NAFCU: Just One-Fifth of CUs UsingInvestments Consultant

ARLINGTON, Va. - (08/17/04) Spreads may be tight and credit unionnet income strained, but just 23% of credit unions are using aconsultant or vendor to assist with their investment strategy,according to new data from NAFCU. "This implies that most of thecredit unions feel they have sufficient in-house" investingexpertise," said NAFCU's Chief Economist, Tun Wai. NAFCU said italso found that nearly 90% indicated that they utilize a"laddering" approach to investing in debt instruments, and of those47% have maintained the same "laddering" strategy over the past sixmonths, with 39% shortening their ladders and 14% extending theirladders. Seventy nine percent of respondents reported that theirinvestment policy allows for investments with a duration of fiveyears or more, while 11% indicated that their maximum allowableinvestment duration was three years or less.