First-responder Credit Union Newsroom

Generous Donation to Aid Rebuilding of Homes and Provide Local Childcare Services From left:  Diana Dykstra (California Credit Union League), Brett Martinez (Redwood Credit Union), Richard Cooper (Mendo Lakes Credit Union) and Robin McCarthy (Fire Family Foundation).  MIDDLETOWN, CA — Fire survivors who lost homes in the devastating Lake County fires and residents struggling with local childcare will benefit from a generous donation of $80,000 from Fire Family Foundation. A contribution of $60,000 was made in mid-February at the Middletown Fire Station to Hope City/Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN), a disaster relief agency rebuilding several homes destroyed by the fires, and a donation of over $20,000 went to the Lake Family Resource Center (LFRC) for much-needed childcare in the community. Fire Family Foundation (FFF) provides assistance to individuals and families affected by fire-related disasters throughout California and is the charitable hand of Firefight...

For the forth year in a row Boston Firefighters received CUNA’s Membership Benefits Awards for the substantial financial benefit they provide to members in their asset size.. $75 million to $250 million in assets: Boston Firefighters Credit Union ($711) Nebraska Energy Federal Credit Union ($472) XCEL Federal Credit Union ($384)

At the GAC this week,  NCUA Vice Chairman Rick Metsger made the following comments. As you read through the following, remember the National Coalition of Firefighters Credit Unions (NCOFCU) fills this networking purpose.  Through NCOFCU you have a network of over 100 credit unions serving firefighters and their families that you can reach out too. Through NCOFCU you have a network of credit unions and service providers to assist you in most all of your credit union operations. Grant Sheehan CEO NCOFCU Washing, DC. NCUA Vice Chairman Rick Metsger Regulatory roadblocks that keep small credit unions from forming a network with others while maintaining their identity must be removed, NCUA Vice Chairman Rick Metsger said Monday. Speaking during the second day of the NCUA Governmental Affairs Conference, Metsger said small credit unions that are having financial problems should have an alternative to a total merger during which they lose their identity. He said h...

Consider Hosting a Board or Planning  Meeting at the Convention – Limited Availability! Let us help you coordinate the details to ensure a headache-free experience. Complimentary meeting space, food and beverage discounts, and much, much more! Please call 305-951-3306 or e-mail grant@ncofcu.org to secure your spot. (for NCOFCU members only)

Same-day ACH will soon be a reality for U.S. financial institutions, and the change could mean that certain product offerings and new data about members may become much more lucrative for credit unions. One of those opportunities for credit unions may be in bill pay. About half of the ACH network today is supporting consumer bill pay, So when you consider your basic bill-pay application, think about it and say, are you enabling your consumer to pay a bill directly from the account they have with you – and giving them the option to do that on the same day? The way most credit unions have constructed their systems over the last 10 or 15 years is that they use an outside service provider for all the different capabilities, They’ll link out to a bill-pay provider or to an account-to-account provider or P2P. That's a huge obstacle for them to take advantage of the ACH, because the ACH change will impact the businesses of all those digitech organizations that provide those service...

Effective Social Media: To listen, to serve, & to grow The member we serve and the member we seek is active on social media. Many financial institutions are using social media as a tactic to engage. What can we do to make it an effective strategy? How do we take it to a whole new level? Ideally , we should be using social media to help our members with financial solutions – the ability to create consumer journeys, we should be attentive on social media to service problems , and we should spend time on social media to stay in touch with those we serve. Sundeep Kapur has been helping brands define their OMNI-channel marketing strategies. He has had the opportunity to help many financial institutions create and execute a successful consumer engagement strategy. His specialty lies in helping brands adopt digital by focusing on fundamentals – reduced cost, security, and driving revenue - all towards improving lifetime member value. He is an industry-recognized expe...

NEW YORK — Move over The Finest, here comes The Bravest. Plans are underway to charter a new credit union that will serve the New York Fire Department — one year after the formation of The Finest Federal Credit Union, which was designed for New York City police and correction officers. (The Finest is now a $4.6-million institution with almost 1,900 members) The prospective credit union will be called The Bravest Federal Credit Union, However, Bruce O. Jolly, Jr., a Virginia-based attorney who is consulting on the proposed firefighter credit union and was also involved with the creation of The Finest FCU, cautioned that chartering a new credit union “is a long, drawn-out process and we are at the first stage. The train can derail at any time.” Jolly told Credit Union Journal that on Feb. 3, seven firefighters met in mid-town Manhattan to sign forms from NCUA necessary to start the organization of a new credit union serving firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) throu...

Jim Hagerbaumer: President of Hagerbaumer Economics.    Jim last spoke to us in Miami in 2008 and many of you will remember his explosive presentation on the economy. Jim consults with CEO’s and CFO’s of financial institutions, advising them on pricing  CD's  and loans, and on timing purchases in their investment portfolio.   Jim’s weekly report is read by professionals around the country. He has a doctorate in economics from the University of Colorado, taught at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, and was corporate economist for a Fortune 500 company.   He’s a former member of the BLUE CHIP panel.  For over 25 years he’s had an exceptional record of predicting the economic cycle and interest rates … with many solid, stunning calls.    His insights will provoke you to think.   He communicates all this with an explosive style. You’ve never heard an economist like this.

So you think your members know who you really are? Sometimes you just have to show them! Here is another video example of getting the word out about your credit union.

NCOFCU's business partner Auto Link , has added a new feature to introduce your members to your new auto buying service.  The following self guided tour enplanes your new service and all it offers.  Now special discounts for NCOFCU Members, visit NCOFCU Member Benefits  For more information contact: Ed Bourgeois 504-273-0337 ebourg@myezcarcare.com