Growth strategies

BOSTON – The City of Boston CU is looking into how members’ relationships translate into profits in the hopes of moving to relationship-based pricing.

MADISON, Wis. – Filene Research Institute’s i3 incubator proposed a mortgage to help buy junior his first house with equity pledged by other relatives, plus a dedicated text message to help prevent member overdrafts, among eight new innovations for credit unions.

WYANDOTTE, Mich. -- Wyandotte FCU, the $90 million credit union serving 110 area companies, is changing its name to Nu Path Community CU as it converts from a federal charter to a state charter encompassing three million people in Wayne, Monroe, Allegan, Ottawa and Kent counties, one of the biggest community charters ever granted in Michigan.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Members at two credit unions, on Florida’s Space Coast and the Gulf Coast, have approved mergers into MidFlorida CU, the fast-growing $1.8 billion credit union.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Rather than slowing down, the membership drive spurred by last fall’s Bank Transfer Day sped up in the first and second quarters of the year to a record pace, NCUA reported Friday.

A new study from the Filene Research Institute suggests that fewer service and product offerings may be more efficient and beneficial for credit union members.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA reported this morning it approved a request from Hawaii Central FCU to serve the one million residents on the island of Oahu, the fourth credit union cleared to serve all of metro Honolulu.

AUSTIN, Texas – A+ FCU is offering Austin Community College students the chance to win a $2,500 grand prize in its inaugural Riverbat Savings Challenge, which it said is the nation’s first community college savings contest.

MADISON, Wis. – A new study issued by the Filene Research Institute suggests that fewer service and product offerings may be more efficient and beneficial for credit union members.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – A longtime member of Neighborhood CU opened her door yesterday on a rainy morning and received a lucrative surprise presented to her by the chief executive of her credit union, an oversized $10,000 check as quarterly winner of the credit union’s Prize Savings Account.

CHICAGO – Alliant CU said this morning it signed with SaveDaily to offer its members additional Health Savings Account choices.

LANSING, Mich. – A member of Wexford Community CU has won a $700 prize as part of a Facebook contest aimed at building awareness of credit unions across the state of Michigan.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – CU Community Credit Union here has received a $30,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines’ Urban First-time Homebuyer Fund – and the credit union said it will distribute $3,000 to 10 eligible homebuyers to help them make down payments on a home.

OMAHA, Neb. – With five months left in the year, the Save-To-Win program has helped Nebraska credit union members save more than $1 million, according to the Nebraska Credit Union League.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Saying it is seeking to strengthen credit unions’ ability to accept public deposits, the Minnesota Credit Union Network’s Network Service Corp. has entered into a partnership with American Deposit Management, which provides treasury services.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Commissioner of Financial and Insurance Regulation has signed an order authorizing CUSOs to provide small business equity investments to Michigan credit unions and their members.

Eagle One and SERVCO FCUs have opened a joint branch in the Rhawnhurst section of Northeast Philadelphia.

ATLANTA – Several credit unions here partnered to offer free gas at a local Shell Station.

Membership and demographics are the key things to keep in mind as credit unions project beyond 2013.

The evolution of the payments landscape and new payment technologies, specifically EMV, should be at the top of credit unions' strategic planning discussions for 2013, according to Bill Lehman, VP Portfolio Consulting for CSCU.