September ushered in changing fall foliage, football, and plenty of excellent credit union articles. Selecting the top 10 must-reads was no easy task, but we at CUNAverse believe the following list delivers the best content from across the internet. As always, we highlight important credit union articles from a variety of sources, including The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

Did we overlook an article? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment!

Facebook: Bank Transfer Day Generates Pro-CU Comments

The Facebook page for Bank Transfer Day, Nov. 5, is garnering many comments that are favorable to credit unions.

Credit Unions: A Cheaper Banking Option

With banks doing away with free checking and tacking on more fees, you may be able to get more bang for your buck with a credit union.

Your Money: Act to Avoid Bank Services Fees

Banks are awash in cash, despite the fact that they’re paying pennies in interest. And increasingly, customers are being charged for services that used to be free.

BofA Debit Fee Shows Interchange Cap a Blow to Consumers: CUNA

As most credit unions continue to offer free debit card services, banks are just beginning to apply sometimes hefty fees to the popular service.

Ensure FFIEC Compliance with Risk-based Authentication

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) recently released a supplement [pdf] to its “Authentication in an Internet Banking Environment” guidance, originally published in 2005.

Federation Creates Foreclosure Intervention Toolkit for CUs

The National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (Federation) has recently completed a new “Credit Union Foreclosure Intervention Toolkit” to help credit unions combat the foreclosure crisis in their communities.

Data Breaches Top List of Fraud Threats

Data breaches have overtaken the theft of physical assets as the No. 1 fraud type, with most data theft occurring in the financial services industry, according to Ken Otsuka, senior risk consultant for CUNA Mutual Group. Here are 6 steps to avoid devastating financial, reputation, and legal risks.

WOCCU Launches Intl. Year of Co-Ops Online Platform & Resources

The United Nations earlier this year announced 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), a time to recognize the contributions of cooperative enterprises worldwide, including credit unions. World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) recently launched a special section on its website to provide a platform for credit union organizations to share ideas about cooperative services and ways to celebrate the U.N. designation.

CU Execs Must Serve Only One Board, NCUA Says

The National Credit Union Administration’s (NCUA) management official interlocks rule prohibits members of a credit union’s management team from serving other nonaffiliated depository organizations, NCUA Associate General Counsel Hattie Ulan said in an agency legal opinion.

Enhance Your CU’s Investment Portfolio

Credit union leaders should set aside personal investment biases and change their investment styles to build a solid investment portfolio, two MEMBERS Capital Advisors analysts told attendees at CUNA Mutual Group’s Online Discovery Conference.

It’s time for the CUNAverse top 10 must-reads for March, 2011. This month we highlight important credit union articles from the Wall Street Journal and other sources around the credit union world including the National Credit Union Foundation and the World Council of Credit Unions.

Special Report: CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference

Couldn’t make it to CUNA’s GAC this year? Here’s what you missed.

Banks hit for CU Ills

Federal regulators point to Wall Street’s biggest firms for the collapse of five institutions at the heart of the nation’s credit-union industry.

NCUA Details Fin Lit requirements for FCU Directors

The NCUA in its letter to federal credit unions No. 11-FCU-02 reminded federal credit union directors of specific financial literacy requirements that will become effective later this year.

Hard-Working Apps Streamline to Meet Member Expectations

Scott Hess, vice president of consulting and innovations, Digital Channels, at Fiserv Inc. shares his thoughts on delivering consistent anywhere, anytime, any channel access to members.

Women Serving on Boards Improve Corporate Performance

The World Council of Credit Unions’ Global Women’s Leadership Network Members shared the advantages of women serving on boards of directors during the Global Women’s Leadership Network breakfast at the 2011 Credit Union National Association’s Governmental Affairs Conference.

Reach Out to Tomorrow’s Members

About 19 million nonmembers under age 18 live in credit union members’ households.

Credit Unions asked to complete financial education survey

The National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) is now collecting data for its 2011 Credit Union Member Education Inventory.

Show your Policies Some Love

Additional defined benefit plan funding may be warranted if corporate bond yields drop.

Fed ends development of 3 Reg Z Mortgage rule changes

The Federal Reserve announced it would halt work toward finalizing three pending mortgage rulemakings under Regulation Z.

New safety seat advice makes sure kids are safe

New child safety seat recommendations were recently released.

Did you know today is International Women’s Day (IWD)?  March 8th, 2011 is also IWD’s 100th anniversary.

So, what is it? IWD is a day to raise awareness for women’s issues and celebrate the impact of women today, and throughout history. IWD is recognized as a national holiday in countries like China and Bulgaria and even Google is commemorating the day.

The first official IWD was in 1911. Rallies were organized across the world to raise awareness for women’s rights to work, hold public office, and vote while speaking out against discrimination.

Google commemorates International Women's Day with new Google logo

Today, internationalwomensday.com describes that modern IWD events range from business conferences and government activities to local women’s craft markets and theatric performances. These events continue to focus on women’s emancipation and equality issues while recognizing women’s various economic, social, and civic achievements throughout history.

There is an excellent article from the Harvard Business Review blog The Conversation which explains—and champions—the role of women as important players in helping to alleviate poverty across the world.

The article is a must-read, focusing on how, “Leveraging the power of women as the gateway to household stability became a fundamental premise of the microfinance business model….” You can read it here.

On this, the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day the article lends a unique perspective on the important role women play in personal finance and is relevant to credit unions here in the U.S., the microfinance efforts of the World Council of Credit Unions, and the empowerment of women everywhere.

The credit union movement is the beneficiary of incredible contributions from women past and present. Women such as Dora Maxwell and Louise Herring advanced the credit union cause and left behind an indelible mark on the movement. Their work is to be celebrated and always remembered especially on a day such as this.

In that spirit, let us celebrate the impact of women on todays credit union front lines–from tellers to volunteers. Credit unions would surely not see the level of success they do today without their tireless contributions.

Indeed, the women who are credit union members are to be celebrated as well. In the United States and abroad women can be considered the backbone of personal finance for the family unit as the Harvard Business Review post implies. In many cases not only do they manage the family finances, women must make the necessary sacrifices to maintain household financial stability.

Therefore reaching women with personal finance education is important. Here in the states CUNA’s Center for Personal Finance developed the Women & Money Seminar-in-a-Box series to help credit unions address specific issues important to their female members.

So let’s celebrate the women in the credit union movement–and in our personal lives–for the contributions they’ve made and the battles they continue to face on this, the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.

Do you have a co-worker, volunteer, or credit union member who you’d like to recognize during International Women’s Day? If so, leave a comment! We’d love to hear your stories.

February’s Top 10 must-reads include content from the World Council of Credit Unions, Credit Union Times, and CNN Money in addition to excellent news and research from CUNA’s Credit Union Magazine, E-Scan, and CUNA News Now.  What do you think… did we miss any? Do those listed deserve to be must-reads this month?

Marketers embrace tablet technology

Reach an audience that’s young, high income, and likely to respond.

This article originally appeared on escan.cuna.org. Learn more about subscribing to CUNA’s EScan resources and reports by visiting their website.

Consumer Confidence Jumps in January

Read CUNA Senior Economist Mike Schenk’s take on why consumer confidence rose in January and what it means for the overall U.S. economy.

Take control of your CU’s appraisals

Ask several key questions when reviewing each appraisal.

CUNA backs SEC’s CU swap clearing exemption

The SEC’s proposal to exempt CUs with less than $10 billion in assets from mandatory securities-based swaps clearing requirements has CUNA’s backing, but CUNA would like it to go even further.

Iowa CUs Seek Greater Collaborative Strength

With the help of World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), Iowa Credit Union League officials traveled to Poland in the hopes of learning ways Iowa’s credit unions to save money while better serving their members from credit unions and cooperatives overseas.

Embrace end-to-end E-lending

Electronic lending, from application to funding, will be a requirement to remain competitive.

Twelve selected for Indiana’s 2011 ignite project

Twelve Indiana CU representatives have been selected to be part of ignite, an initiative of the Indiana CU League focused on developing innovations that can help CUs better the financial lives of their members.

Fed action may affect benefit costs

Additional defined benefit plan funding may be warranted if corporate bond yields drop.

Apple FCU Offerings Aim to Help Make College a Reality

How is Apple Federal Credit Union helping local families of college-bound students turn the dream of earning a college degree into a reality?

Standing on shaky ground

For up to 50% of Americans, a job loss or medical crisis could spell financial ruin.

Credit unions in Peru reach out to rural areas to provide financial services to unserved residents. Thanks to http://makingadifference.posterous.com/ for the image.

Happy International Credit Union Day everyone!

It’s a day to celebrate our accomplishments and help raise awareness about how credit unions impact the lives of 186 million people in 97 countries.  Check out my post here on why it’s important we recognize International Credit Union Day each and every year. And don’t forget to check out ICU Day and CUNAverse on Facebook!

For this year’s celebration CUNA President and CEO Bill Cheney has issued this  special greeting for the entire movement:

MESSAGE FROM CUNA PRESIDENT AND CEO BILL CHENEY CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL CREDIT UNION DAY, TODAY, OCT. 21

Best wishes to everyone nationwide celebrating today, International Credit Union Day!

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This year’s theme of “Local, trusted, serving you” perfectly captures what makes credit unions so appealing to consumers across the nation and around the globe. Here in the U.S., the 90-million-plus Americans who are credit union members have an advantage over all other consumers in our nation: They experience, first-hand, the benefits of receiving financial services from member-owned, cooperative financial institutions – which practice a philosophy of putting people before profits.

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In fact, in doing so, members and their families realize substantial, direct financial benefits: More than $7.5 billion this year alone from favorable rates and lower fees as a result of using credit unions rather than other financial institutions.

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That breaks down to an average of $84 for each credit union member or $159 for each member household. Because credit unions are member-owned, this savings stays right in local communities. It is no wonder, then, that survey after survey shows consumers trust credit unions to look out for their best interests more than any other type of financial institution.

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Our goal, as committed credit union supporters, should be to ensure that ALL Americans have the opportunity to realize these benefits through a simple, effective path to membership.

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Best regards to you and your colleagues on this International Credit Union Day.

Share this today with your credit union members, fellow credit union colleagues, and your friends as we celebrate International Credit Union Day and raise awareness about the impact of credit unions across the globe!

We want to hear from you! How are you celebrating International Credit Union Day? Post a comment with your stories and pics.

International Credit Union Day is on the horizon (October 21, 2010). Credit unions who celebrate with posters or events help raise awareness about how credit unions impact the lives of 186 million people in 97 countries.

While those numbers are impressive, there are still so many around the world without access to basic financial services. They are subjected to loan sharks, hiding their life savings in mattresses, or taking long and dangerous trips just to visit the nearest financial institution.

That’s why the work of World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) is so important. Part of WOCCU’s role is to empower people across the globe with access to financial services through promoting the sustainable development of credit unions and financial cooperatives.

It’s also one of the most important reasons for celebrating International Credit Union Day; to raise awareness about how credit union principles truly change people’s lives. Promoting the world-wide impact of credit unions creates new and unique opportunities for the Credit Union Movement as well as for individual credit unions.

For example, learning about credit unions’ international impact is a major reason I’ve worked for credit unions these past 7 years. One story that has stuck with me was of Lois Kitsch‘s experience with a newly formed credit union in a remote area of the world during her time with WOCCU. (As I paraphrase Lois’ story, I hope I do it justice.)

ICU Day is also a great time to look back on how CUs came to be. Click above for a graphic history from CUNA's MoneyMix

As I recall, a small loan from the newly formed credit union–something like $10–enabled a woman to purchase a tarp. The woman prepared and sold food to villagers to earn a living. But when the rainy season hit, she was unable to prepare food because the rain extinguished her fire. This left the woman unable to earn money until the rainy season had subsided.

Acquiring the tarp allowed her to protect her food preparation from the rain and she was able to earn a living throughout the year. As a result, the woman was then empowered to expand her business and provide a laundry service.

She was able to improve the quality of life for her family as well as her community… and all it took was a $10 loan.

Pretty incredible, eh? I certainly thought so. Lois’ experience demonstrates the power credit unions can have and it left me feeling like I needed to get more involved with the Movement.

So, what was the most successful International Credit Union Day celebration for your credit union? How will your credit union celebrate it this year and raise awareness about how credit unions change lives?