Participations a Boon, Examiner Magnet for Some CUs
February 06, 2012
Loan participations have become an important way for credit unions to boost lending and profits during a time of low member loan demand. And some of the largest CUs are benefitting the most.
A new analysis done for the Safety & Soundness Report shows that some 17 federally insured credit...
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Indexed by: Asset Quality | Earnings | Exams/Enforcement | Regulations
Regulators Increase IRR Scrutiny
February 06, 2012
You outsource your IRR analysis to a reputable third-party vendor. The exercise relies on standard industry data and assumptions. It is all independently verified. You get a slick report back in the mail that looks good on your desk or bookshelf. And at your next exam – you could have a major...
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Indexed by: Exams/Enforcement | Regulation | Risk Monitoring
Family Hires Trigger Regulatory Red Flags
February 06, 2012
Can credit unions be too family-oriented? Pinellas FCU ($84.8 million), Largo, Fla., apparently thinks so. The CU has filed suit against its long-time chief executive officer, claiming that she abused her authority by, among other things, “hiring family members and friends as contractors at...
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Indexed by: Exams/Enforcement | Regulation
Advanced Expense Reduction: Cutting Costs after You’ve Cut Everything
January 23, 2012
With net interest margins likely to remain under pressure for the foreseeable future, “operational efficiency” has become a popular buzzword for consultants and analysts. At the same time, if you are like most CUs, you probably have already spent the last year or two cutting staff,...
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Indexed by: Capital Adequacy | Management
Could Bad Credit Mean Better Times for CUs?
January 23, 2012
Is it time to take a plunge into the deep end of the credit pool?
With the sub-prime debacle still reverberating in real-estate markets and balance sheets, the idea seems heretical. But a growing number of analysts and experts say there is a case to be made for more aggressive lending to members...
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Indexed by: Asset Quality | Management
OCC Concentration Risk Handbook Useful for CUs, Too
January 23, 2012
Two years ago, spooked by the sub-prime mess, the NCUA said that every CU would henceforth have to do an analysis of the risks of large concentrations of credit in their loan portfolios. But the agency resisted a cookie-cutter approach, leaving CUs across the country wondering what sort of work...
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Indexed by: Concentration Risk | Exams/Enforcement | Regulation
NCUA Completes Transition to Intensified Exam Schedule
January 09, 2012
The NCUA says the financial health of credit unions appears to be turning a corner. That is the good news. The bad news: Regulators will be there waiting for you.
The agency says it plans to monitor closely and supervise a number of emerging lending and investment risks it has identified “to...
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Indexed by: Exams/Enforcement | Regulatory
Forthcoming NCUA Supervision Manual to Tackle Exam Inconsistency, Bulk up Exam Process
January 09, 2012
NCUA’s long-awaited “National Supervision Policy Manual,” which is aimed at addressing concerns of credit unions about inconsistent exam standards, is now expected to be implemented some time this summer.
But a GAO report released last week gave a sneak preview of aspects of the...
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Indexed by: Exams/Enforcement | Regulatory
CUs Pioneer Bank Acquisitions
January 09, 2012
Looking for a new way to take on the banks? Try acquiring one.
That, at least, is what United Federal Credit Union ($1.3 billion), St. Joseph, Mich., did. On Jan. 3, the former Griffith Savings Bank of Griffith, Ind., opened its doors as a United branch, ending 80 years as an independent banking...
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Indexed by: Management | Regulation