Growth strategies

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.

While expanding the credit union's reach via electronic services is even more popular today due to belt tightening, Michael King, VP strategic planning for DEI, cautions not to overlook bricks and mortar in 2013.

A proactive pension and retirement strategy is a must-have as credit unions begin their planning for 2013.

Don't give up on those members with less-than-perfect credit-they could be the key to loan growth in 2013.

The "rate business" will no longer carry the bottom line load, and Michael Moebs, economist and CEO at Moebs $ervices, insists it's time CUs become more efficient-and that means adding fees for more of the services they provide.

With many credit union members still struggling in a weak economy, credit unions are being urged in 2013 to tap technology that gets more people into cars while building loan portfolios.

Credit unions are certainly feeling ROA pressure today, which prompts one person to ask if enough CUs have plans in place for creating alternative revenue sources.

Strategic planning for 2013 needs to focus on strategies to better use member data, improve the governance model, and make more effective decisions about core competencies, according to Shazia Manus, CEO of The Member's Group.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Fort Financial CU and Financial Members FCU, based in nearby Auburn, Ind., have received regulatory and membership approval to merge.

TAMPA, Fla. – GTE FCU, the $1.5 billion credit union chartered during the great Depression, is shedding the “credit union” in its name to become GTE Financial as part of a rebranding campaign.

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department awarded almost $1 million yesterday to Native American groups to build two new credit unions on Indian reservations and to expand two others as part of its Native American CDFI Assistance program.