R. Marx

At press time, the House Financial Services Committee was scheduled to vote on an amendment that would exempt credit unions from having to pay into a fund aimed at rescuing companies deemed too big to fail.

Lawmakers Postpone Action On Overdraft Rules Overhaul

By Claude R. Marx

Because of the pressure of other issues and a recent Federal Reserve regulation, lawmakers have delayed consideration of legislation to place further regulations on overdraft programs until at least early December.

Despite Outcry, NCUA Stands Firm On Corporate Capital Interpretation

By Heather Anderson

Owners of depleted corporate capital aren't likely to get it back, even if loss estimates that supported the write-downs were too high, according to a statement issued Nov. 16 from NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz.

Goldman Sachs Program Includes CDFIs

By Michelle A. Samaad

In yet another move to give small businesses more tools to help turn the economy around, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has launched a $500 million initiative that could include credit unions.

State Employees' CU Keeps Exchange Going With IRS

By Michelle A. Samaad

The $18 billion State Employees' Credit Union is trying to find a soft spot with the IRS as the cooperative continues to make the case that it can help the agency find recipients of unclaimed tax refunds.

S.C. League Trims Board

The South Carolina Credit Union League is downsizing its board next year from 14 to seven and extending director terms to three years.

NAFCU Flash on Liquidity Risks

Though 23% of credit union executives surveyed said their institution experienced an increase in liquidity risk, 59% of respondents don't expect a change during the next year, according to NAFCU's Flash Report.

San Francisco Fire CU Taps CUSO Financial

San Francisco Fire Credit Union has moved its broker-dealer program to CUSO Financial Services LP.

Minnesota CU Joins Student Lending Network

A northern Minnesota credit union has become the first in that state to join the network of credit unions using the Fynanz Inc. turnkey private student lending platform, the company said.

Upgraded Online Banking And Bill Pay Launched

Online Resources Corp. said it has launched the next generation of its online banking and bill pay services and that approximately 200 clients already have signed up.

Texas Credit Union Adds Fee-Management Console

University Federal Credit Union in Texas is using a new piece of software to add accountability and reduce errors in its back-office management of fees.

Atlanta City Employees Now CU of Atlanta

After 81 years of being identified with a niche group, Atlanta City Employees Credit Union has changed its name to Credit Union of Atlanta to reflect its diverse membership.

Invest in America Adds Two New Programs

Invest in America has expanded its credit union member discount program to two new businesses.

ATM Crime Has Steadily Grown International, But Response Has Not

By David Morrison

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has indicted eight Eastern European men for hacking into the computers of Atlanta-based RBS Worldpay and the subsequent theft of millions of dollars from ATMs around the world.

Wis. CU Strikes Deal With Bank

By Jim Rubenstein

Marking a threshold in bank-credit union transactions, the $1 billion Royal Credit Union of Eau Claire, Wis., is buying assets, liabilities and 11 branches from a troubled thrift, AnchorBank of Madison.

Fynanz Student Loan Program Expands Its Growing Network Into Minnesota

By Lindsey Siegriest

After launching the cooperative student lending network, cuStudentLoans.org, with the New Jersey credit unions this past May, student lending solutions and technology provider Fynanz is expanding the network to Minnesota.

SBA Expands Training For Disabled Vets

The SBA has signed a three-year agreement to expand and deliver entrepreneurship training for service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Defrauded CUs May Face NCUA Action

By David Morrison

Credit unions with mortgage loans that were fraudulently sold by a since failed mortgage firm face possible dire regulatory consequences if Fannie Mae does not return a significant amount of their lost money, suggested NCUA Board Chairman Debbie Matz.

FAA First Federal Credit Union Looks to the Sky for Its New Name

By Michelle A. Samaad

Nearly a year after talking with members about a name change, FAA First Federal Credit Union is going with SkyOne Federal Credit Union.

Xtend Provides Call Center Support

Xtend Inc., a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based multi-owned cooperative CUSO, said it has provided call center services for three credit unions over the past month during their transition to a new core data processing system.

Mobile Banking Appeals to Boomers

By Michelle A. Samaad

While The Family Credit Union expected new mobile financial services would appeal to its Generation Y members, the cooperative has discovered baby boomers are just as interested.

Site Features 'Retire Ready' Tool Kit

By Michelle A. Samaad

With more than 76 million baby boomers living in the United States, many of them are quickly approaching retirement.

Census: Most Boomers Are White, Married and College-Educated

By Michelle A. Samaad

According to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, most baby boomers have some college education, are married and are white.

Reverse Mortgages Offer CUs a Strong Alternative for Boomers

By David Morrison

The economic downturn has hit a lot of boomer credit union members especially hard in their retirement accounts, but executives familiar with reverse mortgages say the product can be a useful tool to help those members salvage retirement plans.

Make It Your Mission to Protect and Serve Baby Boomer Members

Come January, there will be few headlines declaring the oldest baby boomers are turning 64. Newsweek and others will hold off on their boomer covers until 2011 when they can show aging hippies pulling Medicare cards from their hemp-made wallets.

Conference Conundrum: What's My ROI?

By Sarah Snell Cooke

As we all go through the rollercoaster of the budget season and I'm pecking away at this column from a Las Vegas hotel room,

CU Founding Fathers Would Be Disappointed in Today's Movement

I couldn't agree more with Sarah Snell Cooke's Nov. 4 column ("Celebrating 100 Years of Anonymity").

Credit Union Net Worth Must Account for Both Risk and Opportunity

By Heather Anderson

What are appropriate net worth ratios for credit unions?

Filson: CUs Exist to Serve

By Heather Anderson

Serving consumers when the markets fail is the reason credit unions exist, Callahan & Associates President/CEO Chip Filson told California and Nevada Credit Union League annual meeting attendees in a general session.

Perkins Urges Re-Evaluation of Corporate Value

By Heather Anderson

Western Corporate Federal Credit Union President/CEO Phillip Perkins took the league stage for the first time the morning of Nov. 18, joining other high-profile industry leaders for a general session to discuss the future of the credit union movement.

Mortgage Securitization Was at 'Dead Center' of Financial Crisis

By Heather Anderson

The transformation of American residential homes into "international speculative financial assets" was a stunning move that is at "dead center of the international financial crisis," economist Max Fraad Wolff told California/Nevada league members.

STAKING OUT THE STATS

Data released from Callahan & Associates shows that credit unions reported a higher than average annual member growth for the month of September.