Safe harbor in a storm
According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 75 percent of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck to make ends meet. While minimum wage workers are affected the most (66 percent), 23 percent of workers making $50,000 to $99,[...]
CUNA Strategic Services News Archives
Are you ready to help members when the next disaster hits?
After Hurricane Matthew swept up the east coast of the U.S. unleashing torrential rains and severe winds last month, more than 2 million people were told to evacuate, millions we left without power, and [...]
Mobile apps now a key offering for modern credit unions
Good luck staying competitive today without offering members mobile banking. It’s now a necessity, says Danielle Green, marketing strategist at $155 million asset Park City Credit Union, Merrill, Wis. A 2015 report by the [...]
Protecting your technology: It’s more than meets the “I.T.”
If you focus on the headlines these days, it may seem that the world over, threats are becoming more frequent and severe. You might even believe Mother Nature and nefarious individuals are beginning to conspire [...]
Preventing social engineering attacks: How credit unions are missing the mark
While credit unions focus their attention on technical defenses, social engineers are completely bypassing them. Even small credit unions are being targeted by phishing emails hiding ransomware or strange callers asking employees to verify their [...]
New survey sheds light on perceptions (and misconceptions) of loyalty programs
Consumer demand for debit rewards programs are on the rise. In fact, repeated surveys find rewards as the highest-ranking priority for consumers choosing where to bank.1 Yet 61% of credit union decision-makers are unaware [...]
Technology has changed how your members engage (and disengage) with your credit union
Consumers’ primary concern is whether they are getting the products and services they pay for. The financial services industry has a particularly big challenge, consumer’s perceptions of this sector took a big hit after [...]
3 secrets to unlocking board support for business continuity
Often, employees find it challenging to prove to boards the importance of having a truly executable disaster recovery/business continuity plan. Although boards are well aware of NCUA Requirements, many may cite excuses such as [...]
58 red flags for terrorist financing
Numerous terrorism financing cases reveal suspicious transactions. I recently read an eye-opening report titled Terrorism Financing Indicators for Financial Institutions in the United States by Richard Gordon, an American law professor who served on the [...]
Information security awareness — Educate yourself, your employees, and your members
As technology becomes more intertwined with our daily lives, it provides convenience but also increases our exposure to threats and risks. There are numerous threats that can put your sensitive data at risk. Your credit [...]
Where the rubber meets the road
After recent events related to disasters, scandals and attacks consumed the news cycles, I asked myself why more organizations don’t take corporate preparedness more seriously. We all strive to improve internal processes, employee morale [...]
Top IT audit findings and recommendations for remediation
The availability of critical systems and the confidentiality and integrity of member data are paramount to the survival of credit unions today. According to a Forrester Research, Inc. report “Maximize Business Performance with a World-Class [...]
5 insightful FinCEN statements about Collaboration through 314(b)
Although the USA PATRIOT Act was legislated more than a decade ago, it is interesting to note that one particular section – 314(b) information sharing – has become the subject of renewed focus. Numerous regulatory and [...]
The resilient credit union
OK, the examiners just left. You received glowing marks for your asset management, your interest rate risk controls, your credit risk analysis program, and your investment portfolio. You got outstanding comments for your asset recovery, [...]
Education through customization
It has long been said that credit unions have two balance sheets—one financial and one social. Education, of course, is a part of this calculus as it’s one of the missions of the [...]