From: CUNA’s Undercover Speaker

San Diego is known as “America’s Finest City” for a number of reasons—mostly because there’s so much to see and do along with the perfect weather to enjoy it year round. (Pete Wilson, a former mayor came up with the moniker “America’s Finest City” after we were snubbed for a major convention in the early 1970s.) Now millions come to visit our fine city annually. We’re thrilled CUNA is coming to town and taking over the Convention Center for America’s Credit Union Conference—but it wasn’t always this way.

Several years ago locals started sporting bumper stickers that read: “Welcome to San Diego . . . now go home”. Our city was getting inundated with new residents and bursting at the seems—and locals were very protective of their secret spots. That’s changed in recent years with more people visiting and less moving here. So this is the perfect time to share some of the spots us locals love (and few tourists ever see) so your trip to San Diego is one to remember. (And if you want to relocate, that’s okay, too.)

Since most of you will be spending your time in and around the Convention Center (which is conveniently located near Seaport Village, the Gaslamp District, and several attractions) we won’t worry about things to do downtown—although, East Village Tavern and Bowl is a cool place to go if you get a chance. (Think: Upscale bowling.) We also won’t cover the obvious tourist destinations like SeaWorld and The San Diego Zoo—but both are worth experiencing. Instead we’ll focus on more obscure places for those of you who want to get away from the crowds.

For each locale we’ll look at what to see, what to do, and where to eat. We’ll head out from Downtown San Diego in all directions so depending on what you decide to do and how far you want to go, you’ll find something new.

MISSION BEACH

Mission Bay is a big part of Mission Beach. It’s the largest man made recreational body of water in the country. On your way into Mission Beach you’ll see a roller coaster. There are rides and games here along with the Wave House. If you want to surf but don’t want to actually go into the ocean, this man-made wave is for you (or just have bite to eat, listen to live music and watch others attempt to tame the Flow Rider.) Also in Mission beach is Santa Clara Point which has free parking (something hard to find here) as well as stand up paddle board rentals (very popular) and sailboats and other watercraft you can ply in the calm waters of the bay. Wind and Sea Surf Shop rents bikes, boards, and beach chairs if you plan to spend the day. For surf lessons, the Surfari Surf School is the place to go. For a nice dinner in Mission Beach, Saska’s is a must. If you just want to party like a local, try The Pennant or the Surfcomber—which you can ride to on your rental bike—using the lengthy boardwalk. Lastly, a great place to hang out for coffee and cake is Cafe Mono (and they serve breakfast, too.)

PACIFIC BEACH

Just north of Mission Beach is Pacific Beach. One of the best breakfasts can be found next to Crystal Pier (which you can walk out on and see the surf) at a place called Konos. (Tip: Order your food and sit in the seats overlooking the ocean.) For the best view of San Diego drive up Lamont Street to Kate Sessions Park. It’s the perfect place for a picnic on the grass as you take in the stunning scenery. Pacific Beach has so many bars up and down Garnet Avenue it’s hard to recommend just one. But the best burger at the beach is an easy call, you’ll find that at Rocky’s on Ingram. It is no longer legal to drink alcohol on the beaches in San Diego, but it you go to Lahaina’s your feet are almost in the sand and you can legally have a cocktail . . . or three.

POINT LOMA

San Diego has a strong military history (visit the Midway Museum and see) but it is a former military base that has become a park that holds a special place for San Diegans. It’s called Liberty Station which has the one and only Navy training ship that never went to sea. (You’ll understand if you make it here.) There is a walking path along the water that is perfect—plus at one end is the Corvette Diner and the other end is home to several eateries. In the middle of your walk you can visit the brand new Stone Brewing Bar and Bistro. (San Diego is a hotbed of micro breweries and this is the best.) Point Loma is also home to Shelter Island and the Bali Hai restaurant. The Polynesian design makes it a local landmark—and the food makes it a local favorite. (Try a Mai Tai at the bar. You’ll see what I mean when you do. Wow!)

CORONADO

We all love Coronado. The main street is Orange Avenue and it’s worth seeing. But to really enjoy Coronado like a local visit the Old Ferry Landing. You can take a boat across from downtown San Diego or drive over the Coronado Bay Bridge. Once there, rent a bike, a kite, or just walk along the waterfront. There are several places to eat in the Landing, and a few more at the north end of Orange Avenue (away from most tourists.) If you want to see the famous Hotel Del Coronado, it’s hard to miss—and the beach out front is spectacular. But for real scenery take Orange Avenue and drive past “The Dell”, past the base where the Navy Seals train, and past The Strand State Beach to Imperial Beach. Follow the signs until you see pier. The best bar here is the Ye Olde Plank as well as IB Forum—the most south westerly bar and grill in the USA.

LA JOLLA

Now that Mitt Romney owns a home in the Bird Rock area of La Jolla, it’s becoming more known. Everyone has heard of La Jolla Cove and Prospect Avenue (try Brockton Villa Restaurant if you go) but Bird Rock was a hidden gem of a town. One of the best beaches that nobody knows about is there, (Wind an Sea), the coolest coffee house in the area (Bird Rock Coffee Roasters), and Beaumont’s, the perfect place for dinner.

SOLANA BEACH

North County encompasses a lot of land, but if you want to see the coast and get there in style, take the train from downtown to Solana Beach. From the train station there are several places to walk to for a bite to eat—especially Pizza Port. The Belly Up is where locals go to hear live music and it’s within walking distance. There is an excellent beach and park at the end of Lomas Santa Fe that is well worth the short walk. If you drive to North County take Highway 101 and go past Solana Beach to Encinitas. If you are inquisitive, visit the Self Realization Fellowship and Gardens. If you are just interested in a good, healthy meal visit Swami’s Cafe. Walk down to Swami’s Beach and on low tide take a stroll along the coast and witness the best surf in San Diego. Just up the coast is Moonlight Beach and beyond that is the town of Leucadia.

Comment for your chance to win:

We want to hear from all of you coming to this year’s America’s Credit Union Conference.  What San Diego hot spot are you hoping to check out while in town or would you recommend others don’t miss?  6 lucky commenters will receive a gift card to one of the local favorites mentioned in this post.

CONTEST NOTES: Contest begins today and ends on Wed., June 13th at 11:59PM (ct). Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Make sure you leave an email address where you can be contacted.   The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants received.  No purchase necessary to win. Void where prohibited.     This competition is offered by Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and is open to anyone who comments on this post and is at least 18 years of age. Employees of CUNA and family members of such employees are not eligible to enter.   CUNA shall not have any liability for any malfunction of or damage to the prize. The award winner may be responsible for applicable state or federal taxes on the value of the contest prize

From Mark Arnold:

While micro-blogging site Tumblr may still be a junior partner to other social media giants like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, a growing number of credit unions are jumping on the site with an eye towards attracting the attention of members and potential members.

Tumblr is described as a short-form blog website, where embers can start their own blogs and/or follow others. Tumblr now boasts over 46 million blogs and 18 billion posts.

What are credit unions doing to take part in the Tumblr movement? A quick scan of credit union accounts on Tumblr revealed interesting results. Lake Trust Credit Union in Ann Arbor, Michigan hosted an active Tumblr page with regular updates until deciding to move its blog efforts in-house in late 2011. 1^st United Services Credit Union in San Francisco, California maintains a vibrant Tumblr profile, with regular updates, embedded relevant video and a solid cross-pollination of other social media efforts. And a quick search of blogs and photos tagged with the words “credit unions” came back with interesting results, both pro and con.

The jury is out on the viability of Tumblr as a long-term social media platform and one that can particularly benefit the credit union movement. However, credit union professionals would be wise to study this social media avenue. If your credit union chooses to use Tumblr, it must fit right with your other marketing and online efforts that are already in place.

Mark Arnold, CCUE, is an acclaimed speaker, brand expert and strategic planner. He is also president of On the Mark Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in branding and strategic planning. Some of the services Mark provides include strategic planning, brand planning, leadership/management training, marketing planning and staff training. His web address is www.markarnold.com and his blog is blog.markarnold.com.

By Michelle Ruppert, CUNA Online Communications Intern

As an intern with the Credit Union National Association, much of my focus has been on the National Credit Union Youth Week™ campaign.  Now that Youth Week has officially arrived (April 22-28), I wanted to honor a great youth promotion which caught my attention — the Indie Money website from Torrance Community Credit Union.

Indie Money is a comprehensive program of financial services and education designed to teach financial responsibility and to help teens between the ages of 16 and 17 establish credit in a monitored, conscientious way with real-world credit and debit products.

Nancy Whitehead-Smith, Marketing Manager, TCCU

To ensure teens are armed with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage their new accounts, they must first pass the Indie Money Challenge and attend orientation with a TCCU staff member, as outlined in depth  in the online Indie Money brochure.

On the surface, the program seemed to be right on the money, but I wondered whether or not it had benefited both teens and the credit union. Fortunately, I was able to speak to TCCU Marketing Manager Nancy Whitehead-Smith to find out more about the customized program.  Here is what I discovered through my interview:

Michelle Ruppert (MR): When was Indie Money first established?

Nancy Whitehead-Smith (NWS): We first established the program in 2008.

MR: Who came up with the idea for Indie Money?

NWS: I came up with the idea for Indie Money after considering our board’s desire to increase financial awareness among our teen members. The board wanted to serve youth and provide youth education where they felt that it was lacking. They felt that that whole industry was not answering to financial education needs and that young people didn’t really understand credit. So, the goal was to find a way to start education at a young age and explain credit.

MR: Why did Torrance CU create Indie Money specifically for 16- and 17-year-olds? What’s different about it than what was offered to this age group before Indie Money?

NWS: It was sort of a gut feeling, but the idea was to prepare teens before they started getting bombarded with predatory credit offers. We also wanted it to be in collaboration with parents because it was crucial that parents be involved in several components. We wanted to be sure that parents could monitor activity.

We chose the name “Indie” from “Independent” [which often refers to art, music, dance, cinema, design, and lifestyle characteristics that are outside of the mainstream] and used a skater theme to reflect our demographic.

My daughter was actually the test subject as we developed the program. With her input, we picked credit limits of $250 on a MasterCard and put a daily withdrawal and purchase limit of $110 on VISA debit cards. Other decisions included teens needing a co-signer if they wanted car loans, and they also had to show proof of income for loan products. We also give participants a free subscription to a young adult financial education magazine.

MR: Who was involved in the decision process from idea to launch?

NWS: I was involved in the process, and Steve, our CEO, created parameters that were safe for the credit union. Park View FCU had a teen program, and they shared some of their experiences with us while we were developing Indie Money. As I said before, my daughter also helped us. After she had been in the Indie Money program, we pulled her credit report at age eighteen. It was very high.

We set low limits and established that teens must agree to grant parents access and complete orientations for all products. These orientation topics included seminars and safety for using ATM cards.

We know that teens are the busiest people in the world with active social lives, work, school, and everything that goes on. It’s hard to get their attention, so we want to make it as easy as possible for them to get information. For the future, we are considering using webinars and podcasts to make information more accessible to teens in the easiest manner possible.

MR: How has Torrance Community CU’s youth membership changed since Indie Money was implemented?

NWS: Overall, we’ve done campaigns to reach out to membership, and overall youth membership has increased tremendously over time. There are not a lot of our teens using credit cards, though.

MR: What has the turnout been like for Indie Money workshops and seminars?

NWS: We’ve had good turnout for our events. Lots of flavors of kids show up, often rolling their eyes and accompanied by their moms. We actually hand out ones and fives if they answer our questions. We’re essentially paying them for participation, but it is a good motivator that keeps them engaged. We try to stay on top of being sensitive to their needs and time.

MR: How have teens (and parents) responded?

NWS: Many are wary, but they’re grateful for the education and help. Parents especially are paying very close attention to the information in our seminars. Some think everything is a sales pitch, but as a result they are the ones who are very involved at the seminars.

MR: Has the credit union received any attention for Indie Money in the community or beyond?

NWS: Yes, we have received some coverage from a local cable channel.

MR: Are there any upcoming plans for Indie Money or other accounts?

NWS: We are looking into new avenues to communicate with teens. We had a lot of fun with our “Friends Don’t Let Friends Be Bank Zombies” video, so we are looking into the possibility of making a new video. We are also exploring podcasts and webinars as a way to give Indie Money participants access to financial education information.

With the focus this month being on youth, what programs are you trying at your credit union and what have you found success with?

Where exactly do good ideas come from?

Collaboration

It would be nice to think that every idea we have is a pure stroke of genius with no one else to credit but ourselves; however, this is rarely the case.  While there may be ideas which do just sort of come to us, many great ideas start out as just a portion of an idea, waiting for others to contribute their knowledge, thoughts or even criticism to turn it into something great.

I love the video, “Where Good Ideas Come From” by Steven Johnson, which perfectly demonstrates this process.

CUNA was inspired by the thought of bringing together many ideas buzzing around to improve upon the different products and services we offer in order to generate some great ideas to ensure we continue to provide the resources credit unions rely on most.

A few of the CUNA "Sparks"

With recent studies suggesting that traditional brainstorming formats are becoming less productive and effective, CUNA has turned to an alternative method to inspire new idea generation – an online brainstorming tool called Kindling.  This new application allows all CUNA staff members to contribute ideas, collaborate on improvements to existing ideas and break down the “silos” which may have been built around job functions in our day-to-day roles. A few “sparks” were selected throughout CUNA to help jump-start the idea generation process and spread the word of the new resources available.

From Lisa McCue:

Credit unions deserve a lot of attention for all the positives we bring to our communities.  It’s great when we get it.

Did you see this News Now this week? It takes a look at how communities across the nation have been recognizing credit unions as “the best of the best” in a variety of areas.  For instance, among the CUs highlighted is Northwest FCU (NWFCU), Herndon, Va.–and its NWFCU Foundation–honored as the Best Financial Institution at a regional Chamber of Commerce annual Youth and Education luncheon. This year, more than 190 students attended.

You’ll love this. At the luncheon, credit unions went up against banks to market their products and services to students and encourage the kids to open an account using play money. The students “voted” by opening an account with what they believed to be the best financial institution. They also evaluated each institution on products and services.  NWFCU and its foundation swept all three categories and were voted Best Service, Best Product and Best Overall Financial Institution.

There’s a lot more to read in the article found here.  And while you’re at it, you might want to sign up here  for News Now headlines to be delivered early every morning to your inbox.  And Twitter users can sign up for all-day news hits from News Now LiveWire here.

Lisa McCue is the Vice President of Editorial Communications for the Credit Union National Association.

This post originally appeared on CUinsight.com, where CUNA regularly provides articles related to credit union topics for their CU Community page.

From Joe Day:

Photodisk/Thinkstock

According to the most recent statistics from CUNA, the average age of  today’s credit union member is 47, and 69% of nonmembers age 18 to 24 know little about credit unions.* While these statistics don’t signal drastic change for credits unions at the moment, if the trend continues, the credit union movement is at risk of losing considerable membership ground.

April is Financial Literacy Month, so now is a great time to reflect on the role younger members play in the credit union movement.

Young members symbolize a fresh start. They are new to spending, new to saving, and even new to handling money. While these members may not immediately be prospects for large loans or investments, all this “newness” is not a bad thing. Credit unions have the opportunity to personally educate their younger members—to start them off on the right foot with their personal finance goals. By starting the conversation, credit unions can teach the next generation how to lead responsible financial lives, establish a deep and long-lasting relationship with their younger members, and demonstrate to the community that their credit union cares. If you lay a solid foundation of trust with your younger members, they will look to you first for financial solutions when they go to college, buy a car, or move into their first house.

Reaching out to youth is also a great strategy to build on existing member relationships. A parent or guardian will likely accompany younger members to the credit union, providing a perfect opportunity to get to know and engage with adult members as well.

Here are just a few ways you can reach youth in your community:

• Celebrate National Credit Union Youth Week™, April 22-28, 2012, or celebrate throughout the entire month of April.  “National Credit Union Youth Week gives credit unions the opportunity to reach out to the youth in our communities, teaching them about financial literacy in a fun and exciting way. It allows us to build a strong foundation for the financial future of our communities,” said Kendra Handke, marketing coordinator at Oregon Community Credit Union.

• Participate in the National Youth Saving Challenge ™, a free contest aiming to jump-start smart savings habits at an early age, using the unique service commitment that defines the credit union movement. Last April, 305 credit unions joined the Challenge and engaged 146,002 youth who put a collective $28.5 million in their credit union savings accounts, including more than 9,000 participating new accounts. Last year the challenge also reached a new milestone, bringing the total amount deposited since its start in 2004 to over $100 million dollars.

• Reach youth in the ways they communicate. If your credit union is active on social media platforms, focus some of your messaging on youth topics, such as saving tips, budgeting, and responsible use of credit.

• Reach out to local schools to hold events to educate youth about budgeting and personal finance.

 If credit unions want to ensure the success of our movement for the years ahead, efforts to engage with today’s youth need to increase. If we do nothing, the average age of our members is likely to increase outside of prime lending years. Investing time and energy today is not only sound business practice, it will eventually lead to loyal members who make smarter financial decisions.  These members will also be well-versed in the services your credit union offers and inclined to spread the good news about the credit union they’ve known since childhood.

* http://www.creditunionmagazine.com/articles/print/37070

Joe Day

Joe Day, Director of Business Development at CUNA, pursues opportunities for expanded personal finance offerings and audience development advice to help credit unions and industry vendors maximize their exposure and increase their market share.

“It Is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage”  – George William Curtis

One of our original CUNAverse captains, Josh Jones, is disembarking from the CU spaceship this week.  Josh has dedicated his professional career to helping credit unions better understand and serve young adults. Not only have credit unions benefited from this devotion, but CUNA has as well.

Josh’s involvement with CUNAverse has been invaluable as he helped bring CUNAverse into reality, contributed 146 posts (!!!) to the blog, and was our application, widget, and administration wizard. Josh leaves behind a void that will be hard to fill, and we wish him all the best in his upcoming adventures.

Josh has been offered a great opportunity to share his many talents with the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council in Washington, D.C. He will focus on advocacy and social media (a pairing that he states, “are meant for each other”).

Mr. Jones will begin his  grand road trip from Madison, WI to Washington DC tomorrow – we hope he has plenty of playlists lined up to keep him entertained.

Please join us in wishing Josh the best of luck in his new endeavors.  And Josh – you know you can visit us anytime!!

Cheers to smooth sailin’, Capt’n!

Open for business?

Member Business Lending (MBL) is a topic that continues to generate a lot of buzz. Considering our current economic state, why are MBLs getting so much attention? Because they are one of the fastest-growing segments of credit union loan portfolios,  with an average loan growth rate of 4%*. Some credit unions are reporting even higher rates. CUNA’s News Now recently reported that in 2011, Michigan credit unions increased their MBLs  by 21.7%!

Other statistics to note:

• The number of credit unions offering MBLs: 2,233
• Average size of  credit union MBLs: $219,120

“While we know that MBLs may not be for every credit union, CUNA’s goal is to provide the most comprehensive information possible to help credit unions make an educated decision on whether to offer these services,” says Doug Benzine, Vice President of CUNA’s Advisory Services. To that end, we present a number of resources for credit unions currently offering or considering adding MBLs to their portfolio including (but not limited to):

1. Member Business Lending Resources;

2. CUNA’s Business Lending Institutes: Fundamentals, Credit Analysis and Advanced Credit Analysis; and

3. Consulting services.

Currently the cap on MBLs is 12.25% of a credit union’s total assets. As the national trade association, CUNA is advocating Congress to enact legislation which would  increase the  cap to 27.5% for well-capitalized credit unions.

Participate NOW in our Call to Action to increase the MBL cap, by contacting your  state representatives and urging them to include Small Business Lending Enhancement Act in the small business jobs bill.

*Source: FDIC, NCUA and CUNA E&S

Full disclosure, I was born in 1979 so I guess I can technically be categorized as a Gen Xer.  But apparently my frequent texting, engagement across multiple social media channels and likely the fact that I was born at the very end of the Gen X timeframe align me much more with the characteristics of Gen Ys/Millennials.  Need further proof -I just scored 89 on this How Millennial Are You quiz (you should take the quiz too and let us know where you fall).  Anyway, it’s a fact – I’m totally a young 32!

At a planning session recently, that included a mix of generations but mostly Gen Ys and Gen Zs, our discussion led to identifying the things that make us pick one business over another.  More specifically, what are the things that make us not only choose to do business but love doing business with a certain establishment? 

Myself – along with the Gen Ys and Zs came up with the top 5 things that make that difference to us.  After our meeting I realized how much my credit union succeeds at these things and that’s why I love them.  So while the list is not exhaustive, I think there are some insights for you to consider as you work to not only lower the average age of your members – but evolve to a credit union that younger members fall in love with.

Please take a moment to view our slideshow for 5 tips for winning your younger members’ hearts.  We’d also love to hear what you think is missing from our list.  And if you’d like to share your Millennial quiz score - bragging rights will be awarded to the oldest commenter with the highest score!!

To us ‘credit union folk’, the value of membership is rooted in our core. We know that membership to a cooperative means ownership. It means we are a part of something greater, a community of shared interest, we’re among friends. To those who are new to cooperatives, or are just now discovering the value of membership and ask us to define it– we sometimes struggle to share the warm and fuzzy feeling that we get just thinking of words to describe it!

I’ve started reading the book “Tribes” by bestselling author (and also past CUNA’s ACUC speaker), Seth Godin.  On the book-flap, Godin describes a tribe as, “any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea.” The book’s concept is to focus on leadership with a different spin, tribe leadership.

Win this book by sharing your examples below

As I page through the book, I am flooded with the Credit Union and cooperative parallels to tribes.  I’m amazed at the interchangeability between ‘organization’ and ‘tribe’ and ‘membership’.  However, on page 30 it really started getting sticky. Godin defines the difference between crowds and tribes.

Crowds and Tribes, he outlines, are…

“Two different things:

• A crowd is a tribe without a leader.
• A crowd is a tribe without communication.

Most organizations spend their time marketing to the crowd. Smart organizations assemble the tribe.”

How are credit unions ‘assembling the tribe’ versus ‘managing a crowd’?  How are we showing potential tribe members we’re exactly what they’re looking for?  On paper, it’s apparent that credit union membership trumps taking your money to any other financial institution. The 7 cooperative principles alone should convince any person off the street to move their money to a CU on the spot. To find out how credit unions are assembling their tribes, I started my search with ‘credit union principles’.

To my delight, I found a variety of great examples of doing it right:

Be Engaging – My favorite example of ‘assembling the tribe’ is how the crew at Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union   uses the principles as the foundation for their credit union’s blog – http://www.7principles.coop/ . The blog seems to serve as a primary communication valet for the CU’s tribe. This crowd has turned tribe with a widespread communication hub (I can also see they’re ‘liked’ by 895 Facebook friends). Also, their new ‘tribe leader’ is also featured in a recent blog post! 

Be Entertaining – One of my favorite CU videos by gira{ph}. This video spells out our CU Principles clearly in black and white (with a little red, too).

Be Fun – A great way to bring together your CU staff ‘tribe’ is to create an enjoyable work environment.  Have you seen this debut video from The Summit FCU last week? It must be gratifying to work for CU that can crack a joke, make fun videos, and capitalize on the latest craze!  With nearly 4,000 views in less than a week, the fun is definitely far-reaching.  Another fine example of assembling the tribe.

What is your CU doing to change your membership from crowd to tribe? 2012 is the International Year of cooperatives, what better opportunity to shout from the rooftops the benefits of credit union membership. Is your credit union taking this unique opportunity to engage your membership? We would love to showcase how your credit union is assembling the tribe (of membership, of staff, of potential membership).  Please share your best practices below and be automatically entered to win a copy of “Tribes” by Seth Godin. 

CONTEST NOTES: Contest begins today and ends on Wed., Feb. 15th at 11:59PM (ct). Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Make sure you leave an email address where you can be contacted.  The winner will be notified via e-mail and will also be announced on the blog.  The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants received.  No purchase necessary to win. Void where prohibited.      This competition is offered by Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and is open to anyone who comments on this post and is at least 18 years of age. Employees of CUNA and family members of such employees are not eligible to enter.   CUNA shall not have any liability for any malfunction of or damage to the prize. The award winner may be responsible for applicable state or federal taxes on the value of the contest prize