Taxi Medallions in the American Cooperative System
The role of ownership has always been a core aspect of the cooperative model. But if that’s the case, why did the NCUA undermine the right of ownership in the NYC taxi medallion issue? Chip Filson contemplates the ramifications of this choice.
Current Whole Bank Purchases Illuminate Core Issues and a Glaring Deficiency
In a follow-up to his article on bank acquisitions, Chip Filson dissects four recent bank purchases made by credit unions and ponders the lack of transparency which he believes may suggest an unsettling trend.
Ten Questions for Whole Bank Purchases
Chip Filson urges credit unions to carefully review these ten questions before considering any bank purchase.
When Leaders Lack Confidence in Their Organization
Chip Filson scrutinizes the NCUA’s new Risk-Based Capital rule and the unsettling realization that these new guidelines may signal from the board a lack of faith in their own organization.
Do Small Credit Unions Matter? Should They? Will They?
Does the disappearance of the “small” credit union signal bad things to come for the industry? Chip Filson looks at the trends and suggests setting our sights back on the small to restock the pond.
A Cooperative DEEP in Formation
Chip Filson shares the story of a recently opened grocery cooperative and the optimism it engenders. Where communities pull together to provide cooperative solutions, credit unions should be there to support them along the way.
What Credit Unions Can Learn from Morris Plan Banks
Morris Plan banks, which began the same time as credit unions, were the original consumer bank lending success. Their growth far surpassed credit unions. There are none left today. Is there a message for credit unions seeking scale by buying whole banks in this example? Chip Filson looks into the now extinct banks.
Experts Predicting Doom: A Perennial Practice
Predicting the potential doom of a thing is easy. Predicting its certain doom is silly. Chip Filson suggests listening to doomsayers for warnings, then moving forward towards progress.
An Open Secret: NCUA, Oxymorons, and Merger Truths
Could the NCUA really be said to be helping credit unions when in 2014 they published “Truth in Mergers”? Chip Filson points out the oxymorons that litter the publication, and asks whether NCUA will change its tune in the future.
America’s Most Responsible Credit Unions
Should credit unions evaluate themselves not just on their key financial metrics, but also on their cooperative score? Chip Filson sees the need for credit unions to reexamine how they compare themselves against one another.
