Ray Birch

It's certainly not the typical CU office, as members occasionally walk by in pajamas while brushing their teeth.

Whether the branch handles 4,000 transactions a month or 28,000, what ensures a CU office of any size runs smoothly are clear lines of communication between the manager and staff.

Twelve years ago Greg Logoteta decided he no longer wanted to "sell ice cubes to Eskimos" and made the move from working at a big bank to running an office of SAFE CU.

When staff approach Scott Callison with a question, they should be ready with some answers of their own.

Lisa Fitzpatrick doesn't mind avoiding mid-day traffic in Linn County, Iowa, and not hearing the slamming of her car door as often.

In the wake of a natural disaster, when floodwaters recede or winds and rain subside, some credit unions find they have learned vital disaster-recovery and business-continuity lessons.

Greylock FCU has developed a business lending application that's saving more than 1,000 employee hours a year, is increasing portfolio size and helping staff spot trouble in an account before things get out of hand.

The Pennsylvania CU Association's annual Youth Ambassador contest has helped hundreds of young adults launch their CU careers, with two participants eventually becoming CEOs and one chairman of the Pennsylvania league.

Three years ago, 23-year-old Mike Williams was literally on the outside looking in when it came to Widget Federal Credit Union. Today, the former window washer is the credit union's director of business development.

Overdraft usage at all financial institutions dropped to its lowest point in the last 14 years at the close of the second quarter, according to a new study by Moebs $ervices.

Aspire FCU call center staff can tell if they are having a good day by the looks on their faces-which they can see from the mirrors in each of their cubicles.

A credit union can't effectively manage its credit card portfolio unless it uses a scorecard and consistently measures results.

The new remittance transfer rules that take effect Oct. 28 bring with them some tough decisions for credit unions-especially those falling just outside the guidelines, reports CUNA Mutual Group.

New guidelines make it imperative that CUs pay close attention to how they handle garnished accounts that receive federal benefits, reminds Wolters Kluwer.

Credit unions need to pay close attention to member complaints as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is stepping up its focus here, looking for signs from consumers that their FI is engaging in unfair or deceptive practices.

Prepaid cards is a rapidly growing market, but one analyst fears most credit unions are letting the opportunity slip by.

A new report confirms that credit unions are clearly winners as a result of the Durbin rules, and the study's author predicts if debit interchange is cut even further CUs below $10 billion in assets will win even more.

Five Star Credit Union here has become the latest CU to sign an agreement to buy a bank.

Laying groundwork for future expansion while helping members hold onto the past, Ohio HealthCare FCU is forming the HealthCare Credit Union System.

Banks don't want to provide a lot of answers to basic financial questions on their websites, preferring customers stop by or call a branch-leaving the door wide open for credit unions to further improve their service over banks.