PayThink

Online security is a serious problem in need of a serious solution, and credit unions have an opportunity to lead the charge in this situation and ensure a safe experience.

Regarding "Debit Revenue Under Fire, Rewards Need a Revamp": The merchants have forgotten the man power needed to process and deposit checks as well as the bank charges that are incurred. As issuers, we should "flip the switch" for a couple of days so that our customers HAD to write checks at these places. Maybe then, [the merchants] would remember the "days of old." The discount rate that merchants pay is a cost of doing business.

Commercial lending was once unfamiliar territory for most credit unions. No more. Now many CUs have established member business commercial lending units. This member benefit can be very profitable if the basic fundamentals are established early-and very costly if not.

As the "Greatest Generation" is gradually leaving us, we are faced with a loss of loyal members for reasons completely beyond our control. Credit unions must now position themselves to serve the specific segments of the population where there is future demand and need: baby boomers and Generation Y.

To paraphrase, they say if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. And so it was last week that credit unions found themselves in a piece that generally painted CUs as stodgy, old-fashioned, and well, boring. In this case, it was a compliment.

It is very disappointing that in your online story on June 15, Credit Union Journal ignored a basic fact that would have been of interest to all federally insured credit unions and members: The National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) received unqualified audit opinions ("clean" audits) for both 2008 and 2009.

There’s nothing quite like a interchange to stir the pot, and the Durbin Amendment has been a hot-button issue of the moment for our readers.

Green Dot's application to purchase Bonneville Bank should merit attention considering that Wal-Mart is both a shareholder and the largest business partner of the prepaid card company.

Why can't saving money be fun and exciting? When I think of deposit products, I start to yawn. Don't get me wrong, savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and prepaid debit cards with a savings pocket are all important products for the unbanked and underbanked. But, let's face it, they are boring.

Two-thousand ten has been dubbed the Year of the Angry Voter — or more appropriately, just the latest Year of the Angry Voter (But This Time We Really Mean It).