CU Data

A Bit of Unpleasantness

Do privacy violations at your CU leave members feeling trapped?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

CUs invest in members to sow the seeds of success.

In the Deep Freeze

Icy news still pervades the unemployment front.

Rates & Ratios: CU Assets Reach Milestone

Reaching $1 trillion in assets is an impressive feat, but one that demands perspective.

It's Not Confusing; It's Confucius!

‘Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew, you are fit to be a teacher.’

A Bridge Too Far

Dental miscue reveals risks of multi-tasking.

Rates & Ratios: Savings Outpace Loans During February

CU loans decrease 0.2% while savings grow 2.1%.

The Guest in the Garage

Fresh solutions come from approaching business issues with a knowledge and understanding of the facts.

Don't Throw Tomatoes During Difficult Conversations!

How do you help members deal with sensitive financial issues?

It's Tea Time!

Settle back, tea cup in hand, as you review this week's research.

Credit Union Magazine

‘Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You’

‘Reward Excellent Failure, Punish Mediocre Success’

Peters: It’s Good to be the Little Guy

MBL: If Banks Win, CUs Lose

A Bit of Unpleasantness

Lora has some excellent tips for us on articles we should read. Thanks Lora!

Definitely, we agree. It’s not only important to adapt to the market, but also to ensure that the organization as a whole has buy-in of this growth strategy. Without full commitment, you could be doing a disservice to your credit union and your Hispanic community.

Good points all, Joni, and thanks for putting it in plain English. DigitalMailer has been consulting a number of clients and affiliates on social media, and the question always arises: "Well, what if someone says something bad about us?" The answer is, they might be already. Not seeing it doesn't mean it can't hurt you. Make sure that, if you're not offering an engaging social media presence, you're at least able to monitor the possible threats.

Chris Brogan is simply awesome and this interview is spot on. Hearing Brogan speak at America's Credit Union Conference is worth the price of admission. Every credit union can learn from his wisdom. Social media is about building a community and credit unions can do that successfully with their members. But they can't do it with everyone: they should also target their social media efforts to particular niches.

Bill, your comments are on the mark. In order to demonstrate that the CU truly understands the risk inherent in lending, the ability to clearly articulate a meaningful discussion of the lending rationale behind lending decisions is critical. All too often, CUs leave it up to the sales force to determine a "marketing" direction for lending activity and the sellers are only too willing to fill the void create by a lack of a clear defined lending culture and credit environment. In large organizations marketing and lending should work hand in hand in defining what sales and lending goals are. The marketing culture needs to be informed of the dynamics of the lending environment and the credit culture must understand the marketing opportunities and threats. In smaller CUs the senior lender in conjunction with the board must, as you indicate, clearly document the what and why of the credit culture.