BankThink

At great risk, I'm about to use an oxymoron of such excess that its seems only fair right now to warn you not to read any further, as the Credit Union Journal cannot be held liable for any doctor's care that may be required. Still there? Then brace yourself for the words that will follow the colon at the end of this sentence: "fascinating security camera."

I absolutely loved Kelly Parks' opinion piece in the June 4th issue of the Credit Union Journal. My favorite part is where she likened marketers to cats, "if you give us attention, understand our needs, respect what we offer, and give a little pat on the back from time to time, we'll follow you anywhere."

How does it feel when you attempt to read volumes of information pertinent to your job? The best way to beat that feeling is to prioritize, filter and simplify. This is why the dashboard idea is so compelling. I have recommended dashboards to audiences and clients for years.

Heard the same troubling story, but different anecdotes, from two different people last week. First, Dick Ensweiler, president of the Texas league and chair of the new CUNA Member Growth Task Force, noted that in areas where there are multiple CU community charters, credit unions are spending time and money differentiating themselves from each other, rather than from banks. This only makes the creation of a CU brand, among other things, all the more difficult, he observed. A day later, I spoke with a vendor to credit unions in Southern California who told me that the company has long offered regional user's meetings, but it has begun hearing from CUs that want to go to other region's meetings in order to not have to share anything with credit unions in their area.

Peer comparison surveys from 1996 and 2006 show that credit unions have made significant strides in the last decade while still facing similar challenges and threats. The members' service quality experience has improved, as have efforts to create a sales culture. However, interest in additional loans has decreased, and convenience and savings rates continue to be an Achilles heel. Member Research has been surveying thousands of credit union members annually for 20 years. This article shows some of the changes our statistics show over the last decade in a few key areas of member perception.

Editor's Note: the following is from a comment letter on NCUA's FOM and Chartering Manual from Charles Agricola, a former NCUA employee.

Consumers Deserve Financial Svc.

A graduate student decides to open a share account at the campus credit union. He heads over to the CU, applies for membership, and deposits $100. He walks out the door. Our college student is completely satisfied.

Editor's note: the following are excerpts from Vancouver, Wash.-based iQ CU CEO Roger Michaelis' comment letter to NCUA on the disclosure of merger-related compensation arrangements.

If nothing else, a few weeks on the road have taught me this lesson: Las Vegas leads the nation in people wearing sunglasses at times when both the location (inside) and time (night) would not seem to require shades. And in other news...