Founded in 1932, Federal Home Loan Banks are privately-owned wholesale banks that were formed to provide low-cost funding to their financial institution members, similar to what corporate CUs do. FHLBs are geared to ensuring mortgage liquidity, however, unlike Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae they are not just a provider of...

WASHINGTON -The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it is seeking comments for a new ergonomics regulation. An ergonomics rule, passed by the Clinton administration and criticized for being overly vague and burdensome, was overturned by President George W. Bush shortly after he took office. Department of...

ALEXANDRIA, Va.- NCUA is seeking comments for its five-year strategic plan for 2003 through 2008 from the public and the credit union community. Acting NCUA Board Chairman Dennis Dollar encouraged everyone to participate. Aside from gathering comments from credit unions and the general public, the agency is also requesting suggestions...

HARAHAN, La. - The advent and successful efforts of CUNA's Credit Union Legislative Action Council (CULAC) to raise money to support credit unions' national legislative lobbying efforts has spurred many leagues to make similar efforts on the state level through their respective state political action committees (PAC). Like CULAC, state...

In a previous opinion article I co-authored with Gordon Dames, CEO of Mountain America Credit Union a few years ago (CU Times, 12/17/97), we advocated a new planning paradigm. Unfortunately, we see many well-meaning boards and management teams still falling prey to a variety of planning myths - and therefore...

FAIRFAX, Va. - Federal credit unions converting to state charters because of complex federal regulations have become commonplace in the CU industry. Not so common though is a state-charter CU converting to a federal charter because of the restrictiveness and complexity of state regulations, but that's exactly what's happened in...

DENVER - Craig Lassen, founder of Internet solutions firm Cavion Technologies, has found that CU roots don't die off easily. Cavion was sold to Liberty earlier this year after it fell on financial hard times, ultimately declaring bankruptcy. Cavion is now alive again as the Liberty Cavion online banking unit....

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas - Access to another liquidity source and to cheap long-term funding is enticing a number of corporate CUs to look at joining one of the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks. U.S. Central CU, Overland Park, Kansas, has joined the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka, and other...