BankThink

During times of prosperity and plenty, everyone can be successful with relatively no effort. As we assess the changes being made seemingly every day-the most important thing we can do is go back to our roots, and remember what made our great movement and brought us where we are today.

NCUA figures show that the number of first mortgages grew by just 1.2% during the first six months of 2010. That's a staggeringly small growth rate considering today's historically low interest rates.

Loan participations offer the best of cooperative philosophy put into practice-sharing loan risks among borrowers while sharing the rewards. But they also offer challenges due to their complexity and increased regulatory scrutiny.

What took the bankers and the conversion profiteers so long to try to take advantage of credit unions' problems as a way of drawing attention away from their own meltdowns and/or lining their own pockets, respectively?

It would be interesting to see if there has been any study done to determine the benefit of taxing credit unions, providing that we are afforded the same considerations that banks are allowed.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-Does reading the news in the credit union community often make you want to sound off? Have something to say about the final rule on corporates? Here's your chance to make a point and even blow off a little steam.

No issue has engendered the kind of reaction as has the failure and resulting cost of five corporate credit unions.

The insurance fund deposit is procyclical. We should switch to a premium-based insurance fund and incur an annual premium.

Personally, I am sick to death having to tell my board we, a little credit union that didn't have anything to do with this, may have to bail-out the NCUA for as long as 12 years, and climbing!

I really don't like paying for other people's mistakes. I sympathize with their misfortunes. However, I'm not bleeding, nor is our credit union.