The “Home Court” Advantage
From Greylock Federal Credit Union:
We have officially welcomed over 100,000 Members! We are deeply proud to be the hometown financial institution of choice by so many in our community and we want to say THANK YOU!
From Springfield High School’s student newspaper on the school play:
. . .One of the important aspects of high school is the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Being involved in the production process, like Hashmi stated, has allowed students to contribute to the creation of a captivating performance. It is a chance to collaborate with a team of talented individuals and learn new skills along the way. Plus, there’s a unique sense of camaraderie that comes with being part of a play. So, if you enjoy the idea of working behind the scenes and being a crucial part of bringing a story to life, the fall play is definitely worth considering!
A Video: What Good Business Looks Like
This short video “story” from Thailand should be required viewing for every credit union board that has ever contemplated the merging of their long- serving coop. It is a stunning example you won’t forget. It disproves the capitalist adage, “Everybody has a price.”
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HtaYMhDr4k)
Einstein on the critical credit union advantage in a Market Driven Economy
This week has seen another bank’s stock price fall by over half from $10 to $4 per share.
From Yahoo finance: The Pressure on NYCB is Not Letting Up. At yearend 2023 the bank reported $116 billion in assets and $10.8 billion in total equity.
Its history in brief: New York Community Bancorp, Inc. (NYCB), headquartered in Hicksville, New York, is a bank holding company for Flagstar Bank. In 2023, the bank operates 395 branches in New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, Arizona and Wisconsin under multiple local brands acquired via multiple acquisitions.
Einstein’s explanation of the credit union advantage, especially in times of crisis, is simple-Time: The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.
The cooperative member-owner structure gives management and the owners time to straighten things out when problems occur. Let markets cycle through their phases. However, there is no respite in the winner-take-all world of competition when a market owned firm falls from grace.
The Justifications in Self-Serving Mergers in Which Members Get Nothing
In my recent look back on several mergers, I reached out to a participant from several years ago. Had the members seen any change for the better? The reply: it’s just another bank without heart or soul or members, just customers…but then, we might just be American Idiots …
If we’re honest, culture forms us as much as our statements of personal values.
Human beings can live without many things, but not with an absence of meaning. In our “free” market driven economy dominated by for-profit firms, cooperative CEO’s and boards will continue to cloth self-interested actions in moralisms and myths.
Fortunately, members are not idiots.