Next week credit union professionals and board members will attend CUNA's Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington D.C. to highlight the meaningful work credit unions are doing to improve the financial well-being of their members and communities. The tentative schedule includes: 

​Meetings with Senators Klobuchar and Smith: We will meet with Senator Klobuchar at noon followed by Senator Smith at 12:15 on Tuesday, February 28 in 512 Hart Senate Office Building. 

Hill Visits: The Minnesota Credit Union Network will be scheduling hill visits on Wednesday, March 1. 

Network Issues Briefing & Luncheon: Connect with Minnesota attendees and hear from special guest speakers in room 103 of the Washington Convention Center on Wednesday, March 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Hospitality Suite: A hospitality suite offering refreshments and networking opportunities will be available at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in room 2-054 for Minnesota GAC attendees from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., February 26-28.

Chuck Albrecht Retirement Toast: Chuck Albrecht is retiring after 20 years at Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union and we’d like to invite you to a toast to celebrate his years in the credit union industry. We’ll be toasting him at 9 p.m. on Sunday, February 26th in the Network’s hospitality suite in room 2-054 at the Marriott Marquis so please join us to lift a glass in his honor!

​Women's Leadership Network Gathering: in the Hospitality Suite from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 26th.

Attendees can access a link to today's pre-event on MnCUN's GAC page and are encouraged to download the MnCUN app for access to talking points, schedules and to be notified immediately of schedule changes.

Follow along on MnCUN’s social channels and via #CUNAGAC.

In order to see consistent sales results at your credit union you need:

1.  Competent sales training built for your credit union.
   
2.  Employees empowered with the sales mindset, processes and skills needed to sell.
   
3.  And leaders with the expertise to coach and mentor their sales teams to peak performance.
   

​Your credit union is invited to experience the 3-day Leadership OR 2-day Frontline Credit Union Sales Intensive Workshop online. This workshop will transform the way you train employees to sell at your credit union – and amplify product penetration. The Credit Union Intensive Workshop will train your frontline staff to get consistent sales results.

Daily Schedule (4 hours of training each day)
2-hour morning session
30–60-minute lunch break
2-hour afternoon session
(There will be a 7-minute break on each hour.)

Who Should Attend: The Credit Union Sales Intensive Workshop is designed for the frontline employees of your credit union. We encourage your credit union to send any employee that opens new accounts, processes loans, or any employee that trains in these functions.

Trainers: Nick Brown, President and CEO of SalesCU and Jake Warnick, Master Trainer

Cost: $699 per person (3-day Leadership Workshop)
          $474 per person (2-day Frontline Workshop)
          *The Lender Sales Workshop is the first 2 days only of the 3-day Intensive Workshop.

​Learn more and register for the dates that work best for you!

Workshop Dates

March 21 – 23, 2023 (Registration closes 3/10/23)
May 16 – 18, 2023 (Registration closes 5/5/23)
September 12 – 14, 2023 (Registration closes 9/1/23)
October 31 – November 2, 2023 (Registration closes 10/20/23)

Article provided by MnCUN's strategic alliance with CUNA Mutual Group. Visit the Solutions Directory for more information. 

​Wealth management services may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think credit unions, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a high priority for credit unions this year. As we start 2023, credit unions will focus on adding more members and enhancing the digital experience. However, it’s equally important for credit unions to leverage investment services to provide a well-rounded member experience.

The State of Wealth Management and Credit Unions
Roughly 20% of all credit unions in the country have financial advisors, yet only about 2% of credit union members use their credit union for financial advice. 

Additionally, research and consulting firm Kehrer Bielan found over 50% of credit union members would prefer to receive financial advice from their credit union.

So, why are so few members taking advantage of their credit union’s wealth management services? It comes down to a lack of awareness, which indicates credit unions may not be marketing these services as well as they could be.

Why Should Credit Unions Prioritize Marketing Their Wealth Management Services?
The short answer here is credit unions are leaving meaningful revenue on the table. Credit unions that have financial professionals are under leveraging the opportunities this service offers and are losing out on non-interest fee income.
Credit unions are known for helping people of all income levels, which allows financial professionals to grow their business faster by not having to worry about minimum investments that are common practice at big banks.
In addition, members with an investment relationship with the credit union bring in more deposits and loans. Those relationships foster a deeper sense of trust, which creates loyal members who view their local credit union as a one-stop shop for all their financial needs. 
And, perhaps most importantly, credit unions that promote their wealth management services are better fulfilling their mission – helping people achieve a brighter financial future. 

​How Credit Unions Can Market Their Wealth Management Services
Here are three marketing strategies credit unions can implement this year to expand awareness of their investment services.

Speaker Seth Brickman is an innovative leader with a successful track record of building software products customers love to use. As a veteran of the US Navy and MBA Adjunct Professor, he gets to regularly interact with future leaders and also grow his own knowledge base. Seth was elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Credit Union Services Organization (NACUSO) in 2022.
​
Date: March 14, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Cost: Free

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the FREE webinar on March 14. 

The QCash loan decision engine is a proven, proprietary platform built on member relationships and behavior data. This engine has been perfected over more than a decade of credit union lending experience, data analytics, automated underwriting, and real-time funding. In other words, we know what we’re doing and we want to share it with you and your members — to help the underserved find the support they need for financial stability and health.

This webinar is brought to you by Tristate Products & Services, a collaboration with the Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin Credit Union Leagues bringing products and services to support credit unions and their members.

Now is your chance to nominate a colleague for the 2023 Outstanding Professional of the Year or Outstanding Director (formerly Volunteer) of the Year. 

The winners of these awards will be recognized with a video tribute during the Minnesota Credit Union Network's annual conference, ACCELERATE 23, which will take place April 13 &14 at the Radisson Blu Mall of America in Bloomington. 

• Outstanding Professional of the Year recognizes the notable service of one outstanding credit union professional who has selflessly given time, effort and talent to the support and promotion of the credit union mission and who has gone above and beyond to improve the credit union culture in Minnesota.
• ​Outstanding Director (formerly Volunteer) of the Year is given to one extraordinary credit union board member who best exemplifies the credit union spirit through dedication to, and belief in, the credit union movement. Grounds for nomination include involvement in the credit union movement at local and state levels and participation in other activities that support the credit union mission.

Nominations for the awards must be received by the Network by Tuesday, Feb., 28 by 5:00 p.m. 

Complete information and online nomination forms can be found on the MnCUN website of the Network website. Please note that only nominations completed using the online forms will be accepted.

​Contact Julia Miller, MnCUN Director of Communications with questions.

Learn more about the outstanding programs, new initiatives and well-deserved recognition received by your peers recently. 

Got news of your own? Send stories, pitches, press releases and published articles to MnCUN Director of Communications Julia Miller. 

• Local Credit Union Offers Finance Classes to Brainerd Learning Center Students (Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union), 
•  ​​Affinity Plus Opens St. Paul-Midway Branch,
•  Royal Credit Union: Prison program changes lives,
• CUNA News: Celebrating Black History Month, and
• Two MnCUN Member Credit Unions Selected for Filene's Racial Economic Equity Incubator (Hiway Credit Union and Veridian Credit Union).

Common Compliance Issues for the State Examiner: The Minnesota Department of Commerce Chief Examiner, Aeton de Long-Hersh, met with MnCUN to discuss the biggest issues and red flags observed so far this year. 

​NCUA Notice Requirements for Cybersecurity Incident Reporting: The NCUA Board will meet to vote on the final rule for cybersecurity incident reporting notice requirements on February 16, 2023. 

Updated BSA/AML Training Webinar Available: ViClarity 2022 Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) & OFAC Annual Staff Training is now available to MnCUN member credit unions.

Paid Family Leave proposals are working their way through the legislature.