Its no surprise that lending has been in the doldrums for many CUs the past few years but there could be an unexpected jolt triggered by fervor surrounding Bank Transfer Day Nov. 5.

Consumers spent more on their credit and debit cards in September 2011 than they did in the same month last year, according to card processor First Data. But the firm credited inflated prices for the increase rather than an increase in purchases.

As global cash flow has become more of a necessity than an option, the majority of financial institutions are now performing some type of combined ratio analysis. The issue lies in the fact that there are several methods of global cash flow analysis being used. And some lead to erroneous...