CU*South’s mission to support the credit union industry by offering not just the best services and products on the market, but through ownership in this CUSO to the benefit of both the company and the member-owners it serves, was celebrated this month with the announcement of a four percent declared dividend for shareholders.

Fairhope, Alabama — December 29, 2011  Capping the end of what CEO  Leo Vaulin calls “a remarkable year,” credit union core processer CUSO CU*South, Inc. announced its Board of Directors has approved a 4% dividend on all outstanding shares of Class A common stock.  Additionally, CU*South increased its retained earnings by 54%.

“This is a significant milestone in the growth of CU*South,” says CEO Leo Vaulin.  “The Board felt it made an important statement of support for our industry, especially for a CUSO competing against publicly-traded and privately-held firms that return nothing
to their customers.”

The CUSO structure was chosen as CU*South’s business model because it invites participation by the “member-owners” who use its products and services. Member-owners contribute to the development of the products, with the option to build equity in the company and recognize a return on their investment.  A strong and vocal supporter of the credit union industry, CU*South provides in-house and online core processing, online and mobile banking, and well as managed services such as back-office accounting, lending, collections, information technology, marketing, and management consulting for credit unions.

“2011 has been a remarkable year,” Vaulin states.  “We increased our members served by 69%, and our users served by almost 85%.”

Ownership in the CUSO is open to all credit unions using CU*South’s software or services.

“We price our shares at a reasonable rate,” says Mr. Vaulin, “and we’re organized under a
one-share-one-vote model to ensure equal participation by credit unions both large and small.”

CU*South is a member-owned, credit union service organization. Our products, services and efforts are all aimed toward one goal; supporting the credit union industry by serving members. If you would like to know more about our core processing software, or managed services, please give us a call at 800-293-7554, ext 647.

CU*South’s CUSO network provides an affordable, effortless solution for professionally marketing our client-owners’ CU’s products and services.

Using these CU*Base marketing plans,  our credit unions can select and set up their marketing for the entire upcoming year. Even better, one of the most successful options is free.

The CU*OverDrive program offers a complete strategy that markets the CU*Base products and services in a series of consistent, professionally designed campaigns – 8 per year – that provide:

•  Lobby posters
• Inserts and Onserts
• Electronic messages
• Web banner/Web badge
• Facebook text
• Twitter text

That’s the basic program; CU*OverDrive also has plans that allow individual campaigns anytime during the year, and options to customize your marketing.

The free option?  Quarterly contest-based campaigns offered through the network are completely free, less the cost of printing. Even the prizes are provided.

These free quarterly campaigns are exceptionally effective, as the stats for last year show:

• The EasyPay contest saw an average increase of 14.67% in members using this service
• The Email contest increased the number of members who volunteered their email addresses by an average of 51.62%
• The Mobile Banking contest resulted in an average 27.22% more members using this option
• The E-statement contest had an average of 65.46% growth of members signing up for E-statements

It’s easy to see why we believe so strongly in this network-generated solution; it works. Providing comprehensive, professional marketing plans within the network means costs are kept down, while meeting the needs of our credit unions with high quality materials.

Best of all, it’s easy. In one visit to the CU*OverDrive website, you can register and set up all your marketing for the entire year. That means:

•  A vital strategic planning item accomplished
• It’s automated – your campaigns arrive ready to
  go, on a preset schedule
• The cost (less printing and shipping) is fixed
  in your budget for the year
• You can show your board exactly how the credit
  union will be promoted and marketed in 2012

This CU*OverDrive brochure, as well as the website provides full details on pricing,  the 2012 campaigns and free contests, and those of previous years. You can see exactly what you are signing up for, and so can your board members!

We really encourage our client-owners to take a look at the program, and hope they will sign up for the free quarterly contests while considering how  CU*OverDrive’s plans would benefit their credit union.

The CU*OverDrive site is running a Thanksgiving special offering substantial
savings if you sign up before November 24.

 *Do you CUSO? We are member-owned and commited to offering the best products and services available, to build credit unions and support our industry. To find out more about CU*South, CU*Base core software, or our Managed Services in accounting, lending and collections for credit unions, please contact mbohdanyk@cusouth.com or call 800-293-7554 ext 647

]]> http://www.cusouth.com/2011/11/cusouth-credit-unions-enjoy-affordable-automated-marketing-options-for-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.cusouth.com/2011/10/msecu-teams-with-cusouth-to-lower-delinquency-by-71/ http://www.cusouth.com/2011/10/msecu-teams-with-cusouth-to-lower-delinquency-by-71/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:34:10 +0000 eparker http://www.cusouth.com/?p=1056 Continue reading →]]>  

A collaborative effort with CU*SOUTH’s Managed Services Collections and Lending has dramatically lowered MSECU’s delinquency rate, recovered a substantial amount of money and preserved member relationships with the credit union.

 Fairhope, AL.  October 11, 2011 – In the space of one year, Massachusetts State Employees Credit Union has seen its delinquency rate drop to 1.68% from  5.88%  through a joint effort with CU*SOUTH’s Managed Services Collections and Lending.  The team, which included MSECU’s  Ed Connors, Susan Killory, Fred Connor, Bob McDonald and Claire Sheehan,  worked with CU*SOUTH’s Rebecca Weemes to additionally recover over $65,ooo in charged-off credit card and consumer loans.

Equally important to MSECU’s goal of lowered delinquencies was the credit union’s ability to collect on the loan but not lose the member, an approach emphasized by CU*SOUTH.

“We are first and foremost member-oriented,” noted Rebecca Weemes, manager of MSCL. “We work for the credit union, and the credit union is the members. Restoring the member to good standing and redeeming the delinquency can’t be separated.”  Lack of communication often leaves members unaware of the credit union’s policies available to offer assistance in a hardship situation, said Weemes.

“One of the first things we do with the credit union is to identify struggling members who fit the credit union’s criteria for deferments, rewrites, modifications or other aid,” Weemes stated. “We can get some immediate relief, both for the member and the credit union, right from the start.”

Managed Services Collections and Lending has developed and refined an artisan approach to helping members, described by Weemes as “…completely unlike the disinterested, call-quota method used by third party collectors. It is remarkably effective in recovering loans and payments, and putting your member back in good standing.”

Managed Services Collections and Lending specializes in lowering delinquencies with particular emphasis on preserving member relationships, and can show you how to  successfully restore your  loan department to good financial health. For more information, please contact Rebecca Weemes: rweemes@cusouth.com or call:            (616) 977 -8100 ext. 600.

CU*SOUTH is offering assistance to all credit unions threatened by Hurricane Irene.  As of noon Friday, August 26, Irene was a Category 2 hurricane with wind gusts of 125 mph.  Its projected track showed it impacting the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine.

CU*SOUTH’s staff are all too familiar with the danger of hurricanes.  “Katrina had the most devastating effect on credit unions,” says CU*SOUTH’s CEO Leo Vaulin.  “We saw CU’s who lost their buildings and data processing systems running their credit unions out of the back of pickup trucks, handing out emergency cash to members on a trust basis.  That’s a lesson I’ll never forget.”

“We don’t expect anything like this from Irene,” Vaulin continues.  “But CU’s need to be prepared for the consequences of disruptions to infrastructure.  In 1999, Hurricane Floyd flooded a major data communications hub, disrupting EFT activity throughout the NY/NJ area.  Only a small percentage of ATM’s and point-of-sale terminals were operational  – so if you had no cash, you were stuck.”

“Communications are the key,” says Mark Bohdanyk, Director of Business Development.  “Alert your members to stock up on cash – just in case.  Folks in low-lying areas, including New York, are being warned to prepare to evacuate – and adequate cash is important in the event there’s a disruption in the EFT networks.”

CU*SOUTH and CUSO partner Xtend are offering to get the word out to members.  “We can provide both outbound and inbound Call Center services,” says Vaulin.  “After Katrina, a number of credit unions took advantage of this option to re-establish contact with their members.  We had excess capacity, and were happy to make it available to help.  You don’t have to be a current CU*SOUTH customer – our goal is to help all credit unions.”

In addition, Vaulin offers the following recommendations:

1. Pre-post all warehoused ACH credits by end-of-day Friday.
2. Make arrangements with your data processor to handle ACH, draft, payroll, bill pay, and other batch processing in the event your CU cannot open on Monday after the storm.
3. Send electronic alerts to all members with e-mail accounts to update member to CU availability, any known problems, and alternatives to getting cash.
4. Leave a message on your voice-response system to provide the same information.
5. Update your website’s home page.
6. If your CU participates in shared branching, remind your members of this alternative – but call ahead to make sure that other shared branching outlets will be open.

Any credit union that wishes to take advantage of CU*SOUTH’s offer of support – either before , or after, the storm – should contact Mark Bohdanyk, Director of Business Development, at 800-293-7554 x647, or e-mail mbohdanyk@cusouth.com.   “If you’re interested in Call Center support, we ask you to call as early as possible,” says Bohdanyk.  “We will do our best to accommodate credit unions on a first-come-first-served basis.”

Credit unions already using CU*SOUTH’s CU*BASE core processing software should contact Client Services at 800-293-7554 Option 1, to make arrangements for emergency operations and back office support, as well as e-Alerts, CU*TALK custom text-to-speech messages, website alerts, and Xtension Call Center services.

Find it here: http://www.cusouth.com/wp-content/uploads/Adverse_Action.pdf

Our lobby atrium overlooks the peaceful, wooded Stonebrook Executive Park.

Leo Vaulin,  our CEO,  is delighted to announce the purchase of a 11,000 square foot office building on the Stonebrook campus in Fairhope, Alabama. The deal closed in early winter, and we’ve been renovating and sprucing up ever since.

“As more credit unions select CU*SOUTH for their core data processing and Managed Services, we have experienced a rapidly growing need for additional space to house our staff and provide conference and training facilities for our clients and owners,” Vaulin says. The new building will support upwards of 40 staffers, in line with CU*South’s continued addition of more employees in response to the growth.

CU*South will double the number of credit union members served by CU*Base and Managed Services offerings by the end of 2011.

CU*South’s Managed Services division, headed by VP Roxanne Bradley, was created out of the expressed need of several short-staffed credit unions for more hands-on back office, accounting, compliance, lending and collections support. “The response has been phenomenal,” commented Bradley. “We are really partnered with our credit union clients in providing mentoring and training, as well as these services.”

The client-partnership focus of CU*South was a major factor in the selection of the new office space.

“We have two training and conference rooms we are renovating to not only serve CU*South’s needs, but to make available to our CUSO family of credit unions,” Vaulin emphasized. “We want them to think of it as a remote office when they need a larger space to accommodate meetings or training.” Ten minutes south of I-10, on Mobile’s scenic Eastern Shore, the new location is convenient for local clients and easy for new ones to find.

The amenities provided by Mobile Bay and the Eastern Shore communities will also appeal to CU*South’s out-of-town clients; meetings in the daytime on our serene, wooded campus and delicious local seafood at night…with perhaps an afternoon carved out for a round of golf or boating!

The building has four suites to accommodate the growth Vaulin, Bradley and Director of Business Development Mark Bohdanyk have forecast for CU*South. The suites which needed the least work will be ready in June for the move, with one still undergoing renovation and another occupied by a short-term tenant.

With the current Mobile office bursting at the seams, all of us at CU*South are anxious to get moved into our beautiful new building!

To find out more about our exceptional Data Processing platform, or Managed Services, please contact Director of Business Development Mark Bohdanyk, 1-800-293-7554 (email mbohdanyk@cusouth.com) or VP Roxanne Bradley, 1-800-293-7554 (email rbradley@cusouth.com)

The Kindle e-Reader

In keeping with CU*South’s positively evangelical dedication to the rapidly expanding “paperless” communications future, CU*South Sales Manager Mark Bohdanyk awarded two Kindle reading devices in a drawing at the Arkansas League Meeting last month in Hot Springs.

 CU*South exhibited to twenty-six credit unions during the meeting, and the Kindles were won by Sharon Hearnsberger, CEO of Henderson State University FCU and Casper Nehus, Board Member of Little Rock VA Credit Union. Congratulations!

“It’s a great way to introduce the concept of migrating tasks we associate with paper onto a digital device,” said Leo Vaulin, CEO of CU*South, in regard to the promotion. “It’s also easy and fun, for people who might be hesitant about new technologies beyond the standard cell phone functions they’ve grown comfortable using.”

Familiarity with an e-reader is one step closer to using “smart” phones and devices like iPads, and e-reader retailers Barnes and Noble are already building in broader applications to their Nook product.

CU*South’s emphasis on using paperless technology and online resources stems from Vaulin’s belief that online banking with the It’s Me 24/7 software levels the playing field for smaller credit unions to affordably provide more services to members in an application members are increasingly looking for.  

“We want to get our users comfortable with online banking, and the first step is winning over the managers. Once the managers discover how It’s Me 24/7 makes their lives easier, they want to make sure their members have this application, too,” Vaulin added. “And we help them do that.”  

To find out more about how CU*South can help your credit union with Mobile or Web Banking, Data Processing Services or our Managed Services division, call or email Mark Bohdanyk: 1-800-293-7554, or mbohdanyk@cusouth.com   

Chartered in 1936, EFFCU is located in New Jersey.

CU*South is delighted to announce our latest quarterly iPad winner, Jay Flanagan of Elizabeth Firemen’s Federal Credit Union!

We really do give these things away, and with pleasure. The iPad is a perfect way to run the It’s Me! 24/7 mobile banking platform that we love so much. We think you’ll love it, too, when you see it in action.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter and you’ll be entered to win the iPad. Or enter via twitter by sending a direct message to @CUSouth. For more info about It’s Me! 24/7 or our other services, call us at 1-800-293-7554.

While serving as Controller for CU*South’s internal accounting department and managing human resources, Ms. Bradley also developed and implemented the highly successful Managed Services division.  Managed Services, as directed by Bradley, functions as the back office, accounting or collections department for credit unions — allowing managers to “co-source” the work to Bradley’s team, who focus the skills they’ve learned from our years of serving credit unions specifically toward these tasks. Understaffed credit unions, or those credit unions finding themselves in need of extra hands and experience, increasingly turn to CU*South’s Managed Services for temporary or long term help.

Bradley’s ten year career with CU*South has been highlighted by consistently excellent management and leadership talents.

Ms. Bradley’s objective in her new post is to provide mentoring and guidance to managers and staff, implement improved processes and methods to optimize workflow, and to create and develop strategies to help our business expand while continuing our CUSO-oriented focus on growing credit unions.

“My ten years of working with our credit unions has given me a sense of community that I think is the cornerstone of our business,” said Ms. Bradley. “I’m excited about further opportunities to help advance the CUSO vision for the company.”

Actual photo of Roxanne Bradley, whipping through tasks for her Managed Services clients.

Ms. Bradley has over 35 years of professional experience, from manufacturing and distribution to non-profit and city government. Her diverse and wide-ranging  knowledge makes her particularly qualified to lead our Client Services, Operations and Managed Services teams toward their goals and objectives during this very exciting growth phase at CU*South.

If you would like to know more about CU*South’s Managed Services Division, feel free to email Roxanne Bradley at rbradley@cusouth.com or call us at 1-800-293-7554.

Tweet me with some TMI.

Just this week, our Managed Services Collection’s star, Ashley Beard, put together a “best practices” handbook about utilizing social media — the public sharing of information that can greatly help credit unions in their skip tracing efforts — after researching the regulations and laws. If you’ve looked into it, you know what a feat that is; the governance is spread out in bits and pieces all across the internet. Ashley pulled it all together into one go-to document, tracked down some online training, and then put what she learned into practice as lead collector for our credit union, Tri-Rivers FCU of Montgomery.

We’ve mentioned Tri-Rivers quite a bit because of the outstanding results of our collabortion in collections –under the leadership of Managed Services Collections manager Rebecca Weemes, Tri-Rivers was reporting .59% delinquency on their 5300 as of yesterday. This time last year, that number was 4.18% — not only a dramatic change worthy of much praise, but additionally they did it without dropping their average yield of 10.9%! 

We prefer to call it co-sourcing.

VP of Business Operations Roxanne Bradley has also revamped her baby, Back Office and Bookkeeping Services, in response to demand. What started as a small offering for a handful of our overworked credit unions to relieve some pressure on their staff has grown, under Roxanne’s management, into a thriving division that provides our credit union clients with 24/7 access to professional bookkeeping services and an expert staff with years of combined experience specifically honed in the credit union arena.

It’s particularly popular among managers, especially in smaller credit unions where the back office, daily balancing, accounting and other tasks often fall on their shoulders.

Like our successful Collections division, Back Office and Bookkeeping Services help our credit unions’ bottom lines. Co-sourcing is a perfect CUSO fit because we serve the needs of several clients at one time, and this saves credit unions money. We also know how to streamline the procedures and functions to do it quickly and efficiently.

Managed Services are also targeted, as they have been from day one, to fit the client and not the other way around.

That means CU*South can step in for an employee on leave, or one who is ill, on temporary assignment and in a specific capacity — or we can function as your back office or bookkeeper for as long as it meets your needs. That’s how our clients have directed the growth of Managed Services, and we’re sticking with it.

If you’d like to learn more about our Managed Services Division, we’d love to talk about what CU*South can do to help your credit union. Please email Roxanne Bradley at rbradley@cusouth.com or take a look: MS Back Office and Bookkeeping Services

If EWB has not been on your radar lately, and your credit union isn’t current on your EWB policy, we urge you to take some time with your EFT switch representative to make sure you understand the latest MasterCard and VISA regulations and mandates.

Be sure you understand the costs, as well as the benefits, of filing a EWB on a hot card.

We found that credit unions interpret the EWB rules in many different ways when hot-carding a member’s card.  Some use the strictest interpretation of MasterCard or VISA (“We issue bulletins every time, on every hot card!”,) and some use a far less intense approach (“We only issue bulletins if it is really obvious there is a fraud situation going on.”)

Those decisions have a big effect on how much your credit union pays for EWB services from VISA and MasterCard – it’s a trade-off between the added security of an EWB, and the daily cost to maintain a card on the EWB (please make sure that you know how much you’re paying for EWB – we’re seeing a cost of around $0.70 per card, per day.)

If you are on an automated system, your credit union might be better served by making these decisions on a case-by-case basis if costs are impacting your credit union’s bottom line — which impacts your members’ bottom line.

CU*SOUTH cannot advise you on this decision, but we can create a forum for sharing information between credit unions.

Do you CUSO? Join the conversation, or find out more about CU*South by giving us a call at 1-800-293-7554.

Mobile Postal Employee’s CU Activates Online Banking

The ability of technology to level the playing field for smaller credit unions made a big impact in February for 1,500 member Mobile Postal Employees Credit Union.

With assets of 12.8 million, credit union CEO Joyce Harrison was already operating on the CU*Base core processing system, with built-in capability to run the It’s Me 247! online banking platform (an included feature.) After surveying her members’ expectations, Mrs. Harrison requested that It’s Me 247! be switched on — which was accomplished by CU*South with literally one mouse click and no additional fees or charges.

The “virtual branch” created through digital technology is said by some in the industry to be on par with the introduction of ATMs a few decades ago. Yet it is not uncommon for small credit unions to assume the cost of providing online banking, not to mention adding this functionality to their system, puts it out of their reach.

Not so — the CU*Base core processing system comes enabled with It’s Me 247! as a standard feature, and its robust functionality allows members with access to a computer or smart phone to literally have access to the credit union all day, every day.

And rather than syphoning off members by putting them at a digital distance, the technology embeds the credit union into the daily routine of the member.

At CU*South, we feel every credit union — no matter what size – deserves to benefit from the tremendous advantages of member connection built by mobile technology. We provide it through our core processing system, CU*Base, and we’d love to talk to you about it. For more info about It’s Me 247!, the CU*Base system, our extensive Managed Services Division or for other topics please give us a call at: 1-800-293-7554.

Our partner and customer, Tri-Rivers Federal Credit Union, has tackled delinquencies with gusto and gotten great results.

Ashley Beard’s excellent work in CU*South’s Managed Services Collections division has been rewarded this month with a promotion from Collections Specialist I to Collections Specialist II.

“Her outstanding work, particularly with Tri-Rivers FCU, has contributed significantly to the success and expansion of the department,” noted CEO Leo Vaulin. CU*South’s Managed Services Collections Division is headed by Rebecca Weemes, whose unique approach of clear structure combined with in-depth personal attention has been extremely successful for CU*South’s clients.

“Ashley immediately understood the program Mrs. Weemes has developed,” Vaulin commented. “She took the ball and ran with it.”

Ashley Beard has an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science from Bishop State College, as well as a Bachelor’s of Arts in Education Technology from Jackson State. Beard’s technical skills, as well as specialization in education, have been put to very good use in her role as collector.

“She understands not only the CU*Base Collections system, but the intangible elements of dealing with people who are stressed and unresourceful,” noted Weemes. “That’s something you have to have a feel for — and it makes a huge difference in the success of your collections when you do!”

The staff and management at CU*South all send our most enthusiastic congratulations to Ashley, and appreciation for her dedicated work in a very challenging job.

 Friday, March 11th : “eSign and eOrganization: The Paperless Office”  

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, City County Credit Union

“Your credit union members are immersed in the digital world — is your credit union?” asks CU*South’s CEO Leo Vaulin. “With tools like Remote Capture for deposits and digitizing your statements, announcements and marketing, your members know you’re invested in the technology they’ve embraced as a big part of their lifestyle.”

But how do you start? Join us in Fort Lauderdale for lunch (it’s on us) and Ian Bouchett of eDOC Innovations will outline the benefits of the paperless office, the steps to take to get there, and how to use the latest digital tools to make your credit union more profitable, efficient and appealing to both existing members and the new demographic of e-enabled potential members.

If you are in Fort Lauderdale, we’d love to see you at Lunch and Learn and invite you to attend both it and our training. It’s on us. Check out our downloadable mailer for complete details: LunchandLearnMailer-LPV  For more information about the Know Your Member Analysis Tools, dashboarding, or Lunch and Learn give us a call: 1-800-293-7554

CU*South’s free upcoming training conference in Fort Lauderdale features two “Lunch and Learn” opportunities in March, the first of which is:

    Thursday, March 10th : “Dashboarding Puts You In The Driver’s Seat”  

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, City County Credit Union

Leo Vaulin, CEO of CU*South, will present this lunch-length intensive to show you how to use these tools many credit union decision makers overlook. Member analysis, reports (700 of them are free on CU*Base alone,) graphical translations and immediate information on lending and products can — when you know how to use them — dramatically expand your credit union’s growth.

 ”A credit union CEO can come in every morning and instantly know how the credit union is profiting and identify key indicators of its success,” says Vaulin. “The power of this immediate feedback allows a CEO or decision maker the flexibility to tailor his credit union’s responses or initiatives as soon as he or she catches a trend.” In the CU*Base platform, the dashboard is called “Know Your Member.”

The second tier of the  dashboard’s one-two punch is marketing. For example, a competitor might be luring your members away with a promotion or rate. The Know Your Member analysis can identify which members are taking their dollars where — and then allow you to deploy targeted marketing  with the click of a mouse. If these members had not known about your own great rates and programs before, Know Your Members allows you to get that information to them, fast. It also shows you how to better position (literally) the products members use every day, like ATMs, based on use and demographics.

A third benefit of a dashboarding tool like Know Your Members is the ability to pull graphical reports and clearly illustrated analysis to include in your board reports. No more dry financial text — your board will more easily grasp your presentation, which allows you to push forward with new business and strategies to meet the goals you’ve forecast for your credit union.

“Some CEOs or decision makers might put off learning to use their dashboard tools until they have more time,” notes Vaulin. “When in fact, it will save them time, money and wasted effort as soon as they start using it.” Learn it over lunch in Fort Lauderdale! 

If you are in Fort Lauderdale, we’d love to see you at Lunch and Learn and invite you to attend both it and our training. It’s on us. Check out our downloadable mailer for complete details: LunchandLearnMailer-LPV  For more information about the Know Your Member Analysis Tools, dashboarding, or Lunch and Learn give us a call: 1-800-293-7554

Just sixteen months ago, TriRivers Federal Credit Union of Montgomery, Alabama was struggling with a 3.68% delinquency rate. Today, that number has fallen to just 1.31 % through the collaborative efforts of CU*South of Mobile, and TriRivers FCU. CU*South is a CUSO, or Credit Union Service Organization and is headquartered in Mobile.

“We’ve met TriRivers’ collections goal by taking a uniquely personal approach,” announced CU*South’s CEO Leo Vaulin. “There is no substitute for taking a sincere interest in each and every member who is struggling, grasping that member’s situation, and consistently relaying that to the credit union in terms of a workable solution.”

Mrs. Rebecca Weemes, Manager of CU*South’s Managed Services Collections Division with thirty years of experience, is responsible for the innovative approach presented to TriRivers FCU in October of 2009 which has resulted in the significant drop in delinquencies. At the time, some of the accounts required “triage” while others were righted with a combination of clear, concise policies, additional training and staffing, and Weemes’ personal dedication to understanding the member’s individual circumstances.

In addition to rewriting the credit union’s RBLP, Weemes also updated existing VR HELOC contracts within the CU*Base platform, and developed additional policies for future lending. TriRivers’ own Collection Manager, Angie Fulmer, has worked tirelessly with Weemes to learn and implement the new procedures for improving collections.

Assisting Mrs. Weemes with turn-around at TriRivers is Ms. Ashley Beard of CU*South. Ms. Beard is the main collector, working closely Fulmer.

“Ashley’s mission from the start was to treat every member with respect and personal attention, and to build a relationship with them,” notes Vaulin. “She skillfully acts as a facilitator between the member and the credit union’s collections department, developing a success strategy for both and mapping out the way to get there.”

Beard’s experience and insight into the causes of delinquency at TriRivers have contributed to the ongoing success of the collaboration, and the ultimate goal of restoring all delinquent accounts, and members, back to good standing.

And thus, the Events Page was developed. On it, you’ll find almost a year’s worth of data of where we will be and when, as well as links to more information where applicable about the events.

For instance, for those in the Florida region, we’ve just announced our Credit Union Educational Conference being hosted by City County Credit Union. It will be a two day event with catered lunch for all attendees, where tons of topics useful to your credit union will be discussed. Check it out under the March section of the Events Page. Did I mention it’s free? No?

Well that’s exactly what it is.  Seating is limited, so you will need to RSVP to secure your spot.  Learn more about it here or register here.

More information will be coming soon, watch for it!

Here’s our top recommendations of ‘must-reads’ from around the Blogosphere:

1. Top Human Resources columns of 2010.
This link talks about contracts, health care, benefits, measuring human capital and overtime notes.

2. The Top 10 Posts of 2010 from CUNAVerse.
If you haven’t checked out CUNAverse, you are doing yourself a disservice. Our good friend Josh Jones posts over there, and we have to say the quality of material they pump out for free for credit unions to use can’t be beat.

3. NAFCU’s Compliance Blog.
I can’t say enough about how phenomenal this free blog is. It’s so good, I’d pay to read the advice here, but don’t tell them that (I like to save money!).

This does NOT represent all the fantastically helpful blogs out there, it’s just a kickstart for your day and the tip of the iceberg. Have blogs you’d like to share? Let us know!

The holidays are a hectic time of the year, both for members and for staff of credit unions. Staff is usually working to make sure that everything goes smoothly for those members doing their last-minute shopping.

One of the ways that your CUSO supports your staff is to offer FREE ACH and Draft Exception Processing on the days around the holidays. This is an initiative spearheaded to help credit unions that plan to be closed or would like to give back office staff the day off on Christmas Eve, the Monday following Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the Monday following.

Our prices are low to begin with for these days: $75/day for processing both items; but we’re gifting this service to all of our credit unions. That’s a $300.00 value, for

FREE

. Another example of CU*South service.
When is the last time YOUR Data Processor did that for you and your staff?
Contact Us to see how else we can help your Credit Union grow!

I own a couple of dogs now and have shared an abode with canine companions for as far back as I can remember so I felt sure going into it that I would enjoy Mark Jaffe’s recent article for BNET.com entitled “Things You Can Learn From a Dog That Will Help Your Career”. Sure enough, the piece was chock full of enlightening and entertaining tidbits that we can all take away with us to make our own jobs and careers more doggone (pun intended!) rewarding. In a nutshell, here’s what Mr. Jaffe has observed:

1. Waking up a sleeping dog is not a big deal to the dog. He lives for the experience and is ready to go at a moment’s notice. That level of energy is what we should always be bringing to the table when we’re on the job.

2. A dog will circle and circle before lying down and settling in but if you have to make him move, he’s not going to be too upset about it. Adaptability is key…life is not static and neither is your career. Be ready for change and embrace it when it comes.

3. You can talk ABOUT a dog all day long and he doesn’t care…it’s what you say TO a dog that makes the difference. He’s not interested in your opinion of him as long as you treat him fairly and with respect. Getting caught up in office gossip and politics can derail a promising future…if we show everyone respect we can be assured that it will be reciprocated.

4. Dogs aren’t hung up on appearances or images. They’re interested in results. If we’re spending all of our time posturing and jockeying for position, how much can we hope to accomplish on the job or contribute toward our goals?

5. Loyalty is the watchword for dogs. They live to do your bidding…and they’d do more if they had opposable thumbs! Our jobs are certainly a means to enhance and develop our experience but employers are interested in what we can do for them, not the other way around, so keeping the self-aggrandizement to a minimum will serve us well.

6. Dogs put everything to the sniff test. We can benefit from doing this on a less literal scale in our own careers…if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. We have to learn to trust our instinct.

Of course all dogs don’t fit the mold and I don’t think Mark Jaffe was trying to say that we should roll over and play dead, but being Boss’ Best Friend as it relates to job performance seems to be a goal worth retrieving.

This is especially slick if your credit union happens to be using a national shared branching network like FSCC or CUSC


Click here to download the app

Does your data processor invite you to participate in a discussion where YOU get to shape the future of your software based on feedback from CEOs?

Don’t have time to look at all 33?

Check out the new ones…

Debit Card Round Up
Announced officially with this release

Importing Transaction Files and Posting Them Via Direct Mail
New Feature

EasyPay Comparison (Fiserv versus iPay)
New comparison

Privacy Controls
Documents all Privacy features including new ones with this release (Code word and out-of-wallet question)

And the ones that have had significant rewrites with this release:
Automated Funds Transfer/Check Funds Transfer
Great updates for creating AFTs – in CU*BASE and online, semi-monthly AFTs

Effective Dating for Member Transactions
Effective dated transfers

It’s Me 247 Strategies for Controlling Member Access
A lot of new security features

Mortgage Products: 360-Day Interest Calculation
Mortgage payoffs, AFT changes

]]> http://www.cusouth.com/2010/10/10-3-is-coming-get-the-inside-scoop-here/feed/ 0 http://www.cusouth.com/2010/10/subscribe-to-our-newsletter-win-an-ipad/ http://www.cusouth.com/2010/10/subscribe-to-our-newsletter-win-an-ipad/#comments Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:45:05 +0000 Mark Bohdanyk http://www.cusouth.com/?p=611

There are three ways to enter; see us and give us a business card, follow us on twitter (cusouth) and send us a direct message with your name, CU name and email address, or go to the contact us page of the website, fill out the information and include your CU’s name in the comments box.  That enters you into a quarterly giveaway for a free iPad!

First up, we will be at the eDoc Innovations users’ meeting October 18th-20th.  eDoc Innovations is one of our integrated partners for our core processing software, CU*BASE.  They provide superior electronic document strategies for a majority of our credit unions.  You’ll find their staff is professional, knowledgeable and they can help your credit union meet your goals for document retention.

After that, we’ll be visiting credit unions in beautiful Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  We’re always appreciative of getting out that way, as the people are friendly and the food is fantastic.  We’ll be out that direction for roughly a week, but then it’s back to the big show of fall:

The 2010 LSCU Development Conference is set in beautiful Point Clear, AL this year and looks to concentrate on credit unions and their visions for the future.  Since we collaborate with credit unions as our business partners and owners instead of the traditional vendor/client model, you can imagine that we have a lot to contribute to that conversation.  We try to build forward thinking into our very business model itself.  Look for our booth #313 in the exhibition hall and register for your chance to win an iPad!

Last, but most definitely not least, is this year’s CEO Strategies conference in Grand Rapids, MI.  Two days of insider tips of how to use CU*BASE to leverage your management of staff in your credit union, followed by a full day of roundtable discussion between CEOs as a unique opportunity to place problems up for discussions and receive real answers on how to tackle them.  This is open to any CU*Base CEO.  Contact Mark Bohdanyk via the Contact Us page of the website if you would like to register for this event, November 10-12th.

We’ve compiled our “most asked” topics into one area for our clients and prospective clients.

Docs and Information about CU*Base Gold:

 The Kitchen - What’s cooking with the software.

CU*BASE Reference – Documentation on the program itself; very extensive.

CU*BASE Gold Help – This is our live, searchable help system. (Remember, it’s also accessible from within every screen of the program as well as defines each field.)

Release Summaries – The last 12 years of release summaries for the software. Our updates are free.

Peer Analysis - A sample of credit unions using CU*BASE.

Education
CU*South Education
On-Demand Video Training

Disaster Recovery
Disaster Recovery
DR Test Results

Due Diligence in Evaluation:
AuditLink Risk Management Report Generator

“ We found that credit unions were paying a high premium for attorneys’ services, yet they weren’t getting results in a timely manner, “ explained Ms. Weemes.  “Our team works with the credit union to impose a higher degree of accountability on attorneys.  We were finding legal accounts with no action for six months or more.  Through aggressive management, we work to ensure that the attorneys are performing in a timely, consistent, and profitable manner for the credit unions.”

Helping to pilot the program is James Dill, CEO of Tri-Rivers FCU and a member of CU*South’s Board of Directors.  Mr. Dill and Ms. Weemes developed a joint operating agreement authorizing Ms. Weemes to contact the credit union’s attorneys at any time for information on all legal actions and bankruptcies.

Twice a month, CU*South’s Collection Managed Services follows up on each legal account and prepares a customized report showing a history of all activity, from the date the account is sent to the attorney, through the time the account is paid in full, as well as the accumulated cost of collection.   Monthly, quarterly, and annual reports will be compiled for the credit unions and their boards.

“Our goal is to keep the attorneys on schedule, and make sure the credit union is getting a decent return on legal fees,” says Ms. Weemes.  “We want to make sure that the fees are commensurate with the likely recoveries.  It can be difficult for a smaller credit union to keep up with standard market rates for legal work.  With the collective experience of our CUSO, we can advise on standard market rates, and even assist the credit union in finding a better relationship if an attorney isn’t performing.”

Some of our standard Bookkeeping services include:
• Maintaining General Ledgers & Subsidiary Ledgers
• Working daily ACH/Draft exceptions
• Posting daily settlement entries
• Reconciling debit card settlements
• Reconciling corporate and other bank accounts
• Dividend calculations and accruals

We are available for any assignment, long term or temporary, and will be happy to provide a quote for services, whether they be daily back office routines or more involved financial reporting and reconciliation projects.

Rebecca speaks highly of her choice in software to assist in the location of “runaway” members found within most accounts receivables delinquency, but cautions, “You have to know how to use the tools, develop a sense of urgency, passion, and determination to find person in today’s collections market.” With 30 years experience, Ms. Weemes has the experience to back up the other side of the equation.

Skip Tracing is billed ala carte depending on which functions a lender or credit union wishes performed. Obtaining a phone number, address and location of collateral will cost just $250.00 per account. Clients on the CUSO-owned CU*BASE data processing system will receive the same comprehensive suite of services for just $50.00 per account!
“Our offering will be all information available and necessary to locate the member, worked on and followed up by individuals,” Ms. Weemes continued. “Results so far have shown over an 80% success rate in locating members to set up payments, repossess collateral or addresses and work information to file suit.”

Bohdanyk earned this designation by completing a three year engagement with CUNA’S Management School in Madison, WI.  Reportedly, the average completion time for the CCUE program is generally 7 years, with an overall completion rate of only 10 percent.  Developed in 1975, the CCUE program teaches advanced credit union management and operations techniques.

According to Bohdanyk, he is excited to join this elite group of only 2,665 other professionals, and looks forward to applying his knowledge and expertise to working with CU*South’s credit union clients.

Download Press Release

Ashley comes to Collections from an intense customer service background. Over the past 10 years, in Ashley’s words,” I have focused on delivering exceptional customer service to all clients”.
Having a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education Technology from Jackson State University, as well as well as her work as an ADA for students on campus gives Ashley skills in listening which is all important to any collection effort.

Working on campus in the Academic Affairs office, and as a computer support specialist lends Ashley to a well rounded education suited for the patience, persistence, and consistency necessary for any good collection specialist.
We welcome Ashley to CU*SOUTH and feel certain she will be valuable in the growth of Managed Services Collections and Lending Division.

Did you know that a large percentage of credit unions today qualify for low-income designation?  Not only that, but smaller credit unions have a fantastic resource that they may not even know about:  NCUA itself.  They provide EDS, or Economic Development Specialists to help your credit union with a variety of common functions.  The reason I mention low-income designation is because should your credit union have or obtain this designation, then it can be qualified to become a certified CDFI, or Community Development Financial Institution.

Why is this important?

Because CDFI does yearly grant rounds that can greatly increase your credit union’s capacity to serve its members.  From Technical Assistance grants to full-on initiative grants, the EDS can help you get certified AND help you with the grant proposal!

NCUA is currently sending its EDS personnel across the country doing educational workshops about regulations, current problems in the credit union industry, and creating a great roundtable discussion of strategic ways to help your credit union grow.

We attended to help spread ideas about collaboration, and I discussed Mad City Money with the attendees there during my time at the podium.

This is but yet another way we are committed to helping credit unions grow; being part of the conversation and helping credit unions to collaborate, share experiences and think bigger!

Ownership changes everything.

CU*South is a CUSO — a Credit Union Service Provider. We believe the way forward for our industry is partnership, networking and collaboration; combining our strengths to make the finest and most comprehensive services and technology available to all credit unions regardless of size.

Our member-owners not only use the most comprehensive, fully integrated core platform in the credit union industry — they direct its development. This means real users and credit union decision makers determine the features and enhancements they need to make their credit unions thrive.

Member-owners also have access to the powerful CU*BASE Member Analytics — easy to use dashboards and integrated marketing. These tools allow our credit unions to see their members as never before, so they can better retain members and attract new ones with targeted services and marketing that meet their members’ needs.

CU*South is a proud member of the cuasterisk.com network, the nation’s largest network of CUSOs, made up of:

• Over 600 credit unions
• Over 150 CUSO owners
• Over $37B in assets
• Over 6,000,000 members

In addition to making our outstanding, integrated CU*BASE core platform affordable for credit unions of all sizes, this powerful network allows our member-owners to expand services while reducing expenses.

CU*South is commited to the credit union movement, and serving members. That’s why we deliberately chose a business model that would allow us to be a partner, and not just a vendor.

To find out more about how ownership lowers your costs and grows your membership, please contact Mark Bohdanyk: mbohdanyk@cusouth.com  or  call 800.293.7554, ext 647.

In an effort to create a straightforward, simple strategy for some of CU*South clients without the resources of an in-house marketing department, I’ve undertaken an analysis of the CU*Base built-in marketing applications. These “bells and whistles” tools are great for expanding and diversifying loan portfolios, for example, but credit unions without a dedicated marketing person or team may not have available staff on site to learn how to use them. An expertise with these powerful tools will allow the CU*South Operations Team to make them more immediately available to those credit unions currently not able to take full advantage of the technology.

Tri-Rivers FCU has graciously agreed to participate in this analysis; using the CU*Base tools, I’ll build data files from credit report history and current loan files to compile an “A List” of candidates – both member and nonmember applicants with a credit score of 750 or greater.  Working with the credit union’s marketing goals, we will then determine together which of their top priorities – which include mortgage lending and debt consolidation, for example – would most benefit from a targeted effort to this highly rated group.

My expectation is that a greater facility with this application in Operations will quickly grow into a very desirable, and beneficial, offering for our credit unions without the personnel or resources to devote to it in-house; it will also add to the expanding portfolio of business services we can supply for our customers.

Twitter and Facebook are bobbing up and down in the minds of financial services professionals. How do I use Twitter? What is it good for? How do Twitter and Facebook interact?

There is uncertainty, but credit unions are diving directly into the deeper ends of the pool and generating exciting results. Here, we offer a review of social media tips and insight.

As a free service, you can create conversations with your members.  More conversation leads to more interaction.  This is the crux of social media.  They do an excellent job of breaking it down, no matter what your level of experience.

Read the full article here: http://www.creditunions.com/EBrief.aspx?id=3870

According to Bohdanyk, Mad City Money is a 2 1/2 – hour simulation program born from CUNA’s initiative to provide financial education for the youth population.  Mad City Money provides participants a set of circumstances and a the opportunity to experience the decision making processes of purchasing a home, a vehicle, even everyday necessities such as food, clothes, personal care products and more.  An important facet about the effectiveness of this program is that it also allows students to be tempted by products such as cell phones, vacations, computers, etc. – and then to suffer the consequences of making poor decisions.

“The entire purpose of the program is show kids how to use a checkbook, to create and stick to a budget – and then to subsequently break their budget, so that they understand realistic consequences of their decisions,” commented Bohdanyk.

Both Starla and Mark were very helpful in illustrating that to our participants,” commented Lin Standke, CUDE, CCUFC and Manager of Youth Programs at the Center for Personal Finance at CUNA.  “I think the program was a success,” she continued.

Download Press Release

The event contained several educational opportunities in which the pair participated, including the Social Media & Your Credit Union education breakout led by CUNA Manager of New Media & Communications, Josh Jones. Jones covered an array of topics ranging from the use of credit union blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter – and reasons why credit unions cannot afford to neglect social media.  According to Bohdanyk, an interesting topic of discussion between Jones and he was the use of Google Alerts by credit unions to monitor their reputation.

While attending the conference, Honea and Bohdanyk also answered questions on why it is important for data processors to provide the tools required to help grow loan volume, how tiered relationship management benefits credit union membership and why being able to “know your members” is more important today than ever.

Download Press Release

I’ve been reading a blog for a while, but I tend to lurk for quite a bit before I make a recommendation, simply because I like to see if they stay consistent with message.

Acton Marketing has a blog called Financial Marketing Insights, which is a great read and will give you tons of ideas (Magalogs, anyone?).

Now, are they Credit Union-specific? No. They cater to both banks and CU’s, but remember that some things apply to both; and you can adapt the message ideas you gather there to show how your CU shines.

Check them out, here.

Whether you use CUNA and it’s products and services or not, one initiative that is a stand-alone package your credit union should be running is Mad City Money. This program is a Seminar in a Box (everything you need save some decoration and volunteer manpower is included in the package), and is designed for high school students to learn the pressures and challenges of real world finance.

Each student is given a new life/identity with a family, income and a checkbook/debit card. They must then purchase cars, homes, cellphones, food, clothing, personal care products and more while being tempted by things like computers, cellphones, tv, cable, trips and more.

This program is easy enough for even middle school students to grasp. My credit union ran it for 6th-8th graders, and the most common comment we heard was: “When are we going to run it again to get it right?”

Here is how a coalition of western credit unions are using the program:

Not only does this excellent program teach your youth members how to budget and live within their means, but it also positions your credit union as a place where people can go to ask questions, get advice and be trusted in the community.

More information can be found at CUNA’s Mad City Money website.

After graduating last year from CUNA Management School, I was extremely confident that I knew my credit union inside and out. I was poised to help my credit union strategically position itself to move forward, even in this troubled economy.

I was asked to return and be a graduate assistant, or mentor to one of the classes. I may have switched career paths, but I count myself lucky to have employers who understand the value of the collaborative effort in the credit union movement.

CU*South made a commitment of time for me to return to Madison and assist for the two-week period, understanding that they were helping these credit union professionals, and thereby their credit unions as well, grow.

For the last week, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with 96 unique and diverse individuals from 25 different states, 2 countries (US and Barbados) and 1 Territory (Guam).

These professionals are all here because their credit union is investing in its future to make sure that their management team is on the top of its game.

This group endures a boot-camp like schedule of classes, activities, team building and academia for two weeks, with a proctored test. Between each of the three years, the students work on a detailed project covering their credit union’s history, strengths and weaknesses. This project entails about 250 hours of work beyond their normal careers. At the end of the three years they walk away with the prestigious Certified Credit Union Executive certification, of which there are less than 3000 in the nation currently.

I have never seen a class be so helpful to each other and have so much fun growing and learning together. Their class slogan is “For our members, not ourselves; we’re the class of 2012.”

It is and has been a privilege to work with such an outstanding group; as they and the other classes attending CMS truly are the future of the credit union movement.

If you are a credit union looking to grow, I highly suggest that your staff embrace the superior training of CMS.

Imagine spending an hour once, and then having the process automated after that. Does that sound attractive?

CU*BASE has great tools in place to help you autopopulate the same information you use to run reports into a completed 5300 report that you can directly upload to the NCUA website.

As a core data processor, we feel it is our responsibility to update the process as NCUA modifies the 5300 format and requirements at no cost to our credit unions. With extensive help text, and suggestions to help you perform this process, we’ve made an arduous task into an hour setup, with about ten minutes of quarterly maintenance to make sure you’re up to date and automated with your 5300 reports!

To learn more about CU*BASE, take the demo, contact Mark Bohdanyk at 800.293.7554 or email us.

Amidst the meeting’s workshops and seminars, CU*South’s CEO, Leo Vaulin and Director of Business Development, Mark Bohdanyk, and eDOC Innovation’s Manager of Market Development, Ian Bouchett, were on point to help fellow CEOs and Board Members tackle and discuss various problems that face the credit union movement.  Topics discussed included attracting Gen Y, helping your credit union establish a strong online presence, social media marketing strategies and the importance of mobile and text-based banking.

While at the conference, CU*South held a drawing to give away an iPad, and Keith Golden, CEO of Harvesters Federal Credit Union in Cantonment, Florida was the lucky recipient.  Registrants for the drawing had the opportunity to see It’s Me 247 online banking in action on the iPad, and were entered by scanning their business cards using eDOC’s digital document solutions.

Download Press Release

Are you working for your core, or is your core working for you?

One of the biggest complaints we hear from credit unions is “We’re simply paying too much for too many interfaces.”

I recently read an article white paper released by a third party company called “Your Core Is Not an MCIF.” In short summation, it basically stated that as a core data processing system, cores are not designed to allow users to pull information from them and run reports on things like Householding, profitability and more.

Your core *should* be able to generate these same reports without requiring an additional layer of cost such as a consulting firm to pull the information you not only want, but need to keep your credit union charted in the right direction.

Householding analysis isn’t an option anymore, it’s a necessity. Being able to see which members are profitable, which members are not, and the ability to analyze that information by household is key in developing both long and short-term marketing strategies and goals.

How about having over five hundred ‘canned’ reports at your fingertips to analyze the pulse of your credit union on just about every topic imaginable?  How about the ability to construct practically any other report you could ever want?

Now imagine being able to analyze where your members borrow, to see where you might be able to offer value to your member and at the same time increase your loan portfolios.

Then, unlike a third-party extra-cost service, imagine being able to send an e-message to all the members you’re targeting with a marketing message, at the click of a single button. Or statement inserts. Or follow-ups to your call staff.

Does your core do this?

If not, perhaps it’s time you take an honest look at what your core is doing for you. Don’t add extra layers, extra interfaces, extra *cost*. As a CUSO (Credit Union Service Organization), we strive to offer our credit unions state of the art data processing at modest pricing…and as a client-owner, you get to be involved in the pricing discussion. Does your core do that for you?

Get more out of your core system. It’s YOUR data. USE it how you like. Integration of these things into the core is the key. Stop paying for extra services to ‘integrate’ with your core. Start using the data you already have to help you run your credit union more efficiently.

Vendors are the old business model. Work with a partner who is invested in growing your credit as you are.

For more information on CU*BASE, contact Mark Bohdanyk at 1.800.293.7554 x2747 or email mbohdanyk@cusouth.com .

They are still excellent reads, and recommended to keep up with what’s happening with the ‘big banks.’

In Robin Sidel and Dan Fitzpatrick’s newest article over at the Wall Street Journal, they emphasize big bank’s scramble to recapitalize and recoup losses from things like Regulation E, and they think free checking will be one of the first things to disappear for their customers.

Funny, credit unions have no intention of doing these types of things to its members. Perhaps that says a lot about credit unions!

Video after the jump

Our next story comes from Yahoo! Financials, and is a piece about banks more than likely going to ‘unwed’ themselves from non-profitable customers. A very interesting piece to watch:

One of the excellent benefits of using a credit union is simple: Once a member, always a member.

As a credit union-owned data processing CUSO, we strive to help credit unions grow by providing a robust software solution while keeping our prices reasonable. We respond to changing market needs faster by harnessing the power of our collaborative network of over 160 credit unions and partners.

See a demo of our flagship platform, CU*BASE here.

CU*SOUTH and network partner eDoc Innovations attended the League of Southeastern Credit Union’s first annual membership meeting. The Florida and Alabama credit union leagues merged at the beginning of this year, and featured a star-studded lineup of speakers, as shown in the LSCU E-Weekly:

The LSCU Annual Membership Meeting at the 1st AC&E ran a little longer than planned, however there were not too many complaints from the more than 500 attendees. The meeting featured remarks by LSCU board chair Rich Helber, LSCU President/CEO Patrick La Pine and a blockbuster lineup of system partner speakers. La Pine laid out the foundation of the newly consolidated League and walked the crowd through the priorities of the League, including increased Governmental Affairs presence and the establishment of a brand campaign for 2011.

CUNA CEO, Dan Mica

CUNA CEO Dan Mica was able to provide attendees the latest information on the interchange issue and also said MBL is once again on the table.

“Chairman Barney Frank told me that he is ready to being looking at member business lending after the financial reform bill is resolved,” said Mica. He also said alternative capital is once again gaining steam in Washington D.C.

CUNA Mutual Group CEO Jeff Post presented interesting economic numbers. He said the “real unemployment rate right now is 16 to 20 percent.” He also pointed out that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the 2000s had dropped to half of what it was in the 90s and that Household Net Worth in the 2000s was negative for the first time. While telling the attendees he felt the worst of the economy was over, Post says CMG is doing all it can to help credit unions succeed.

WOCCU's Pete Creer

Amidst the meeting’s workshops and seminars, CU*SOUTH’s CEO, Leo Vaulin, and Director of Business Development, Mark Bohdanyk, were on point to help fellow CEOs and Board Members tackle and discuss various problems that face the credit union movement, such as attracting Gen Y, helping your credit establish a strong online presence and the importance of mobile and text-based banking.

Leo Vaulin, CEO of CU*SOUTH, shows off the trade show booth

During the open exhibition hall, the pair educated credit unions on the collaborative network of CU*, along with Ian Bouchett of eDoc Innovations.  This is the first of several posts about the LSCU show, check back for part two shortly!

CU*South, a CUSO providing core data processing services, announced the addition of Mark Bohdanyk to its management and sales team.  Mr. Bohdanyk will be responsible for sales and marketing, staff management and strategic planning.

“We are very pleased to have Mr. Bohdanyk join our team” said Leo Vaulin, CEO of CU*South. “Mark brings a vast amount of experience and expertise, which will enable us to both grow more credit unions and to better support our existing client-owners.”

Prior to his new position, Mark worked as VP of Business Operations at Table Rock Federal Credit Union in southwest Missouri, was president of his graduating class at CUNA Management School and was the recipient of the esteemed CUNA Management School Al Jordan Award for service and leadership in 2009.  Mark will be responsible for shaping the marketing and sales goals for CU*SOUTH, coordinating and managing various staffs and teams, strategic planning and helping maintain the high level of customer service for which the company is known.

“I am very excited to help more credit unions grow and be competitive in these difficult economic times.  More individuals need access to the credit union movement and financial education now more  than ever, and we can help facilitate that by helping credit unions grow, remain competitive and even thrive in difficult times,” Bohdanyk said.  “I am looking forward to helping our client-owners set up and run sessions of Mad City Money, a CUNA-developed financial youth-education program that teaches kids about budgeting, how to use a checkbook and how to prioritize spending.  We’ve had great success with it at my previous position, and I look forward to showing more credit unions how to implement this tool in their own communities.  We are currently evaluating potential credit union partners to beta-test this plan.”

About CU*SOUTH

CU*South is a CU-owned cooperative focused on building a network of successful credit unions.  CU*South offers a wide variety of services for credit unions including its flagship CU*BASE processing system in both an online (ASP) and in-house environment, and Internet development services featuring the It’s Me 247 online banking product.  As a partner of the cuasterisk.com network, CU*South provides the most comprehensive offering of information technology tools and services through a collaborative, shared ownership model; the same great value they offer their own members.  For more information about CU*South, go to www.cusouth.com or call

(250) 650-2640.

You can also leverage the considerable CUSO buying power to secure favorable pricing agreements with third party vendors. These savings are passed directly to you through discounted rates, guaranteed dividends, and elimination of large capital outlays – Investment versus Invoice!

• CU*BASE Release – 10.4
  December 12, 2010 – 4 pages
• CU*BASE Release – 10.3
  October 17, 2010 – 16 pages
• CU*BASE Release – 10.2
  July 18, 2010 – 7 pages
• CU*BASE Release – 10.1
  June 13, 2010 – 4 pages
• Revised CU*BASE Release – 10.0
  May 16, 2010 – 16 pages
• Mobile Web Banking Rollout
  March 15, 2010 – 1 page
• Revised CU*BASE Release – Ver 9.7
  March 14, 2010 – 2 pages
• CU*BASE Release – Ver 9.6
  February 14, 2010 – 6 pages

View the last ten years worth of release summaries (free to our client owners) here.

The workshop opened as the managers voiced critical concerns for their own credit unions.  “We worry about the impact the ‘Opt-In’ provision of Reg. E will have on our bottom line,” commented Mr. James Dill, CEO of Tri-Rivers FCU and a Board member of the CU*South CUSO.  “We’re looking for strategies to encourage members to sign up for the ‘Opt-In’ rules,” he continues “over 25% of our fee income is at risk right now.”

Fellow credit union leaders expressed similar concerns discussing the confusion surrounding the Multi-Featured Open-End Lending provisions of Reg. Z.  “We’re advising credit unions to work very closely with both their forms vendors and their attorneys on this issue,” commented Jim Vilker, VP of Professional Services for fellow CUSO, CU*Answers (Grand Rapids, MI), and the Manager of Audit Link, the compliance arm of the CUSO cooperative network.  “NCUA has made it very clear – this will be an examination item in 2010 and 2011, and you need to be prepared.”

Jim Vilker had just returned from a week-long NAFCU Compliance Certification workshop in Washington.  He shared his insights about other pertinent issues, including the following:

• BSA and CTR monitoring
• Auditing Employee Access to Member Accounts
• Dormancy and Escheat monitoring
• Tighter OFAC and FinCEN monitoring
• Additional recommendations for Red Flag monitoring and compliance
• Increased Reg. D monitoring
• Vendor Risk Management
• Indirect Lending and Participation Lending
• RESPA, ARM’s, and flood certification requirements for mortgages

Also presented was a web-based application tool, the Risk Management Generator, developed by CUSO partner CU*Answers for the specific purpose of managing compliance with NCUA’s vendor management rules.

“This is a great example of how credit unions can collaborate to ease compliance’s burden,” commented Leo Vaulin, CEO of CU*South.  “Instead of developing individual responses to each question on NCUA’s checklist, we give credit unions a chance to share with their peers.  You look at what others have said then copy, paste, and edit your answer to fit your situation.  You’ll find that others have considered details that might not occur to you.  The Risk Management Generator is a great tool for both responding to NCUA’s checklists and managing the details of your vendor contracts – including the all-important expiration and review dates.”

“For ‘Opt-In’ compliance, again, we leverage the power of our cooperative network,” continued Mr. Vaulin.  “Instead of waiting for members to fill out a form, we’re taking a direct approach, offering credit unions telemarketing and electronic messaging options to push the ‘Opt-In’ agreement to their members.  Members need to understand how important this is for the success of their credit union – we’ll work with our credit unions to make sure we stay ahead of the deadlines.”

The workshop was a truly collaborative experience for the credit union managers attending:

• James Dill, Wendy Carmack, and Cindy Faulk from Tri-Rivers FCU
• Pam Cooks and Leslie James from Gulf Coast FCU
• Jason Martin and Laura Stevens from First Neshoba FCU
• Gwen Lewis from Progressive FCU
• Phyllis Crocker from Degussa Employees FCU
• Joyce Harrison from Mobile Postal Employees FCU
• Susan Perkins from Allied CU

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“We are very pleased to have Mr. Bohdanyk join our team,” said Leo Vaulin, CEO of CU*SOUTH. “Mark brings a vast amount of experience and expertise, enabling us both to grow more credit unions and better support our existing client-owners.  Mark will apply his marketing talents for the benefit of the entire credit union movement.” With his addition, Mr. Bohdanyk will shape and execute the marketing and sales goals for CU*SOUTH, introducing credit unions to the industry-leading CU*BASE core software platform and coordinating with network partners to deliver managed services such as collections, compliance support, accounting, technology management, and member marketing initiatives.

Prior to his new position, Mark Bohdanyk served as VP of Business Operations at Table Rock FCU in southwest Missouri and president of his CUNA Management School graduating class, receiving the esteemed CUNA Management School Al Jordan Award for service and leadership in 2009.

“I am very excited to help more credit unions in these difficult economic times,” commented Mark.  “Individuals need access to the credit union movement and financial education more than ever, and we can help facilitate that by enabling growth and competitiveness to keep credit unions thriving.”

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CEO Leo Vaulin describes the benefits:

“This is winning proposition for both credit unions and their members.  Credit union can offer a more competitive fee structure on these loans, but still preserve sufficient revenues to cover their risk and make it a profitable program.  Along with more reasonable rates, credit unions can help borrowers by providing access to financial education in their communities.”

“We see this as a process towards the goal of financial independence,” continues Mr. Vaulin.   “You start by replacing a predatory pricing structure with one that is more equitable – the member has more money left over on their next payday, and they are encouraged to start saving and building a stronger relationship with their credit union.  Gradually, as they establish a good history with the credit union, you can wean them away from this dependency, and move them towards your more conventional credit products.  In the meantime, you’ve helped develop the PFI relationship with that member, and that’s worth thousands of dollars over the long term.”

CU*SOUTH has partnered with Lender*VP and Prospera Credit Union in implementing their proven business model, GoodMoney, which includes branding and consulting services to deliver a turnkey solution to the credit union.

Tri-Rivers FCU in Montgomery, AL, is the first credit union to implement GoodMoney with CU*SOUTH.  CEO Mr. James Dill is excited at the prospect of offering his members a better choice.  “In some ways, the GoodMoney model is similar to Courtesy Pay,” he says.  “You’re extending short-term credit for a limited amount and a very limited term.  GoodMoney allows us to work with members who might not qualify for our conventional loan products – or even Courtesy Pay.  Our objective is to build that long-term relationship and help our members break the cycle of barely making it from paycheck to paycheck.”

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“We are very excited that the CU*BASE core processing solution has moved into California through CU*NorthWest and we have an opportunity to become a part of the rapidly growing cuasterisk.com network of CUSO’s and credit unions. After evaluating nearly every mainstream data processor on the market, it was an easy choice for us,” said Gregg Stockdale, CEO of 1st Valley.

Together with its alliance partners CU*Answers (Grand Rapids, MI), and CU*SOUTH (Mobile, AL), CU*BASE serves over 175 credit unions with more than 1.6 million members.

CU*NorthWest will use 1st Valley as an anchor through which it hopes to expand its presence in California. 1st Valley will utilize the fully integrated product suite of CU*Base to include home banking, audio response, mobile phone banking and imaging solutions.

Today 1st Valley Credit Union has over $30 million in assets and servers over 4,000 members with a full suite of financial products and services.

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CEO Leo Vaulin describes the new service:

“Collections management is a hybrid between doing everything in-house, and outsourcing to a collections agency.  If you do it alone, you may not have the in-house experience to fully analyze and manage your delinquencies – plus, it takes valuable resources away from the business of running your credit union.  If you outsource, you give up some degree of control to an outside collection agency.  Our offering gives you the best of both worlds – you maintain day-to-day control and oversight of the process, while using the resources of an experienced team of collection specialists.”

CU*SOUTH’s collections management gives the credit union access to experienced collection specialists with skills in developing account segmentation, member-contact strategies, and specialized tools.  “We partnered with the experts at Lender*VP on developing rules of engagement and account segmentation, and Lexis-Nexis for skip-tracing and bankruptcy monitoring.”

The new service is managed by Rebecca Weemes, who applies her 29 years of retail lending and collection experience to the managed services model.  “Good collections management is an organic process.  We have a set of tools and processes, but it’s very important for us to understand the unique character of each credit union.”

“First, we start with the ‘rules of engagement’ – we work with the credit union to develop a document that spells out what we can and can’t do on behalf of the credit union.  What delinquency ranges do we work on your behalf?  Are we allowed to automatically offset, or post transfers at the member’s request, or even set up automatic payroll transfers?  It’s important for us to develop a good fit with your organization, so that your MSR’s and lending team understands our role and how they can work with us.  For example, we will notate a member’s account to ask any MSR that has contact with a member to refer that member to us, or get an updated phone number or address.  We work together as part of your team.”

Once the rules of engagement are defined, and the team goes to work.  “We prepare a daily analysis each morning,” says Ms. Weemes.  “We need to understand how the delinquencies move each day – some run on a weekly or bi-weekly cycle, others move monthly.  You can’t look at a month-end report and understand what’s really going on.  We look at the boundaries.  When a loan goes from the 30-day to the 60-day column, we want to know exactly what the story is.”

“There is always a story,” continues Ms. Weemes.  “Our objective is to touch each delinquent account at least once a week.  By the time they hit 30 or 60 days, we have a pretty good idea about their situation, and what we can expect.”

Understanding the details is critical to adjusting a credit union’s credit risk management strategies, says Leo Vaulin.  “It’s an early warning sign.  Let’s say the credit union has just added a new indirect lending partner; but we find that the phone numbers provided on the applications turn out to be bogus.  We feed this information back to the credit union, and the CU makes a procedural change to verify each phone number on the application before underwriting the loan.”

This type of constant feedback is an example of the advantage of working with a Collections Management partner, instead of outsourcing to an agency.  “The agency says, ‘thank you very much, we’ll take it from here’”, says Mr. Vaulin.  “You get periodic reports, but not the direct, daily feedback that’s so important to fine-tuning your lending strategies and risk management policies.”

“One of our clients has asked us to provide a daily review of each loan application,” says Ms. Weemes.  “We’ll spot potential problems that the average underwriter might miss.  Policies and procedures are very important, but after you’ve been collecting for 30 years, you get a ‘gut’ feeling – this member is maxed out – they’re at the brink – and how we manage this loan request may either send them over the edge, or it may help to save them.  That’s what I love about credit unions – we’re in a position to make that difference.”

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Joyce Harrison, CEO of MPECU, joined CU*South’s CEO Leo Vaulin at the CUSO’s Mobile, Alabama, office to plan the training and conversion process.  “We’re delighted to be upgrading our core software to the new CU*BASE system,” says Ms. Harrison.  “Our credit union is small – only 3 employees.  Every member of staff needs to be able to do just about everything.  The workflow tools in CU*BASE will make it easier to cross-train and ensure that proper procedures are followed consistently.”

“CU*BASE is a perfect fit for a small credit union,” says Mr. Vaulin.  “Our Workflow Controls let you manage what steps a teller or MSR uses when setting up new memberships and sub-accounts, such as pulling a credit report or enrolling in e-statements.  In our Loan Application process, our Workflow Controls specify which documents are required for each type of loan.  The system manages an electronic checklist of what’s already been received, and what’s still pending.  This makes it easy to cross-train a teller or MSR on loan processing – free your underwriter from all the paper-handling.”

Ms. Harrison agrees.  “Today, our staff uses paper ‘cheat sheets’ to help them remember the details of our products and services, our policies and procedures.  CU*BASE will let us automate many of the procedures, and the ‘cheat sheets’ will be stored online in the CU*BASE system”.

“CU*BASE features an extensive collection of Procedures and Marketing Tips,” explains Mr. Vaulin.  “Let’s say you’re thinking of offering a new type of savings account.  You can start by defining the online Marketing Tips – how will your staff promote this product?  You want a consistent message – on your website, your newsletters and e-mails, your online banking screens, and on the lips of every employee.  From a single screen, you manage that how that message gets delivered.  Even if you outsource your Call Center, you’re still projecting a consistent, professional message.”

“Stumped for creative ideas for your Marketing Tips?  CU*BASE comes with a master Talking Points library that contains hundreds of small paragraphs of text covering topics ranging from share and certificate products to service fees and the benefits of credit union membership.  Talking Points are little “sound bytes” of information you can use when talking to members about your credit union’s products and services.  You can copy as many of the paragraphs as you like, in any order, into the product Marketing Tips, Procedures, and Online Banking Sales Info pages for your credit union products.”

Another challenge facing small credit unions is how to maintain staffing – what do you do if one person is on vacation and a second person is out sick?  Ms. Harrison discussed this problem with Mr. Vaulin.

“CU*South offers Managed Services to credit unions who find that’s it’s just not cost-effective to hire full-time specialists in every department,” says Mr. Vaulin.  “If you’re down to a single employee, you want that person to focus on the member-facing tasks – they can’t afford to worry about back-office or collections.  We offer specialists in accounting, compliance, collections, underwriting, marketing, Call Center – you name it, and we can deliver that service for less than the cost of a full-time employee.”

“Our mission is to grow credit unions, especially by helping the smaller CU’s who feel like they’re stretched too thin already.  As a Credit Union Service Organization, our focus is on finding low-cost ways to promote collaboration.  For example, we can assign an accounting specialist – a top performer – to manage the back office work of up to 8 credit unions a day – and offer this service for $200-300 per week.  That’s a small price to pay for a high-quality, consistent product that’s delivered daily – just imagine the peace of mind this brings!”

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With 19 years of experience managing core processing for credit unions, Walker will lead a new Conversion Team that includes a mix of experienced leaders and credit union product experts.  “A successful conversion requires the leadership of someone who has worked in every area of credit union operations and has an instinctive sense of how all the pieces come together,” says CU*South’s CEO, Leo Vaulin.  “Roger Walker has managed daily operations for dozens of credit unions across different core platforms and servers – it’s like watching a symphony conductor get a perfect performance out of every part of the orchestra.  If something doesn’t seem right, he knows right where to look and how to correct it.”

Walker’s Conversion Team follows a conversion methodology first developed by CU*Answers, a partner CUSO.  “It’s called ‘The Conversion Promise’ – for a good reason,” says Walker.  “The team follows a script that provides consistency in every step.  There are over 175 steps in the project plan, and each one must be done in the correct sequence.  We use a combination of Microsoft Office and some custom web-based collaboration tools to pull everything together and make it readily available to everyone on the team.  We work hard to ensure a smooth conversion for our clients – and for their members.  For members, the best conversion is the one they don’t notice, except to say, “Hey, I love that new online banking system!”

Good staff training is the key, and Walker relies on CSR Manager and lead trainer Starla Honea to assemble a custom training plan that’s a perfect fit for credit unions both large and small.  Jason Martin, CEO of First Neshoba FCU recently converted to CU*BASE.  “CU*South developed a 10-week program that combined self-paced online training with interactive webinars, plus two weeks of dedicated classes in our board room.  The trainers were very professional, and our staff of nine was enthusiastic about learning the new software.”

“Sometimes the smallest credit unions present the biggest training challenge,” says Starla Honea.  “When you have three or four people doing all the work, it’s tough to get everyone together in a training room at the same time.”  Starla’s solution to this is a greater focus on one-on-one interactive webinars.  “Webinars take the stress out of scheduling training”, she explains.  “I can schedule a 90-minute lending class, and we have to make a last-minute change because the loan officer was busy.  With webinars, there’s no investment in travel, so I can easily reschedule without any extra expense.”

Walker takes it all in stride.  “We’re coordinating eight departments in the conversion process – programming, education, product delivery, systems, networking, operations, forms design, and marketing.  We build enough free time into every conversion schedule to allow each client the flexibility they need to get ready, while still getting their work done day-to-day.”

With new conversions scheduled every 6 to 8 weeks, Roger Walker is looking forward to the new challenge.

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The timeline for complying with the Credit CARD Act was aggressive. As changes funneled through the pipeline, the team at CU*Answers sprang into action, to provide a centralized communication base. As information was disseminated, anything related to the Credit CARD Act and its affect on credit unions on the CU*BASE system was posted on the CU*Answers ‘Kitchen’ page. This area of the CU*Answers website serves as a repository for information, with answers to frequently asked questions, and links to important websites such as CUNA and NAFCU. The CUSO even hosted a special webinar, “Learning Together about the Credit CARD Act”, and posted the recording of the session on the ‘Kitchen’ page of cuanswers.com and also at the CU*Answers On Demand Learning site: ondemand.cuanswers.com.

A team comprised of experts from CU*Answers and its sister CUSO’s CU*NorthWest and CU*SOUTH, as well as its preferred statement vendor, Sage Direct, met to discuss the requirements of the new Act, and how they relate to the servicing of loans and processing of statements. As a result, a series of communications to clients explained the suite of tools and services CU*Answers offers to help credit unions comply with new and evolving regulations.

Among the options provided to credit unions is payment due date changes for open ended loans and communicating those changes to credit union members. CU*Answers assisted in configuring due date changes as well as choosing a suitable form of communication to relay that information to members. The response from credit unions has been loud and clear, with 69 requests to change loan payment due dates, and 62 statement configuration changes including 31 credit card statement updates.

According to the CUSO, some of the biggest challenges with this project have been explaining the overall impact the requested changes will have on the big picture. The success of this project is the result of extraordinary coordination between the statement team, the loan due date change team, the credit card team, as well as the client service team. These teams comprised the support network for clients from the onset through the verification of configuration changes.

The commitment of CU*Answers to excel in offering assistance to credit unions in a time of need has not gone unnoticed. Debie Keesee, CEO of Spokane Media FCU of Spokane, WA, said the following, “This truly is one of those times where being a CUSO made a difference for credit unions that are using your services. You guys have really stepped up to the bat and truly went above and beyond.”

Credit_CARD_Act_-_Follow_Up

Over the two days, leaders from each organization presented ideas for collaboration within the consortium that included resource sharing between the companies, creating brand-specific marketing, leveraging digital intelligence, sharing market intelligence, sharing due diligence efforts, providing wholesale pricing opportunities, and developing templates and best practices for executing shared resources businesses. According to Xtend President Scott Collins, “This was the first time that leaders of all the business units were able to participate, so it is no surprise that we were able to set some concrete goals and game plans for the network as we prepare our 2010 business plans. It was refreshing definitely not your typical sales meeting where everyone had his or her own agenda. I think everyone realized what the success of their peers would mean to the network as a whole and was ready to commit resources to make it happen.”

Visit www.cuasterisk.com for more information about each of these companies.

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The business books and the pundits call it “lost opportunity cost,” the  abstract yet very real economic benefits never  realized because a business didn’t act when it should have.

For credit unions this is hardly the time to talk about abstract costs when they’re being confronted by very tangible (and seemingly ongoing) expenses related to propping up the corporate CUs. Sadly, all this has overshadowed the observation by some of the extraordinary “opportunity” for CUs presented by the down economy, made-to-order negative publicity surrounding competitors, and the emergence of the new, four-letter “B” word: Bank.

CU*Answers’ Frankie-winning video can be viewed at ondemand.cuanswers.com.

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According to CU*SOUTH’s CEO, Leo Vaulin the “objective with these workshops is to provide credit unions with the advice and tools they need to assemble all of the 5300 data. Credit Unions leave the workshop with everything they need to complete and submit their 5300.”

Vaulin continues, “Keeping up with changes in the 5300 requirements can be challenging, especially for smaller credit unions. This quarter, the list of changes is six pages long with 185 items. Some of these changes mean that the credit union should re-think how their products and services are configured. Would creating a more granular product mix allow the credit union to print a single report instead of having to analyze a detail trial balance?”

James Dill, CEO of Tri-Rivers FCU agrees, “The workshop has allowed us to reduce the amount of time we spend gathering information and preparing the report by 75% — from 16-20 hours per quarter to less than four. Better yet, NCUA reviewed the results and found no exceptions.”

There is no charge for these workshops. According the CUSO, collaborating in a workshop format promotes peer-to-peer interaction, a directing principle at CU*SOUTH. To reserve a seat for the workshop, contact Leo Vaulin at leo@cusouth.com or call 251-650-2640.

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Although the space was occupied as recently as 2008 by a major national mortgage company, it still required a major “demolition and reconstruction” project in order to meet the needs of a diversified and growing company. Scott Collins, President of Xtend says “Our Company is still relatively young but we have been growing steadily. This new center has over 7,000 square feet of space, which allows us to bring the entire operation together for the first time in our seven years. The team and I are excited to say the least.”

Xtend plans to move its SRS Shared Resources and Staff business unit (compliance, bookkeeping, and mortgage support), the Xtension Call Center, and Member Reach ecommunication service to this new headquarters location as early as February 1st.

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Although the space was occupied as recently as 2008 by a major national mortgage company, it still required a major “demolition and reconstruction” project in order to meet the needs of a diversified and growing company. Scott Collins, President of Xtend says “Our Company is still relatively young but we have been growing steadily. This new center has over 7,000 square feet of space, which allows us to bring the entire operation together for the first time in our seven years. The team and I are excited to say the least.”

Xtend plans to move its SRS Shared Resources and Staff business unit (compliance, bookkeeping, and mortgage support), the Xtension Call Center, and Member Reach ecommunication service to this new headquarters location as early as February 1st.

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• Building the Future Credit Union Network
• CU*Answers and Reed Data Partner to Bring E-Doc Power to CUs
• CU*NorthWest Adds Five Additional CU Clients; Fills Board Seats
• Expanding the Network, CU*Answers Partners with Gulf Data Systems to Form CU*South
• Revving Up Cycle Sales With Indirect Loans
• Check 21 CUSO with Corporate One
• Making Retail Dental Loans Without Pulling Teeth

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• Building the Future Credit Union Network
• CU*Answers and Reed Data Partner to Bring E-Doc Power to CUs
• CU*NorthWest Adds Five Additional CU Clients; Fills Board Seats
• Expanding the Network, CU*Answers Partners with Gulf Data Systems to Form CU*South
• Revving Up Cycle Sales With Indirect Loans
• Check 21 CUSO with Corporate One
• Making Retail Dental Loans Without Pulling Teeth

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