In this month's roundup of American Banker's favorite stories: a deep-dive into how 2022 accelerated the decline of overdraft fees, Zelle's plan for addressing fraudulent transactions, the National Credit Union Administration opens the doors for fintech and credit union partnerships for lending and more.

Telhio Credit Union in Ohio hopes to help contractors verify their earnings when applying for loans and other financial services.

Executive coaching programs and specialized employee resource groups have helped financial institutions broaden their available pools of talent and ensure more representation throughout all levels of management.

Commercial loans at federally insured credit unions increased 25% to $132.2 billion in the third quarter of 2022, even though many institutions are facing a tough job market. Their answer is to find strong candidates within their own ranks.

Credit unions announced 15 deals for banks in 2022, surpassing 2021's total — with much of the momentum coming late in the year.

Rivertown Community Federal Credit Union and Allegan Credit Union in Michigan will join forces in January under their shared boss, Kris Lewis.

Financial institutions have launched tailored relief campaigns to help refugees begin rebuilding their lives.

Employees of a Lake Michigan Credit Union branch say they're fighting to organize after upper management failed to respond to their complaints about pay disparity, COVID-19 benefits and more.

Many U.S. companies — including JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Apple — have drawn attention for increasing pressure on employees to show up more at the office as COVID-19 concerns ebb. Some credit unions have taken similar steps, while others still insist a hybrid schedule is better for recruitment.

Veridian Credit Union's deal for American Investors Bank and Mortgage is the 12th this year in which a credit union would acquire a bank.

Roughly 40,000 residents of Moore County have been left without power since Saturday, when gunfire damaged two substations. Financial institutions are urging residents to use online banking and call centers if they do not have access to a branch.

Small credit unions in Texas, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida have selected new leaders to succeed retiring executives or fill a vacancy.

The Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions' Fuel Disbursement Program provided more than 160 farmers with roughly 17,000 gallons of pre-paid fuel. Other groups are supplying computers and printers to help the country's domestic credit unions remain operational.

In this month's roundup of American Banker's favorite stories: the National Credit Union Administration sets its focus on liquidity risk for 2023, an exclusive fireside chat with Venus Williams on pay equity, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding comes into question and more.

Despite stiff competition, compounded with confusion surrounding President Biden's loan forgiveness program, credit unions managed to bring their student-loan portfolios back from pandemic lows.

Organizing relief initiatives for Ukraine, launching charities for children's hospitals and growing an institution to more than $4 billion of assets are benchmarks in Foulke's more than 45-year career.

Through lending programs, financial coaching and hiring practices tailored for inclusion, these CEOs provided crucial services to underserved communities.

The National Credit Union Administration has asked Congress to restore its authority over credit union service organizations and other vendors, but some in the industry say the regulator already has enough on its plate.

Simpler and more inclusive application processes are helping these lenders address the pain points that underserved borrowers encounter at other institutions.

The National Credit Union Administration in January proposed a rule that would require credit unions to have succession plans in place. Despite the necessity for arrangements, many CEOs want autonomy in the process and would rather avoid a formal rule.