Corporate governance

LAKE MARY, Fla.-CUs need to focus on relationship building-and that can happen online as well as in the branch, pointed out Harland Financial Solutions.

ONTARIO, Calif.- To take advantage of an increase in new car sales next year, CUs must start planning now for marketing and improved member-segmentation strategies, insists Credit Union Direct Lending.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.-Taking checking business from banks should be near the top of nearly every CU's 2012 strategic planning list, says Stan Hollen.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-If the Durbin Amendment taught CUs anything, it's that strategic planning can't be a white paper that sits on the shelf every year.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio-One person is reminding credit unions that in planning for 2012 it's important not to forget the threat presented by broken trust.

RIVERWOODS, Ill.-Credit unions have a big chance to make 2012 the year of Gen Y outreach, said one observer.

SAN DIMAS, Calif.-CUs need to do a better job at sales in 2012, but not in the traditional sense, one observer is suggesting.

Toward the end of 2008 I began urging credit unions to devote at least a small amount of time during upcoming strategic planning sessions to developing strategies that would deal with an extended period of ultra-low rates and soft loan demand.

NAPLES, Fla.-The steps may be among the most basic, yet they are often overlooked in strategic planning.

DALLAS-Everyone's heard of Dodd-Frank. But few are as familiar with all it entails as they should be. And that could make for a challenge in 2012, observed one person.

COSTA MESA, Calif.-If a credit union is not offering online account opening and loan processing, it is a topic that should be broached during strategic planning for 2012.

SPOKANE, Wash.-Credit unions have always prided themselves on knowing their markets and communities. But that's just not enough when it comes to planning for 2012, according to one person.

SAN ANTONIO-SWBC's strategic planning advice to credit unions: You can't put too many eggs in the lending basket to drive ROA next year.

SAN DIEGO-One company that has insights into what credit unions and banks are planning for 2012 said the former had better prepare for even more formidable competition from the latter.

DES MOINES, Iowa-It's time for the credit union to get creative with lending in planning sessions, because the plain vanilla 2.9% auto loan rate is not going to cut it anymore.

CINCINNATI-Credit unions don't need to do anything special when it comes to planning for 2012, according to one executive, as long as they keep their focus on what has made credit unions unique and engendered member loyalty.

BELLEVUE, Neb. – SAC FCU, Nebraska’s second-largest credit union, announced the addition of four new counties: Washington and Saunders in Nebraska, Mills and Harrison in Iowa, to its existing field of membership of Douglas, Sarpy and Cass Counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie County in Iowa.

IRWINDALE, Calif. – SCE FCU is launching a “People Powered Banking” branding campaign this week, featuring members’ images on buses and billboards throughout Los Angeles.

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia CU is among a handful of companies that have signed with Comcast Cable to use dynamic ad insertion in On Demand programming, further leveraging the On Demand service as an advertising platform.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Greylock FCU has agreed to acquire Steinerfilm Employees FCU, a $300,000 credit union in nearby Williamstown, Mass.