Wading Through Financial Stability Risks
The Federal Reserve (Fed) has a history of raising short-term interest rates until something “breaks.” Considering the Fed has raised rates from a near-zero level to 4.75% (upper bound) over the course of only one year, it was almost a near certainty this time would be no different. Recent bank failures suggest things are indeed […]
Weekly Bottom Line
Following the collapse of SVB and Signature Bank, policymakers were quick to put together a rescue package over the weekend to allay depositor fears and reassure financial markets. Despite recent market jitters, economic data out this week including CPI, retail sales, and housing starts all suggest more tightening is still required to cool demand and […]
How Salary Insights Can Empower Credit Unions and Executives
How can credit union boards build more effective executive recruitment and retention packages? Further, how can executives advocate for themselves when discussing pay and benefits or considering an organizational move? On “C.U. on the Show,” Doug is joined by guests Sharon Messmore, products and services coordinator at CUES, and Dave Piper, vice president of operations, […]
How the Study of Failure Can Help Drive a Credit Union Forward
When “C.U. on the Show” guest Maurice Smith was a kid, his father encouraged him to read the newspaper every day and pay particular attention to the stories centered on failures, such as a company going under or a leader making a fatal organizational mistake. Why? It created a roadmap of what not to do. […]
How LifeNotes Can Help Rescue a Deferred Compensation Plan
Stearns Financial Principal Eric Stearns and Senior Executive Consultant and Director of Business Development Jay Rogers are back on “C.U. on the Show,” sharing real-life use cases of their groundbreaking, proprietary method, the LifeNotes Strategy. In previous episodes, Jay and Eric introduced the strategy and how it has helped credit unions fix or enhance their […]
LifeNotes Strategy Use Cases: How Credit Unions Can Add Flexibility to Life Insurance-Based Executive Benefits
In a previous “C.U. on the Show” episode, Jay Rogers, senior executive consultant and director of business development at Stearns Financial, shared the firm’s groundbreaking LifeNotes Strategy. For over 40 years, Stearns Financial has worked with credit unions in succession and yield planning, retention, and balance sheet optimization. Its proprietary method involves credit unions and […]
How Credit Unions Can Reduce the Opportunity Cost of Depreciating Life Insurance Assets
Credit unions commonly use life insurance-based executive benefits, such as collateral assignment split dollar plans to retain key talent. One of the original intentions has always been to leverage these benefits to incentivize an executive to stay in place in exchange for receiving life insurance coverage and tax-free income throughout retirement. However, what happens when […]
How Higher Interest Rates May Affect Your Credit Union’s Sub-Debt Strategy
Recently, the economic environment has been turned on its head, and the effects present new challenges to credit unions. As a result, credit unions must proactively and strategically plan to navigate issues such as decreased deposits, dips in lending, and higher interest rates. During periods like this, “just-in-time” capital may provide the peace of mind […]
How to Scale Your Charitable Giving: Key Decisions for Credit Unions
With a philosophy of “people helping people,” community outreach and charitable giving play critical roles in a credit union’s overall strategy. Credit unions of all sizes strive to engage their members and community through various initiatives and events, with some being more effective than others. So what does it take for your credit union’s charitable […]
How Credit Unions Can Use Fintech to Create a Digital-First Organization
When you think of a digital-first organization, you may imagine the opposite of a personalized and thoughtful experience. However, “C.U. on the Show” guest Thomas Novak shares that’s exactly what his team is creating at Visions Federal Credit Union through strategic innovation and a buy, build, or partner approach to fintech. Tom is a 16-year […]