CEO Advisory GroupIs Now the Right Time for Your Credit Union to Consider a Strategic Merger?
One of the leading reasons credit unions engage in mergers is declining membership, according to a study conducted by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). It found that 47 percent of merging credit unions had negative member growth… Read More
The Art and Science of Successful Credit Union Mergers
Merger. The very word can elicit strong emotions throughout the financial services industry, including credit unions. For some, it is viewed as an exciting opportunity for growth. For others, it is dreaded and feared as a loss of… Read More
The Anatomy of an Ideal Credit Union Merger Partner
Credit union mergers and acquisitions have been on the rise for several years. In fact, credit unions have been merging at the rate of 2.9 percent per year since the industry reached its peak in 1969 with nearly… Read More
Considerations for Adding a Merger to Your Credit Union’s Growth Strategy
In the credit union industry, size matters. Mergers offer credit unions a strategic opportunity to gain a competitive advantage through growth. Credit union mergers and acquisitions have been on the rise for several years. In 1969, there were… Read More
9 Ratios For Evaluating Whether Your Credit Union Should Consider A Merger
A board’s responsibilities are all-encompassing, but at the foundation of every decision the board makes should be devising ways to deliver great value to members while ensuring the safety and soundness of the credit union. The following nine… Read More
Growth Is Costing Small Credit Unions A Marketing Fortune
The year 2014 was historic for membership growth. For the first time in the history of the movement, credit unions surpassed the 100 million mark in total membership. From a macroscopic perspective, our industry is on a roll…. Read More
Branches aren’t dead yet, invigorate your growth with mergers
Chances are growth strategies will once again be the central topic of discussion at your strategic planning session this autumn. You’ve heard the prediction “branches are dead”. Stats show markets are over-branched. Banks are closing branches at a… Read More
Mergers May Be In Your Employees’ Best Interest, and Here’s Why
On the whole, credit unions are well known for taking care of not only their members, but their employees, too. There are all sorts of reasons for that, of course, with one of them being that employees who… Read More
The Future of Credit Unions – Average CU $2 Billion in Assets
Strategic planning season once again upon us. It is occasionally helpful to take a big step back from the annual planning cycle and truly contemplate the long term future of the credit union industry and the strategic implications… Read More
Does Your Credit Union Need to Reinvent Its Swing?
Despite overwhelming success early in his career on the tour, Tiger Woods willingly took the risk of overhauling his swing in order to take him to the top of his profession. As credit unions enter the strategic planning process this year, credit union leaders also have the opportunity to reinvent their business strategies in order to take their credit unions to the next plateau of performance.
3 Tips to Protect Credit Union Deposits
Think your credit union can’t fail? Think again.
Though seen as the sleepy backwater of banking, credit unions do sometimes fail. Like banks, they may hand out bad loans, suffer mismanagement or make speculative investments.
Wake-Up Call
The recession of the last two years has been a wake-up call for the credit union industry. Despite the continuing troubling signs in the economy and for individual credit unions’ financial performance, credit union boards and management keep… Read More
2008 National Credit Union Growth Study
Results from the 2008 National CEO Growth Survey were combined with an in‐depth industry analysis of 5300 Call Reports conducted by CEO Advisory Group. This analysis of national trends data has helped us identify at least 7 significant variables that are demonstrating increased growth performance and potential “growth keys to success” for generating higher productivity.
Evaluating Leadership Quality in Succession Planning
Credit unions will be experiencing unprecedented change in their leadership over the next five years. With the current economic climate and competitive landscape, selecting and nurturing strong leadership has become imperative for credit unions’ future success. In their succession planning credit unions must account for leadership quality.
The Science of Growth
Is a good old-fashioned strategic plan in today’s highly competitive envi- ronment enough to help your credit union truly thrive? Not according to at least one credit union CEO. To quantify real growth from market share, member loyalty and efficiency, the traditional strategic plan must be enhanced with a balance of ongoing growth measures that board and management agree on and measure success by.
Market Expansion Through Mergers
The value of merging is becoming increasingly clear for both the continuing and acquired credit union. When you evaluate the drivers of value for members—rates, fees, convenient locations, extended hours, phone support, electronic access, service quality, and product variety—it is evident that combining two credit unions can offer greater value, particularly when a small credit union merges with a large credit union.
8 Factors of a Successful Merger
In our work with credit unions, we’ve uncovered these crucial factors in managing a successful merger.
The Urge to Merge
Medium and large CUs seek to increase their scale of new markets, members, branches and, preferably, nondiluting capital costs. Member demands for convenience and accessibility, competitive pressures, technological and regulatory changes, and the current economic cycle are coming together like a “perfect storm” for mergers. Mergers provide continuing CUs with instant members, facilities, trained staff and market awareness.