MADISON, Wisc. (January 3, 2012) –CUNA announced the release of a new case study exclusively available on the CUNA Volunteer Network. This case study examines the use of the board portalby three credit unions around the world.

The case study demonstrates how online portals are revolutionizing the way credit unions communicate with their boards.  Highlighting Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union, Barbados Public Workers’ Co-operative Credit Union Limited and Johns Hopkins Federal Credit Union, this case study illustrates how the board portals have benefitted each credit union and improved board relations.

“This new study outlines the advancements online forums have made to the credit union movement as a whole,” said Kevin Smith, Director of Volunteer Education at CUNA. “Advancements in online technology have made it easier for secure materials to be shared safely, immediately and effectively, guaranteeing that credit union volunteers have all the materials they need, when they need them. I am pleased to share this new case study on the CUNA Volunteer Network as part of our commitment to help volunteers stay informed and in-touch with one another.”

The board portal provides credit union directors and volunteers secure online access to board packets and other materials they need quickly and paper-free. The portal additionally provides board members a forum for discussions, polling, sharing calendars and more, while reducing overall administrative time.

The CUNA Volunteer Network keeps members informed and connected to their credit union peers by providing exclusive access to current industry news and research, case studies, a list serve  of peers, board training courses, discounts on educational opportunities and more.

More information about the CUNA Volunteer Network and the Board Portal Case Study can be found at training.cuna.org/volnet.

MADISON, Wisc. (December 20, 2011) – Credit Union National Association (CUNA) announced today that its popular CUNA Pressing Economic Issues Series, featuring highly respected economists Bill Hampel, Mike Schenk  and Steve Rick, will now be releasing new presentations on the 15^th of each month, beginning  January 15, 2012.

The CUNA Pressing Economic Issues Series gives credit union professionals insightful 30-minute economic updates and commentary every month. Subscribers to the CUNA Pressing Economic Issues Series can stay informed of pressing issues that specifically impact credit unions and discover the trends to watch as they prepare themselves for challenges ahead.

“CUNA is pleased to offer monthly access to three of the sharpest economic minds in the movement,” said Kevin Smith, Director of Volunteer Education at Credit Union National Association. “Our executive and board audiences consistently rate presentations from Hampel, Schenk and Rick as engaging and highly informative.”

CUNA Pressing Economic Series Speakers:

Bill Hampel is the senior vice president of research and policy analysis and chief economist for the Credit Union National Association. Bill also writes economic analysis columns that appear in several credit union publications. As an expert on the economy and credit union issues specifically, Bill is routinely asked by national news outlets to share his economic expertise.

Mike Schenk is vice president of economics and statistics for the Credit Union National Association. He conducts economic and financial research and provides support for CUNA’s governmental affairs and public relations efforts. Mike is an expert on the economy and credit union issues, boasting more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Steve Rick is a senior economist for Credit Union National Association. Steve conducts economic research, teaches at various credit union schools and conferences and writes articles for CUNA publications. Steve facilitates strategic planning sessions for credit union boards and has authored a textbook on asset-liability management. Steve is also a faculty member of the economics department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A full year’s credit union subscription to CUNA Pressing Economic Issues Series is $499.  Individual sessions are available for $99 each. More information can be found at cuna.org/training/peis.

MADISON, Wis. (January 5, 2012)—Representatives from CUNA will select students from across America to serve one-year terms as youth editorial board members for the Credit Union National Association’s (CUNA) toolkit called Googolplex: The Credit Union Guide for Student Moneymakers.

Requests for applications are currently being accepted through February 6, 2012, for all 12 positions. The new student board members’ terms will begin on June 1, 2012.

“Year after year, the insight we receive from these bright students is instrumental in designing financial literacy tools that resonate strongly with children and young adults,” says Rena Crispin, Googolplex managing editor. “At CUNA, we believe that it’s vital to start financial education at a young age.”

Googolplex is a youth-focused element of CUNA’s onlineEDGE program, which guides credit union members through financial decisions at every stage of life. Googolplex features interactive games, videos, blogs and other content dealing with money matters and real life issues to promote financial literacy for youth aged 6-18.

Youth editorial board members complete two brief online critiques each month of stories and games in age-specific sections of Googolplex’s award-winning three-in-one website. At the end of their terms, each of the 12 board members writes an original story forGoogolplex.

• Four elementary school-aged students will serve on the Clubhouse Crew for 5-Spot.
• Four middle school-aged students make up the Super Youth Team for AJ’s.
• Four high-school-aged students will be on the Teenage Panel advising C-Note.

“Our youth board members provide us with feedback that ensures that their peers feel welcome and validated whenever they use Googolplex on their credit union’s website,” says Susan Tiffany, CCUFC, director of consumer periodicals.

Board members must be in grades 3-12 in the fall of 2012 or, if home-schooled, of the same grade-level ages, and will work from home. Applications are available by request from Corey Pratt, Googolplex youth editorial board liaison. Please state the child’s grade level or age equivalent if home-schooled. Requests are due by February 6, 2012.

To learn more about how Googolplex and other onlineEDGE tools benefit both credit unions and their members, visit http://www.cuna.org/onlineedge and http://www.cuna.org/finlit/gplex.html.

MADISON, Wis. (January 3, 2012) –CUNA is proud to announce the latest graduates of the 2011 CUNA Volunteer Certification School. Held this past September in Tempe, Arizona, 46 credit union volunteers completed five days of lectures, overviews and testing to earn both their Certified Credit Union Volunteer (CCUV) designation and CUNA Board Financial Literacy Certificate.

The CUNA Volunteer Certification School was created to provide credit union volunteers with convenient, practical education in all areas of credit union operations through live lectures, discussions and testing. The program creates a simplified approach to complex subjects and gets credit union volunteers up-to-speed on the information they need to know to serve their credit unions most effectively.

“I would like to congratulate the 2011 Volunteer Certification School graduates for the dedication they have shown in advancing their education,” said Kevin Smith, Director of Volunteer Education at CUNA. “Volunteers who actively engage in the credit union movement improve the operations at each of their individual credit unions, and help set the bar for board education standards.”

The Certified Credit Union Volunteer (CCUV) designation symbolizes a thorough understanding of all areas and operations of the credit union. The CCUV designation can be earned by graduating from the CUNA Volunteer Certification School or completing theCUNA Volunteer Certification Program, a self-study education tool that features online learning modules. In 2012, volunteers interested in obtaining their Certified Credit Union Volunteer (CCUV) designation, can choose between the traditional classroom setting at the CUNA Volunteer Certification School, or engage in a variety of self-study training options.

The 2012 CUNA Volunteer Certification School will be held from September 23 – 28 in Long Beach, California. Additional speakers and session topics will be announced when information becomes available. Visit training.cuna.org/vcs for future updates.

More information about the designation can be found at training.cuna.org/boardcert.

MADISON, Wis. (December 29, 2011) — Interest in mobile banking is on the rise as smart phone usage increases, yet with this new technology comes uncertainty about the best way to implement it.

A new white paper from the CUNA Technology Council, titled “Maximizing Mobile Banking’s Potential,” provides guidance on how credit unions can get the most from the implementation of mobile banking.

“Mobile banking usage is predicted to balloon from 11% of US households in 2012 to 30% by 2015, with the number of individual users exceeding 50 million,” according to the white paper by Dale Davaz, Spokane Teachers Credit Union’s Director of eBusiness.

The paper, based on data gathered as part of a recent survey of Spokane Teachers Credit Union members about their mobile phone usage and mobile banking interests, discusses the different implementation options available, specific features of most interest to users, and potential security concerns that should be considered by credit unions looking to offer mobile banking to members.

CUNA Council members are entitled to complimentary copies of these and more than 300 white papers; non-members may purchase the white papers for a price of $50 per copy. 

The paper is available online in the white paper section of www.cunacouncils.org – select the “Tech” tab.

Press can contact Jenny Jackson at jjackson@cuna.coop  for a copy of the whitepaper.

Madison, Wis. (December 29, 2011)– The economic fallout from the Great Recession continues to impact the households of credit union members and add urgency to the work of credit unions’ collections departments, according to a new CUNA Lending Council White Paper.

Collections in a Post-Recession Environment is based on information gathered from lending and collections leaders at six credit unions as well as two experts from companies that  provide outsourced collections services for financial institutions.

The white paper explores how credit unions can update procedures, use technology, engage members early in the collections process, design loan modifications and take other steps to refine collections.

Credit unions report that a segment of members who have delinquent loans in the post-recession environment are from formerly affluent households and may still have relatively high credit scores. These households were able to use their assets to cope with financial demands as they adjusted to being unemployed or underemployed. But as assets are exhausted and members are unable to find jobs, the household falls behind on payments, loans enter collection and they may even file for bankruptcy.

This challenging post-recession environment offers an opportunity for collections to prove its worth to the credit union.

“Collections has always been on the back burner,” noted Jessica Anderson, Collections Manager at $400 million asset 121 Financial Credit Union, Jacksonville, Fla. “We know they’re making a difference, but we’ve never seen the true impact of collections’ successes or losses until we’ve reached these economic times.”

CUNA Council members are eligible to receive complimentary copies of this, and nearly 300 other white papers; non-Council members may purchase white papers for $50 per copy.

The papers are available online in the white paper section of www.cunacouncils.org – select the “Lending” tab for both.

Press can contact Jenny Jackson at jjackson@cuna.coop  for a copy of the whitepaper.

MADISON, Wisc. (December 21, 2011) – Credit unions looking to grow their profitability must look beyond their revenues, expenses and profits. Instead, they must begin to understand the profitability of their general membership, as well as each member’s individual contribution to profit or their Member Lifetime Value (MLV), according to a new CUNA Operations, Sales & Service Council white paper.

Entitled “Building Member Lifetime Value,” the white paper discusses five strategies used by credit unions to leverage MLV to drive revenue and profitability. Author Jeff Rendel provides real-world examples of credit union successes and shares the tools each used to build their MLV.

The paper is available online in the white paper section of www.cunacouncils.org – select the “OpSS” tab.

Press can contact Jenny Jackson at jjackson@cuna.coop  for a copy of the whitepaper.

MADISON, Wis. (December 13, 2011) – Credit union employees in all job classifications are more likely to stay in their positions than they were before the recession, says a new CUNA report.

The overall credit union turnover rate is 12 percent, according to the 2011-2012 Turnover and Staffing Survey. This figure is higher than the 2009 turnover rate (nine percent) and matches the 2008 figure. Prerecession turnover was about 15 percent.

“With heightened competition for skilled employees, it’s important for credit unions to monitor turnover rates,” said Beth Soltis, senior research analyst for CUNA. “This is particularly important when it comes to key employees, but turnover in any department or at any level costs the organization time and money for employee training.”

Hiring levels remain modest at credit unions. The creation of new positions at credit unions dipped at the onset of the recession and hasn’t changed since. The percentage of employees hired to fill newly created credit union positions was roughly five percent from 2005 to 2007. In 2008, 2009 and 2010, three percent of credit union employees filled newly created positions.

“During the recession, most employers reduced staffing levels as low as they could possibly go,” adds Soltis. “This makes it more important than ever for credit unions to retain high-quality employees, especially those in positions critical to their credit union’s success.”

The survey provides turnover and staffing trends, as well as key human resources and operating expenditures. Data is segmented by asset size, region, number of branch offices and other criteria. The included worksheets allow credit unions to make side-by-side comparisons of important metrics, such as turnover rates, with their peers.

For more information about CUNA’s 2011-2012 Turnover and Staffing Survey, click here.

The CUNA Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) Certificate will continue to be offered in 2012 and can be earned after successfully completing exams associated with one of the following tracks:

1. Attend the CUNA Certified Financial Counselor Schools June 11-14, 2012 in Austin, Texas and achieve certification onsite by successfully completing both Part 1 and Part 2 of the CUNA Certified Financial Counselor Schools and pass each qualifying exam.
2. Receive certification through the Credit Union Financial Counseling Certification Program (FiCEP), a self-study financial counseling certification program. Modeled after the CUNA Certified Financial Counselor Schools, FiCEP includes two parts of four learning modules each. CCUF certification is received upon successful completion of the proctored exams for both parts (eight total modules).

For more information about how to earn CUNA Certified Financial Counselor Certification, visit training.cuna.org/ficep  for FiCEP or training.cuna.org/cfcs for Certified Financial Counselor Schools.

Spanning four productive days in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the CUNA Volunteer Institute helps volunteers gain the skills they need to become expert credit union volunteers. From legislation and liabilities to discussing strategies to incorporate fun into the boardroom, volunteers will explore a variety of topics that will help make them impactful credit union directors. This institute is designed for volunteers looking to increase their knowledge while connecting with peers.

Attendees will hear from a variety of credit union experts on the following topics:

• CEO Oversight – What’s the Right Formula?
• Secrets of an Effective Board Chair
• Motivating Board Volunteers and Bringing FUN to the Boardroom
• Today’s Economy and the Risks for Your Credit Union
• Directors Who Make a Difference
• And more

“We are proud to see so many of our credit union board professionals at this program every year,” said Kevin Smith, Director of Volunteer Education at CUNA.  “The wealth of information provided at this institute goes a long way in improving board member performance and strengthening the credit union movement as a whole. The efforts of these volunteers set high standards for their credit union staff and helps demonstrate to their members their dedication to their credit unions.”

For more information about the CUNA Volunteer Institute and to register, visit training.cuna.org/CVI.