The credit union movement’s biggest annual advocacy event, the Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) hosted by America's Credit Unions, will occur this year from March 3 to 7 in Washington, D.C. and draw an estimated 6,000 attendees. 

Doug English sits with Todd Spiczenski, Chief Association Services Officer at America’s Credit Unions, to discuss what changes and improvements attendees can expect and how they can make the most of their time between Hill hikes, networking, and breakout sessions.

Tune in for a sneak preview into how GAC’s getting bigger and better than ever with an expanded Welcome Center, more exhibitors, and new post-event virtual resources.

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Achieving unprecedented growth takes strategic planning, ongoing examination, and access to the information required to consider bold ideas and pursue opportunities. 

In this episode, guest Michael Bell, partner and chair of the Financial Institutions Practices Group at Honigman, LLP, sheds light on non-organic growth options that may be unfamiliar to many credit unions. These strategies have the potential to impact growth and broaden fields of membership significantly.

Stream the episode to learn how strategic acquisitions and changing charters can play a crucial role in helping optimize your credit union’s scalability.

Exceptional leaders play a critical role in any organization’s success. Effective leadership can help credit unions navigate new challenges, innovate, and get results while creating an environment that aligns with the expectations of modern employees. Without it there is a significant risk to organizations and the broader credit union movement.

Laurie Maddalena, CEO of Envision Excellence, returns to the show to share the three pillars of exceptional leadership and how they can help propel the credit union movement forward. According to Laurie, in a time when staying relevant means staying adaptable, leaders who fail to balance these three critical pillars not only risk their relevance but also the foundation of their organization.

Stream the show to learn the three pillars, what makes leaders ineffective or effective, and actionable steps credit union leaders can implement today.

With funding pressures and the high rate of deposits across credit unions, leaders must find creative ways to generate capital. Credit unions need capital to maintain good financial standing and pursue long-term strategic plans, such as acquiring another financial institution, undergoing a digital transformation, and more. 

In this episode, Doug is joined by returning guest Bill Paton, vice president of lending, loan participations, and subordinated debt at Alloya Corporate Federal Credit Union, and Patrick Roberts, chief revenue officer at MountainSeed. They discuss their new sale-leaseback partnership, which offers a non-dilutive solution that can help credit unions generate immediate capital by leveraging existing real estate assets.

Stream the episode to learn how credit unions can unlock hidden capital and potential within their branches with a sale-leaseback, the benefits of these transactions, and when credit unions should consider the option.

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As we approach year-end, there are several tax-optimization strategies credit union executives and recent retirees may consider based on their current financial situation. Credit union leaders often have complex compensation and retirement benefit packages that lend themselves to creative solutions that may help them save more money or manage their tax liability.

Wes Johnson, CFP® professional and ACT Advisors partner and financial planner, joins Doug to discuss these strategies and offer insights to inspire and support credit union executives at any stage.

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Credit unions are joining forces in the first-of-its-kind strategic investment fund, Curql. This innovative fund helps credit unions partner with and invest in fintech that will help drive the credit union movement forward, effectively competing with larger financial institutions that have unlimited research and development dollars.

Guest Brian Lauer is the general counsel of the National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations (NACUSO) and partner with the law firm Messick Lauer & Smith P.C. For over 10 years, he has helped credit unions better serve their members and provide innovative products and services through credit union service organizations (CUSOs). He’s advancing those efforts with Curql, which combines credit union partners’ investments into fintech designed specifically for credit unions to deliver vetted solutions more efficiently.

Learn more about how the innovative ideas in this fund are reshaping the movement and paving the way for a more vibrant and customer-centric financial ecosystem.

In recent years, credit unions have made significant strides in enhancing their digital banking platforms and addressing challenges posed by the pandemic, such as high deposit rates. However, today credit unions are facing a new focal point—data—which the 2023 Strategy Priorities Benchmark Survey conducted by Jack Henry & Associates® explores. Survey respondents, including credit union and bank CEOs, provided insights into their future focus areas, which helps financial institutions understand where the industry is today, where it’s going, and how it’s driving bold strategic initiatives, which Doug discusses with guest Lee Wetherington. 

To gain deeper insights into how credit unions can elevate their members' experience and uphold the core principle of "people helping people," Lee delves into actionable strategies, such as harnessing the potential of generative artificial intelligence (A.I.) technology and establishing a "first-app" status among members.

Stream the show to learn more and why he predicts credit unions will be able to jump on board faster than expected.

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Passionate about cooperatives that focus on mission, our guest, Sam Brownell, CEO and founder of CUCollaborate, wants to help credit unions become the primary financial partner of every American. He hopes to achieve that through a new data consortium, AnalyzeCU, which credit unions can leverage to gain new insights, compete with big banks, and deliver more value.

Sam discusses the platform, features such as customizable reporting, and how credit unions can balance profitability and their mission while capturing more net-new members.

Stream the episode to learn more about how to participate and benefit from AnalyzeCU and leverage valuable data to strengthen the credit union movement.

Last year, ACT Advisors released its white paper, The 125% Credit Union Executive, which described how credit union leaders could unlock up to 25% more in assets from their executive benefits by applying optimized executive financial strategies. In late 2022, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act 2.0 was passed, including provisions that offer credit union executives additional opportunities to gain even more value from their benefits.

In this episode of “C.U. on the Show,” ACT Advisors Operations Manager Nicolette Speziale, CFP® takes over as host to interview ACT Advisors founder Doug English, CFP® and partner Wes Johnson, CFP® about the changes, their unique implications, and what credit union executives should consider in their wealth management strategy before and after retirement.

Stream the episode to hear about the provision that can provide even more value—up to 40%—to credit union leaders and the strategies Doug and Wes recommend to reach the full potential of your executive benefits package.

With a rising interest rate environment, inflationary pressures, and increasing loan-to-share ratios, credit unions must find ways to mitigate risks to their balance sheet, and liquidity is an integral component.

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board Member Rodney Hood joins the podcast to discuss how establishing various lines of capital can help credit unions manage an emergency, bolster net worth, make strategic investments, and practice good balance sheet management.

Stream the episode to hear about the recent Capital Markets Symposium hosted by Hood on Wall Street, the various liquidity sources and tools available to credit unions, and the goals of the newly established Office of Innovation and Access at the NCUA.