Commentary

This week's announcement by DFCU Credit Union's officials put an abrupt halt to the largest bank conversion ever attempted. The "power of one" began with one member who sought advice and direction on how to form an opposition group. She helped form a group that would later be accused of...

The credit union industry may not realize it yet, but the lid has been knocked off of Pandora's Box. Through a gaping flaw in credit union governance rules, a miniscule fraction of a credit union's membership can hijack the institution and thwart the will of the majority. The larger the...

As reported in the April 12 edition of Credit Union Times, I participated in a panel discussion on credit union conversions at the University of North Carolina School of Law's Banking Institute a couple of weeks ago. Others on the panel included Diane Casey-Landry, CEO of American Community Bankers, John...

When it comes to credit union mergers, there has never been a better time than now to consider this possible activity as a strategic option for future growth and profitability. Pressure on margins, regulatory growth limits, eroding capital, upcoming changes in merger accounting rules, and the anticipated flood of retiring...

For so many years the manner in which products and services delivered by credit unions to members was based on whether or not they were "core" or "incidental" to the business of credit unions. If a credit union desired to earn income in excess of their actual expense they were...

One of the essential issues regarding credit union conversions to mutual savings banks is the matter of fairness. Few would likely object to any credit union action where the members were fully informed of the consequences and consented to the action with eyes wide open. So how do we know...

Sometimes, it pays to get back to basics. The long-standing credit union motto "not for profit, not for charity, but for service" is a relevant and very useful tool to use as credit unions move forward into the 21st century. Since their inception nearly 100 years ago, America's credit unions...

Dedicated to the defense and promotion of the dual chartering system, NASCUS works to preserve the charter choice. The strength and health of the credit union system, both state and federal, rely on the preservation of the principles of the dual chartering system. Dual chartering gives credit unions the option...