C.U. on the Show

With a rising interest rate environment, inflationary pressures, and increasing loan-to-share ratios, credit unions must find ways to mitigate risks to their balance sheet, and liquidity is an integral component. National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board Member Rodney Hood joins the podcast to discuss how establishing various lines of capital can help credit unions manage an emergency, bol...

As credit unions continue to celebrate Leadership Month, Doug welcomes three credit union advocates in the fintech space who believe leaders should get comfortable taking risks, innovating, and making bold strategic decisions if the credit union movement is to stay competitive—and survive. The conversation invites listeners to embrace bold leadership and ask hard questions about how credit unions...

As part of Leadership Month, Doug was thrilled to welcome NAFCU CEO Dan Berger to the show to discuss leadership and how it applies universally and specifically to the credit union movement. With over 17 years of experience at NAFCU, 10 of which as CEO, Dan shared how he continually hones his skills in relationship building, communication, and strategic alignment. Stream the episode to hear his va...

How can credit union boards build more effective executive recruitment and retention packages? On the show, Doug is joined by representatives from CUES and Industry Insights to discuss how the annual CUES Executive Compensation Survey can help empower board members and executives with benchmark data to reach more effective and fair salary agreements. Learn more about how the survey can help stream...

On the show, Doug welcomes back Maurice Smith, the recently retired CEO of Local Government Federal Credit Union. After 43 years of credit union service, half of which as a CEO, Maurice shares how studying failures helped develop his leadership approach, and in retirement enables him to consult credit unions in identifying blind spots, recognizing warning signs, and uncovering new opportunities. S...

Eric Stearns and Jay Rogers of Stearns Financial are back for another episode to share how their firm’s LifeNotes Strategy can help rescue a credit union’s deferred compensation plan, including 457(f) and collateral assignment split-dollar (CASD) plans. With lower-than-average dividends and interest rates impacting projection illustrations, credit unions are searching for ways to reduce the durati...

In a previous podcast interview, Jay Rogers of Stearns Financial shared the firm's groundbreaking LifeNotes Strategy. The process involves purchasing life insurance-based plans to develop more adaptive features that aim to reduce duration risk and increase value to credit unions and executive participants. In this episode, Eric Stearns, principal at Stearns Financial, joins the show to share use c...

One of the original intentions has always been to leverage life insurance-based executive benefits, such as collateral assignment split dollar plans, to retain a credit union executive. However, these plans generally come with floating maturity dates that may not be tenable long-term. So, what happens when the original goal of these benefits changes; for example, when an executive considers leavin...

With a decrease in deposits and lending activity, credit unions face a new set of challenges in today’s economic environment that require strategic, proactive planning. During periods like this, “just-in-time” capital may provide the peace of mind credit unions need to pursue a necessary merger or acquisition, create organic growth, increase their net worth, or spend for other purposes. Credit uni...

With a philosophy of “people helping people,” community outreach and charitable giving play critical roles in a credit union’s overall strategy. So what does it take for your credit union's charitable giving to make a real impact? According to our “C.U. on the Show” guest, every credit union should make critical decisions when developing and scaling its charitable giving to create a more meaningfu...

When you think of a digital-first organization, you may imagine the opposite of a personalized and thoughtful experience. However, “C.U. on the Show” guest Thomas Novak, vice president and chief digital officer at Visions Federal Credit Union, shares that’s exactly what his team is creating through strategic innovation and a buy, build, or partner approach to fintech. Tom explains how Visions leve...

From scalability to increased fee revenue to capturing more non-interest-bearing deposits, there are several reasons credit unions would want to expand their services to business members. However, until recently, big banks cornered the business services area of the market. “C.U. on the Show” guest John Ballantyne, CEO of Tru Treasury, explains how treasury management solutions give credit unions a...

JPMorgan Chase currently invests $12 billion in technology annually, which is nearly twice as much as the IT budget of credit unions nationwide—combined . For this reason, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for credit unions to keep pace with the technology, research, and development of larger financial institutions. To stay relevant and continue improving client experiences and offerings, cre...

Executive succession planning and finding someone to step into a CEO position is a critical role of your credit union's board. When done strategically, this process can help organizations develop internal candidates and position them for a CEO role years before a current leader leaves their position. On the show, Doug welcomes Deedee Myers of DDJ Myers, a firm specializing in strategic planning su...

Legacy planning for executives is the process of identifying and preparing for what’s next following their career, whether that’s retirement, board service, consulting, or another interest. However, many credit union executives focused on day-to-day operations may not prioritize this planning and may be missing unexpected opportunities and insight that could benefit their organizations even before...

While many credit unions have collateral assignment split-dollar plans as part of their executive benefits mix, it is no secret that these tools are more complex than other benefits. As a result, when designing and implementing a successful plan, credit unions must perform a preliminary and ongoing evaluation of several factors to help reduce the risks credit unions and their executives may assume...

Amidst the challenges of the pandemic and an increasingly competitive talent market, credit unions are reevaluating their strategic game plans as they head into the future. However, what happens when executives and board members lack direction or aren’t on the same page? On the show, Doug welcomes Peter Myers, senior vice president at DDJ Myers, a firm specializing in senior leadership development...

Wes Johnson, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and co-founder of ACT Advisors , joins Doug on the show to discuss direct indexing, a  new investment strategy. Wes explains direct indexing, how it works, and the tax advantages it can offer investors through tax loss harvesting. Doug and Wes also explain how credit union executives can benefit from direct indexing, take unique advantage...

When is the right time to secure in-house counsel for your credit union’s legal matters? On the podcast, Doug welcomes guest attorney Kendra Rubin, chief legal officer at SEFCU, a New York-based credit union. They discuss her journey joining the credit union movement, how she built a legal department from scratch, and the value an in-house attorney can add to a credit union beyond managing complia...

Serving on a board allows credit union leaders and those approaching retirement to continue advancing their mission-focused commitment, using their career experience, and giving back to their community. However, finding and obtaining a board role is not as simple as you may expect. On the show, Doug welcomes Anne Sample and Patricia Hamm of Navigate Forward, a firm specializing in helping executiv...

The online gambling world is growing as its activity becomes more mainstream and laws evolve to allow it. This is an important area of growth, allowing credit unions to capture revenue from new online card transactions, but how do they start, and should they? Guest Karen Postma of PSCU, a CUSO payment processing firm, explains how credit unions can get involved in online gambling transactions from...

Historically, credit unions have accessed capital through CDs, short- and long-term loans, and other investment funds to help them expand and pursue strategic initiatives. However, as credit unions have grown over the years and are offering more complex services, there is a demand to meet balance sheet needs, causing them to enter the secondary capital market. Capital markets also create an additi...

Target date funds are popular for many 401(k) plan participants because they offer an investment strategy that automatically reduces risk as one approaches retirement. However, they’re a suboptimal solution for credit union executives with more retirement income sources and associated risk levels than the average employee. In this episode, Doug explains why credit union executives should reconside...

Matt Haid, area vice president at Gallagher, is back on the show to discuss the importance of split-dollar plan design. He shares the first factors to consider when choosing a plan and best practices to help credit unions protect themselves, their executives, and beneficiaries. Stream the episode to learn more about funding vehicles, why some life insurance policies have a higher premium, and the...

Throughout the pandemic, transition to virtual work, and subsequent Great Resignation, employees are reflecting on what’s important to them in the workplace and whether or not they want to return to a traditional work environment. Flexibility, leadership development, and support for women, in particular, are becoming key characteristics for recruiting and retaining top talent. Doug welcomes guest...