Are You Holding Your Credit Union Back? A Directors’ Guide to Stepping Up Your Game & Staying Relevant

May Blog - Asking Some Harder Questions

Are You Holding Your Credit Union Back? A Directors’ Guide to Stepping Up Your Game & Staying Relevant

Your job as a board member is to push forward, not to hold back. Credit union board members may not always have a good sense of how their behavior impacts the credit union itself, often in extremely negative ways. Lack of awareness of the industry and of self can be at play here. Even with the best of intentions, sometimes boards are a drag on the organization without knowing it, creating the environment for catastrophic results.

By Kevin Smith

I know … I know. I’m coming out of the gates here with a negative perspective. I tried to put a positive spin on this but I decided that I didn’t want to beat around the bush on this.

Comments

A Perfect Example - What Makes Credit Unions Different from Banks!

When the government shutdown hit in October and paychecks stopped, thousands of federal employees were left wondering how to make ends meet. Credit unions across the country stepped up—but Keesler Federal Credit Union went above and beyond. No loans, no hassle—just your paycheck Instead of making members apply for emergency loans, Keesler Federal launched its Paycheck Relief Program. Revolutionary in its simplicity, it worked like this: if you were a federal employee with direct deposit at Keesler Federal, your paycheck kept coming—interest-free, fee-free, and stress-free. Each qualified member could receive up to $6,000 per pay period for as long as 90 days. No hoops, no headaches. From October 1 until the shutdown ended, Keesler Federal advanced more than 5,000 paychecks totaling $6.5 million to 1,710 members. For non-members, they even offered zero-interest loans up to $6,500 with a year to pay it back. This proactive approach meant that before the first missed paycheck, Keesler Fed...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

Sunday Reading - What's the point of a consumer electronics show?

What's the point of a consumer electronics show? Consumer electronics shows are large convention-type events where companies debut new technologies and products. The largest and most notable shows are CES in Las Vegas, a trade show every January, and IFA Berlin, which takes place annually in September. The events have historically introduced novel, cutting-edge products that later became household standards, like HDTVs, VCRs, DVDs, and gaming consoles ( see list ). Over time, these shows evolved from product showcases ( see last year's coolest gadgets ) into complex industry ecosystems, serving as a meeting ground for startups, multinational technology companies, investors, and the media. Hardware launches, keynote speeches, and...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

Eight Credit Unions Pay $42 Million in Special Dividends to 1.1 Million Members

By Jim DuPlessis | January 05, 2026 at 04:00 PM So far this season, CU Times has tallied 19 credit unions, which have announced $160.3 million in special dividends for members. Eight more credit unions have reported special dividends, paying their 1.1 million members $42.1 million in December and January. The bulk of the dividends came from Police and Fire Federal Credit Union of Philadelphia and Eastman Credit Union of Kingsport, Tenn., which each announced $16 million in rewards approved by their boards. The late January payout from Eastman ($9.7 billion, 356,492 members) will bring its total special dividends to $225 million since 1998. A news release from the credit union said “the Extraordinary Dividend is never guaranteed, but the strong financial performance of ECU in 2025 enabled the Board of Directors to approve this year’s $16 million payout.” Eastman’s $16 million payout represents about $47 per member and 19 basis points of its averag...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

New Year’s Resolution: Getting Your Estate in Order

Helping families and their businesses plan for the future Your Most Important New Year’s Resolution: Getting Your Estate in Order Happy New Year to all. Every January, millions of Americans resolve to lose weight, exercise more, or learn a new skill. These are admirable goals. But there’s one resolution that matters more than all of them combined—one that most people avoid because it forces them to confront their own mortality. Get your estate in order. Not next year. Not when you retire. Now. The Problem With Tomorrow Here’s what I see constantly...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

Syracuse Fire Department Credit Union

Congrats, Tonia, on your promotion! ================================================= Remember, you're not alone with NCOFCU.org Join/Upgrade Check out some of NCOFCU's additional features: First Responder Credit Union Academy Financial Literacy Podcasts YouTube Mini's Blog Job Board

Read Complete Article HERE>»

Sunday Reaing - Can the seasons really make you depressed?

Can the seasons really make you depressed? Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression that repeats during predictable seasonal shifts, impacting an estimated 5% of the global population—predominantly women. Symptoms of the condition occur with significant cyclical changes in daylight hours, with prevalence increasing in regions north of 40 degrees latitude (less commonly in the Southern Hemisphere). Its etiology—or root cause—remains unclear to researchers. Though “winter blues” are commonly reported, SAD is a distinct, diagnosed subtype of major depressive disorder first formally described in 1984 ( see criteria ). Key symptoms—lasting roughly four months each year—resemble common depression: fatigue, increased sleep, carbohydrate cravi...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

NCUA Issues 2026 Supervisory Priorities Letter to Credit Unions

Alexandria, VA (January 14, 2026) ― The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) today announced its 2026 Supervisory Priorities, which continue the agency’s policy of “No Regulation by Enforcement,” while prioritizing safety and soundness. This policy underscores NCUA’s commitment to providing clarity and transparency in its oversight. The letter outlines NCUA’s priorities for the year and provides information to help credit unions prepare for examinations. This year, the agency will continue to focus on risk-based supervision, tailoring the examination scope to the credit union’s unique risk profile. Key Highlights of the 2026 Supervisory Priorities: Risk-Focused Examinations: Examiners will concentrate on areas posing the greatest risk to credit union members, the credit union system, and the Share Insurance Fund. Balance Sheet Management and Lending: With loan performance at its weakest point in over a decade, examiners will review credit risk management practic...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

Are Credit Unions Serving First Responders Ready for the Coronavirus?

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow are credit unions serving first responders ready? Credit unions serving first responders will be a primary point of contact as first responders come off duty and into the credit union. ARLINGTON, Va.—How effective are credit union plans for addressing pandemics and business continuity? It’s a question credit unions need to be asking right now as the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow. Death tolls this week topped 1,100, with a record 100 officially reported as getting sick in a day. The coronavirus has already surpassed SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in number of affected and killed. Experts told CUToday.info the growth of the coronavirus that CUs should be reviewing their pandemic and business continuity plans, which likely have not been visited since the SARS outbreak in 2002. “I think it's too early to tell what kind of impact the coronavirus may have here in the U.S.,” said NAFCU Vice ...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

What Could Tokenized Deposits Mean for CUs?

WASHINGTON—Noting that the FDIC has expressed support for tokenized deposits as insured bank liabilities, not experimental digital assets, a new analysis offers some insights into what that could mean for financial institutions, credit unions and the market in 2026 and beyond. As PYMNTS Intelligence pointed out in its report, regulatory clarity reduces risk for banks moving from pilots to live deployments, and large banks and infrastructure providers are already testing real-world tokenized deposit use cases. “At its simplest, tokenization converts an existing claim into a digital representation on a distributed ledger,” the report explained. “The underlying asset does not change, but the infrastructure that tracks ownership and settlement does. In banking, that distinction is critical. Tokenized deposits do not create new money. They represent traditional bank deposits, issued and redeemed by regulated institutions but designed to operate on modern, programma...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

New Tool Seeks to Offer Better Insights into Range, Value of Electric Vehicles

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.—With electric cars (EVs) growing in acceptance and sales, a new tool is available to help consumers and lenders better understand the range (mileage capability on one charge)—and value—of each EV model. Black Book reported that it is integrating its VIN-specific data into a valuation tool built on Recurrent’s new Range Score. “Range Score makes it easier to understand expected range in a used EV by comparing a car’s current expected range to what was normal when new, which often differs from its EPA-rated range,” stated Black Book. Added Jared Kalfus, president of Black Book, “By combining our vehicle valuation data with Recurrent’s battery health data, consumers and dealers alike can access first-of-its-kind insight int...

Read Complete Article HERE>»

First-responder Credit Union Newsroom

Search This Blog