Firefighter Credit Union Newsroom

Cyber Monday shopping? Think of those special NCOFCU gifts through our On-Line Store! Click HERE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Help support NCOFCU through Amazon Smile while doing your holiday shopping.  Shop Amazon Smile, and .05% of you purchase will go to the National Council of Firefighter Credit Unions Inc General Operating Fund.  Our direct link is  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/27-2387106   The National Council of Firefighters Credit Unions, Inc. (NCOFCU) is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 professional association of credit unions serving firefighter's, first responders and their families, whose mission is to provide its members with the knowledge, skills, tools, and resources necessary to ensure ongoing professional development, and the ability to deliver exceptional value to their credit union members. 

Boston’s First Responders Come Together to Support the South Boston Neighborhood House in Honor of Joseph "Dodo" Nee In honor of Joseph “Dodo” Nee, a lifelong supporter of the South Boston community and an inspiration to so many, Boston’s First Responders came together last night to present the South Boston Neighborhood House with a check donation of $7,500. The generous donation will provide bac k to school supplies and clothing to local students in the community. This donation was made possible by members of the Boston Firefighters Credit Union, Boston Fire Department, Boston Police Department & Massachusetts Fallen Heroes/Veterans Edge to uphold the incredible legacy and efforts in which their friend, veteran, and fellow firefighter, Joseph Nee did for the South Boston community. “Assisting the South Boston Neighborhood House was a seamless decision between Boston Firefighters Credit Union, Boston Police, Boston Fire, Mass Fallen Heroes and the Nee family to engage in

Charlotte Fire Dept. is always proud to march in the Thanksgiving Day parade! It was a beautiful morning in uptown Charlotte.

Amazon Smile Now you can painlessly contribute to the National Council of Firefighter Credit Unions Inc (NCOFCU) through Amazon Smile while you do your holiday shopping online. What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when you use this link to shop on AmazonSmile ( smile.amazon.com ), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the National Council of Firefighter Credit Unions Inc. Our direct link is  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/27-2387106   *The National Coalition of Firefighters Credit Unions, Inc. (NCOFCU) is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) charitable organization. Donors may deduct contributions as provided in IRC 170(c) (3) of the U.S. Tax Code. Employer Identification Number 27-2387106 Don't forget 2018 Pre-Pay ends 12/20/2017 Pay $50 today to save

Thought we would put a smile on your face! The ads are the final piece of a new through-the-line brand campaign that Irish credit unions have been building online and in out-of-home over the past week – The Credit ReUnion. The national TVC launched this week and will run for the next three weeks along with out-of-home, digital, radio and social.

S an Diego firefighters honored one of their own Monday by shaving their hair off in solidarity with a firefighter battling cancer. Firefighter Nick Hibbs is going through chemotherapy for cancer. "We’re happy to do it for him," said one of the firefighters, while sitting in a chair getting his hair cut off. In addition to the solidarity shave, Hibbs' band of brothers at Fire Station 1 in Downtown San Diego have also taken food to his home and helped complete some of his chores around the house. "He’s our brother. We wish him the best," said Bennet. "He’s our brother and we wish him the best. We understand the fight he's going through with his family. We care a great deal about him. That’s why we’re here." Hibbs is a member of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Bomb Squad. He married his high school sweetheart and has two children.

Apple’s forthcoming Apple Pay Cash will likely become the next in a long line of P2P offerings that are forcing credit unions to think about the future of their noninterest income, industry experts say.  Apple Pay Cash, which launched in public beta this week, allows users to send and receive money in Apple Messages. They can use money with Apple Pay Cash in stores, on the web or in apps. The feature also works with Siri, and a member can use cards already in their Apple wallets, according to the company. There is no fee to use Apple Pay Cash with a debit card, but there is a 3% fee to send money using a credit card.  Apple isn’t the first company to launch a P2P product — but it is one of the biggest. And that can be an opportunity for credit unions, according to Mark Ranta, who is head of digital banking solutions at ACI Worldwide in Naples, Florida. For one thing, Apple Pay Cash could actually push members to use their debit cards more often, he said. “If you want to look a

Today we honor those who have taken up the call to duty and served our nation. 

Please note some of our credit unions serving firefighters and first responders have been served with these frivolous lawsuits. WASHINGTON—The Senate Judiciary Committee took a deep dive into what some are calling lawsuit abuse against America's small businesses during a hearing this week – specifically mentioning frivolous lawsuits filed under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Ahead of the hearing, NAFCU informed the committee how these ADA lawsuits are impacting credit unions and asked that it further examine the issue. Numerous credit unions have been named as defendants in lawsuits that allege websites are out of compliance with ADA. In his opening statement, committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) used an example of a "drive-by" ADA lawsuit as frivolous. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) also made a large example out of the frivolousness of highly technical ADA lawsuits during the hearing, NAFCU reported. NAFCU Vice President of Legislative Affairs Brad Tha

Tim Harrington will keynote the National Council of Firefighters Credit Unions Inc. (NCOFCU) 2018 Annual Conference . He will also address Financial Literacy at the volunteer's session Thursday afternoon, which will help attendees build the skills and knowledge they need to strengthen their credit unions’ bottom lines. The conference will be held September 19-22, 2018 at the Seattle Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Seattle, WA. “Tim Harrington is a dynamic speaker whose knowledge and expertise in this industry will help attendees lead their credit unions to new heights,” “With the continuing challenges facing credit unions, it is imperative that board and supervisory committee members have the specific competencies this conference offers so they can help ensure their institutions’ safe, sound operation and competitive standing in the consumer financial services market.” Author, consultant and speaker Tim Harrington has worked with credi

For those of you strongly focused on the issues related to FIREFIGHTER OCCUPATIONAL CANCER , whether your active or retired, there is an important NO COST forum that you are invited to attend next week. You can attend IN PERSON or watch it LIVE via FACEBOOK (so pretty much all of us should watch this important discussion) as shown below: When: Wednesday, November 15, 1900, to 2100 hours. Where : Columbus Fire Training Academy in the John Nance Auditorium, 3639 Parsons Ave., Columbus, Ohio Admission is free and parking is available. FOR THOSE ATTENDING ONLINE, GO TO THIS PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/columbusdispatch/ ON NOVEMBER 15 AT 1900 Hours Eastern THE PANELISTS : Columbus Firefighter Mark Rine, 36, is the father of five children and was diagnosed with terminal cancer about five years ago. Nora Jaegly of Toledo lost her husband, firefighter Peter Jaegly, to occupational cancer in 2013. Peter was 49 and served as a Toledo firefighter for 20 years, two as bat

WASHINGTON–President Trump nominated Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell to become the new Fed Chairman. If approved, Powell will replace current chair Janet Yellen, who was nominated in 2013 and has been the only woman to lead the Fed. Yellen’s term expires in February. A Fed governor since 2012 and former Treasury official under the George H.W. Bush administration, Powell was among five candidates considered for the job, along with former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, Stanford University economist John Taylor, the president's top economic adviser, Gary Cohn and Yellen.  The position of Fed chair requires Senate confirmation, and with Republicans currently holding the majority the GOP  would be able to confirm Powell without any Democratic support, if necessary. Powell, 64, has largely been an ally to Yellen on monetary policy. He has also called for the easing of some of the regulations on banks put in place after the 2008 financial crisis. Powell is not an economist, and i

WASHINGTON — The credit union tax exemption appears to have escaped unscathed as Republicans in Congress have released details of a massive rewrite of the U.S. tax code they hope to pass. "As of now, the credit union tax status remains unchanged in this bill and the bill looks good from a credit union perspective, but this is an ongoing process and change can happen anytime. CUNA will be thoroughly reviewing the bill and remains engaged with both chambers of Congress as this process continues, ensuring policymakers are fully aware of the credit union difference in the financial services marketplace and in the lives of our 110 million members," said CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle, who formerly served as chair of the House Budget Committee and director of the Office of Management and Budget under the Bush Administration. “We thank the House for taking this first step in needed tax reform, and like those who are pushing toward reform, CUNA, leagues and credit unions are commit

ARLINGTON, Va.–NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger and Vice President of Legislative Affairs Brad Thaler have been named top association lobbyists for 2017 by The Hill. This is the 15th consecutive year that Berger was named to the list and the 10th year for Thaler. Berger said the accomplishment wouldn't be possible without the support of NAFCU's member credit unions and dedicated staff. “In our 50th year as an association, I'm proud that NAFCU is staying true to its original mission of being the top federal advocacy organization for credit unions," Berger said in a statement. "Our government affairs team does a fantastic job of maintaining relationships with decision makers in D.C., and our members' grassroots efforts ensure lawmakers and regulators are aware of how a new rule or law will impact credit unions' operations." The Hill recognized Berger and Thaler for “manning NAFCU’s lobbying operation during a critical time, leading a succes

President Trump signed a  joint resolution that nullifies the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) arbitration rule. Both credit union trade groups supported the repeal. NAFCU was on hand at the White House for the signing. Released in final form in July, the CFPB's arbitration rule would have prohibited the use of arbitration agreements for the purpose of limiting access to class action litigation. “The repeal of the CFPB’s arbitration rule is a win for credit unions, as well as a positive sign that Congress is willing to intervene when it comes to ill-tailored rules not narrowly focused on abusers of consumers,” said CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle in a statement. “CUNA, leagues and credit unions will build on this momentum that one-size-fits-all rulemaking from the CFPB does not make sense for smaller financial institutions like credit unions moving forward as we work to achieve additional regulatory relief objectives.”  NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger and EVP

WASHINGTON–As expected, the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee left rates unchanged when it met yesterday, but analysts continue to anticipate it will make a move when it meets in December. The Fed left its benchmark interest rate target between 1% and 1.25%. The FOMC continues to have a rosy interpretation of the direction of the economy. Gross domestic product grew 3% in the third quarter, faster than many had anticipated. “The labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising at a solid rate despite hurricane-related disruptions,” the FOMC said in a statement. “Although the hurricanes caused a drop in payroll employment in September, the unemployment rate declined further." The Fed conceded that inflation is still "running below 2%," which is the Fed’s target rate. The Fed already has raised rates twice this year. As CUToday.info reported  here , economists in the credit union community are also anticipating a year-e