Enhancing member experience has been the subject of many blogs and white papers, and there is a reason why this topic is so popular. In fact, there are three good reasons why this topic is especially relevant now.

1. Competition - Competition among financial institutions, challenger and online banks is getting fierce. Banks and online financial institutions like Marcus and Ally need your members’ deposits to fund their loan activity and are offering higher returns for their business. Also, the huge credit card issuers want to put their cards in your members’ wallets and are enticing them to do so with sign-up bonuses. Plus, every financial institution wants your best members’ loan activity on their income sheets.

Many credit unions are struggling to retain members and capture the wave of increased credit union membership the industry is experiencing despite paying out a record level of membership dividends, helping members affected by the recent government shut down, maintaining lower rates and fees, and providing stellar member experience.

ThePaymentsReview compliance feature occasionally highlights regulatory topics important to credit unions

On October 17, 2018, Acting Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) (previously the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - CFPB), Mick Mulvaney, announced at the Mortgage Bankers Association, that the Bureau has set out on an agenda to better define the term “Abusive” in the Unfair, Deceptive, and Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAAP).

Over 13M Americans (5.35%) have finished holiday shopping! Now for the good news – the other 95% of shoppers still have not completed!  However, another 18% anticipated being finished by November 1st.  Black Friday is no longer the perceived start to holiday shopping. If issuers are waiting until closer to Black Friday to begin promotions to entice cardholders to use their card products, they will be getting out of the gate late.  A full three weeks late.

Why Embracing Lifelong Learning Is The Best Gift You Can Give To Your Professional Self

[Editor’s Note: This article was previously published on CUInsight, and has been modified.]

During my recent presentation at Trellance’s Payments Academy, I spoke about the importance of embracing thought leadership in building a personal brand. I challenged the attendees to ask themselves, “What do I want to be known for?” This sparked a conversation among the presenters and attendees about what makes someone an expert. The consensus was that years of experience in your field is just one of the main ingredients in claiming expertise. The other essential component is the expert’s ability to remain relevant and knowledgeable on his/her area(s) of expertise in this ever-changing landscape.