Commentary

If the industry pundits are right, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) may become the next big boon for credit unions - fueling new deposits, spurring cross-selling opportunities, and attracting new members. Some have compared the emergence of the HSA to the advent of the IRA, with others projecting as much as...

By now, most credit unions are beginning to realize the value of keeping their credit card portfolios. Fewer credit unions treat their credit cards as orphans and steadily greater numbers of credit unions have created Card Services and Electronic Services departments. In this day and age of emerging electronic payment...

What a difference a year makes. From mid-2003 to mid-2004, when the fed funds rate remained at 1%, credit unions were flush with liquidity. And many worked to successfully position their balance sheets to take advantage of this historic increase in available funds, as evidenced by record credit union balances....

I think it's time for the credit union world to have an intervention, that is, no-holds barred look at what's happening now and what might happen if we don't take action to stem the diminishing number of credit unions. Credit unions today are coming to grips with the bottom-line realities...

Safety is most often a state of mind. If we think we're safe, then certainly we must be safe, regardless of the danger lurking within the next iceberg. Who can blame us? With phishing, pharming and virus attacks working on our psyches like water rising in the Titanic's engine room,...

"The profit is in the turn." This statement is at the core of the automotive remarketing business. It speaks directly to getting a used vehicle ready for sale quickly and not waiting around for a sale event. Those who embrace this notion are likely very successful and profitable movers of...

Editor's Introduction: Former NCUA Chairman turned consultant Dennis Dollar is a lifelong resident of the Gulf Coast. This gives him a unique perspective on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the devastated Gulf Coast. He shares his thoughts in this special opinion piece. We say to Dennis, thanks for sharing,...

Asking members to log on to an unprotected Web site is like sending unwary sheep on a route that winds through a valley occupied by mountain lions. Some who take that route may come out unscathed, but it's likely that at least a few will get fleeced. Logging on to...