Minnesota Credit Union Network's ACCELERATE21 Conference is planned to be back in person November 18-19, 2021 at the Radisson Blu MOA, Bloomington. MnCUN's biggest event of the year - these 2 days will feature guest speakers, educational sessions, networking, and opportunities to support great causes. 

In addition to full conference, in person registration, we are also offering a new Virtual registration option that will provide viewing access to the conference general sessions. The Early Bird Registration Deadline is Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Use promo code EarlyBird2021 to receive $50 off the regular registration rate).

MnCUN is committed to the wellbeing of all attendees, guests, sponsors, speakers, and staff as we return to in person events. We will follow the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state and local governments that are in effect at the time of the conference. Staff will continue to monitor the situation leading up to and at the event, and communicate any possible changes.
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With questions, contact MnCUN Vice President of Communications and Engagement Andrea Molnau or Director of Engagement Ben Hering. 

Now is the time to remind members and credit union employees why being engaged in advocacy is essential to protecting our industry, and help grow the number of GREAT members at your credit union.

​​GREAT alerts are currently being utilized for tell Congress to oppose new IRS reporting provision resulting in 10,000 messages sent advocating for credit unions so far.

​New this year for GREAT month is a re-branded logo and an updated toolkit to help engage new staff and members in the effort. MnCUN’s goal is 100% of credit union employees in Minnesota signed up for GREAT, as well as 2% of credit union members. We appreciate your help to ensure that we can have a big impact.  

For additional resources, or if your credit union has not designated a grassroots coordinator, please contact Ryan Smith at rsmith@mncun.org. 

​International Credit Union Day also takes place in October and is an opportunity to raise awareness about the tremendous work that credit unions and other financial cooperatives are doing around the world and give members the opportunity to get more engaged. 

On October 21, 2021, the  global credit union family will join together to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of ICU Day®! This year's theme is "Building financial health for a brighter tomorrow."

Let us know how you are celebrating by emailing MnCUN Director of Communications Julia Miller.

​​Last week, as part of the Network’s annual Hike the Hill, credit union staff and volunteers from across the state met virtually with all of the Minnesota members of the US House and Senate to discuss issues of importance to the credit union industry.

​Typically an in-person event, Hike the Hill was held virtually because of the pandemic and the logistical challenges of meeting at the Capitol, currently still under a strict security regiments. However, the effectiveness of the virtual meetings was not diminished and credit union advocates were able to share their stories with legislators and their staff.

Issues that credit unions talked about with their Representatives and Senators included:

• Advocating against a proposal that would require credit unions to report gross inflows and outflows of cash of $600 to the IRS to help their efforts to crack down on people trying to mask their income for tax purposes.
• Strongly supporting the Credit Union Employee and Member Safety Act and thanking Rep. Tom Emmer Sen. Tina Smith for introducing it.
• Encouraging legislators to support the Expanding Financial Access for Underserved Communities Act, which is expected to be introduced soon.

​Yesterday, the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions of the US House Financial Services committee held a hearing that included H.R. 2311, the Credit Union Governance Modernization Act of 2021.

​HR 2311 was introduced earlier this year by Rep. Perlmutter (D-CO) and Rep. Emmer (R-MN) and has been a linchpin of CUNA and MnCUN’s advocacy work for the last three years.

​Under current law, a two-thirds vote of the full credit union membership is required to expel a member. Although extremely rare, some members prove to be a threat and engage in dangerous or illegal conduct. This can include physical damage to property, harassment, or fraud. In these cases, the time and resources required for a full vote are simply not practical nor effective.

H.R. 2311 would amend the Federal Credit Union Act to afford a more efficient process by requiring a majority vote of the board of directors of a credit union while at the same time providing a robust appeal process for the credit union member. The bill was modeled after legislation that was sponsored by MnCUN in 2018 that allowed for this change for state-chartered credit unions.

Senator Smith (D-MN) introduced the Senate version of the bill earlier this year. MnCUN, in conjunction with CUNA, continues to work to build bipartisan support for the bill in both bodies and hope to have the bill heard and passed this session of Congress.

Navigating and Understanding the End of Pandemic-Era Homeowner Protection Programs: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, the federal government has enacted a series of programs to help people stay in their homes. 

​NEW NCUA Examination Tool: MERIT is the NCUA’s new web-based examination platform that replaces AIRES, a 25-year old legacy examination application. 

The Fall 2021 P2P sessions will continue to be held as virtual sessions to provide open forums for credit union staff throughout Minnesota, to create forums for conversations conducive to credit union knowledge sharing, resources and connections. 

Join an upcoming session via webinar:

•  Data & Analytics Peer-to-Peer (P2P) on Tuesday, October 5 starting at 1:00 p.m. 
•  Call Center Peer-to-Peer (P2P) on Thursday, October 14 starting at 2:00 p.m. 
•  Credit Union Board Director/Volunteer Peer-to-Peer (P2P) on Tuesday, October 19 starting at 4:00 p.m.
•  Marketing & Business Development Peer-to-Peer (P2P) on Tuesday, October 26 starting at 1:00 p.m.

​For a list of all P2P sessions, visit our Peer-to-Peer (P2P) webpage. With questions, please contact MnCUN Director of Engagement Ben Hering by email or by phone at 651-288-5519.

​Preference will be given to applicants who have not attended GAC, are from credit unions under $100 million in assets, and have shown engagement with MnCUN and credit union advocacy.

Applications are now open and the deadline is Nov. 30. With questions contact Andrea Molnau, MnCU Foundation Executive Director. 

​Registration information is available at cuna.org/gac. ​To make a reservation in MnCUN's room block, visit the MnCUN GAC page for instructions. Minnesota specific event information will also be available on this page.