Michael Bartlett

After years of borrowing branch design ideas from retailers, one expert is advising credit unions to think like web designers.

For $130-million WestStar Credit Union, which serves gaming employees from three branches in Las Vegas and one in Reno, Nev., hosting job fairs in its two service areas the past three years has been rewarding in more ways than one.

CUSOs can and should be a driving force behind innovation in the credit union industry, but they face many of the same challenges their owner credit unions do, according to a panel of CUSO executives.

Credit Union Journal asked CUSO representatives at the recent NACUSO Annual Conference what their biggest challenges are going forward. Those from credit unions were asked what big challenges they are facing that they hope can be solved by CUSOs.

If Robert Baron had his way, credit unions everywhere would use secure video conference technology to streamline and personalize the online banking process.

When Vern Babilon arrived as the new CEO of $133-million Tucson Old Pueblo Credit Union, he arrived with CEO experience-his own and that of others.

In February, $1.9-billion SAFE Credit Union announced an unusual power-sharing arrangement, with EVP/COO Dave Roughton being named president and COO, while long-time CEO Henry Wirz retained that title.

The new CEO at $30-million Texas Plains FCU plans says her management philosophy weighs heavily toward listening, including to frontline staff many executives might overlook.

Because the United States is not the leader in new payments products, when Brian Scott talks about the industry's future he spends a lot of time highlighting what is taking place in other countries.

The impact of Elizabeth "Sis" Hamilton's extraordinary 70-year career with Summit Credit Union probably is best measured by a wall.

Credit unions received a big splash of free ink from financial advice website NerdWallet.com in its recent "CEO Series on Small Business Lending."

Facebook as a lending platform? Shastic has developed just such a solution for Facebook says yes. And it is working with a number of credit unions to do just that.

One statement production company says it has developed a new platform that will allow credit unions to more efficiently manage and target their marketing efforts, while saving money on postage and paper.

The $268-million Southwest Airlines FCU is among those attempting to get its arms around new mortgage lending rules from the CFPB.

With eight months to go before new mortgage rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau take effect, credit unions are struggling with how to respond-or even which rules to respond to.

Unlike some credit unions that are still deciphering the new CFPB mortgage rules that take effect in January, $622-million Silver State Schools CU says it already is prepared.

It's a common refrain: credit unions need to build relationships with Realtors to improve their purchase mortgage business. The $186-million TEG FCU here has taken action.

With demand up and supply down, one analyst is declaring the housing crisis over. But the good news comes with a caveat, as one person is warning that credit unions need to capture as many purchase mortgages as possible because the long-running refinance boom is winding down.

In a city known for its bridges, a networking group for credit union executives is helping small CUs cross the "Great Divide" that can often be found between larger and smaller credit unions.

Three months after instituting a $3 per month "membership dues" for members, the $1.2-billion Arizona Federal Credit Union said member pushback has been minimal as it has emphasized the value of "participation" in the credit union.