As Isaac Bears Down on Gulf, NCUA Issues Bulletin to CUs and Members

“Credit unions operating and people living in the Gulf Coast region know they need to prepare for serious storms,” said NCUA Board Chairman Debbie Matz. “We’re reminding them today to take prudent precautions and that NCUA continues to protect deposits at federally insured credit unions during sunny days and after bad storms.”Agency reiterates protection of assets, offers help if needed after storm......As Isaac Bears Down on Gulf, NCUA Issues Bulletin to CUs and Members:

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5 Red Flags: When Boards Lean Too Heavily on Management

The Quiet Governance Risk Credit Unions Should Talk About By Grant Sheehan, CCUE | CCUP | CEO, NCOFCU Having spent many years both serving on a credit union board and leading as a CEO , I’ve had the opportunity to see governance from both sides of the table. That perspective has given me a deep appreciation for the delicate balance that must exist between management, leadership, and board oversight. When that balance works well, credit unions thrive. But when it slowly shifts — often unintentionally — it can create governance weaknesses that regulators and examiners increasingly watch for. In conversations with governance professionals and through years of industry experience, one theme keeps emerging: most governance problems don’t begin with bad intentions or misconduct. They begin with boards that gradually become too dependent on management. This is rarely obvious at first, but in fact, it often occurs within high-performing organizations. But slight patterns ca...

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Where are your children banking?

Grant Sheehan CCUE | CCUP | CEO, NCOFCU The B reach Between Purpose and Experience Just recently, I came across a story that has stayed with me. It wasn’t dramatic in the traditional sense. There was no scandal, no crisis, no headline-grabbing failure. In fact, it was something much quieter than that. It was simply the story of an eighteen-year-old leaving his credit union. On the surface, that might not sound remarkable. Young people move their money frequently. They open new accounts, experiment with apps, follow trends, and often make financial decisions influenced by the digital tools at their disposal. But this story was different. This young man had been a credit union member since he was a few weeks old, as many credit unions do. His mother has spent her career working inside the credit union movement as an executive. For eighteen years, his financial life was connected to a credit union. If anyone might be expected to remain a lifelong member, it wou...

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We Don't Need More Trade Groups!

This is a op-ed reference: New National Trade Group Forms To Champion Credit Unions Under $500M Grant Sheehan, CEO, NCOFCU Let’s be clear—representation for small credit unions is not something new that suddenly needs to be invented. For more than 150 years in Europe and 115 years in the US, many of us—along with numerous trade groups representing postal workers, schools, hospitals, the military, first responders, electricians, welders, auto workers, and many other sponsor employee groups—have been actively representing and supporting small credit unions. The mission has always been the same: protect these institutions and ensure they have a voice. The real challenge facing small credit unions has never been a lack of organizations claiming to represent them. The challenge has been engagement and education. Many small credit unions operate with extremely limited resources. Their boards are made up of volunteers who already have full-time careers. Even when scholarships, training ...

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From Share Drafts to Stablecoin: Progress Is the Product

From Share Drafts to Stablecoin: Progress Is the Product By Jeff Rendel Expert Opinion March 09, 2026 at 08:00 AM Share & Print There was a time when the phrase "share draft" felt modern. It was progressive. It was distinct. It was proudly credit union. We didn't offer checking accounts; we offered share drafts because members owned shares in a cooperative, not deposits in a bank. It was an important distinction. It meant something philosophically and structurally. And when share drafts were introduced, they were new. Innovative. Even controversial. Somewhere along the way, however, share drafts became nostalgic. The language remained, but the behavior changed. Today, many members under 30 have never written a check. Many under 40 rarely do. Payments have migrated – steadily, predictably – from paper to plastic, from plastic to digital, from digital to embedded and real-time. This is not disruption in the dramatic sense. It is evolution. And credit unions have alwa...

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Meet Spokane Firefighter Credit Union (SFCU) New President/CEO - Troy Clute

Meet SFCU's New President/CEO - Troy Clute Troy Clute serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Spokane Firefighters Credit Union, bringing 29 years of experience in banking and finance. His career includes extensive leadership roles across the industry, with a strong foundation in consumer lending and member-focused financial services. Troy is a graduate of the renowned CUES CEO Institute Program, having earned the Certified Chief Executive (CCE) designation—one of the highest leadership credentials in the credit union movement. His leadership is defined by strategic vision, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to serving Spokane’s firefighter community and their families. Beyond his professional role, Troy values family above all. He and his wife, Karri, have been married for 36 years and share two grown children, Kellen and Kennadie, as well as three grandchildren—Tyus, Izze, and Major—who keep life joyful and full of adventure. When he’s not leading the c...

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Outside Credit Unions - 54th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

Dog Sled Race Begins The 54th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off yesterday, with hundreds of dogs amassing at the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, before moving north to the official starting line. Thirty-four mushers will compete, with the race expected to end in mid-March. The race dates back to 1973, with cofounders Dorothy Page and Joe Redington Sr. seeking to honor the state’s mushing tradition. The race also honors Alaska’s Iditarod Trail—a 938-mile freight and mail route forged in 1908 that was later instrumental in responding to a diphtheria outbreak ( see more , w/video). Though the first race (1,000 miles) lasted 20 days, dogs today have become faster, reaching the finish line in Nome in roughly 10 days. There are 12-16 dogs per sled to start, as some dogs exit due to injury; mushers must finish with at least five. Norwegian billionaire Kjell Rokke will join the fray in this year’s ra...

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Stablecoins Moving from Crypto Curiosity to Payments Infrastructure

At the 2026 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC), credit union leaders heard a clear message: stablecoins are rapidly evolving from a niche crypto tool into a core component of modern payments infrastructure. Stablecoins are digital tokens typically pegged to a fiat currency like the U.S. dollar and backed by reserves such as cash or short-term Treasury securities. Initially used mostly inside cryptocurrency markets, they are now increasingly being viewed as a faster and more efficient way to move money globally . Why Stablecoins Matter The technology offers several potential advantages over traditional payment systems: 24/7 settlement instead of banking-hour restrictions Faster cross-border payments with fewer intermediaries Lower transaction costs compared with legacy payment rails Greater transparency and programmability in how funds move These capabilities are why banks, fintechs, and large financial institutions are beginning to explore stablecoins as part o...

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Economic and Industry Issues

Weekly News Summary - July 30, 2020 Press Release For Immediate Release Weekly News Summary Hello NCOFCU Members, Here are some things that were in the news last week. Please share these articles with your Supervisory Committee and Board of Directors. If you missed previous editions of the weekly news, summaries of those can be viewed at our archive . Have a great week! Mike Richards, CPA The Callahan Credit Union A...

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Letter to Federal Credit Unions (25-FCU-02) Federal Credit Union Post-Examination Survey

Letter to Federal Credit Unions (25-FCU-02) Federal Credit Union Post-Examination Survey Dear Boards of Directors and Chief Executive Officers: The NCUA has been using a voluntary post-examination survey for examinations of federal credit unions since 2021. This feedback is very important and helps the NCUA evaluate our examination processes; credit unions have used the open-ended questions to submit numerous useful suggestions. To further improve the survey process, the NCUA has arranged to have the post-examination survey administered by an external vendor. The external vendor will begin administering the survey starti...

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Three Tips for Better Google Searching - NYTimes.com

Here are the three tips — basic, intermediate and advanced — from Dan Russell at Google. He studies how people use the search engine and teaches classes on how to do it better , including a free online course this month, for which registration started Tuesday. He promises these tips will make you happy, and he cares a lot about that — his official title at Google is über tech lead for search quality and user happiness.----- Three Tips for Better Google Searching - NYTimes.com

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