(Part 1 above / Part 2 below) One of 2015's more inspirational stories so far: former CU exec Jason Vitug, founder of Phroogal, a millennial lifestyle brand focused on financial knowledge and access, is about embark on an epic, nationwide journey to spread the word on financial wellness -- especially to the ever elusive Millennial crowd.

Phroogal's Road to Financial Wellness, as Jason describes, is a local grassroots and social media initiative to turn local money discussions into a national conversation on financial wellbeing. It is already supported by credit unions and industry associations, but he is always looking for more partners.

According to Jason, his mission/adventure is an unprecedented attempt to participate in 30 events in 30 locations in 30 days (June 1-30) with a goal of recording, curating, and sharing real money conversations to inspire others in taking control of their financial lives and live their dreams.

So enjoy this discussion and step up to support this epic adventure Jason and his crew are about to experience -- while helping spread the word about credit unions to boot.

Visit:
Phroogal's Road to Financial Wellness

Part 2...

A top 10 interview here for sure with GTE Financial's CEO Joe Brancucci discussing his credit union's fantastic auto lending performance in 2015, as well as how his credit union has managed to lower the average age of new members significantly. Joe not only divulges some pretty impressive stats but also provides some practical advice for credit unions that are looking to do the same as this forward thinking organization -- and it all starts at the top. So don't miss a minute of this discussion with one of our industry's true servant leaders and see why GTE Financial is the success that it is today.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Visit:
www.gtefinancial.org

As the 2015 auto buying season continues to heat up, many credit unions are reaping the benefits of this year's activity. One of those credit unions that has experienced stellar results is Alabama Credit Union. So in part two of our Auto Lending Performance series, we invited Alabama CU's CLO Benson Bolling (one of the coolest names in the biz) on the program to give us the inside scoop on their success -- and some practical advice for those looking to achieve similar results.

Check it out and let us know what your credit union is doing to experiencing car buying success.

With 2015 predicted as a booming year for auto buying ($17 million in sales predicted for Spring 2015 by Forbes), we want to know how credit unions can get a piece of this pie -- a big piece, please. So we invited CU Direct's Vice President, Automotive Marketing & Business Development Marci Francisco on the show for a few tips on how credit unions can take advantage of this year's auto buying boon.

Marci discusses what this activity means for credit unions and their lending efforts, as well as CU success stories and some sobering news for 2018 -- of which CUs need to be aware. (Never too soon to prepare.)

This story is the first part in a three-part auto buying series for credit unions with Alabama Credit Union's CLO Benson Bolling in part two and GTE Financial's CEO Joe Brancucci featured in part three. Enjoy!

Many of us remember when online banking first launched and consumers were saying, "Are you crazy, I'm not managing my money on the Internet. I'm still getting lost in an AOL chat room." Even more of us remember when mobile banking first came about -- once we got used to the Internet -- and still we said, "Are you crazy, I'm not managing my finances from my cell phone I'm still figuring out the five ringtone settings and pushing the 'T-U-V' button three times just to get the the letter 'V'." And shortly thereafter, once we got used to mobile banking, mobile remote deposit capture technology came into our lives and we, along with banks and credit unions, were saying, "Are you crazy, I'm not taking a picture of a check with my Galaxy iPhone 5s HTC Windows Nexus LG smartphone and praying to God that it magically appears in my account tomorrow. Ain't no way, man."

But here we are today: We absolutely, positively cannot live without this stuff. And for the most part, it's pretty darn secure -- especially RDC, as many thought this technology would be rife with fraud. But after nearly a decade, it's next to nothing. I, for one, remember banks and credit unions appreciating the advent of this technology but scared silly that it would be a fraudster's nirvana. Nope.

So what gives?

To get the inside scoop on this pleasant surprise, we invited Aite Group's Shirley Inscoe on the show, who recently wrote a report on the lack of fraud with this tech service that so many of us would now give a kidney for: Mobile Remote Deposit Capture: Where’s the Fraud? Shirley provides us with a few reasons why this service hasn't been a target for hackers, criminals, and miscreants -- yet. That's when this conversation took a sobering turn. When a certain October 2015 deadline for EMV passes, that little-to-no-fraud story may change.

Plenty to discuss in this fascinating talk with Aite's Shirley Inscoe. Check it out and let us know what you think.