Posted by CUES member Matt Jones

An opportunity to increase member wealth developed out of a primary credit union need. Superior Credit Union is a $23 million SEG- based CU in Montgomery County outside of Philadelphia. Studies showed the need to better serve members in western Montgomery County due to 40 percent of the membership living along a corridor 15 miles from the main office. A branch was needed to serve member habits and stop erosion from competition.

By Ted L. Thames, CCE

Today we focus on questions 6 through 9, some our trickier questions. While all 10 are vital to your credit union's strategic direction, this is where things can get a little bit more personal. Try to set individual and functional agendas aside—and place members and long-term plans at the fore as you forge ahead.

Posted by Christopher Stevenson

By Ron Woodbury, CCE

Short of combat, there's nothing quite like designing, building, and moving a team across a bridge while blindfolded for getting you to look deep inside yourself for ways to improve your effectiveness as a leader and mentor.

Posted by Christopher Stevenson

Posted by Christopher Stevenson

This past weekend, I happened across this article on Yahoo News about the number of people in the United States who don't use traditional financial institutions. It came as no surprise to me (and probably won't surprise the people who read this blog) that many people don't have bank accounts and use check cashers instead. But something caught my attention in the article.

By Ted L. Thames, CCE

In early June, I posted a series of 10 key questions that credit union leaders need to be thinking and talking about. About a week later, I examined in more detail the first three. Today we look at questions 4 and 5.

Posted by Christopher Stevenson

Thanks to Steve Williams' February post in GonzoBanker, I have a new favorite blog. Bank Deals shines a light on some of the best rates available for savings, checking, money market accounts, and CDs. Scrolling down through the posts is a bit like watching a heated bidding contest at an auction. Just when you think the numbers can't get much higher, they edge up a little bit more.

Posted by Christopher Stevenson

Tom Wujec, the opening speaker for CUES Annual Convention, shared a picture of a sign in a Taipei manufacturing facility that says, "Pretend to innovate and lose." Of all the great ideas and unique perspectives shared over the three days at the conference, that image stands out as one of the most important messages for today's credit unions.

Posted by Lisa Hochgraf with lots of help from Mary Arnold and Christopher Stevenson

If you want to set yourself apart, identify members'  pain points, and remedy them.

I got to thinking about pain relief because of a wonderful experience I had recently at one of Rochester's much-loved Wegman's grocery stores. The pain-relief dialog I might have had with the grocer goes something like this: