Credit Union Conversations

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...

Need liquidity to fund loans??? This episode is for you. Upgrade is well-established in driving quality assets to credit unions. Now find out how they also bring deposits to your institution as well. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:50] Meet Rebecca and Jim and learn about Upgrade.  [03:32] Neobanks and fintechs: What sets them apart from traditional banks and credit unions?  [10:30] Upgrade’s regulatory stru...

Today, Mark welcomes a very special guest, NCUA Vice Chair Kyle Hauptman. Kyle shares his journey to his position and some roles of NCUA for credit unions with Mark. They talk about the importance of credit union relationships with fintechs and the new opportunities in blockchain technology. Mark gives credit to how the NCUA has helped him as a business owner. Listen in as Kyle walks through his t...

Darren Thompson of Ministry Partners and Mark Ritter meet up to talk about why faith-based lending and member relationships are a nice complement to any credit union. Faith-based lending has some nuances compared to traditional lending but Darren leads us through the best practices and how to access these community organizations. Many credit unions shy away and will not work with churches, but it...

Hurricane Maria and other storms in Puerto Rico have destroyed their power grid system but also their economy. Cooperativas (Puerto Rican credit unions) have had an incredible impact on the stability and recovery of communities in the aftermath. On today’s episode, Rene Vargas Martinez and Mark Ritter discuss how Puerto Rico's cooperativas and Inclusiv are working to make a difference in their loc...

Matt deLisle joins Mark Ritter to talk about their journeys in the podcast industry and the impact it has made at MBFS. Matt's career path has led him to an industry that didn't exist when he graduated college. Now, he is a leader in the podcast guesting industry.  Why does podcasting work and what makes it so effective over other mediums? Listen and find out.   IN THIS EPISODE: [01:52] Matt’s bac...

The "OG" of business lending CEOs, Larry Middleman, joins Mark in this episode to talk about credit union collaboration and CUSOs. Larry and Mark talk about the old days when business services were a new concept, how they have evolved, and where the credit union industry is headed in the upcoming years. They address how CUSOs are going to assist the industry. Larry breaks some special news as well...

On this episode of Credit Union Conversation, Mark & Stephanie Hainje of My Leverage talk about what's new in payments and how credit unions can use today's technology to build low-cost deposits. Connecting with digital payment platforms is key to convenience for customers so tune in to learn more on how to make that happen!   Guest: Stephanie Hainje   IN THIS EPISODE: [02:00] Stephanie talks...

2022 has seen some wild swings in the financial services industry. As the world returns to in-person communication, the credit union industry is open and booming.  In this episode, host Mark Ritter reviews the flourishing first half of 2022 and looks at what is to come the rest of the year.  Will the second half of 2022 follow the current uptrend??  He shares insights on delinquency, interest rate...

On today’s episode of Credit Union Conversations, Mark is joined by Derek Ezovski. Derek has considerable experience in environmental and property risk management. Spending his entire career helping companies create best practices, Derek shares with us about his business, ORMS, hot-button topics and information on lending and environmental risks to consider. Tune in to learn more!     IN THIS EPIS...

Joe Hyatt, President of DFTC, Inc., has been involved in credit unions for over 15 years assisting with many aspects of risk management in commercial lending. On this episode, Joe speaks with Mark about the good and bad of today's lending marketplace as well as challenges faced as a small business owner and credit union vendor.   IN THIS EPISODE: [03:00] Joe talks about his background an more abou...

In today’s episode of Credit Union Conversation, host Mark Ritter talks with Small Business Lender, Tammy Baker, of Nu Direction Lending. Tammy and Mark start the show by reviewing the new cap rules for credit union business lending. They also talk about best practices in participation lending, small business loans, and Tammy gives an overview of lending with Nu Direction Lending.    IN THIS EPISO...

On this episode of Credit Union Conversations your host, Mark Ritter, dives into the topic of Small Business Loans. Join him as he breaks this topic down with Will McClain and Chuck Evans, two veterans of Small Business lending. Tune in as they discuss topics such as different methods of working with clients, helping people set goals for the businesses, SBA incentives, and more!    IN THIS EPISODE...

The most successful credit unions make long term commitments to be part of their community in helping small businesses succeed. Erie Federal Credit Union exemplifies this effort. In this episode, Mark talks with Nathan Crouch and Katrina Drake to pick their brain on how they manage close community relationships, have a strong work-life balance, and succeed at their credit union. IN THIS EPISODE:&n...