The Lehman Trilogy and the Arc of American Finance
Chip Filson shares the story of the rise of the Lehman Brothers and the credit union lessons that can be learned from their downfall.
Wisdom for Life from Children’s Stories
Chip Filson views recent mergers and bank acquisitions through the lens of children’s stories to ask the industry: when is it time to say enough?
Subdebt: The Fastest Growing Balance Sheet Account for Credit Unions
As more and more credit unions take on sub-debt, Chip Filson ponders the incentive behind acquiring such debt, what risks come along with it, and how these accounts will play out in the long term.
Going Public: A Credit Union, Their CUSO, and a SPAC
What happens when a credit union-owned CUSO is sold? Chip Filson looks into the 2022 sale of Safe Harbor Financial to special purpose acquisition company North Lights Acquisition Corp.
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.
Banks and Credit Unions Don’t Merge, Stop Saying Otherwise
Saying a credit union “merged with” instead of “acquired” a bank may seem trivial, but Chip Filson doesn’t think so. He says it blurs the lines between the two different financial institutions and weakens the cooperative nature of credit unions.
Merger or Acquisition: The Importance of Word Selection
Merger, acquisition, are they really that different? Chip Filson thinks so, and says bank acquisitions are not in the interest of existing members.
What Credit Unions Can Learn from Bank Purchases
Why do bank shareholders get a better deal during an acquisition by a credit union than member-owners in a credit union merger? Chip Filson breaks down the financial details of the two, and wonders why merged credit union owners get a raw deal.
