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.
The Unseen Cooperative Advantage
At a time of year when everything feels hectic, Chip Filson reminds us of the wisdom of patience, both with the holiday season and with finding solutions to problems ailing the credit union industry.
How to Manage a Black Swan Event
I have never heard the expression of a “black swan event” before this year, so of course I had to Google the meaning. A Black Swan Event refers to a highly improbable occurrence with three characteristics: It is impossible to predict, It carries a massive impact, and Its shock value...
Have Members Seen ALL the Alternatives?
When voluntary mergers are proposed, do members of the absorbed credit union deserve more say in where their members’ equity should go? Vic Pantea thinks so. He looks at the potential merger of Xceed Financial Credit Union and Kinecta FCU and wonders what should happen to $95M in equity.
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.
Thoughts on Mergers: The Tallest Candlestick Ain’t Much Good Without a Wick
Is the race to merge folly? Chip Filson believes that by discarding member focus and legacy for the sake of growth we undermine the public’s faith in cooperative design. And that might spell disaster for credit unions in the long run.
The Myth of Efficiency and the Allure of Scale
Do mergers and bank purchases, by increasing scale, also increase efficiency and lower operating costs? Or are credit unions focusing on the wrong method? Chip Filson argues the latter.
Peter Pan and Captain Hook in Credit Union Land
The credit union community seems divided by Peter Pans, who believe in a future for the cooperative model, and Captain Hooks, who see the end around every corner. Chip Filson sees this and asks, “Which one are you?”
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.
