Entrepreneur’s wisdom about relationships transcends industries

By Richard Miller, Executive Vice President

Accurate and upfront communications are key to long-standing account holder relationships. Delivering on your promise—whether at the brand or product and service level—lays a foundation of trust and reinforces value. Read how a retail and entrepreneurial legend parlayed these principles into the sale of his company to Warren Buffet.

Finding fulfillment in your work

Here are a few pieces of insight from an expert on connecting people.  Kim Kreps, one of our executive search directors, shares feedback on making the perfect match!

Don’t be complacent about the unintended consequences of raising fees

If your performance improvement plan includes raising your overdraft fees in 2017, have you fully considered the potential income and compliance consequences tied to this move? Learn how providing value and reliable service with a reasonably priced, fully disclosed overdraft solution can benefit your bank or credit union. Higher fees will only decrease program usage and lower volume to actually lower your income.

By Cheryl Lawson, EVP-Compliance Review

Where do your account holders turn in a financial emergency?

When account holders are struggling to make ends meet and experience a temporary shortfall, they appreciate knowing that their financial institution has their back to help them pay their expenses. Learn how a fully-disclosed overdraft program can provide peace of mind to your account holders when they sail through temporary rough financial waters.

By Cheryl Lawson, EVP-Compliance Review

Fairness, Convenience and Compliance are the Benchmarks of Overdraft Protection

New statistics released by the Federal Reserve in December speak loudly to the growth in non-cash payments – nearly 90 billion transactions by check or credit card in 2015, or about 60% of all occurrences. The volume creates strong non-interest income opportunities for financial institutions, and highlights the need to add or adapt an overdraft protection program. Learn how a fully-disclosed program anchored in fairness, convenience and compliance can be a win-win for consumers and financial institutions. 

Becoming CEO in our industry can be an anxious time for a new leader, as well as the staff that he or she is set to lead. No matter how much industry experience a person brings to the table, settling into a new leadership role requires learning a different set of procedures, stepping into a unique work environment, and establishing trust with a new board, staff and account holders. Learn how you can help set the stage for achieving success with your onboarding program. 

In today’s competitive environment, a drop in service quality can have long-term negative implications. A disappointing experience can make an impact on your loyalty and retention stats and much more—the details of the slip up can go viral at the touch of an “enter” key. Learn how all employees can help strengthens customer satisfaction, long-term loyalty and new business opportunities.

By Mark Roe, National Sales Director

There are a lot of circumstances that affect an institution's performance in today’s ever-changing environment, many of which are beyond your control. But there are plenty of ways to achieve better overall financial and account holder service results by taking a look at how your institution operates. Learn how an objective study of your processes and procedures can clarify areas for improvement and reveal a silver lining that can positively impact your bottom line.

By Mark Roe, National Director

As speed and convenience demands increase for transacting business with financial institutions, there is always a question of how you are going to meet those demands. Technology plays a key role is meeting these demands, knowing which technology is the right fit for your organization is not always easy.

3 KEY AREAS WHERE EXPENSE MANAGEMENT CAN MAXIMIZE PERFORMANCE

By Mark Roe, National Director

As costs rise due to increased regulatory expectations and advancements in technology, on top of your convenient locations and skilled workforce, the prospect of expense reduction might seem daunting. If your financial institution is looking for ways to reduce expenses without jeopardizing your service quality these options could be the solution you are seeking.

By Charles Shanley, SPHR, CFS

Maintaining account holder trust is essential in today’s competitive environment. But this can be more difficult when reports surface of ethical missteps at a major U.S. bank involving sales tactics that open millions of phony accounts in the names of unsuspecting consumers. Learn the four steps your institution can take to ensure you are hiring leadership candidates who will maintain the highest business standards, and build a culture of trust and transparency for your employees and account holders.

By Richard Miller, Executive Vice President

Regulators continue to scrutinize the impact that non-disclosed financial products and services have on consumers, financial institutions need to re-evaluate their eligibility parameters. If your current overdraft solution or courtesy pay program is undisclosed or its usage is based on a complicated matrix that unfairly impacts certain account holders, you could be at risk.  Learn how to alleviate compliance concerns and more.

At first glance, Call Report data between 2012 and 2015 paints a rosy picture of the increased number of credit union checking accounts. But as earnings continued to lag during the same time frame, the growth in account numbers is overshadowed by an income loss of $1.70 per account per month - or $1.168 billion industry wide. While new income sources remain scarce and costs for compliance and technology are expected to increase, learn how you can make the most of continued growth in membership potential with a results-driven overdraft program.