Field of Membership: a Regulatory Vestigial Organ
Chip Filson ponders the ancient practice known as “field of membership” and discusses the numerous options open to potential members willing to go beyond field of membership.
Students: Enrolling the Next Generation of Members
With credit union numbers dwindling and de novo efforts few and far between, Chip Filson looks at one area of the country where new ground might be made again: schools.
Credit Union Merger Voting Turnout Paints Ugly Picture
Are credit unions really democratic institutions when less than ten percent of the membership can vote away that institution’s existence? Chip Filson wonders whether credit union cooperative design has eroded of the years.
A Simple Solution for NCUSIF Revenue
Chip Filson dives into the numbers to evaluate the NCUA’s management of the NCUSIF, and whether changes should be made to their current investment strategy.
The $3.0 Billion Question in 2021 for Credit Unions and NCUA
“When government gets more money, it wants to spend more,” warned Ed Callahan in 1984. Chip Filson calls on credit unions to hold NCUA’s feet to the fire when it comes to returning AME surpluses to credit unions.
A Once-a-Decade Opportunity
Chip Filson argues that what the aging Central Liquidity Facility needs is reform that focuses on cooperative solutions to the problems that ail it.
Hamilton: The Credit Union Connection
While most associate Lin Manuel Miranda with his musicals, Chip Filson tells of his family’s history with credit unions in Puerto Rico and contemplates how our credit unions could support the island after disaster.
Hauptman’s First NCUA Board Meeting: A Ray of Hope
Chip Filson reflects on Kyle Hauptman’s first NCUA board meeting, how he chose to break from the script, and what it may predict for the rest of his time on the NCUA.
Merger Math in Credit Unions: A Deeply Flawed Process
Mergers may seem like a sound strategy for the individual institution, but are they a sound strategy for the industry and the member-owners who make them possible? Chip Filson doesn’t think so, and goes even further to say the process is broken against the member.
Chairman Hood’s House Testimony: Members’ Interest Only Matters When Selling to a Bank
Chip Filson wonders whether members’ interests are protected in both credit union-bank acquisitions and mergers, or only the former.
