BankThink

I believe Fred Becker made some thought-provoking comments about the need for all of us in the credit union community to stay close to our cooperative roots and pay attention to what our industry colleagues are doing. But I disagree that credit unions, as a whole, have "forgotten we are a cooperative community."

The revelations about having to find a place to put all the "new hires" underlines a need to move quickly to fold NCUA's tent and have FDIC assume the role of regulator for CUs.

Media coverage of the tragic plane crash that took the life of former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens focused on his long career in the U.S. Senate, the circumstances surrounding his departure, and on the recovery efforts to reach survivors who spent the night in a remote, rugged area of the Last Frontier.

Re: "Fannie Mae Announces Changes to Appraisal Process." While we trust that many refinance and purchase transactions have been scuttled because appraisers could not find enough comparable sales, the reality is that many of experienced yet unqualified appraisers were asked to do an appraisal that was beyond their capabilities.

If only we had watched our expenses more carefully. If only we had paid closer attention to members' changing credit scores. If only, and this is the big one, we had not invested in the corporates.

I encourage the NCUA to better align its budgeting process with actual spending and resist assessing federal credit unions too much.

The Ritz-Carlton never lost sight of its mission and vision, and today its name remains synonymous with luxury, and the lights are still on.

Improving operational efficiencies usually conjures up images of extensive software overhauls, such as a new core system, revamping the member service call center, or adding remote or mobile banking systems. But for most credit unions, there are easy solutions in commonly overlooked departments.

Tea partiers and liberals may not agree on much when it comes to government, but surely both groups could come to a consensus that without government you just can't have a really good, quality conspiracy theory.

Effective leadership and effective research share at least one key, common purpose: to bring about positive change.