Practice management

Readers this week highlighted the need for banks to upgrade payments systems, debated a small bank’s decision to ditch its legacy core vendor, lamented populist initiatives of the GSEs, and more.

Crane CU recognizes top teller, execs elected to key boards and more CU reps in the news.

Online and mobile banking are essential elements in 21st-century financial services, but there’s more to banking than digital transactions.

Green Bancorp has pivoted from the troubled energy-lending market to SBA loans, which are appealing to more small banks because they can be sold at a premium and are getting more support from Washington.

North Carolina has witnessed wave after wave of banking mergers and consolidations in recnet years, but analysts are mixed on whether or not the credit union can keep its vow in the modern economic landscape.

Bob Marquette led the credit union for 31 years, overseeing an increase in assets from $400 million to more than $3.6 billion.

Following losses in 2014, the $22 million-asset PCCU has turned a profit for the last two years and was in the black for Q1 2017 and will pay a $400,000 special dividend back to its members as part of the deal.

Sellers may shy away from partnering with banks that rely too heavily on one individual for their success, so buyers must show they are ready to handle unexpected departures or illnesses involving key personnel.

The world is divided into those who pursue popular decisions that are more likely to fail and those who go against the crowd and end up having the last laugh.

American card processor has a deal for its British counterpart; after passing Fed tests, banks still stressed by weak lending, low interest rates.

CUNA CFO Council announces excellence awards and more credit union professionals in the news.

The credit union saw assets grow by 12.6 percent at the end of May, as it climbs ever-closer to the $5 billion-asset mark.

New and used auto lending broke records, while HELOCs and second mortgages reached levels not seen since 2012.

Rebecca Reynolds Lytle will take the helm of the Bay Area CU on July 17.

Rice is retiring after more than 18 years of service and turns the reins over to the CU's vice president and compliance officer.

Apologies to those yearning for escapism, but it is hard to escape turmoil — in financial services, in the economy and in civilization — in this year’s reading list. That said, these weighty topics promise to stimulate the mind: How AI will disrupt employment; dystopian imaginings and real-life histories of societal shifts; the necessity of collaboration; bitcoin’s path from obscurity to relevance; the need for leaders to make sacrifices; and more. Recommendations are courtesy of American Banker readers, editorial staff and BankThink contributors.

Enabling peers to compare notes will help ID management specialists at regional, midtier banks who face the same requirements as large banks but command smaller operating budgets, IDPro’s founder says.

The New York regulator's move is aimed at giving credit unions more opportunities to recruit new members and serve existing members.

A look at how credit unions can help boost business with Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms.

Readers criticized a credit union securitization proposal, weighed in on scaling back the CFPB’s complaint database, debated the need for banks to examine gender-based salary comparisons, and more.