Commentary

We all know the impediments: fierce competition, industry consolidation, compressed margins and the challenge of creating a sustaining value proposition. And when competitors can't innovate fast enough, what do they do? They innovate the price! To achieve lasting success, one of the most important steps credit unions can take is...

With the horrific hurricanes of 2005, business continuity planning is front and center in many of our minds. The wrath of Mother Nature has brought into greater focus the importance of having an active and effective continuity program. Like most organizations, Empire Corporate has always maintained a disaster recovery plan....

Among the several essential reforms contained in The Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act, perhaps none is more essential than the provision to modernize credit union capital standards. You've probably heard a variety of reasons as to why it's so important. I'd like to distill those reasons down to three major...

Two things struck me during my Senate confirmation process. First, many Senators reminded me that the agency has been criticized as a "cheerleader" for the credit union system. Second, they inquired, "How do you intend to remain independent and focused on safety and soundness?" I viewed these questions as windows...

Those of us in the field love the excitement, the thrill of a new idea, the rush that comes with starting a new campaign. It's like the fisherman flinging his net into the deep blue sea, never knowing how successful the day's catch will be. Yet the days of "let's...

Dr. Martin Seligman is someone I'd like to sit and have a beer with. He has fascinating ideas about humans and their levels of happiness.theories that, in my mind, should be very useful to credit union CEOs and HR professionals. Dr. Seligman is professor of Psychology at the University of...