Tension
Builds at
NCUA
Meeting
J. DANIEL YOUNG

dyoung@cutimes.com

hile the NCUA board passed all of the items on its Nov. 19 agenda, Despite the progress made during the board meeting, snarky comments and innuendoes made it an unforgettable one, as an exchange between NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz and Board Member Mark McWatters turned heated and accusatory.

After the staff presented the 2016/2017 operating and capital budget, Mc Watters read a lengthy statement that called into question the validity that the NCUA’s budget started at zero and was built up from there. He also questioned the efficacy of waiting to implement an 18-month examination cycle until after the risk-based capital rule goes into effect. McWatters added the NCUA should reduce its budget and improve budget process transparency.

In addition, he said the board failed to engage its members in a dialogue about the budget process.

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n the first day of his new job as CUNA’s president/CEO, Jim Nussle heard about the Structure and Governance Task Force.

“I thought, well, that’s kind
of interesting. Every association
ought to examine itself, see what’s
going, see what’s the right way to
do things,” Nussle told the audi-
ence at the 2015
REACH confer-
ence held in No-
vember by the
California and Ne-
vada Credit Union
Leagues in Palm
Desert, Calif.

He then paused for a moment
and added, “Be careful what you
wish for, right?”
Nussle and the CUNA board of
directors had no way of knowing
they would ignite one of the big-
gest industry-wide firestorms after
deciding on Sept. 18 to maintain
the longstanding dual member-
ship requirement, despite a fi-
nal recommendation by the task
force to offer credit unions mem-
bership choice in CUNA and/or a
league.

TRADES

CUNA Leaves Leagues in Suspense

PETER STROZNIAK

pstrozniak@cutimes.com

Y18

FOCUSREPORT:

CUSOs TECHNOLOGY Mobile Tops IT Budgets Technologies that enhance member engagement, advance digital interaction via the mobile channel, improve security and help credit unions understand accountholders better are the top IT budget priorities heading into 2016.

“Rolling out the red carpet for opening and funding new accounts, especially via the mobile channel, is the most valuable digital service for credit unions to offer in 2016, because account growth is the one metric that can’t be neglected,” Hal Tilbury, CEO of the Henderson, Nev.-based, payment processing and document imaging firm Bluepoint Solutions, said.

Tilbury said convenience will be the most important priority for credit unions as they determine the right mixture of features and services; in other words, finding ways to meet members wherever they are with faster, easier-to-use services offered through multiple channels.

“This could mean revving up everything digital from basic services like deposits and bill payments, to high value-added services like personal financial management and electronic strongboxes,” he said.

Branching strategies are shifting quickly as well.

“Branches of the future will be smaller, streamlined to accommodate live lending services and equipped with self-service video kiosks (interactive teller Y19 Must Reads

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