The latest from Michael Cochrum

Aug 2, 2016 - by Michael Cochrum, CU Direct

The significance of random facts…what do they provide?

What some people consider random facts can really be significant indicators.  During a recent conversation with a colleague, I described myself as an “Encyclopedia of Useless Random Facts.”  What is ...

Nov 11, 2015 - by Michael Cochrum, CU Direct

Moving beyond out-of-the-box models

I’ve been working in and with credit unions for over fifteen years and in financial services for over twenty five. Based upon my experience, I believe that there is ...

May 5, 2015 - by Michael Cochrum, CU Direct

Finding the bright spots and creating more of them

In their book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, Chip and Dan Heath introduce readers to the story of Jerry Sternin. Sternin, who works for Save the ...

Feb 23, 2015 - by Michael Cochrum, CU Direct

Disparate impact: Why it’s more than just a regulatory issue

There has been a lot of discussion over the last couple of years regarding Disparate Impact and Fair Lending Testing, specifically in regard to the NCUA requiring credit unions to ...

Jun 2, 2014 - by Michael Cochrum, CU Direct

Demystifying static pool analysis

As I work with and educate credit unions across the country on loan portfolio analytics, Static Pool Analysis seems to be one of the most confusing and difficult to understand ...

Feb 13, 2014 - by Michael Cochrum, CU Direct

Why fact-based decisions are better than intuition

Over the past several years, credit union leadership has been challenged by regulators to document processes that heretofore had been credited to experience.  It is understandable that leaders with successful ...

Dec 20, 2013 - by Michael Cochrum, CU Direct

Does your credit union need a strategic lifestyle change?

My family is from the region of the country known as the Mid-South, which includes portions of Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee and is distinguished mostly by its food in ...

Nov 19, 2013 - by Michael Cochrum, CU Direct

Yield metrics are not just for profitability anymore

Much attention has been paid to credit union profitability over the last few years, as yields have remained low and loan growth continues to lag behind the market.  While it’...