Oak Tree Forms for Credit Unions: events

Showing posts with label events. Show all posts

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Humanitarian Highlight 8.12.21

This week, our focus for Humanitarian Highlight is on credit unions who are giving their community the strength to overcome life’s trials and tribulations.

In Bay Federal Credit Union’s annual fundraising drive, a total of over $27,000 was collected for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The money will go to help children in the various high-quality children’s hospitals the network represents.

West Virginia Central Credit Union

GoPacks, a nonprofit made to fight food insecurity and provide educational programs for children, partnered with this credit union to raise over $10,000. The money was raised through individual donations and contributions from West Virginia Credit Union community members and staff.

Credit Union West

Employees at Credit Union West donated $5,451 to the Firefighter Angel Foundation. This non-profit foundation aims to help children in need by providing essential items and services, particularly those in Yavapai County.

State Employees Federal Credit Union

State Employees Federal Credit Union pledged to donate a significant amount of money to the Special Olympics for every USA victory in the Tokyo Olympics. The credit union pledged $500 for every gold, $250 for every silver and $125 for every bronze. Fans and community members are also encouraged to donate directly through SEFCU’s page on the charity event.

Ascend Federal Credit Union

This credit union announced that their employees had donated 5,279 food items to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Ascend Federal Credit Union held the collection in its corporate office and within all 28 branch locations. The food bank will be donating the collected foods to 27 different agencies. This is the fourth year the credit union has participated in this food drive.

Visions Federal Credit Union

For July 4^th, Visions Federal Credit Union hosted its annual 4 on the 4th Road Race. This charity event supports a charitable organization of the credit union’s choosing, and this year’s event donated to the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group. Over 350 runners participated both virtually and physically, and as a result of the race, the credit union donated over $3,500.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

These charitable acts benefitting children, veterans, and other vulnerable groups grant people the strength to overcome their struggles, and these credit unions should be praised for them.

If you would like to place an inquiry about being featured in a Humanitarian Highlight or have any other comments or questions regarding our business, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our email or by phone at (800) 537-9598.

Be sure to follow our social media pages if you’d like to see our weekly Humanitarian Highlights segment as soon as it comes up!

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Inspiring Hope

Humanitarian Highlight 8.5.21

For this week’s #HumanitarianHighlight, we’re looking at credit unions whose donations are inspiring hope in the communities they serve. Whether it is through donations to children’s organizations, or even directly donating a closed branch to a charitable organization, here are some credit unions that go above and beyond to inspire hope for those who really need it.

Redst one Federal Credit Union

This credit union committed $2 million toward the Boys & Girls Clubs of North America for their Doors to the Future capital campaign. This campaign aims to grow the organization through developing new Centers for Advancement, improving transportation, and increasing scholarship funds contributions. The significantly large donation will be paid in parts over the next five years.

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union hosted the “2021 Tech Drive Tuesday” donation event that aimed to collect laptop tech for struggling college students. In addition, for every laptop that was donated, the credit union promised to donate $150 directly to Minnesota Computers for Schools.

Pillar Credit Union

Marion Matters for Hope Center received an unusually generous donation: an entire closed branch. Pillar Credit Union handed over the keys to the closed office structure to the organization, which has partnered with them for over ten years. Marion Matters helps community members with financial literacy programs and provides comprehensive education for financially struggling participants.

Power Financial Credit Union

Power Financial Credit Union donated nearly $50,000 to charities that help minority groups and communities in Florida. The announcement was made as part of Power Financial Credit Union’s 70-year anniversary. Each of the organizations will receive over $7,000 to be used at their discretion. These organizations include the Advocacy Network on Disabilities, the Save Foundation, the Jason Taylor Foundation and more.

Eastman Credit Union

A $125,000 donation was made by this credit union to sponsor East Tennessee State University’s Roan Scholars Summer Experience Program. This program offers students a six-week service internship aimed at teaching them how to positively impact the world around them.

Directions Credit Union

This credit union donated $3,000 and over 700 pencils to the Monroe County Library System. These generous donations will go toward summer reading supply kits, which are aimed at inspiring children to complete summer reading logs.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Hope is important, and these credit unions, as well as many others we’ve featured before in #HumanitarianHighlight, are greatly appreciated for their charitable and hopeful donations.

If you would like to place an inquiry about being featured in a Humanitarian Highlight or have any other comments or questions regarding our business, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our email or by phone at (800) 537-9598.

Be sure to follow our social media pages if you’d like to see our weekly Humanitarian Highlights segment as soon as it comes up!

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Providing Food and Supporting Veterans

Humanitarian Highlight 7.29.21 | Providing Food and Supporting Veterans

Humanitarian Highlight 7.29.21

This week, our focus for Humanitarian Highlight is on credit unions providing food to the need and supporting veterans. Both are valuable causes and help those in need, and these credit unions are setting the bar high.

GCS Credit Union

This credit union raised over $30,000 during their fifth annual Tee Up Fore Veterans golf tournament, an event started in the interest of supporting veterans. Several sponsors and golfers contributed to the overall donation, which will be used to sponsor a prepaid vacation for veterans to visit the memorials built for their service.

Jax Federal Credit Union

Jax Federal Credit Union gave generously to Feeding Northeast Florida: a whopping 23,000 meals through food drives and a sizeable $3,700 monetary donation. This foodbank serves millions of meals to families in need in the northeast region of Florida. It is estimated that the combined donation will result in approximately 23,174 meals.

All In Credit Union

Fort Rucker’s Army Emergency Relief Fund received $30,000 due to this credit union’s Annual Golf Tournament, which was held at Fort Rucker’s Silver Wings Golf Course. This emergency fund is a financial assistance program created to help active and retired soldiers with emergency vital care. The golf tournament was started over three decades ago to facilitate donations toward this valuable service.

University Credit Union

University Credit Union has started a three-day initiative to support local restaurants and donate to the Campaign for Ending Hunger. Every order taken at participating restaurants will be matched with a $5 donation toward the campaign by the credit union. The campaign hopes to raise up to $5,000 toward the $100,000 goal, which will support local food banks in Maine.

San Diego County Credit Union

SCCU is hosting it’s 7^th annual “Stuff the Bus” Fundraiser, which aims to purchase school supplies for students experiencing financial hardship or homelessness. The fundraiser takes digital and in-store donations through locations such as Ralphs or Food 4 Less. The event will run through July 31^st in San Diego County.

Clearwater Credit Union

The Community Food and Agriculture Coalition (CFAC) will receive a $25,000 donation from Clearwater Credit Union. This donation will aim to help with food shortages in vulnerable households in the area, as the CFAC estimates 1 in 8 Montana citizens struggle to afford food supplies. It will do so by contributing to the CFAC’s Double SNAP program, which doubles SNAP benefits (up to a certain amount) at local qualifying farmers’ markets.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

It is incredibly important for society to help those in need. Initiatives like these help some of our most honorable and some of our most vulnerable, and we applaud credit unions for doing them. These credit unions, as well as many others we’ve featured before in #HumanitarianHighlight, deserve praise for their wonderful acts of charity.

If you would like to place an inquiry about being featured in a Humanitarian Highlight or have any other comments or questions regarding our business, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our email or by phone at (800) 537-9598.

Be sure to follow our social media pages if you’d like to see our weekly Humanitarian Highlights segment as soon as it comes up!

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Economic Recovery and Fostering Growth

Humanitarian Highlight 7.22.21 | Economic Recovery and Fostering Growth

Humanitarian Highlight 7.22.21

The last year has not been easy for many, but credit unions are doing their part to help out. This week, our focus for Humanitarian Highlight is on credit unions that are pushing for economic recovery and fostering growth in their communities. Whether through scholarships, community charity, or even making positive changes within their own organizations; here are a few credit unions that are doing their part to help the world recover and grow.

Mass Mutual Federal Credit Union

In keeping with a longstanding tradition for the credit union, MassMutual recently awarded $20,000 in college scholarships to several outstanding students. Each of the ten selected students will receive $2,000 individually, to be put to use in their first year at a college of their choice.

Lookout Credit Union

This credit union, in addition to the efforts of the Idaho Falls firefighters and other donors, helped raise a record-breaking donation (almost $50,000 total) toward the treatment of muscular dystrophy. Lookout Credit Union donated $1,000 toward the goal, a significant portion of the total drive donation.

Michigan Legacy Credit Union

As public discourse over minimum wage mounts, one credit union has made waves in a decision to increase base pay from $13 an hour to $16 – a 23% pay increase. This change will apply immediately to current staff and new hires of the credit union, in the interest of allowing staff to earn a livable wage for the area.

St. Jean’s Credit Union

Following a successful previous grant allotment, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston Jobs for New England Recovery Grant Program gave St. Jean’s Credit Union an additional $50,000 in grant money. This grant was quickly distributed to six small businesses and nonprofit organizations in the interest of supporting the selected companies after the events of the last year.

Gesa Credit Union

With over $100,000 in a shared grant pool, Gesa Credit Union is giving away a maximum of $5,000 per approved grant application. The grants are being awarded as part of a newly created Local Heroes Grant Program, which aims to support local heroic and selfless organizations in areas where Gesa Credit Union operates.

American 1 Credit Union & TRUE Community Credit Union

After a few years of planning, a YMCA building in Jackson, Michigan will finally be moving to construction. Several prominent companies and nonprofit organizations contributed to the creation of this facility, two of which are the American 1 Credit Union and the TRUE Community Credit Union. Both credit unions, as well as other significant donors, will receive naming rights for particular rooms in the facility.

New York Credit Union Association

Several credit unions in the New York Credit Union Association have pooled together a joint donation of $30,000 to Cohen Children’s Hospital. A charity golf outing has been held for the last twenty-eight years but was canceled due to the events of the last year. Instead, the NYCUA pooled together a donation that was equal in size to the previous years. This large donation was made toward supporting the treatment of diabetes at a pediatric level.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Economic recovery and growth are not going to be easy, but credit unions have always been dedicated to serving the community, no matter how difficult the problem. These credit unions are a small portion of the people dedicated to helping the local community.

If you would like to place an inquiry about being featured in a Humanitarian Highlight or have any other comments or questions regarding our business, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our email or by phone at (800) 537-9598.

Be sure to follow our social media pages if you’d like to see our weekly Humanitarian Highlights segment as soon as it comes up!

Thursday, June 17, 2021

CUs Expressing Gratitude

Humanitarian Highlight 6.17.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, let’s take a look at CUs expressing gratitude for their communities. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!! From anniversaries to new ambulances and the most vulnerable let’s look at how CUs are expressing their gratitude within their communities.

Atlanta Postal Credit Union

Atlanta Postal CU participated in their local Channel 9 News Food Drive. They were able to collect over 5,500 pounds of food for various food banks in the region, it will be able to provide almost 4,500 meals for those in need. APCU collected 974 pounds of that food for Feeding the Valley, a member of the Georgia Food Bank Association. The amount of food they collected will provide a few hundred meals. APCU has contributed a lot to those struggling during these difficult times.

AmeriCU Credit Union

AmeriCU awarded ten $1,000 scholarships to students that are continuing their education or starting college in the fall. The CU has awarded scholarships to students every year for the last 20 years, it is very important to them to keep the tradition active. Education is very valuable and being able to provide assistance so they can achieve their education dreams is inspiring.

Kemba Financial Credit Union

KEMBA FCU has recently announced a $100,000 donation to the Mount Carmel Foundation. The donation will go towards Mount Carmel’s Street Medicine program. Some of the proceeds will go towards the purchase of reliable transportation to provide faster and safer healthcare to those in need. The foundation helps anyone that has trouble accessing medical care. This large donation will be able to make a huge difference in the foundation as well as their patients’ lives with quicker and more reliable transportation for the patients.

Hiway Credit Union

Hiway CU donated $100,000 to the Hiway Foundation in honor of their 90^th anniversary. The foundation was established in 2017 to strengthen and aid their community. The last year has been very difficult for many. Hiway CU‘s additional donation to the foundation will go towards organizations that address food insecurity, education, and civil rights in their community. Hiway CU listens to their community and has been for 90 years. They have donated and supported many local organizations over the years.

Abound Credit Union

Abound CU prioritizes education in their community. In addition to their financial education program for all fifth graders in Harding County Schools, they donated $5,000 to assist students with the transition from elementary school to middle school. The donation will be used to implement financial literacy through community events led by the students. This is an opportunity to show the community and families the students’ foundation of financial literacy. Teaching financial literacy to children is a valuable skill they will be able to apply their entire life.

City & County Credit Union

City & County CU gave back to local non-profits through their making the Greater Good Even Greater contest. The contest nominates local non-profits for a $2,000 donation for doing good deeds in their community. The local businesses and non-profits are nominated by City & County members. Once the contestants are finalized, they hold a Facebook vote and from there, determine the winners. This year, Ruby’s Pantry and Little Gosling’s Daycare each won the $2,000 donation. City & County CU loves celebrating local organizations that make a difference in their community, as well as raising awareness for all of the contestants’ organizations.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! It was great to see CUs expressing their gratitude for their communities by supporting them. Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

Monday, June 7, 2021

Climate Change and Mortgage Lenders

Climate Change & Mortgage Lenders — Climate Change and Mortgage Lenders

A home is a safe haven for members, and the biggest, most important purchase many will ever make. As a trusted source of lending and financial expertise, credit unions have an obligation to administer the benefits of fair rates on mortgage lending, as well as provide financial education to understand the risks involved with owning and operating a home. A lot of that risk can depend on location and the changing climates. This is why we wanted to look at climate change and mortgage lenders today.

Natural disasters cannot be predicted, but property-owning members and financial lending institutions can be prepared for them. Fires in the west, blizzards in the north, flooding in the south; over the past years, many homeowners have been surprised by nature’s destructive and abrupt course. Many of those caught in these disasters were not prepared with insurance to cover any and all possibilities of property destruction in their areas.

This unpreparedness puts the majority in jeopardy and causes debt, mortgage defaults, and eventually, property loss. With these defaults and strained situations, most lenders look to Fannie May and Freddie Mac to take on property mortgages to lighten portfolios and escape delinquency. It is then up to taxpayers and the government to clean up and fund reconstruction, which shifts state and federal spending and debt.

Whether one believes in global warming or not, climate change and natural disaster rates have been available as proof that the world is changing along with past regulatory forecasts. On the horizon of increasing climate-shift awareness, it becomes imperative for lenders to consistently be aware of possible risks and forecasted possibilities, as well as relay information, require necessary insurance, and provide compliant forms and disclosures to protect the institution, member, and community.

Fixed Mortgage Rates & Climate Change

Fixed mortgage rates lock in home buyers to essential regulations and disclosures for 30+ years. A length of time which can hardly perceive the possible changes in shifting climates and incoming disasters.

According to MarketWatch.com “The number and total value of flood insurance policies have been declining since 2006, meaning that households that purchased a property in coastal areas especially may be at increased risk of defaulting on their mortgages. Commercial banks, including two of the largest U.S. mortgage lenders, JPMorgan Chase JPM, +0.69%, and Wells Fargo WFC, -0.08%, have the ability to price mortgages for flood risk, and by design they can securitize some of these loans, thereby spreading the risk to more parties.”

Leaning on government funding agencies fuels lending for financial institutions as a safety net for defaulted portfolios. This allows unassuming members who strive for the status of homeownership to jump into high-priced mortgages in potential hazard and climate-changing zones, ultimately putting the property, buyers, and lender in a risk area that inadvertently will be picked up by taxpayers and hurt real estate economy, through Fannie and Freddie in a time of disastrous outcomes.

The seeds of change have been planted, with many startup companies beginning to dive deep into climate change forecasting and disaster risks measured to inform the housing market and more importantly, the lenders and buyers.

”Some of the players include Four Twenty Seven Inc., which this year was acquired by the credit-ratings firm Moody’s, and a 3-year-old firm called Jupiter, which converts flood, fire, heat, drought, cold, wind, and hail events into risk modeling for real estate assets, including in such high-population coastal areas as New York and Miami.” MarketWatch.com

Some are requesting reforms to Fannie and Freddie that would require insurance or raise guarantee fees as a precursor to absorbing mortgages from lenders. Making mortgage terms flexible in change regulations for changing climates in terms of necessary insurances will make lenders and buyers responsible and less likely to default and lose property in the face of disaster. When it comes to climate change and mortgage lenders it pays to prepare and plan ahead.

Oak Tree is compliant in all 50 states, and creates customized form packages containing compliant, informed, and prepared forms and disclosures for your credit union including flood hazard determination forms or flood hazard insurance notice. Don’t wait for another disaster to strike: get your lending team and your members prepared and secured for the future. Contact us today!

Monday, May 3, 2021

5 Types Found at Credit Union Events

It’s clear that events are a colossal part of the credit union industry. From community credit union outings, local chapter meetings, annual league meetings, national conferences, technology symposiums, and international training events, there always seems to be an event happening in the credit union world. We know there are more than 5 types found at Credit Union Events, but there are some we see at all events.

It’s important to attend events to stay up to date with credit union industry news, regulations, and be aware of challenges other credit unions have faced, and how they have overcome these hurdles. In addition, it is a great opportunity to come together and share ideas with other industry leaders. Events are also a great way to meet with vendors and to learn about new technology that may benefit your credit union by saving time and money, like the credit union forms solutions from Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc. With all the commotion going on, it may be hard to filter out what events are worthwhile and which ones can be skipped. After asking credit union executives, Oak Tree has provided some guidance on how to select an event to attend.

The two biggest factors for deciding what event(s) to attend were the price of the event and the topics covered. Attending any event has a cost associated, so it is important to know ahead of time what budget your credit union has to spend on such events. Not to mention your valuable time out of the office must produce results upon your return to the office. Here is a tip; most credit union events will have scholarships that you might be eligible to procure. So, be sure to read all the event details or ask the event coordinator if they offer any scholarship options. As far as the topics covered, most large events will have an agenda posted prior to the event that will list the overall focus of the meeting, who will be speaking, if sponsors/vendors will be there, and who those sponsors are. This agenda is a great way to gauge if you will truly benefit by attending, as it will let you know if there will be training, hands-on experience with the systems or technology, compliance updates, or networking opportunities.

The date and location of the events are the next factors to keep in mind when determining what event to attend. Travel, hotel, and time spent outside of the office can add extra cost to attending an event. If your budget is small, travel may not be an option. Instead, research your local league or chapter website to see what is happening near you. These websites may also have useful webinar training links available. The length of the event, as well as time of year, is also important to consider. Even a great event may conflict with important deadlines at your credit union. If there is a conflict, there may be other options to still learn about the topics covered, such as downloadable worksheets, the podcast of the event speakers, or even a second date/location of the same event.

Five different types of people at credit union events

The Networker: He or she always has a business card handy and ready. The Networker is on the lookout to meet someone new to engage in an insightful conversation about what is going on around him or her in the credit union industry.
The #SocialMedia Guru: The Social Media Guru always has their phone handy, taking pictures for social media. He or she is taking advantage of the conference/event hashtags in their social media updates and is sharing photos with their coworkers back home. If the event has an app, he or she definitely has it downloaded and in full use. @OTBS_CUforms
The Question Asker: He or she is hungry to know more about the topic at hand. They have many questions and are not afraid to ask. The Question Asker came to the event with a purpose, and the purpose is to learn! Nothing is going to stop him or her from inquiring about a question they need to know the answer to.
The Quiet One: He or she is quiet, but this does not mean that they are not fully engaged in what is going on. The Quiet One is silently thinking and absorbing all of the information that is presented to him or her at a conference or event. It will be the quiet one who applies the information back at the office that will positively affect your credit union.
The Booth Visitor: Whether he or she is collecting the free handouts at the booths or trying to learn about new businesses/technology, this person is sure to stop at all and any vendor booth.

What is your biggest state event? Comment to let us know.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

CUs Supporting Local Businesses

Humanitarian Highlight 4.29.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, we want to take a look at communities coming together to support their local businesses. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!! From zoos to children and the most vulnerable let’s look at how CUs are supporting their local businesses.

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union

Charter Oak FCU located in Waterford, Connecticut, donated $32,000 in emergency food assistance to some of eastern Connecticut’s food pantries and centers. Their large donation was able to help 16 different organizations across eastern Connecticut, making a big difference in their community. Charter Oak FCU was able to make its donation through Charter Oak’s Community Giving Program.

GCS Credit Union

GCS Credit Union donated $950 for Macoupin County CEO. They achieved this donation through their Growing Community Schools program. If a GSC employee makes a donation of $15 or more, they are able to wear jeans on Fridays and Saturdays of that month. Macoupin County CEO was the program of the month that GSC employees donated to. Macoupin County CEO is an education program that aims to prepare anyone but more specifically children, to be proactive in the economy for the future. GCS CU picks a new organization every month to donate to and month by month are helping out their local community.

First Source Federal Credit Union

First Source FCU has donated $3,000 to Irwin’s Fine Food, a local business in Utica, New York. The donations were made through the Be a Neighbor Fund. This fund allocates donations to small businesses recovering from the financial stresses of the pandemic. Irwin’s Fine Food is one of 5 small businesses that has received donations this week, totaling up to $27,000. Thanks, First Source FCU for being a community leader and helping out their local businesses during these trying times.

Elevations Credit Union

Elevations CU has been a key leader in the rebuilding of the Boulder community shortly after a tragic mass shooting occurred on March 22^nd. Unfortunately, 10 lives were lost in the tragic experience. Fortunately, the Boulder community has come together during these trying times. With help from the Elevations Foundation and Elevations Credit Union, they offered to match donations up to $200,000 made to the families that lost their loved ones. The community donated $509,224, with the additional $200,000, they raised a total of $709,224. As a result of the successful campaign, the money is being divided between the 10 families that experienced loss during this tragedy. Our heart goes out to these families, the Boulder community, and Elevations Credit Union.

Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union

Since 1990, Maine Highlands FCU has been raising money each year for the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger. Due to the circumstances of the pandemic, their fundraising strategies were different. Thanks to their creativity, employees, and members of Maine Highlands FCU, they were able to raise $17,000. The large donation was able to help 21 local food organizations. Despite the challenging year, Maine Highlands FCU was still able to donate a significant amount and help many in the process.

California Coast Credit Union

California Coast Credit Union held a campaign to help support local minority-owned businesses and raised $35,000 for those businesses. The campaign that California Coast CU held was to incentivize their members to shop locally. When members used their Cal Coast MasterCard (debit or credit), the proceeds went directly to Strategic Alliance. Strategic Alliance supports the local minority-owned businesses. The campaign raised $20,000 and California Coast CU donated $10,000. The $5,000 came from members of the community and it went directly to local organizations.

Connections Credit Union

The 89-year-old zoo, Zoo Idaho located in Pocatello, Idaho has officially opened for the season. This year they are introducing The Zoo Connections Entrance and Gift Shop. They are hoping this will be the new centerpiece for the zoo. Thanks to donations from Connections Credit Union, Zoo Idaho is hoping for more visitors with their new attractions that could be done as early as mid-summer. Connections CU made it possible for Zoo Idaho to complete these new attractions.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! It was great to see so many CUs supporting their local businesses. Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

Monday, April 19, 2021

Checklist for Credit Union Compliance

It takes work to keep your credit union in compliance. It’s not easy, but there are a few basic things you can do. Read over our checklist and make sure you have these items covered. This will go a long way toward keeping you in compliance and out of the crosshairs of a potential regulatory audit, or other adverse events. Of course, there are so many things that come into play when keeping your credit union compliant, but this quick checklist for credit union compliance gives a good generalized overview.

Stay Current.

Make sure you stay in the loop regarding regulatory changes and other similar occurrences. Most vendors have websites devoted solely to timely information updates; and regulatory agencies such as the NCUA, Federal Reserve, Federal Financial Institutions Examine Council (FFIEC), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provide white papers and summaries to give perspective on updated laws and regulations. These help you stay up to date and informed.

Audit & Review Yourself.

Make sure you have a mechanism in place to review and audit your policies and procedures. The best way to think of these is as follows: they are always a work in progress. They should regularly be reviewed and tested to find shortcomings or problems that might be hidden from view.

Be Proactive.

Learn to anticipate regulatory changes. This is best accomplished by studying trends, and observing how other regulatory professionals in your industry are reacting. Speculate using past and current regulatory trends, then take all of this information and extrapolate a conclusion based on the inferences and present regulatory situation. Usually, you can align facts with trends to determine what will most naturally be the next course of action, and begin to position yourself accordingly.

Be Consistent.

Make sure you have a mechanism in place to maintain all current programs. This means reports should be submitted on a regular basis, updates should be regularly given, budgets should be maintained, and a plan for training staff should also be in the works. Oak Tree forms fit nicely into this category. All of our forms packages are kept current and up to date, providing you with the security and peace of mind needed to focus on other compliance issues.

Use the tips above as general guidelines. They are helpful with regard to perspective, and provide a broad-brush approach, allowing you to hone in on specifics as they relate to your institution.

Finally, if you are a compliance officer, set up a process for auditing yourself. This can be vital in preventing problematic instances in the long run. Maintaining compliance is a key part of credit union operation and management. It is a tough job with no guidebook or definitive set of rules. It takes everyone working together to ensure compliance is met and maintained. It is an ongoing necessity that must be upheld to meet members’ needs. We hope these tips and checklist for credit union compliance comes in handy for your credit union. Take advantage of Oak Tree compliant forms and obtain compliance support for your credit union.

Friday, April 16, 2021

CU Events Roundup Apr 16, 2021

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Apr 16, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. Oak Tree loves keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events. Please let us know if we missed out on yours and we’ll be sure to help promote it. The end of our SacTown Run event is almost upon us.

This Week’s Events

April has often been the busiest of months for us in the credit union industry when it comes to conventions and events. This year it has been a bit difficult to keep up with all the changes, but here is a few of the events we’ve been able to track.

Utah CU Association Annual Meeting & Convention

Utah’s Credit Unions came together this week for their 2021 VIRTUAL annual meeting. Did you see the speakers they had listed? I am sure it was a great event and here is hoping 2022 will be a live event!

Virginia Credit Union League Annual Meeting

We saw that VACUL had put out a call for the 2021 Annual Meeting, aka the “IGNITE” event, but we haven’t heard if plans changed or not. They had planned on the event being between April 14-16 at Virginia Beach.

SacTown 5k Run

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event ends next week, and if you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Next Week’s Events

PSCU Virtual Member Forum is going virtual on April 20th.

Fintech is always in the news, and next week is a virtual hackathon for those interested.

Coming Soon

The Ohio Credit Union League usually has their inVest48 event around this time, but don’t worry — we saw they have it in May this year!

Speaking of events moving to later in the year, we saw that the NCPCU is doing their Strategy Summit in October this year.

That will do it for the CU Events Roundup on Apr 16, 2021. We hope you like this feature and we look forward to seeing how it can grow moving forward. If your credit union, credit union league, or credit union chapter has a big event coming up — drop us a comment or hit us up on social media.

Thursday, April 15, 2021

CUs Building Communities

Humanitarian Highlight 4.15.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, we want to look at communities being built and rebuilt. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!! From animals to children and the most vulnerable let’s look at how CUs are building and rebuilding communities.

Hughes Federal Credit Union

Hughes Federal CU was able to raise $3,725 for the Tucson Wildlife Foundation with a Diana Madaras “Bobcat at the Pool” debit card. These cards were issued to their members in 2020 and each raised $5.00 for the cause. The card featured art by a local artist, Madaras and it was free to their members with a checking account and even offered discounts at the Madaras Gallery. The Tucson Wildlife Center is a great team of volunteers that help rescue native wildlife in need. This project has been ongoing since 2019 and has raised more than $7,875. These animals are an important part of our communities.

Hanscom Federal Credit Union

Hanscom FCU ran a #BuildHope campaign that raised $1,000 for the Great Divide Animal Rescue, and $500 to Kiva, Mental Health America, and Girls Who Code. The drive was based on an offer of $10 to their employees for a charity of their choice. The employees were also given an opportunity to turn that $10 into a $1,000 donation if they created a short video to show their reasons for their charity choice. Then the credit union posted the videos on their social media and had the public vote for their favorites.

Trumark Financial Credit Union

Trumark Financial CU put together many baskets containing essential cleaning supplies for use at local Pennsylvania organizations providing help to those who are experiencing domestic violence. The donations were given to A Woman’s Place, Domestic Abuse of Delaware County, Home of the Sparrow, Inter-Faith Housing Alliance, and St. Francis Inn. These charities are truly rebuilding communities and helping people find better tomorrows.

American Eagle Financial Credit Union

American Eagle FCU donated $5,000 to help kids learn science. The money was donated to the Evolutions (Evoking Learning and Understanding through Investigations of the Natural Science) program. This great cause provides all types of scientific resources to the students in New Haven and West Haven. What a great way to build a scientifically-minded community.

Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union

Evansville Teachers FCU donated $30,000 to the Evansville Vanderburgh County School Corporation (EVSC) thanks to their ETFCU/EVSC Debit Card Program. This program offered six different debit cards which took donations based on every purchase used by the cards. This program is still on-going, so check out their site for more details on how to support these schools. A great way to make the school community build on its strengths.

Robins Financial Credit Union

Robins Financial CU donated $5,000 to the Rebuilding Together Warner Robins in honor of National Rebuild Day. This great charity provides low-income homeowners with critical home repairs and truly helps rebuild their community. The repairs range from roofing, electrical, accessibility modifications, and even landscaping and other important issues.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event started last Saturday and ends on the 20th of April. If you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! It was great to see so many CUs Building Communities. Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

On a final note, we have started a new feature, the Credit Union Roundup, and we hope you return tomorrow to see what is going on in the Credit Union community and how the CUs Building Communities continue to happen every day!

Friday, April 9, 2021

CU Events Roundup Apr 9, 2021

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Apr 9, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. Oak Tree loves keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events. Please let us know if we missed out on yours and we’ll be sure to help promote it. We signed up for the Sactown, see below for more info on this.

This Week’s Events

Hawaii Credit Union League’s 82nd Convention

Hawaii CU League went with “Renewed Commitment” for their 2021 virtual event. The HCUL looks to have lined up some great speakers and interesting discussions. Granted, we all have to agree having an excuse to visit Hawaii makes us really hope that 2022 is a live event again.

Cornerstone League’s Annual Meeting

Cornerstone has long operated as a membership and trade association for the credit unions located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They are at the tail-end of their Annual Meeting as this is being published. We can’t wait to hear more about how the event went! They had Sarah Thomas as their featured keynote, and we have to imagine it was very inspirational.

SacTown 5k Run

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event starts tomorrow and ends on the 20th, if you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Next Week’s Events

Utah CU Association Annual Meeting & Convention

Utah’s Credit Unions will be coming together online as their 2021 annual meeting is going virtual. We see a bunch of great speakers from the credit union community! Remember, let us know about your annual meetings or conventions and we’ll be sure to help get the word out!! And we’re always on social media ready to engage with you about whatever you want to discuss! They have the speakers and other information posted.

Coming Soon

PSCU Virtual Member Forum is going virtual on April 20th.

The Ohio Credit Union League usually has their inVest48 event around this time, but don’t worry — we saw they have it in May this year!

Speaking of events moving to later in the year, we saw that the NCPCU is doing their Strategy Summit in October this year.

That will do it for the CU Events Roundup on Apr 9, 2021. We hope you like this feature and we look forward to seeing how it can grow moving forward. If your credit union, credit union league, or credit union chapter has a big event coming up — drop us a comment or hit us up on social media.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Leadership Within the CU Community

Humanitarian Highlight 4.8.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, we want to look at leadership within the CU Community. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!!

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union has had a longtime commitment to helping their community. One of those commitments has been helping the United Way of Anchorage. United Way of Anchorage needed to find a new space to call home and so reached out to the community for assistance. Alaska USA stepped up and offered a new space for them to call theirs. Along with the office space, Alaska USA FCU also presented the organization with a $42,000 donation.

Members Choice Financial Credit Union

Due to COVID, many fundraisers and events had to be canceled, including Members Choice Charity Golf Tournament. Their team still banned together and came up with a plan to donate to two local charities. They were the American Legion Post #40 Veterans Emergency Relief, and ThinkBIG. Members Choice held a BBQ, basket raffles, and its first-ever food truck. They were able to collect and donate a total of $7,000 to their chosen charities.

PSE Credit Union

PSE Credit Union announced that they will be sponsoring the EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee, taking place the first two weeks of April. The EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee is a nationwide financial literacy challenge for high school students. The literacy Bee provides an opportunity for students to learn the critical importance of saving and budgeting for short-term and long-term goals.

State Employees’ Credit Union

SECU Foundation is working with the North Carolina Alliance for School Leadership Development (NCASLD) and the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals’ Association (NCPAPA) to help increase leadership among school principals through a new initiative called the Distinguished Practitioners Network (DPN). Virtually, DPN will provide leadership development sessions to principals in high-needs schools addressing concerns highlighted by COVID-19. The $80,000 grant from SECU will help fund this new initiative.

Trumark Financial Credit Union

Early this year Trumark Financial created a Concern for Community initiative to support the local organizations during the pandemic. Every month the credit union chooses an organization to receive the resources needed. This month, the credit union donated baskets of cleaning supplies to five local organizations that offer support services for individuals transiting in different periods of their lives.

Advantage Credit Union

Advantage credit union donated $924 to the Newton Athletic Booster Club. The credit union donated $1 for every point scored during a Newton boys and girls varsity basketball home game.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event starts April 10th and ends on the 20th, if you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

On a final note, we have started a new feature, the Credit Union Roundup, and we hope you return tomorrow to see what is going on in the Credit Union community.

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

How Charity Helps Your Credit Union

There is no question that donating and being active in the community helps brand awareness and image. In the case of credit unions, it goes deeper than that since institutions are heavily centered on members. This is why it is important to maintain a positive presence in the community. Considering a majority of your members make up that population and have come to expect nothing but the best. There are articles helping spread the word on how charities help your credit union and it makes great press!

Being active with your community and your members takes on many different forms. We see credit unions do anything from present checks to organizations, sponsor events, have fundraisers, and even donate to their members directly through contests and giveaways. Simply being aware of community events and causes is a great way to start planning a charity campaign. Take notice of the types of activities your members are involved with and develop ways to cater to them. There is no shortage of ways to show you care about your community and it is all up to your institution to find a way to do so.

With that being said, your efforts do not go unnoticed. Your members appreciate being taken care of and your community will see the benefits of your support. After all, the whole point of doing charitable work is to create a better environment and to help people. Show them what the credit union difference is, and remind them of why they chose to bank with a credit union in the first place. Also, when you create a positive image for your credit union it opens the door for other opportunities. Not only do you get the satisfaction of doing something positive, but you also get the added benefit of people wanting to share your kind actions. This can develop into a great marketing strategy for social media platforms and other outlets.

Even Credit Union Vendors Participate

At Oak Tree, we encourage your credit union to give back as much as they can to help maintain a positive image and to keep members happy. We love to see the awesome things going on in the credit union community every day and are always looking for a feel-good story. We love acts of charity so much that we write about them in our weekly Humanitarian Highlight blogs on our website. Check them out to see all of the great things happening in the credit union world, and hopefully, we can feature you next!

Speaking of charity and the credit union community, we also wanted to remind you how this weekend begins the SacTown Virtual Run for 2021, a great cause to help the Children’s Miracle Network of Hospitals.

If you have questions about any of our products, feel free to send us a message at ClientServices@oaktreebiz.com.

Friday, April 2, 2021

CU Events Roundup Apr 2, 2021

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Apr 2, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. Oak Tree loves keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events. For CU Events Roundup Apr 2, 2021, we don’t have much outside of the upcoming events.

We are hopefully on the tail end of this pandemic that has disrupted so much, including the events that we often participate in for our industry. We know that there are some “LIVE” events coming up soon, as well as at least one Virtual/Live event. Stay tuned on those and more.

We saw there were a lot of schools and training that went virtual this week, but we’re a bit dry on any annual meetings or big conventions. Please let us know if we missed out on yours and we’ll be sure to help promote it. We signed up for the Sactown, see below for more info on this.

Next Week’s Events

Cornerstone League’s Annual Meeting

Cornerstone has long operated as a membership and trade association for the credit unions located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They are having their Annual Meeting next week, April 8-9. Is your credit union participating?

SacTown 5k Run

Coming Soon

Utah CU Association Annual Meeting & Convention looks to be going virtual on April 15th.

PSCU Virtual Member Forum is going virtual on April 20th.

The Ohio Credit Union League usually has their inVest48 event around this time, but don’t worry — we saw they have it in May this year!

Speaking of events moving to later in the year, we saw that the NCPCU is doing their Strategy Summit in October this year.

That will do it for CU Events Roundup Apr 2, 2021.

We hope you like this feature and we look forward to seeing how it can grow moving forward. If your credit union, credit union league, or credit union chapter has a big event coming up — drop us a comment or hit us up on social media.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

SacTown Virtual Run 2021

When Covid hit last year we saw a lot of our favorite events end up being canceled, and as time went on we in the credit union industry found new ways to adapt to the “New Normal”. We have seen many annual events go virtual as well as many credit union conventions and conferences as well. This year the Sacramento Running Association is hosting their SacTown Virtual Run 2021 as a Virtual 5k and we are once again a proud supporter for this great cause.

They are allowing the runners to be more than just runners as they can participate in a myriad of ways. It is a great way to help raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network of Hospitals and you should really sign up today as the event is coming up very soon!

All of the money raised goes to the hospitals and our money is going to help the Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC), a great charity that many in our organization have long great histories with. They are busy every day helping kids of all ages with problems, such as Hudson. Hudson was only 15 months old when he was first diagnosed with kidney cancer. He then went through a surgery to remove the tumor and a kidney. The brave child then endured 6 months of chemotherapy. Today he is seven years cancer-free! It is hard enough for adults in battling cancer, but it has to be even more difficult for a child to be brave in such situations.

That is why we are so proud to help this organization and the charity. Once again, be sure to check out the run and sign up!

Friday, March 26, 2021

CU Events Roundup Mar 26, 2021

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Mar. 26, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. Oak Tree loves keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events.

This Past Week

CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council Virtual Conference

This past week was the big Marketing and Business Development Council Conference put on by CUNA. They held 13 sessions over three days to help their council members. If you were a part of it, let us know how it went!

NAFCU Virtual Regulatory Compliance School

NAFCU Virtual Regulatory Compliance School is wrapping up today and that means there are a bunch of upcoming Compliance Officers in the credit union field. I hope they all know how much Oak Tree puts importance on compliance for credit unions!

Next Week’s Events

We saw online at 10times that NACUSO Network Conference was supposed to take place at the end of March, but it looks like they rescheduled this for a live event in November. So who is ready to go to Las Vegas in November? We might have to check this event out!

Coming Soon

School of Business Lending™ II: Financial Analysis and Diagnostic Assessment put on CUES next week, it will be virtual.

The Ohio Credit Union League usually has their inVest48 event around this time, but don’t worry — we saw they have it in May this year!

Speaking of events moving to later in the year, we saw that the NCPCU is doing their Strategy Summit in October this year.

That will do it for CU Events Roundup Mar 26, 2021.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lending A Helping Hand

Humanitarian Highlight 3.25.21

We are thrilled to present to you this week’s #HumanitarianHighlight! Let’s hear it for those lending a helping hand! 🍿

Credit unions everywhere are lending a helping hand to their local communities, their members, and those in need. #Creditunions are a great example of what it means to be a part of a community, and here at Oak Tree, we are proud to be a part of the #CUCommunity. We see these posts as our contribution to lending a helping hand. 😊🤝

Firelands Federal Credit Union

Twice every year, Firelands FCU offers qualified members the chance to skip one of their monthly loan payments. For every payment that members skip, Firelands FCU donates $5 to a local organization in need. With their Winter skip-a-pay offer, they were able to distribute a total in donations of $3,000 to area churches and food banks which will help provide meals and self-care items to those in need.

Cloverbelt Credit Union

Cloverbelt Credit Union’s employees banned together and assembled 100 Literacy Kits for kids in their local school district on behalf of the United Way of Marathon County. Included in the Literacy Kits were classics such as Curious George, and other well-known children’s books.

California Coast Credit Union

California Coast CU, its members, and its local community raised $35,000 in donations during a recent initiative that was put in place to support local minority-owned businesses as well as, four local non-profits. All have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign members were encouraged to shop locally, and every time their Cal Coast MasterCard debit or credit card was swiped, the credit union would then donate proceeds to the Strategic Alliance – San Diego, which represents minority-owned businesses.

Alabama Credit Union

Alabama Credit Union has donated $100,000 to the University of Alabama in Hunstville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, as a commitment to establish the Alabama Credit Union Professorship in Entrepreneurship within the College of Business. The College of Business will use the professorship to recognize one or more faculty who focus on the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, or business strategy.

Achieva Credit Union

Achieva Credit Union has donated a total of $60,000 since the pandemic started to aid and support local education programs across its geographic footprint. Traditionally, fundraising for education is done through local community events, but with no events this past year being held, Achieva has kept up its support with direct donations made through the Achieva Foundation. Their Foundation is a 501© (3) Corporation committed to supporting organizations that create opportunities for social and economic enrichment of the communities that Achieva Credit Union serves.

Welcome Federal Credit Union

Welcome Federal Credit Union made a $2,521.70 donation to the American Cancer Society. Since August 2020 Welcome Federal Credit Union has been an American Cancer Society partner, and since then, more than $29,000 has been raised through their partnership.

Educational Employees Credit Union

Abc30, Disney, First Book, and Educational Employees Credit Union all came together and donated a total of 5,000 books to Fresno Unified School District. More than 600 students at King Elementary will receive a free book to read, and five other schools in the district will also receive free books. This is all a part of Disney’s “Magic Storytelling” Campaign, and it comes at a perfect time as most kids still do not have access to a public library.

On a final note, we have started a new feature, the Credit Union Roundup, and we hope you return tomorrow to see what is going on in the Credit Union community.