Jeff Hamilton, Catalyst Corporate Vice President of Member Credit, suggests Loan Participations can be a winning strategy for your credit union.

Every organization has felt the pain of making poor “people” decisions, as well as the joys of finding rising stars. The PXT Select assessment provides you the right information to make informed talent decisions so that you engage the right people.

Loan Origination Systems (LOS) can be simply defined as a digital platform that facilitates the lending process from application through the disbursal of funds. While the definition may be straightforward, comparing different LOS platforms will reveal numerous feature gaps, integration challenges, and implementation road blocks. Knowing the right questions to ask LOS vendors can help you select the best solution for your credit union.

Digital Marketing Coordinator Tuesday DerMargosian represented Catalyst Corporate at Cornerstone's recent Young Professionals Conference. Join her for a look at her conference journey, her takeaways, and a short video.

How Can Interest Rate Swaps Be the Answer to Rising Rates? The rise in interest rates has caused the values of mortgage portfolios and long-term investments to decline. Some credit unions and board members have said, “Maybe we should stop or slow down our mortgage lending.” My answer to them is always the same: Wait, let’s talk this through first.

Although similar in nature, external vulnerability assessment testing (VAT) and penetration (PEN) testing are quite different.

Faster payments are quickly becoming the expectation, with new use cases for the various faster payment technologies found almost daily. The time to start preparing is now, but where do you begin?

The market has priced in six FOMC rate hikes of 25 basis points by the end of the year, with almost four projected by midyear. Although volatility is likely, expectations are for a continued increase in interest rates. Most credit unions will benefit from this, but investing in a rising rate environment has its challenges. What does it mean for your investment portfolio?

Every year, credit unions must undergo a Supervisory Committee Annual Review, often referred to as a SCAR. Perhaps your credit union is due for one. At this point, you must decide which kind of review your credit union needs. What will it be? A Full-Scope Review or what’s known as “Minimum Procedures.”

At their November 2021 meeting, the Federal Reserve revealed they will begin to taper their asset purchases – a program that started at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and should conclude mid-summer of this year. What does this mean for credit unions?

New Year’s Day will represent more than the flip of the calendar this year. After six years of discussion and deliberation, the NCUA’s final subordinated debt rule will take effect January 1, 2022. What do credit unions need to know about this upcoming rule change?

When it comes to originating loans, whether for the lender’s portfolio or for selling into the secondary market, automation is a basic requirement. Today, there are too many legacy manual processes throughout the applicant’s journey from origination to closing. It’s not enough to have a system of record to process the information required to generate a compliant and saleable loan.

As I talk to credit unions, I often hear that digital transformation is one of their biggest challenges. So, I set out to write a simple blog about how remote deposit capture can make life easier for credit unions as they face this process. But said blog took a detour in the direction of complexity…

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many changes in the market, including the way consumers think about their finances. More businesses are being launched now than at any time in the past decade as American workers pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, thanks in part to the rise of pandemic-induced innovation and emerging technologies. Commercial lending is a great way for credit unions to meet the moment and align their business strategies with meeting their members’ needs.

Night fades to morning, morning turns to night. With each passing day comes change – a constant cycle that also holds true in the world of investments. As you may know, the London Interbank Offered Rate is being phased out in the U.S. and replaced with a new benchmark rate, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate. Here’s what you need to know.

Shana Richardson has read a lot of headlines lately about banks pulling out of HELOC lending, and even a couple of credit unions. While lenders were complaining about the regulators clamping down on certain types of lending and other associated matters following the housing crisis – and it was a housing crisis – here we are doing just that. Were the regulators correct?

Inflation, Deflation, Disinflation…Now Stagflation? The first three terms are probably familiar, but stagflation may be new to some. However, its been popping up more frequently in recent news. What does it mean and how should we prepare for the possibility of its arrival?

Compliance is a recognized safety and soundness issue influencing the direction of examinations and the perception of management’s effectiveness in the organization. The nature of compliance has become a landscape of almost constant change. Those credit unions who wish to weather the onslaught of regulatory upheaval have come to recognize that an effective and robust compliance program will protect the credit union in these challenging times.

How many systems, both digital and manual, do your borrowers and employees have to navigate before booking a loan? The answer may surprise you and provide some critical insight if you aren’t surpassing your loan growth goals.

In Greek mythology, Achilles was the greatest of all Greek warriors. But despite his overall strength, one small, unprotected area on his heel led to his ultimate downfall. As warriors against fraud, credit unions vigilantly establish safeguards to protect their institutions, but one small vulnerability – email – can be the Achilles heel that cripples financially and reputationally.