Skip to main content

Readers Choice: Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2011

The list of low-hanging fruit might read like a list of “duhs,” but many banks and credit unions make excuses and bury their heads in the sand. SEE MORE. What is a brand's personality and why is it important? This how-to article provides seven ... **** Readers Choice: Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2011:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

The Most Overlooked Growth Opportunity in First Responder Credit Unions

Credit unions spend enormous amounts of time, energy, and marketing dollars trying to acquire new members. But many institutions — especially sponsor-based first responder credit unions — are sitting on one of the most valuable growth opportunities already inside their existing membership base. The joint owner population. Every day, firefighters, police officers, EMTs, dispatchers, and other first responders join credit unions through sponsor relationships. During account opening, spouses or partners are often added as joint owners for convenience. They help manage the household finances. They use the debit card. They log into online banking. They interact with the credit union regularly. Yet in many cases, they never actually become full member-owners of the cooperative. They are connected to the institution — but not fully part of it. And that creates a major strategic opportunity. Why Joint Owner Conversion Matters For sponsor-based credit unions, converting joint owners into full m...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

ACU Calls For Full Political Engagement As Election Cycle Heats Up, Warns Of Well-Funded Opposition

  WASHINGTON--Credit unions need every advocacy resource at their disposal, and in an election year, that means supporting credit union champions, America’s Credit Unions emphasized. ACU President/CEO Scott Simpson and Head of Political Affairs Trey Hawkins outlined credit unions’ role in supporting those champions in the 120th Congress as the 2026 election cycle resumes with primaries next week. Scott Simpson “It’s important that we defend those who defend us, that we help those who help us,” Simpson said, referring to policymakers who have supported the credit union tax status and regulatory relief, while opposing new interchange mandates, to name a few issues. “This is an opportunity for us to lean in, to marshal all the available resources that we can. Our counterparts in the for-profit financial space, those who are devoted to harming us, can vastly out-resource us.” Hawkins shared potential outcomes for control of chambers of Congress, but noted credit unions have support reg...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Discussions Reportedly Underway Over Allowing Donations of Co. Stock to Trump Accounts for Kids

WASHINGTON — White House and Treasury Department officials are discussing whether to expand the Trump administration’s new investment accounts for American children to allow donations of individual company stock. The accounts, formally known as Section 530A accounts and referred to by supporters as “Trump accounts,” are scheduled to begin accepting contributions on July 4, The New York Times reported. The program has already received billions of dollars in philanthropic commitments. Under current rules, the accounts are limited to cash investments placed into diversified index funds. According to The New York Times, administration officials are now considering whether wealthy individuals could instead donate shares of their companies directly into the accounts. The proposal has reportedly been championed by venture capitalist Brad Gerstner, founder of Altimeter Capital, who helped develop the 530A account initiative. Gerstner has discussed the idea with administration officials, The Ne...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Senate Banking To Vote Thursday On Landmark Digital Assets Bill

“NCOFCU appreciates the Senate Banking Committee’s continued work during next week’s markup hearing to establish a clear and responsible regulatory framework for digital assets,” said the National Council of Fire Fighter Credit Unions (NCOFCU) leadership. “As lawmakers consider this legislation, it is essential that first responder credit unions are recognized as a vital part of the financial services ecosystem and are not overlooked in the evolving digital asset landscape. Credit unions serving police, fire, EMS, and other emergency personnel must have equitable access to innovation, regulatory clarity, and the tools necessary to continue supporting the financial readiness and resilience of America’s first responders.” Grant Sheehan CEO WASHINGTON—The Senate Banking Committee will vote on the long-awaited CLARITY Act this Thursday, Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) announced Friday. Tim Scott The announcement marks a potentially major step forward for legislation that would establis...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

NCUA Identifies Supervisory Priorities for 2024

ALEXANDRIA, Va.–In a new  Letter to Credit Unions , NCUA has outlined its supervisory priorities and other updates for its 2024 examination program. The agency said the areas identified are those with the highest risk to credit union members and the insurance fund. As CUToday.info has previously reported, growing financial strains and liquidity risks are cited by the agency, as well as the growth in the number of composite CAMELS code 3, 4, and 5 credit unions.  The agency further noted: Its exam flexibility initiative will continue in 2024, extending the exam cycle for certain credit unions. It will continue its Small Credit Union Exam Program in most federal credit unions with assets of $50 million or less. Supervisory Priorities f...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

'Victory is Elusive': CU Economist Agrees Fed Rate Cuts Questionable Following New CPI Report

04/10/2024 11:01 am WASHINGTON–A credit union economist has joined with other economists and analysts in forecasting a delay in any rate cuts by the Fed in 2024 following today’s inflation report. The newly released Consumer Price Index climbed 3.8% on an annual basis after stripping out food and fuel prices. That “core” index was stronger than the 3.7% increase economists expected, and unchanged from 3.8% in February.  Counting in food and fuel, the inflation measure climbed 3.5% in March from a year earlier, up from 3.2% in February and faster than what many had forecast.  "Victory in the Federal Reserve's inflation fight remains elusive with a stubbornly high headline consumer price index increase of 0.4% in March, matching February's disappointing result,” said America's Credit Unions VP-data and research, chief econom...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Ten-Year Treasury Hits a 15-Year High

WASHINGTON–The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note has hit a 15-year high, which could lead to higher costs for many borrowers. The increase in yields is also “raising concern” on Wall Street about the potential fallout in the stock, bond and housing markets, the Wall Street Journal added. A key benchmark for interest rates across the economy, the 10-year yield settled at 4.258%, according to Tradeweb, up from 4.220% earlier this week, marking its highest close since June 2008, months before the collapse of Lehman Brothers and expansive Federal Reserve policy “ushered in more than a decade of historically low bond yields,” the Journal added. ‘Nervous’ Investors “The rise in yields is making investors nervous, because past surges have at...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Hood: Credit unions are safe and sound

Hood’s term on the NCUA Board will expire in August.  NCUA Board Member Rodney Hood appeared via live stream with Brad Barnes, Air Academy Credit Union, and Amy McGraw, Tropical Financial Credit Union. The regulator lauds strong membership, asset, and loan growth. Despite recent headwinds, including high-profile bank failures, the credit union movement is still safe and sound, says Rodney Hood, NCUA board member, and immediate past chairman. “We’re not seeing the contagion like at other financial institutions,” says Hood, who addressed the 2023 CUNA Finance Council Conference Monday via live stream. The Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) crisis was one of confidence, he says. Ninety percent of SVB’s deposits were uninsured. In comparison, more than 91% of credit union deposits are insured. “We don’t have those entanglements,” Hood says. “That bodes well for our future.”  He lauded America’s 4,800 credit unions for growing membership to 135 million, assets to $2.2 trill...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

2 Historical Moments: CUNA Mutual Officially Changes Name Today, As Union Also Calls Strike

MADISON, Wis.–One of the most iconic names in credit unions and credit union history in the U.S. will officially change today when CUNA Mutual Group begins operating under the TruStage brand across the enterprise. All enterprise, business-to-business and consumer brands are now unified under the single brand name of TruStage, which the company has been using for some of its products for a number of years. The new brand is being introduced at the same time approximately 450 employees represented by Office & Professional Employees Local 39 have gone on strike. It is the first strike in the company and the union's history. As CUToday.info has been reporting, the company and the union have been at an impasse since February of 2022, when t...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Sunday Reading - How pensions work

  The Pension Promise   How pensions work Colloquially speaking, pensions are retirement plans that result in employees receiving a fixed amount of money from their former employers during retirement, often for life (although the technical legal definition of pensions is significantly more nuanced ). Unlike “defined contribution plans” like 401(k) plans, “defined benefit plans” like pensions make it so the employer , rather than the employee, determines how much money is set aside for the plan and how it’s invested (often in stocks, bonds, and other assets). In retirement, monthly payouts include both the principal and investment earnings. Employers often use fact...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»