Credit Union Conversations

If you like college football talk sprinkled in with your credit union talk, this is the episode for you. Mark and Andy catch up on Penn State football before a deep dive into how LoanStar helps credit unions and the current lending/regulatory environment. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:32] Andrew shares his background before starting Lone Star Technologies.  [5:18] Andrew explains what Lone Star does.&...

Your portfolio is clean now, and "everyone is paying." Good loans sometimes go bad, and it will undoubtedly happen to your portfolio at some point. Craig and Mark talk about the history lessons of the Great Recession and how to tackle your portfolio in the future when bumps in the road happen. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:58] Craig shares his background and history working in the financial industry. [04:5...

Let's talk about some of the great things credit unions do every day! The CrossState Foundation executes the playbook on many of the wonderful initiatives for our industry. Sue and Mark talk about what goes on behind the scenes carrying out this crucial mission of credit unions. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:46] Sue shares her journey to her current position at the CrossState Foundation [05:27] Sue reflect...

Joe and Mark talk about the state of the industry and what we see on the horizon. Joe also gives a profile of his strategy for investing in CUSOs and what he looks for in a CUSO investment. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:51] Joe shares his background and journey to where he is today.  [04:01] Mark and Joe agree that it is a disservice to an employee to specialize in an area as opposed to learning the e...

Mark & Rick travel down a compliance journey today to talk about best practices in compliance and some of the pitfalls of not keeping on top of it at your organization.   Connect with Rick and his team at https://compliance4creditunions.com/ IN THIS EPISODE: [02:47] Rick shares his background and current position at Compliance 4 Credit Unions. [07:56] Rick discusses what has surprised him...

It's time to take a walk down memory lane and review the wackiest and wildest loan program ever: the Paycheck Protection Program. Omar Shute of DFTC and Jeff Lyons of MBFS joined us for a topic that we couldn't fit into just one episode. IN THIS EPISODE: [00:31] Mark gives an overview of Part One. [01:35] The expectation of how long the PPP loans would last.  [03:36] Jeff describes the second...

It's time to take a walk down memory lane and review the wackiest and wildest loan program ever: the Paycheck Protection Program. Omar Shute of DFTC and Jeff Lyons of MBFS joined us for a topic that we couldn't fit into just one episode. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:31] Jeff and Omar introduce themselves and share their responsibilities at their respective firms.  [04:24] Jeff’s view of the history o...

Sean and Mark hit up a variety of topics to talk about the state of the mortgage industry today and how lenders can keep up with all the necessary compliance. Also, why have credit unions gotten so complicated? Mark and Sean take a deep dive into credit reporting and where it was, and where it is going. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:44] Sean describes his role at United One, the areas of service United One...

We all say we want to help small businesses but sometimes struggle to help growing businesses meet their cash flow demands. Mark and Pat talk about the challenges of wrapping your head around the credit culture, risk, and management of properly funding small business owners at the credit union. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:27] Pat shares his banking and credit union background.  [04:08] How were peop...

What's changed since the last time Kristina was on the show? A lot. Mark and Kristina talk through what it is like to analyze and decide on lending in today's "new normal." IN THIS EPISODE: [00:35] Mark explains what MBFS or Member Business Financial Services does, and Kristina explains her role at MBFS and how the company has grown since its inception.  [08:19] Kristina explains the pros and...

After talking about the boom times in the pandemic, Mark and Dustin reset about what it takes to manage the sales and strategy for a large credit union in 2023 and beyond. Mark and Dustin do quite a bit of prognostication in this episode, so we will revisit it next year to see if they are right! IN THIS EPISODE: [02:20] Dustin shares his working history through the banking field to the Credit Unio...

Kirk and Mark talk about the state of today's credit union industry and attempt to solve all the current climate issues. Kirk talks to Mark about the challenges for credit unions today in attracting and retaining the best talent.  IN THIS EPISODE: [03:19] Kirk shares his employment background and what he is currently doing.  [10:22] Kirk discusses how he came to know the right questions...

Mark and Mike try to demystify one of the complex and rewarding lending areas that can also be filled with pitfalls and peril if not done properly. Learn a bit about Mike's construction management history and what support exists for construction lending at credit unions. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:50] Mike shares his education and professional background.  [03:14] Mike outlines the various services...

What is the one system used by the majority of the 20 largest banks in the USA and MBFS? It's nCino. They are a longtime partner of MBFS, and in this episode, Will Cameron and Mark catch up on the latest nCino news and what is happening in the loan systems industry today. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:14] Will Cameron shares his job history and talks about skills veterans bring to an organization.  [0...

What keeps you up at night at your credit union? Many of us worry about fraud and data protection constantly. Zach Douglass lives on that very topic every day for credit unions nationwide. Learn what it is like to live this topic day in and day out and what your credit union can do to minimize the risk of loss. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:54] Mark gives an overview of today's topic and introduces Zach Do...

On today’s episode of Credit Union Conversations, Mark is joined by Bob West. Bob, a veteran of credit unions, has been in multiple executive level leadership positions at multiple credit unions and handles all things technology. Listen in as Bob and Mark discuss technology advances and how financial institutions can keep up with the changes and regulations.  IN THIS EPISODE: [01:50] Bob’s or...

What is the good, bad, and ugly of getting a coveted CEO job at a large, successful credit union? Kelly Botti of Trumark Financial to talk through the process of moving into a CEO role and lessons learned so far.  IN THIS EPISODE: [01:45] Kelly’s origin story and journey to Credit Union CEO.  [11:15] Advice for those in middle management who want to move roles one day.  [21:15] Best...

We made it to one year of podcasts! Mark gives a review of the episodes from the past year and how the show has evolved. Mark gives a profile of his experiences and highlights some of the people who have impacted him over the years. Mark also gives his bio, what lessons he has learned, and how it has impacted his management style today. Mark apologizes in advance for the ramblings but enjoys talki...

Jack and Mark have an insightful conversation into the history and current state of NACUSO. Mark is a big fan of the annual conference and Jack gives a preview of this year. What's the future of CUSOs look like? Jack and Mark have some thoughts.  IN THIS EPISODE: [02:00] Jack introduces himself and shares more about his life’s journey.  [12:30] Jack and Mark discuss NACUSO’s upcoming ann...

CU 2.0's Kirk Drake and MBFS's Mark Ritter figure out what is wrong in today's world and how they can fix it asap! This is round robin and unscripted so you don't know what will go on in today's episode.   IN THIS EPISODE: [01:30] Kirk’s origin story and what he’s up to today.  [06:00] Kirk and Mark discuss CEO transitions.  [13:00] Increasing members and deposits.  [22:00] Kir...

2022! What a year! Jeff and Mark recap the highs and lows of 2022, where the industry is at now, and what they think the future will look like. Listen in to hear the current trends, the highs and lows of the year, and what they are looking forward to in 2023!    IN THIS EPISODE: [03:00] Jeff and Mark break down the past year, the good & bad.  [07:40] Credit team underwriting.&nb...

An executive level marketing strategist, Mike Dinneen has spent 20 years as a marketing leader in financial services. On this episode of Credit Union Conversations. Mike and Mark chat all about tailing marketing strategies to consumer behaviors and much more. Listen in to learn more!   IN THIS EPISODE: [02:00] Mike’s background in community banking and it’s evolution over time.  [10:23]...

Kabir Laiwalla has been the leader of Platinum FCU for more than 20 years. Founded in December 1999, Platinum FCU is a unique credit union that focuses on serving the financial needs of Shia Imami Ismaili Community Members. Kabir explains how his small credit union fits the needs of their community and keeps them members for life. Tune in to this episode to get more insight from Kabir and Mark on...

What's the reality of a work from home company and their staff? On today's episode, Mark Ritter and Ellen Thorn talk about their experiences managing a work from home staff and the reality of what it is like on a day-to-day basis. Tune in to learn more from Mark and Ellen!   IN THIS EPISODE: [01:00] Ellen explains her background and current role at MBFS.  [07:39] What works well when man...

Mark welcomes our newest executive, Craig Page, to MBFS as the Chief Revenue Officer. Mark and Craig talk about best practices for a national loan origination program and the good/bad of today's marketplace. They review the results from the first half of 2022 and the outlook for the second half of the year. Tune in to today’s episode for some risk management tools you definitely want to be using i...