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Portfolio: Reports

Should Credit Unions Offer Private Student Loans?

Lending habits among American consumers have been shifting since the Great Recession began in 2008. Consumers are not as willing to take on more debt, which is a positive trend for those borrowers over their heads in credit card and other expensive debt. But for credit unions, the slap in the face of the lending portfolio has roughed up the bottom line.

Private student loans are an opportunity worth considering as lenders seek more options and income. Some readers will recall the bad old days of student loans when financial institutions would lend funds for college expenses with few questions asked. The money went directly to the students often without the school involved. These loans financed quite a few motorcycles as well as trips to Amsterdam. And if finances went south, bankruptcy was used to get out of paying back the debt.

Read the executive summary from this report.

 

Plastic and Payments Rosy Future

Mobile banking has gained acceptance in the developing world more so than in industrialized nations. To a large extent its popularity in developing nations can be traced to a lack of access to the formal banking sector as well as the relatively high fees of that sector. Additional reasons include the regulatory environment, economic limitations and the availability of sustaining technologies.

While mobile payments are a fast moving train in developing countries, consumers in the United States have yet to jump onboard. The availability of traditional financial services is part of the reason. An additional factor is that income from this form of payment systems appears to be limited; at least that is the perception of many in the financial services industry. Consumers in the United States are also accustomed to using credit and debit cards for payment.

Read the executive summary from this report.

 

Brave New Brick-and-Mortar World

A "Brave New Brick-and-Mortar World" was published by Callahan & Associates in April 2005 to provide the latest in innovations in branch design with banks and credit unions. One of the interesting findings in the 28-page report is how women affect the design and function of new branches. The consumer’s lingering fear of technology is also discussed:

Management may assume their technology is easily understood and accepted, but that may not be the case. Consumers today are often befuddled and anxious about technology, but are reticent to admit to their techno-phobia.

Read samples from this report.

 

The Key Findings 2.0

The Key Findings 2.0 details seven innovations developed by the Filene Research Institute’s i3 group—39 future leaders who are charged with developing and implementing new business models and products for the industry. The following samples are excerpted from the report. The introduction to the report discusses the organizational roadblocks to creativity and innovation:

Creativity and product innovation are essential elements for an organization to thrive and survive in today’s market. But workday demands and deadlines make innovation a difficult, perhaps elusive goal to attain. The Filene i3 group of next generation leaders met during 2005 in venues far away from the workplace and unfettered by organizational boundaries to develop new products, services and business models for the credit union industry.

Read samples from the report.