Credit Unions & The Power of Liquidity in a Complex Financial Landscape

With a rising interest rate environment, inflationary pressures, and increasing loan-to-share ratios nearing 90%, credit unions must find ways to mitigate risks to their balance sheet, and accessing liquidity is an integral component. National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board Member Rodney Hood joins “C.U. on the Show” to discuss how establishing various lines of capital […]

How Bold Leadership Can Accelerate the Credit Union Movement

As credit unions continue to celebrate Leadership Month, Doug welcomes three credit union advocates in the fintech space to “C.U. on the Show” who believe leaders should get comfortable taking risks, innovating, and making bold strategic decisions if the credit union movement is to stay competitive—and survive. The conversation invites listeners to embrace bold leadership […]

Lessons in Leadership with NAFCU CEO Dan Berger

Credit unions are celebrating Leadership Month, so Doug was thrilled to welcome National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU) CEO Dan Berger, a significant leader in the credit union movement, to the show. NAFCU provides advocacy, education, and compliance support within the credit union industry. Berger is also an author, economist, and top lobbyist in […]

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 […]