International Credit Union Day, or also known as ICU Day, is a day all credit unions take the time to celebrate and recognize their achievements. Has anyone ever thought about why we celebrate this day or how it came to be? Well, we are here to give you a little bit of insight into how ICU Day started and will show you some credit unions who have celebrated. Read more ... Add new comment ...

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You might not think it, but copyright is a major part of compliance when it comes to credit unions. As the U.S. government states, under the copyright law, the creator of the original expression has all the rights toward what he or she has said in the disclaimer. So, when another person comes and tries to use that same artwork, it falls under the copyright infringement act. Some Forms of Copyright Laws to Look Out For In Your Credit Union: Public Performing Right in the Credit Union Industry Reproduction Right Tips for Credit Unions 1. Public Performing Right Under the U.S. Copyright Law, ...

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The Scariest Part of the Year - Budget Time Every month we publish an email to help those in the credit union industry to keep up on any news in the document and compliance side of things. We also go into some of our marketing articles or advice as well as go into more depth on the various products we provide to our credit union partners. Join our newsletter by adding your email here.   Subscribe to our Newsletter Email Address Budgeting for Compliant Forms   Whether you are new to outsourcing forms, or you are transitioning to a new forms provider, the process is sure ...

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Keeping up with the digital age puts a strain on your credit union’s need to innovate to appease member demands for convenience and out-of-branch access to financial services. The benefits of credit union membership are seemingly no longer sufficient to keep the numbers up on membership and lending growth. There are many opportunities to innovate technology for your credit union, but the most basic and most important foundation is your website. Current and potential members are more likely than not to access your credit union website on a mobile device rather than a desktop. In addition, reaching acceptable SEO rates ...

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The October blood drive was a HIT! We couldn’t have been in more awe of how it turned out and the positive response that we received. With support from the Southern California Blood Bank, we were able to break our initial goal and exceeded far above what we hoped for. Our employees also helped create a #CUdifference by taking time out of their workday to donate and helped be part of this #community event. Having the ability to help create a difference is what we strive for. Being able to see all our #CUfamily come by, brought us so ...

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Student debt is an issue that many people face after graduation. It may take a year to pay it all off or years and years… It still needs to get done. Did you know that among the 2018 class, 69% of college students took out student loans, and they graduated with an average debt of $29,800, including both private and federal debt? Meanwhile, 14% of their parents took out an average of $35,600 in federal Parent PLUS loans. According to Lending Tree, student debt is rising every year due to economy standpoints and an overflow of people who want to go to school. Americans ...

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I look around the room and stare at each one of my employees going on and on about what new trends we should be implementing in the company. Everything that my employees are saying is basically going in one ear and out the other because they obviously don’t know how to run a business; I DO. I nod and agree with what they say so that I can get on with the rest of my day. They don’t know better. I do. How familiar does this sound to any of you? I’ll bet you that we have all had a ...

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It’s just ADIP (another day in paradise) in the credit union industry. Let’s step AFK (away from keyboard) to dig deep into abbreviations and their history. Let’s give a round of applause (ROA) to Samuel Morse and a few other fellow inventors who developed the telegraph in the 1830s and 1840s. In 1844, Samuel Morse sent out the very first telegraph message from Washington D.C. to Baltimore Maryland stating, “WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT?” Then in 1966, a telegraph line was laid across from the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. This was the first device that sparked interest and created ideas ...

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Who doesn’t love the chance at some free swag? Even better, what company doesn’t enjoy seeing their logo being advertised by happy members in the community or social media posts?! Contests and giveaways are a great opportunity for your credit union to gain engagement and strategically grow measurable metrics (i.e. lending, following, engagement, membership, etc.). Though it seems simple enough to give things away… like always, being compliant does take some special steps. Each state, social media site and type of promotion come with their own regulations. Here are a few basics to get you started with your next promotion: Promotion Basics:   Contest is ...

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In a recent Credit Union Journal Opinion Column, Funds Availability Policies: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Oak Tree`s CEO talks about how a credit union's members expectations are much different now compared to a decade ago when instant funds were not as common. Here is an excerpt from the article: "Credit union members’ expectations are different today than they were two decades ago. Online account access was still evolving, and mobile banking apps were clumsy pieces of software capable of performing basic functions at best. Fast-forward to 2019 and these are now considered mainstay items. And consumers? Well, they have ...

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