September 2024 – Just a Member

September 16, 2024September 16, 2024

You Can’t Go Home Again

Or so said Thomas Wolf, the novelist. But you can visit with the perspective of years and see what makes small towns in the Midwest a special place in many people’s lives

I just returned from my 62^nd high school reunion in Rensselaer, IN. A journey of nostalgia but also discovery and learning. While I only lived there for five years, from middle school through the first 21/2 years of high school, they were formative in ways one can only see later.

At the moment two Vice Presidential candidates talk about their small-town roots. One does so with joyful remembrances of people knowing and looking after each other. An experience of community that orients one to what matters in life. The second is a somewhat darker story of the problems and poverty in rural America.

My return visit was filled with multiple conversations with people continuing to make this farming town of around 5,000 a place for understanding how community matters and its role in instilling the special American spirit of enterprise and duty.

I will share events such as the Friday Night Lights Senior recognition during half time at the Bomber’s football game vs. West Lafayette; the two visits Jesse Owens made to Rensselaer ; the grave of the first woman ordained in any part of the Methodist church in 1866; and Brigadier General Millroy who criticized the Union’s West Point Generals at the battle of Bull Run apparently in the presence of the President and the Secretary of War, Stanton.

The Worldly Education of Small-Town Life

Rich Kupke is not a name that readily comes to mind unless one recalls he was one of over 100 American hostages held for 444 days in Iran. He came back home to a hero’s welcome in Indiana. After retiring from the State Department he settled in Rensselaer where he had grown up and graduated from high school.

His return to Rensselaer is explained in this article about his post hostage life: Former Iranian Hostage Relishes Quieter Life Today

Even after his Iranian captors finally released the hostages in early 1981, Kupke continued working overseas in Thailand, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Mexico. “I was one of the first who went back overseas. The type of people I worked with, being an ex-hostage wasn’t a big topic that came up all the time,” he said. “It helped not to make it bigger than it was. I always disagreed with the psychiatrist who talked about post-traumatic stress happening five to 10 years later. I told him he was planting that in people’s minds. He got mad at me for disagreeing with him.”

If there is one lingering effect for Kupke, it’s in the way he’s often presented to new acquaintances in Rensselaer. “I’m often introduced as, ‘The former hostage in Iran.’ But most people go out of their way not to have me rehash the whole story. That’s a nice part of being in a small town.”

Divorced in 1991, Kupke has been a single father ever since to his two sons. The three of them lived together in Jamaica and Mexico, but when the boys neared high-school age, their father figured there was only one place to continue their worldly education. “I was born here and went to high school here, and I thought it would be an excellent place for my boys to go to school. Back home in Indiana,” he said.

In addition to watching over 15-year-old James and 14-year-old Bill, Kupke keeps busy as a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels. He also works part-time six days a week at the Jasper County Animal Shelter while waiting to hear about the possibility of returning to a stockbroker position. The only connection to his State Department days is the book he started writing a few months ago — a fictionalized account of a foreign service officer who faces one dramatic situation after another while traveling from country to country, based on his own experiences.

“Rensselaer is just an outstanding place to live. I couldn’t have made a better decision,” he said. “My life is a little slower these days. I don’t need to rush. I’m taking time to smell the daisies. Or is it the roses?”

Life and Truth in It

Maybe quieter in some respects but life is no less purposeful. Rensselaer epitomizes being in a community. For it is in living with others that we find meaning and self-worth.

Thomas Wolf wrote: Telling the truth is a pretty hard thing. And in a young man’s first attempt, with the distortions of his vanity, egotism, hot passion, and lacerated pride, it is almost impossible. “Home to Our Mountains” was marred by all these faults and imperfections…[Webber] did know that it was not altogether a true book. Still, there was truth in it.

I will share some stories of individuals shaped by this small town experience. One is about the Rensselaer High School Senior in 1937 who set the school record for the 100 yard dash, which still stands at 10.2 seconds. He met with Jesse Owens in 1937. His grandson attended a Hi-Y banquet in 1959 at the First Methodist Church where Owens was the featured speaker, 22 years later. Or the obituary of the last surviving Rensselaer soldier from the civil war who volunteered at 14 in 1861 and died in 1945-a sense of duty that carries on still today.

September 13, 2024September 10, 2024

Credit Union Mergers: The Final Solution?

A post by Jim Blaine from his blog of May 15, 2024, used with permission.

Credit unions are changing…

… and disappearing.

Badin Employees Federal Credit Union used to be tucked up against the Uwharrie Mountains on the banks of the Yadkin River, about 40 miles east of Charlotte – the hometown of banking giants Bank of America,Wells Fargo and Truist.

The Uwharries are thought to be the oldest mountains in the U.S. These mountains are well-worn and rounded; the Rockies they ain’t! Uwharrie is an old Indian word. It’s a bit tricky to pronounce, much like La Jolla, Yakima, Albuquerque, and Butte. “Yew-whar-eee” is correct; “you’re hairy” is not.

Been searching for years for the original Indian meaning of that name. Recently, a friend told me he knew the origin. He said, it’s in the dictionary: “Uwharrie” means “unknown”. Really?

Asked him for a copy of that reference for my files. Sure enough, the following week, in came a copy of the dictionary definition. It said: “Uwharrie – adj., probably from an ancient tribal name; meaning unknown.” Perhaps I just need to pick better friends….

Badin is a company town. In 1917, Alcoa dammed the Yadkin River to generate hydroelectric power for a new aluminum ingot plant. The lake and town which sprang from those efforts are quietly picturesque – but, all things revolved around the plant. Driving into town, down Falls Road, under an unwashed denim sky, is a journey home, a journey back in time The town is just two blocks long, but makes the most of it.

“Downtown” the candy-striped awnings and improvised handicap ramp of Badin Town Hall and Police Department adjoin the Masonic Lodge #637. Then comes the post office with its single window, fleet of post office boxes, and well-used community bulletin board. Shading the post office is Memorial Park, flanked by a cedar tree honor guard for the seven Badin soldiers who died in World War II. And, out of sight up a short dirt road, is the best named roadhouse on the planet: The Bottom of the Barrel Disco and Cafe; now vacant, having recently burned to the ground. Bet that last party was a great one. Sorry to have missed it!

But, the center of attraction in town was the Badin Employees Federal Credit Union. The Credit Union was housed in a one story, red brick building with blue shuttered windows and a bright, “no-way-to-miss-it”, burgundy door. The Credit Union always closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 pm, but you could sneak a look into the office through the partially drawn, real-wood Venetian blinds. It was a comfortable, inviting looking place. The kind of place you could sit a while, have a cup of coffee, talk to the manager, y’know think it through a bit.

Badin Employees Federal Credit Union was prosperous with assets reaching $4 million, capital 18%, loans available to all, delinquency negligible. Everyone in town was a member; no local banks remained. Badin Employees FCU had achieved “market dominance” without ever spending a penny on “engagement, member experience, or passions of self-importance”. The “word around town” took care of all that. Yep, folks in Badin had a strong opinion about their Credit Union. They were the kind of folks – as you might suspect – who didn’t need “thought leaders”, “X”, or talk radio in order to form an opinion!

The beauty of Credit Unions used to be something you couldn’t easily wrap, bottle, or “spin”. Badin FCU is no longer there to make a difference – gone the way of merger. There are no longer any banks or credit unions in Badin. The aluminum plant, too, is gone.

… are we getting close to the Bottom of the Barrel on a lot of important things in our Country, including credit unions?

September 12, 2024September 10, 2024

Observations Continued. . .

Mark Twain

Some people bring joy wherever they go, and some people bring joy whenever they go.

On Political and Policy Leadership

Reducing complex issues, global power politics, and any public policy into one sentence is not conducive to the civility, magnanimity, and intellectual processes needed for a free society to flourish. Doing so performs a double disservice, in that even while it redirects one from issues to personalities it also kills the search for truth by ignoring the need for real arguments, even ones made with magnanimity.

The human mind was created to seek and know the truth, and to find pleasure in it when it is found. Democracy requires compromise, and compromise requires the two virtues lacking most in American society–prudence and humility. (Source: The Imaginative Conservative)

How New Board Members Feel

A little girl had just finished her first week of school. ‘I’m just wasting my time,’ she said to her mother. ‘I can’t read, I can’t write, and they won’t let me talk!’

Interdependence, Climate Change and Human Domination

If humans didn’t exist at all, life would continue on earth. Let’s not flatter ourselves: biologically speaking, the earth does not need us to tend and care for it. Life on earth existed for eons before we arrived. Have we made the earth better by our arrival?

September 11, 2024September 10, 2024

Observations from Within and Without

How credit unions changed America’s financial Options

Credit unions reclaimed the idea of community versus total reliance on individual effort. Its understanding that everyone matters and that everyone should have a chance at financial equity became a central premise of American democracy.

Cooperative economic power changed the entire consumer financial fabric of the country. Its opponents, external and internal, have worked to eliminate it ever since 1909 and 1934 put the option in play.

A CEO’s Favorite Leadership Quote:

From Colin Powell: ‘The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you’ve stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.’

On the Value of Small Institutions

What we don’t emphasize to kids, but we learn as adults, is that while the smallest animal may be crucial to our survival, it almost always ends up dead, swallowed up by a bigger inhabitant of the neighborhood. Henry C. Meier

Future Forecasting

If you want to see the future of any movemen don’t look at its buildings or financial resources. Go look in the mirror and look at your neighbors. Every movement’s purpose is sent into the world in human envelopes.

September 10, 2024September 10, 2024

Tonight’s Presidential Debate and “Equal Time”

There are many more critical topics on voters’ minds in tonight’s debate than how the two candidates view the contributions and financial role of credit unions in the American economy.

Two weeks ago I posted a blog with Vice President Harris’ remarks from an April 2023 Treasury CDFI award announcement:

“When we invest in community lenders, we help build a future where all people—no matter who they are or where they start—have the resources they need not only to succeed but to thrive.

“These grants—representing the largest CDFI grant program in history – will enable hundreds of community lenders to invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs, and also provide home loans for families, financial services for local nonprofits, and capital for community organizations.”

Over $590 million was awarded to 203 credit unions which was 34% of total funding.

I stated if someone had an example of President Trump’s involvement, I would be glad to give equal time. I received a response the same day.

President Trump’s February 2018 Meeting with Credit Unions

The following text and a NAFCU article link are from Richard Harris, the retired CEO of Caltech Employees FCU: Although the attached article is not a formal statement from former President Trump, it however, was perhaps the first time a sitting President engaged directly in person with credit unions. I was honored to represent the group as then Chair of the NAFCU Board of Directors.

In addition to Richard and the Presidents of NAFCU and CUNA, several other CEO’s present included:

Jeanne Kucey ,CEO of JetStream Federal Credit Union); Jim Kenyon, CEO of Whitefish Credit Unionairlines, Tyrone Muse CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union; Angie Owens president of American Federal Credit Union; and Lynette Smith CEO of Washington Gas Light Federal Credit Union.

Cedit Unions and President Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House (February 2018).

The NAFCU article outlines several items discussed. Richard’s description of the event: “He started the meeting by going around the table and having each credit union CEO tell who they served in their FOM and a little bit about our credit union.

Who were our members? How were we financially helping our members? We went around the whole table. The President also had Gary Cohn, his economic advisor at the time, and his Chief of Staff, General Kelly, attend the meeting with us. The meeting lasted approximately one hour as I recall.

I was quite impressed with the President’s engagement with us. Regulatory burden was the primary topic of discussion.”

Harris continues: “At the time, deregulation and the perceived overreach of the CFPB were front and center. The Trump Administration was actively seeking support from banks and credit unions to get behind their legislation and advocate to Congress for passing deregulation legislation. “

President Donald J. Trump meets with Credit Union Representatives in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Monday, February 26, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

“This meeting did not take place in conjunction with any other credit union gathering in Washington DC. It was hastily arranged and the participating credit union CEO’s needed to fly to DC with little notice.”

I asked Richard if NCUA came up: “There was no reference or discussion on NCUA or any of his appointees. His interest seemed to be very focused on how he could help the consumer, in this case our members. “

The Importance of Your Vote

At this stage of 2024 election, pundits estimate less than 7% or fewer are undecided about whom to vote for. Many will tune into tonight’s debate to firm up their views for Trump or Vice President Harris.

The two topics cited in the excerpts above are traditional party themes: democrats’ support for investments in community development and republicans’ promise to reduce governmental regulation.

These examples show credit unions have had some visibility with these two candidates in the past. In this very close contest it might even be possible that credit union’s unique purpose earns a shout out from one political team or the other.

Credit union professionals are probably as divided as is the country for whom they support. The critical point is that every vote matters.

Whatever your presidential preference, urge your members to exercise their most important democratic right-their vote.

September 9, 2024September 9, 2024

The Cooperative Way to Manage an Isolated Branch

Last week I described the abrupt closing of the Madison WI branch of PenFed FCU which it acquired via the merger of Post Office Credit Union (POCU) in 2020.

There was no public announcement. Some members were alerted, but many weren’t. The employees lost their jobs. The members no longer had a physical presence for this coop operation begun in 1935.

I described this as an example of “asset stripping” in which the continuing credit union takes the most valuable parts of a organization and then disposes of the rest. While this approach is not unique to PenFed, it is routine in many of their post-merger operations.

Other credit unions sometimes acquire new branches via mergers outside their home state, often hundreds of miles away. There is no synergy or “network effects” with the continuing credit union’s primary market. Closing these “under performing” locations is seen as an acceptable management decision.

But is this the best option for members? As credit unions point out bank branch closures to defend their FOM expansion requests, are some coops guilty of the same activity?

A Better Way: The Branch Transfer

As PenFed’s August shutdown of its Madison location was finished, two credit unions demonstrated a better way. First Harvest in New Jersey and Members 1^st in Pennsylvania, announced the completion of a cooperative approach to the challenge of an isolated member service location.

This past month, the spin off of the Williamsport, PA branch of First Harvest, acquired in a merger in 2016, was finalized. The transfer of First Harvest’s local branch members, employees and resources to Members 1^st, which operates over 60 branches, in Pennsylvania became official.

Mike Wilson, CEO of Members 1^st and Mike Dinneen, CEO of First Harvest had both begun their leadership roles at the same time in mid 2023. They knew each other from working together in different Pennsylvania credit unions. They discussed their joint efforts in an interview ten days ago.

Upon taking over at First Harvest, Mike began evaluating his business and strategic priorities. The Williamsport PA branch was over three hours away from the Deptford, N.J. head office. The distance from his primary South Jersey market focus made it difficult to support fully the employees and over 1,000 members using this location.

Closing the branch was not an option. What solution could be in the best interests of the members, staff and community?

In discussions with his counterpart at Members 1^st in late 2023 the two CEO’s agreed to a joint project to assess whether a transfer of the entire operation would make sense for everyone.

Members 1^st had 7,000 members in the greater Williamsport area but no location in the county. This branch with its experienced staff offered an opportunity to build out this new market area with an in place local presence.

The two CEOs established a process to involve the local employees and members in the evaluation. NCUA required that a transfer of branch be done following steps similar to a merger: the members would be given notice, vote on the option, and a third party monitor results. The final decision would be by the members.

Following NCUA approval in February of 2024 both credit unions held meetings with employees and in multiple member open forums. Both credit unions’ leaders attended, including evening sessions so all could ask questions.

The voting took place in April. The transfer was overwhelmingly supported with between 20-25 % voting participation, a much higher rate than for a traditional merger.

Mike Wilson stressed that the key success factor was staff retention and their support. Mike Dinneen noted that the “spin off” was not a performance issue but a proximity one. In his view the critical factor was finding the best cultural fit for staff and members.

An Example of Cooperative Values and Collaboration

These two credit union CEOs were guided by values that put their members’ and employees’ well-being foremost. There were also institutional advantages for both firms if the transfer was thoughtfully conducted.

The members were deeply involved in the process. The two credit unions took almost a year to evaluate how the spinoff might best work and to develop and communicate the advantages of this change.

By this effort they maintained the goodwill and reputation of not only their individual institutions, but also for the member-centric public reputation of credit unions.

PenFed cut and ran when closing their Madison branch. This operational presence had been in the community for over 89 years. Consider what a different impression these 3,000 or so members would have if there had been an effort to transfer the operations to a local cooperative willing to continue service for the community.

But that choice would have required PenFed to put members’ interests first. Instead they took all the “free” capital and other valuable resources from this previously independent credit union. The members were forced into a remote, digital-first service model. The local commitment and presence of nine decades was over.

This contrasting approach is a reminder to credit unions enraptured by a credit union’s rhetorical promises during courtship, that the marriage rarely lives up to the hype. Especially for the member offspring.

September 6, 2024September 6, 2024

Lookback: The Rest of the Story of Post Office CU’s Merger with PenFed

On December 28^th, 2020 the 85-year, $35 million Post Office Credit Union (POCU) in Madison, Wisconsin ceased to be an independent charter. After voting, the 3,196 members and their savings, loans and abundant reserves (22% net worth) were transferred to the $26 billion PenFed Credit Union in Virginia. (Source: Seeking 25 Credit Union Faithful)

As detailed in The Problem We All Share, this merger proposal was too rich for the CEO to pass up:

“The Wisconsin credit union, chartered in 1934, has a net worth ratio of 22%, seven employees, one branch and serves all of Dane County. It is sound, well-run and lonserving. https://www.pocu.com/our-story

“In the October 15, 2020 Special Meeting Notice, the required disclosures show that the CEO will receive a five-year employment contract with an increase in annual salary to $125,000; the Vice president has a comparable gain.

“Select” employees will get a 10% retention bonus and all, a three-year employment offer. If either the CEO or Vice President terminates employment, they are eligible for one-time payments of up to $614,900.

“Each eligible member will get a one-time $200 capital distribution “if the merger is approved and consummated.” This would be from the credit union’s 22% net worth of $7.6 million and is estimated at only 8% ($640,000) of this total. (or in total less than the onetime payments to the CEO and Vice President). The remaining $7.0 million reserves transfers to PenFed as other operating income, that is free money.

“The payments are in plain sight, all contingent on a merger. The member notice provides not a single rate, fee or factual service benefit from this action. In the merger Notice the wording about the future of the single office location is vague: “PenFed intends to maintain the current POCU branch at. . .”

But now we know the rest of the story not just the branch’s status, but for the promised betterment of the 3,200 member-owners

The Rest of the Story

A week ago I received a text from a former CUNA employee and member of PenFed at their Madison branch. He asked if I knew what had happened to the former POCU head office after finding an earlier post I had written about the merger.

He sent this picture of the branch’s status:

He had seen this sign when he visited on August 2, saying the branch would close forever on August 23, 2024 at 1:00 PM. He had opened his account in-person and received no closure notice. Two other members he knew who had opened their accounts online and also had no notice.

The land and building were owned by POCU/PenFed, the location right across the street from the main Post Office. Presumably it will now be sold with PenFed booking a gain on the book value of the property. This is the final act of what is commonly called “asset stripping” when a takeover occurs and the buyer keeps the most valluab;e assets and sells the rest.

The branch with blank signage.

Office equipment disposed, not donated.

The commitment to keep the office open, with its employees, local convenience and legacy relationships lasted three and a half years. All the transition expenses of the merger, the payouts, the conversion costs to new systems, the termination of vendor contracts are “sunk costs.” There is no enhancement to member value.

The merger itself ended all local governance and representation. The closure of this local presence means no local oversight of investments or loans in the community, no further ( if there was ever any) of the promised $50,000 annual local donations , no employment and no participation in the credit union system in Wisconsin.

PenFed made no announcement of this closure. In the quarterly call reports, it states its FOM potential is the entire population of the US. So members in Madison now have a relationship no different from any other person who joins remotely. And all they got from this deal was $200 to give up their extraordinarily successful 85-year charter.

The rest of the story is that PenFed acted in its self-interest to close a location that it must have deemed “unprofitable” and/or contrary to its focus on digital first members.

That is not what was promised. But we now know, as we did then, that all the promises were nothing more than phony baloney. Here is an excerpt from the initial story link above:

How can one know this is not a considered, well intentioned decision to enhance members’ future? After all, the Post Office board of directors affirmed in their Notice that the merger is desirable for the following reasons:

Our board evaluated strategic possibilities to ensure that you our member, will continue to receive the full range of products and service you deserve.
We have been diligently seeking to find alternatives.
Only one option meets the full range of our objectives: growth of membership, expansion of product offerings, infusion of investment in IT cybersecurity, improved training and enhanced community service. . .PenFed is in the best interests of our members.

The director’s closing assurance of its considered judgment is given in these words:

“It is the recommendation of your Board that you vote “yes” to approve the merger. Please be assured that you are our valued member, and we have every confidence that you will be pleased by the level of commitment service, and value that you will receive from PenFed etc. . . “

If the financial facts were not sufficiently self-incriminating, these words expose the dishonesty of the Board’s actions. There was no due diligence of PenFed that caused them to choose this from “ a range of options.” How do we know? Because these are exactly the same representations word for word sent to the members by Sperry Associates and Magnify, PenFed’s two most recent mergers. And the explicit “assurance” contained in the Notice, “we have every confidence that you will be pleased,” is exactly the same as in these two prior mergers.

PenFed assisted in the drafting of these notices. Since NCUA approved these wordings in the past, it will do so in the future, regardless of their veracity. NCUA endorsed Post Office Board’s assurance of due diligence even though there are no facts in the notice that would confirm this assertion. NCUA’s dereliction in ratifying these exact duplicates of alleged diligent representations of member interests, raises the question whether the agency has any clue about events.

Destroying Credit Union’s Moral Capital

So the POCU branch closing is nothing more than a continued pillaging by PenFed of the institutions whose leaders it pays to turn their members’ assets and relationships over to them. It is a pattern repeated again and again in over two dozen PenFed mergers, A local, long time, financially sound credit union is merged via CEO inducements, and then closed and stripped of its best assets.

PenFed is one example, albeit a leading one, of credit unions preying on their own system. This strategy undermines the whole cooperative advantage and model. There is no evidence it is even a successful growth strategy for the continuing credit union.

A prior NCUA board member stated the agency’s merger oversight responsibility as: “Our focus is on ensuring member interests are protected through the regulatory process.” That is obviously not happening.

I think a more accurate description of the situation is Mark Twain’s assessment of human motivation:

“Some men worship rank, some worship heroes, some worship power, some worship God and over these ideals they dispute and cannot unite–but they all worship money.”

September 5, 2024September 5, 2024

From the Field: A CEO, a Member and a Retired CEO Speak

It has been said, “Where nothing is forbidden, nothing is required.” Impulse control is certainly a valuable skill for all adolescents to learn.

But for a leader with fiduciary responsibility for common wealth, held for tens of thousands of members to benefit their financial futures, it is essential for sound judgment. Sometimes this responsibility underwrites actions that suggest little accountability to the member-owners.

Yesterday REV FCU, Charleston SC, announced the purchase of the 110 year old First Neighborhood Bank, a $152 million, three-branch firm headquartered in Spenser West Virginia. The privately owned bank reported $556,000 in 2023 net income and $12 million in total capital.

REV CEO Jason Lee in a CU Today article said ”I’m excited to bring this mission of growth with purpose to West Virginia and enhance our ability to serve the financial needs of this region.” The article pointed out the two institutions are 520 miles apart. No terms were announced.

How this unknown cash outlay of tens of millions of member reserves to the bank’s owners will benefit REV members is not stated. The rhetoric and unrelated information provided in the article, leads one to be skeptical that this action benefits them in any way. With 14.5% net worth, REV has accumulated member reserves almost 50% greater than required. Is this surplus just burning a hole in this CEO’s pocket?

A Retired CEO’s Message

The strained rhetorical justifications of these serendipitous credit union purchases of bank has led some former leaders to question whether there is any meaningful belief in cooperative design. Have some of today’s coops just become private, tax-exempt firms using their growing financial resources to fulfill personal ambition?

Following is one lament, from a very successful former CEO who recently wrote:

“I mentioned to you once a quote that “all symphonies remain unfinished.” I have moved on to the second movement of mine, so to speak.

“Some folks in community banking have asked for my assistance in taking on credit unions, head-to-head, nose to nose. I have enthusiastically accepted. I have been scheduled for some webinars and convention sessions in the next few months.

It was my privilege to walk among giants; you, Bucky, Jim Blaine, and many others. Thank you. Sadly, Camelot is dead and the movement is no more. Members are a means to an end, that end being feeding the cash flows of executive compensation, vendors, consultants, CUNA/ NAFCU and the NCUA.”

A Member Reacts to the Merger of His Credit Union

A member wrote of his disappointment following the merger of the credit union he had joined as an employee of the sponsor. This comment from over a year ago, and the examples he describes, have only multiplied since.

“You likely already know if this is true or not. I wonder if national banks are aware of all the CU mergers and trying to lure disgruntled credit union member away from the new Continuing Credit Union that the member has no relationship with. I just got an email from M&T Bank about a $250 new account offer. The web must be tracking my bank/credit union shopping and my data is being sold like everything else we do online.

If all the mergers are similar to Xceed/Kinecta’s, then there are a lot of officers in small CUs that are getting big paydays. It looks like all these smaller CU executive teams must do is sell their members on the idea that a merger with a larger CU benefits each of them somehow. I’d imagine the smaller credit union leaders are seeing their peers who are part of mergers getting big raises, bonuses or severances for a comfy retirement and want the same.

Xceed’s President/CEO is eligible to received $1,500,000 possible maximum compensation for 3 years after the merger my notice states. She gets an immediate raise of $71,403. The if she is terminated for “good reason” within 3 years she is eligible for a prorated severance in a max potential of $1,500,000. The others (senior executives) all stand to gain between roughly $250,000-$600,000 under different but similar conditions.

Possibly the word is out among the CU community that Big credit unions are looking for Small prey credit unions and if you’re lucky enough to get caught, simply agree to be eaten and those at the top of the small credit union get rich at the expense of the membership.

You made me happy sharing my feelings if this helps others impacted by these mergers. Maybe if enough members leave after their credit unions merge, the remaining small credit union Presidents/CEOs will think twice and keep the community or employer-based CU in place.

Sorry Chip for running on with my “It’s a wonderful life” like email. I read back my email and laughed at myself. Anyway, have a great rest of the day. ”

Three separate examples. These people are saying “Without vision the people perish,” or more accurately, the cooperative system in America.

September 4, 2024September 4, 2024

Where Did Creighton FCU’s Members $13 Million Go?

On August 7 Credit Union Times reported the story of the merger, without a member vote, of the $66.9 million Creighton FCU with the $1.2 billion Cobalt FCU. The source was not from NCUA, but rather a joint announcement by Cobalt of the NCUA approved combination.

In the twelve months ending June 2024, Creighton’s networth fell from a positive $6.3 million to a negative $7.3 million. A total loss of $13.6 million, all of which was recorded in the June 2024 quarter’s call report.

What happened to cause this loss of over 20% of credit union members’ total assets in just 90 days?

Until this quarter, Creighton FCU had been doing business as usual. Tom Kjar the President for 32 years had just announced his retirement. The credit union’s chair had posted a Credit Union President open position on LinkedIn with a salary range of $114-$152K.

On April 3, 2024 the credit union’s Vice President of Operations and Finance, Vorace Packer, died. There was no public announcement of the circumstances in his obituary. The credit union provided no followup successor.

What the Data Shows

For a sudden financial loss this large that is not connected to asset write offs, all of the indicators point to an internal defalcation.

In the 5300 call report numbers NCUA posted at March ’24, Creighton’s shares total $61 million. Just 90 days later that total is $74 million. The difference is almost equal to the the total loss of $13.6 million. Of this sudden share increase, $12 million is in regular shares.

These numbers show shares were under reported a pattern often used to cover irregular transfers of funds. Because the total amount is so large, a single diversion of $500,000 or $1.0 million would cause attention or a cash flow problem. It seems likely this diversion has probably taken place over many years. For example at $1.0 million per year the cash outflow would be only $250,000 per quarter.

To accomplish this cash diversion and reducing reported member share balances, there would have to be two sets of books—the incorrect numbers for the auditors and examiners, and then the actual records so members would not see shortfalls in their account statements. The fact that the under reported balances were totalled so quickly, suggests this second set was readily discovered.

There are other patterns in the data going back over ten years that should have raised questions. For example the credit union would report positive net income for each quarter, but the total net worth did not change until the final call report filing for December. The pattern of reporting “reserves” was changed in March of 2022,

Why Did the Members Lose their Credit Union?

NCUA has said nothing about its actions in this event. Cobalt is the source of the merger announcement. It is that credit union’s members who will cover the $7.6 million hole in Creighton’s balance sheet, subject to any valuation adjustments.

Cobalt reported, before this event, a $1.8 million loss for the first six months of 2024 along with negative loan and share growth. NCUA said that there will be no impact on the NCUSIF from this event, so Cobalt members will be the rescuers.

Will there be bond recoveries for this loss? What is the prospect of recoveries from where the funds were sent? Who will pursue these and other recovery options?

The Most Important Questions Remain Unanswered

How did this apparent long-standing diversion occur? Where did the $13 million of member funds go?

As a federal charter, when was the last NCUA exam prior to the finding of the defalcation? Was there an annual exam? If so, were normal exam procedures followed?

The credit union reports employing the same auditor, Wipfli LLP, for at least the last five years. Were their external CPA audits clean? Did they or the supervisory committee do an annual sample test verification of member share balances? Were large disbursements of funds to third parties by the credit union reviewed?

Outside audits, supervisory committee verifications and NCUA exams are all intended to keep honest people honest. How could these required processes have failed so hugely and over such an extended time period?

What was the CEO’s role—was there no division of duties, that is different persons authorizing transfers from those initiating specific transactions?

NCUA’s Silence is Deafening

NCUA made no announcement of this event. We have no idea if the board approved a conservatorship or the forced merger. What options were presented, if any, to the board? What was their role? Or, did they just delegate this action to staff elsewhere in the organization?

Why has there been no official explanation of NCUA’s role two months after the June 30 facts have been posted?

NCUA’s primary purpose is to prevent the loss of member funds. In this case there is a $13 million dollar shortfall between the $73 million in total shares and the purported net worth and assets to cover them.

What happened to the multiple supervisory oversight roles supposedly in place? Until these apparent failures are understood and addressed, a much bigger problem remains. Can the supervisory system charged with the responsibility and resources to oversee the industry’s soundness perform its basic functions?

Until there is transparency and full answers about this situation, the potential for greater difficulties is possible. The NCUA’s silence about the members’ $13 million financial and charter loss at Creighton is a greater problem than this financial failure.

The critical question is whether the regulatory system’s processes are performing as intended?Who is willing to represent the NCUA in this episode to discuss what happened, why and any necessary changes from this event’s analysis?

September 3, 2024September 3, 2024

Game On: The Voting Begins

Today, September 3, voting begins in the most important election affecting credit unions in over 100 years. This is not the presidential election-as important as that is for national policy direction.

Rather this is the second consecutive year that the members of SECU NC can choose between two slates of candidates to fill four board openings. Ballots will be mailed to all members. Voting can be by mail-in ballot, on line (absentee) or in person at the annual meeting on October 8, 2024 in Greensboro, NC.

In 2023 the first year of contested board elections, three member-nominated candidates won their seats over the three-board nominated incumbents.

A Gigantic Precedent

SECU’s North Carolina operations are vast. From the President’s June 2024 Fiscal Year update:

The Credit Union, with 7,700 full-time and 500 part-time team members, serves members via 275 branch locations, ncsecu.org, our SECU Mobile App, ASK SECU (our automated voice response system), our 24/7/365 Member Services Support team, and nearly 1,100 CashPoints® ATMs.

SECU is America’s second largest credit union at $56 billion in assets and 2.8 million members. Its long term track record for over five decades includes a history of iconic and innovative service decisions founded on a singular vision of cooperative design.

This example of owners having a real choice of directors will have a significant impact on SECU’s members, the credit unions of North Carolina and perhaps public perceptions of how credit union leadership should be selected.

No other credit union, of which I am aware, has had back-to-back member voting in contested board elections. Just the opposite is the case. Board openings are routinely filled by nominating committees approving only the number of candidates as there are vacancies. These individuals are normally incumbents or internally sponsored. No elections are held. The chosen few are approved by acclamation at the annual meeting. The member franchise and democratic selection, the foundation of credit union governance, hardly ever occurs.

The Competing Slates

The two competing groups for the four open seats are the board-nominated candidates and the member-nominated group. In short, the Ins versus the Outs.

Brief profiles of all eight can be read at this link. The Ins are all current SECU board members who list multiple volunteer roles. The member-nominated are long standing SECU members including three former SECU employees. The 4th Jean Blaine did not work at SECU but lived with someone who did. She was a teacher in the public school systems in four different counties while raising five children. She has been active in the last two years at multiple public forums raising concerns about SECU’s direction.

A general statement of the four incumbents’ recent decisions is presented in this excerpt from the CEO’s August 2024 Fiscal Year update:

Our volunteer Board of Directors (composed of current, past, and former state employees representing your best interests (the interests of state employees)) took action to eliminate numerous fees at SECU. The Credit Union no longer charges a stop payment fee, NSF representment fee, overdraft transfer fee, verification of deposit fee, or a returned item fee! SECU’s fees are among the lowest in the country among our credit union peers.

To better serve all 2.8 million members, the SECU Board also made some changes to our tier-based pricing model (where loan rates are determined by a member’s credit score) on auto and consumer loan products. In April of 2024, the Board reduced SECU’s 5-tier model to 3 tiers, with A credit score borrowers receiving an A rate, B borrowers receiving a B rate, and C, D, and E borrowers, as well as borrowers with no score, receiving a C rate.

Before the introduction of tier-based pricing, SECU provided “one rate for all” that was a B- to C+ rate. The move to a 3-tier model also complemented the August 2023 rollout of a Board-approved 0.50% discount program¹ on closed-end consumer loans for certain qualified current or retired State of North Carolina employees, adding even more value for SECU’s base membership.

The primary issues raised by the member- nominated candidates have been much covered in Jim Blaine’s daily blog SECU-Just Asking! These topics include the credit unions embrace of risk based pricing for consumer lending. More recently the decline in financial performance trends including growing delinquency/charge-offs, stalled share growth, and an increasing expense ratio.

Blaine has also been an ardent critic of bylaw and other process changes which make it more difficult for members to exercise their role at the annual meeting. For example this is his response to the restrictions announced for the upcoming 2024 Meeting: SECU Board Election Cycle-How Can It Get Any Worse?

Jim’s writing is blunt and pointed. He uses memes to reinforce his message. For example his recent blog supporting the four member nominated candidates, lists five priorities under the general headline SECU Employees Need a Change at the Top.

The Campaigns

The Ins are certainly using the power and resources of incumbency to prepare and spread their point of view. The Outs have the passion and enthusiasm of volunteers committed to making a difference.

Both sides use social media. Ads and videos featuring their candidates are up or in the works. SECU For All is the campaign theme and the member-nominated web presence. The site has candidate videos, event updates, articles and statements from supporters. The group has also created a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SECUforAll/

More SECU institutional updates are in the works to provide the positive points for the current board candidates priorities and accomplishments.

A Unicorn Credit Union

SECU’s position in credit unions combined with two contested elections makes it a true unicorn in the cooperative system. Member-owners have the unique opportunity to see how their candidates present themselves and their visions for the credit union’s future.

Although integral to cooperative design, members at no other credit union will have this distinctive experience of seeing contrasting positions from competing board candidates.

But the learning will be more than a debate about risk-based lending, financial priorities, or convenience upgrades. This voting choice demonstrates to these member-owners, and maybe others who read about it, the true nature of cooperative democratic governance.

If we are honest about the state of credit union governance today, most leadership teams (boards and CEO’s) view the members as customers. They are primarily inputs (profit centers) for their institution’s growth and financial success. The members are only a means to building public renown and rewards for the organization’s leaders.

In extreme cases this attitude results in the exploitation of the members’ trust when these leaders chose to transfer their institution’s resources and members to a third party for self-gain via mergers. It happens every week in plain sight. This is a recent example where five board members and the CEO chose to lead their 58,000 members and $1.3 billion institution into a merger (The Valley of Dry Bones). There was no rhyme nor reason, except the CEO’s retirement. And the members are led to believe their approval is just an administrative check the box exercise.

Following Future Events

SECU’s board election is about much more than a final vote tally in October. In my view it could be the one event that demonstrates the potential for cooperative design to fulfill its unique destiny.

I plan to follow events and the positions with more posts before the October 8^th annual meeting. I believe illustrating both the tactics and substance of this campaign could be a turning point for other credit unions who wish to reinvigorate their institution’s distinct cooperative spirit.

For the full pdf package for SECU’s 2024 Annual Member meeting notice, click here. Per Sandra Jones, Senior Vice President for Communications, the October 8 Annual meeting will be broadcast live as in 2023.