Growth strategies

United Labor CU here has seen its lending increase by 10% since it began offering financial education courses for union members 18 months ago, a move that has earned it a “Best Practice” Award from Credit Union Journal.

Lots of businesses put up lights around the Christmas holidays. Then there’s Streator Onized CU, which has found a way to really draw attention to itself.

It wasn’t all that long ago that San Francisco FCU’s planning horizon did not extend beyond one year. The one thing it could see in front of it, however, was that it was losing members.

Pinal County FCU has turned around two negatives familiar to many CUs–lack of quality member feedback and low cross-sales ratios–and made them positives with a signature pad.

Since implementation of what it termed “aggressive” fraud mitigation strategies, $3.3-billion Mountain America Credit Union has reduced hard-dollar fraud losses while more at-risk dollars in fraudulently accessed accounts were protected.

What began as an ATM cleaning and maintenance operation at CFE FCU has evolved into a compliance and loss-prevention strategy that has earned the CU a Best Practices Award from Credit Union Journal.

One small CU here has effectively used shared branching to make it more competitive in a marketplace where size certainly counts.

Twenty five Indiana credit unions this year have donated $354,497 and 8,662 hours to support their communities.

The $470-million Fresno County FCU here has been able to process greater mortgage lending volume while cutting expenses and reducing the burden on its staff, thanks to a new partnership.

Four times as many members of Fox Communities Credit Union are now carrying its credit card, thanks to clever promotion and simply more attention to pushing the plastic.

When $984-million First Entertainment Credit Union was seeking to generate $5 million in auto loans and to raise its awareness among potential members within the local community, it decided to face the music.

Spire FCU has found a way to lift attendance at its annual meeting from 150 people to more than 1,000.

Diamond CU developed a “lending roadmap” that it credits for 9% loan growth the first half of the year–without any rate promotion.

An investment in marketing by Upper Cumberland CU has jolted lending and led to a tripling of ROA in one year.

Brewery CU has shifted its efforts from serving the Brewery Workers Union to finding creative ways to bring financial services to poor and underbanked communities, earning it a Best Practices award from Credit Union Journal.

Spotting a need in its market for a no closing cost mortgage, Associated CU here launched its own, netting nearly 300 loans, more than 85% of which were new to the CU.

GFA FCU has seen increased efficiencies and savings of more than $54,000 since shifting to a “Lean” culture.

CHICAGO – Alliant CU announced this morning it signed with LPL Financial to provide its members with third-party brokerage, wealth management and trust services.

NEW BERLIN, Wis. – Giant Landmark CU, the product of 10 mergers the last three years, has agreed to acquire Dodge Central CU, a healthy $52 million Beaver Dam credit union with branches in four Wisconsin communities.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A lucky member of Truliant FCU will get to skip mortgage payments for a year courtesy of their credit union.