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.
Growth: How Does It Serve Our Current Membership?
Cumberland County Federal Credit Union CFO Ryan Grund debates the purpose of growth and who it is intended to serve: the management team or the members.
Xceed Financial Credit Union to Merge with Kinecta Federal Credit Union
Emily Claus discusses the merger of Xceed Financial Credit Union and Kinecta Federal Credit Union going into effect next month and debates the reasons behind low member participation.
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.
What Airline Disasters Teach Us About Decision Making Under Stress
Are credit unions staying situationally close-minded by using mergers as the only way out of a “bad” situation? NACUSO’s Denise Wymore thinks so, and suggests that the industry needs to look up from the blinking lights to find alternative means of succeeding.
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.
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.