ORLANDO, Fla.–Credit unions must bolster fee income while not increasing expenses, which can be accomplished through better service, Bill Strunk of Strunk & Associates said.
"The efficiency ratio is the number we have to manage to…" he offered during Credit Union Times' conference here on non-interest income. "The key is to give the member what they want."
Strunk emphasized that members know that they are not supposed to write bad checks but they do anyway. "The problem is, we get a little moralistic about this thing," he said. The member would rather have their check covered temporarily for one fee rather than face up to $85 in fees from merchants and the financial institutions involved–not to mention the embarrassment.
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"It's better to pay the check than it is to return it," he advocated. If you have a "fully disclosed program," Strunk stated, you are serving your members.
Generally speaking, Strunk suggested, with a large and growing portion of credit union income coming from fees, credit unions should establish a fee income committee.
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