ACUMA ONpoint

Community is not just a word the credit union industry throws around. It is the central embodiment of why credit unions exist. ACUMA President Peter Benjamin had the opportunity to catch up with some first-time attendees on this episode of the ONpoint Podcast. The networking, the community, the engagement, and the welcoming environment were all highlights to our attendees and guests on this special edition episode. Tune in now to find out what their favorite parts of the event have been.

Accountability, both on the job and in life, is the responsibility we all have for accomplishing the tasks that we’ve chosen or have been given to us. Too often, however, the word becomes a negative used to connote failure. Sales consultant Dr. Bruce Lund knows the intrinsic power of the word “accountability” and wants to see it used on both sides of the management equation. Listen as he and ACUMA President Peter Benjamin debate the word’s use and how it can empower credit union staff at all levels to succeed. Sponsored by Accountable CRM.

As November’s presidential election approaches, lawmakers are slowing their wheels in anticipation of a change in administration. Topics around housing (in particular junk fees), financial institutions' use of artificial intelligence (AI), and others are still in hot debate, but with vacations looming, Congress is literally running out of time. In this edition, Shareholder, Leah Dempsey of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck shares her insights with ACUMA President Peter Benjamin about what is – and isn’t – coming down the road for CUs. Sponsored by LenderPrice. 

Women are vital in financial services and mortgage lending, especially among credit unions. Providing both support and opportunities is critical to helping them excel in their roles and provide excellent member service, or so says Kris Kully, a partner with Mayer Brown and president of the Women in Housing and Finance Foundation. In this podcast, Kris shares with ACUMA President Peter Benjamin how best to support those women, why they must work hard, and why they must “just keep swimming,” especially when the waters get deep. Sponsored by Blue Loans

Mortgage lending is a complex business with many steps and multiple individuals involved in closing the deal for the borrower. In most cases the process follows the domino principle: When one domino falls, the rest are sure to follow. The only way to stop that from happening is to assure that all involved understand the entire process. Effective training is critical to success, according to Ask the Underwriter’s Dionne Bass, who shares her passion and background in mortgage lending training with ACUMA President Peter Benjamin and how best to make training happen. Employees, speak up about your education needs, she says. It’s the unopened mouth that never gets fed.

It’s a year of turmoil and change, but one constant shines through from many agendas: housing, housing, and more housing. From interest rate volatility to inventory shortages to mortgage fees of all types, everyone from House and Senate leaders to presumptive presidential candidates from both parties sees housing issues among the most critical challenges currently facing American consumers. In this episode of the ONpoint Podcast, you get insights and warnings about what to expect regarding the future of housing from Zach Pfister, Policy Director from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck, LLP. Even though President Biden’s State of the Union Address promised good things for the housing market, few things happened without congressional approval. Tune in now to listen to the full episode. Sponsored by Lender Price.

April showers bring May flowers, but in the right environment they can also help nurture mortgage loan growth despite what are sure to be some stormy days ahead. That’s the message Patty Mason, Vice President of Real Estate Lending for American Eagle Financial Credit Union, shares with her staff when it comes to revitalizing credit union mortgage loan strategies and cultivating new ones. Be mission-driven, she tells ACUMA President Peter Benjamin during this podcast, and commit to the education of both members and your staff if you want a bountiful return to your mortgage lending efforts.

According to Logan Mohtashami, Lead Analyst for HousingWire, economics done right is often boring. The discipline is data-driven, and understanding how to read data is the secret to understanding economic conditions, right? Well, there’s more to it than that, and often it’s the “why” and “wherefore” of that data, where it’s been and where it’s going, that makes all the difference. The highly competitive financial analyst – he once wanted to coach basketball – shares his secrets with ACUMA President Peter Benjamin in this unique podcast. “I want to show the why and how of something, which is more important than the answer itself,” the fiery analyst confides. “If I can teach people how to read economic data correctly, that’s the magic elixir.” Tune in because that’s a lesson you can’t afford to miss. Sponsored by HousingWire.

Like the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the current D.C. climate may be best described as one of “double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble,” or more commonly, Election Year. It’s a time when issues old and new are trotted out by friends and opponents alike to see what’s likely to stick when the new Administration takes office. In this episode, D.C. policy expert Leah Dempsey from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP shares her insights with ACUMA President Peter Benjamin about issues coming down the road. Affordable housing, with twin threats from high-interest rates and low home availability, will remain front and center. But Congress is also revisiting issues like robocalling, AI, junk fees, and even the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and why credit unions should be subject to it. Tune in and stay vigilant about how the issues might impact your credit union. Sponsored by Lender Price.

There are big differences between buying an existing home and building a new one. Likewise, there are similar differences in writing a mortgage loan on an existing home versus working with consumers to finance the various steps in the home-building process. According to Shannon Faries, Director of Risk Management for Land Gorilla, this is a market that credit unions can own because of their close working relationships with its members. However, there are lessons to be learned and best practices to embrace before credit unions can do the job successfully. In this podcast, Shannon shares a lifetime of experience and insights with ACUMA President Peter Benjamin that will help credit unions enter this growing market. Hint: The housing shortage won’t end anytime soon, and it's consumers who will continue to drive development. Credit unions can help.