CUNA News Podcast

For credit unions, the member experience has been virtually redefined since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Member expectations have shifted as safety and ease of use redefine the consumer landscape. This raises two questions for credit unions, according to Jayne Hitman, national program manager for Creating Member Loyalty (CML), a development strategy program from CUNA focused o...

As members’ interactions with their credit unions become more digital, their engagement creates a legacy of data that can be collected and analyzed to improve business performance. In this podcast, sponsored by Trellance , Kaushal Pandya, senior vice president of data management and chief data officer at Trellance, explains how credit unions can develop the tools to catalog and maintain their own...

Marketers who had adopted an agile marketing mindset before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic were quickly able to pivot their plans without major disruptions when the pandemic began.  “We don’t write big marketing plans,” says Jim Ewel, author of “The 6 Disciplines of Agile Marketing: Proven Practices for More Effective Marketing and Better Business Results.” “We write one- or two-page plans—I...

Sticking to the fundamentals and building relationships with members are key components of lending, say two award-winning lenders. Lloyd Gill, retired CEO at $565 million asset We Florida Financial in Margate, Fla., and Tim Dunham, vice president of consumer lending at $1.1 billion asset Credit Union of America in Wichita, Kan., joined the CUNA News Podcast to talk about lending during the coronav...

The outset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 provided unforeseen challenges for every credit union leader. Leadership lessons gleaned from webinars and audiobooks were put to the test under the pressure of a crisis, and new lessons were forged from failure and success. In this podcast, two credit union CEOs share their pandemic experiences and how they’re moving forward in 2021. Lynet...

When Jordan van Rijn looks back at 2020, what stands out most is how quickly the economy is recovering following dramatic declines in gross domestic product and skyrocketing unemployment due to the pandemic. While the economy isn’t in the clear, van Rijn, CUNA’s senior economist, is heartened by the resilience of the U.S. economy—and credit unions. He’s hopeful for a recovery this year as COVID-19...

Among the unforeseen challenges the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created for credit unions are the compliance requirements driven by social and safety considerations.  In this podcast, David Reed, an attorney, consultant, and trainer with Reed & Jolly, PLLC, explains how credit unions can continue to handle operations and human resources in the new normal, as pandemic-related considerat...

It used to be that only large lenders with extensive financial and development resources could even think about building their own loan origination systems. Today, innovations in hardware, software, and agile processes allow smaller lenders to do so as well. With the need for personalized relationship management becoming increasingly vital for serving members, credit unions can envision and create...

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. This proverb sums up the mission of faith-based credit unions and the Faith Based Credit Union Alliance. The alliance, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in September , embraces collaboration to move its member credit unions—and their members—forward together. This episode of the CUNA News Podcast features Drs. Joronda and...

When the coronavirus (COVID-19) struck, CO-OP Financial Services had to act quickly and deploy its workforce in a remote environment. But it knew it also had to continue to assist credit unions as they worked to meet the needs of their members during the pandemic. “Our vision is to be an indispensable financial technology partner for credit unions,” says Todd Clark, CEO of CO-OP Financial Services...

Challenged by a national health crisis and its economic impact, credit unions are faced with protecting employees, safeguarding financial stability, and serving members within a new normal fraught with uncertainty. Investing in employee development not only meets these needs but also helps prepare organizations for a future that has yet to be defined. In this podcast, our latest in a series on ser...

A strong board/CEO relationship is a critical ingredient to credit unions’ success. This requires transparency, communication, and shared goals, says Terry Davidson, board chair at $720 million asset True Sky Credit Union in Oklahoma City and a 2020 Credit Union Rock Star . At True Sky, Davidson and the board began building a relationship with CEO Sean Cahill during the interview process. Cahill j...

Credit unions work closely with suppliers every day, for almost every aspect of operations. Suppliers print marketing materials, stock vending machines, and equip branches with the hand sanitizer, personal protective equipment, and plexiglass barriers needed to safely conduct business. But opportunities exist to think more strategically about these partnerships. A supplier diversity plan is one wa...

Text messaging offers flexibility and convenience for both credit unions that use it and people who receive the messages. It also is a tool credit unions can use to build relationships and gain member loyalty. “It allows the member to feel like their credit union is really their friend,” says Jeff Moss, senior director of financial institutions at Podium , a customer messaging platform. “It’s part...

Amid an extended and contentious 2020 election, the CUNA/league advocacy team had another successful campaign cycle, winning 97% of the more than 400 races it supported for candidates on both sides of the aisle. That includes wins on 10 of 11 priority races.  As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office in January, the CUNA/league advocacy team is examining what a Biden presidency will mea...

Credit Union Rock Stars Rachna Bhatia and Andrea Finley help others achieve financial freedom. Coincidentally, Andrea Finley and Rachna Bhatia both began their financial services careers working in banks. But their hearts led them to credit unions. Following their hearts has helped them improve countless financial lives among their memberships and communities. For that, both Finley and Bhatia are...

While the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shifted credit unions’ focus from in-person to digital channels, the truly successful credit unions are those that help members smoothly transition from one channel to the other, picking up financial conversations right where they left off from their last visit. What ties those channels together? Data. Marquis helps credit unions use data to make those...

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated both the move from cash to cards, and the use of advanced card technology including contactless cards, central issuance, and instant issuance. But it hasn’t changed the need for credit unions to be top of wallet with their cards. The best way to achieve that goal is by building member engagement, according to Nicole Machado, executive director, p...

No two credit unions approach growth the same way. That’s especially true of three credit union CEOs who recently spoke with the CUNA News Podcast about how their credit unions have achieved growth in recent years. Platinum Federal Credit Union in Duluth, Ga., relies on virtual branches and committees to attract and retain members in areas that can’t support brick-and-mortar branches, says CEO Kab...

As with nearly every aspect of life, the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic has affected how candidates campaign, how people vote, and, as a result, how credit union leaders advocate. But one constant remains amid these changes: The nonpartisan approach CUNA and the leagues take to support credit union-friendly candidates with messages of how credit unions advance their local communities and transf...

As difficult and devastating as the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic has been, it’s also brought out the best in many credit union leaders. Take Tillery Durbin of 121 Financial Credit Union in Jacksonville, Fla., and Amber Rahn, culture and organizational development manager for Blue Federal Credit Union in Cheyenne, Wyo. Durbin was promoted to business services director in April, when the pandem...

From the bottom to the top of an organization, getting the right people for the right job is critical. It’s also much more difficult than it seems at first glance.  In this podcast, our latest in a series focusing on service culture, we explore how putting people in the right position should be a deliberate strategy that shapes an organization’s culture.  Jayne Hitman, national program manager for...

As social distancing continues, many credit union members are increasingly turning to digital banking options as an alternative to in-branch service. With more members embracing online and mobile tools, credit unions have an opportunity to drive stronger digital engagement. This episode of the CUNA News Podcast , sponsored by Fiserv , features insights from Colin Murphy, vice president of product...

At the end of every month or quarter, credit union finance professionals tackle the close process, or the preparation of the credit union’s financial statements for publication. It requires extensive research and reconciliation on the part of the finance team, and completing these tasks manually can be challenging. Nancy Wu, head of sales and customer support for SkyStem , says many credit unions...

As credit unions work to assist members through the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, a focus on member financial well-being has come to the forefront. For CUNA and the National Credit Union Foundation , advancing the concept of financial well-being isn’t a new initiative, but it’s one that has taken on increasing importance in recent days. On this episode of the CUNA News Podcast , CUNA Pre...