Headline News

LCUL's 2017 Convention Kicks Off Today; Follow the Fun on Social Media #LCUL17
LCUL's 2017 Annual Meeting & Convention officially kicks off in New Orleans today. More than 500 individuals will come together to celebrate the Louisiana credit union movement. Follow the convention fun on social media. Simply take pictures and upload using the hashtag #LCUL17.
 
LCUL's Convention App is Live! You can keep up with all the convention details by downloading our new Convention App complete with handouts, hotel info, daily agendas, social wall, and more. You'll love the interactive features that allow you to customize your convention experience. 

LCUL's 2016 Annual Report Now Available 
The Louisiana Credit Union League's 2016 Annual Report is now available. The information contained in this electronic report will be presented at our Business Meeting on Thursday, July 27 at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans.

Reminder: Bring s Box of Cartoon Band-aids to Convention as Part of LCUL's Community Service Project
We wanted to remind credit unions about the community service project taking place at convention this week. From superheroes to princesses, if you've been around kids between the ages of 1 and 10, you know they are serious about their band aid selection. That's why Children's Hospital is starting a band aid donation drive.
 
Children's Hospital uses thousands upon thousands of band aids each year so we encourage you to donate a few boxes at the Children's Miracle Network booth in the exhibitor hall during our convention. Giving back is what we do and there's no better time than our statewide convention when we all come together.
 
Look for a member of the League team onsite if you have any questions!
News from CUNA Mutual

July 201 7  CU Trends Report Now Available
CUNA Mutual Group's Credit Union Trends Report for July  201 7 is now available online and can be accessed in the Compliance & Research section of our website, under the heading Research & Information During May, credit unions picked up 408,000 in new memberships, and loan and savings balances grew at an 11.7% and 6.8% seasonally-adjusted annualized pace, respectively. Firms hired 152,000 workers, nominal consumer spending increased 0.1%, and long-term interest rates were unchanged. Consumers are feeling confident about their future financial conditions and will keep the economy moving forward through 2018.
 
Additional highlights of this month's report include:
 
  • At the end of May, CUNA's monthly estimates reported 5,922 credit unions in operation, four fewer than one month earlier. Year-over-year, the number of credit unions declined by 211, less than the 284 lost in the 12 months ending in May 2016.
  • Total credit union assets fell 0.1% in May, a smaller decline than the 0.4% drop reported in May of 2016. Assets rose 7.6% during the past year due to a 7.6% increase in deposits, a 10.1% increase in borrowings, and a 6.3% increase in capital.
  • The nation's credit unions increased their loan portfolios by 1.1% in May, the same pace reported in May 2016. Loan balances are up 10.9% during the last 12 months. With loan balances growing faster than savings, credit union liquidity is tightening up as the credit union average loan-to-savings ratio reached 79.9%, up from 77.5% in May 2016.
  • Credit union memberships rose 0.37% in May, similar to the 0.38% gain reported in May 2016. Memberships are up 4.4% during the past year due to robust demand for credit, solid job growth and credit unions having comparatively lower fees and loan interest rates.
  • Credit union loan delinquency came in at 0.69% in May, below the 0.73% reported in May 2016, and below the natural delinquency rate of 0.75%. Delinquency rates typically reach their lowest point in the 2nd quarter of a year, so expect the ratio to begin rising in the second half of the year.
 
For more information, view the complete report here. If you have problems accessing the information or have additional questions about the research and information services provided by the Louisiana Credit Union League, please contact Danielle Thibodeaux at (800) 452-7221, ext. 3018 or research@lcul.com.  
Member Services

Echo Cancienne is a Winner!
Congratulations to Echo Cancienne of Total Choice FCU, in Hahnville, LA.  She has just won a $25 Visa gift card, simply by filling out our online survey after her training session.

Every time you attend a training session or planning session with your LCUL Member Services Representative, be sure to legibly include your email address on the sign-in sheet. Within a few days of the session, you will receive an email link to complete a short online survey. Include your name, and you're automatically entered into the drawing. Every quarter we draw a winner from all completed surveys. Don't miss out on your chance to be our next winner!    

Have You Heard?

Ouachita Valley FCU Celebrates Groundbreaking
On July 11, 2017 Ouachita Valley FCU hosted a groundbreaking to celebrate the newest location. This will be Ouachita Valley's fifth location in Ouachita Parish.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by several elected officials, Board members and staff of Ouachita Valley FCU along with several ambassadors and diplomats from the Monroe and West Monroe/West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce. Ouachita Valley FCU will open this location during the first quarter of 2018 and is looking forward to serving the members of this community.



Ascension CU Issues Scholarships to Ascension Parish Students
Ascension CU issued $500.00 scholarships to a student at each of Ascension Parish's public high schools.  The students were asked to write a brief essay regarding their college and career plans and also provide their grades information.  The Marketing Team reviewed all applications and selected the following recipients:
  • Katilyn Williams from Donaldsonville High School
  • Abigail Dorrow from Dutchtown High School
  • Katherine Hodges from East Ascension High School
  • Landon Boudreaux from St.Amant High School
Ascension CU serves the residents of Ascension Parish and are committed to provide support to students of the community.


Xplore FCU Bring Smiles to Faces at Camp Friendship
Employees of Xplore FCU provided a lavish luau at Paradise Manor Community Club as part of Camp Friendship. Camp Friendship is an annual summer camp organized by Spina Bifida of Greater New Orleans. Once a year, kids affected with Spina Bifida come to Camp Friendship to swim, eat, and have a great time.
 
For the tenth consecutive year, Xplore FCU spent the day cooking and serving the kids and counselors at this event. The menu this year featured mini puled pork sliders on Hawaiian roles, macaroni, Hawaiian punch and cake. The kids loved the meal, and the credit union volunteers had a rewarding experience. Volunteer Todd Pereira, Business Development Manager for Xplore FCU, reflected on the day: "This is the true definition of community involvement. The kids  at Camp Friendship are awesome." 


Quote of the Week:
"Learning never exhausts the mind." 
- Leonardo da Vinci

Educational Calendar
Upcoming Conferences & Seminars from your League:    

July 26-29:  LCUL's Annual Meeting & Convention
August 22 - 23: 2017 New Laws and Compliance Workshop
 
Upcoming Teleconferences & Webinars from your League

July 27: Risk Management Series: Conducting a Fair Lending Risk Assessment
August 2: Advertising Compliance: Website, Print, TV & Radio
August 9: Real Estate Series: Appraisals & Evaluations for Consumer Real Estate Lending
August 10: Dealing with Employee Discipline, Complaints, Performance Issues & More
August 16: BSA Compliance Series: Job-Specific BSA for Deposit Operations
August 18: New Military Lending Act Requirements for Credit Cards, Effective October 3
August 21: Revisiting Your HMDA Policies to Include Comprehensive Changes Effective January 1
August 22: New Compliance Officer Boot Camp
August 23: Vendor Problem Resolution: A Five-Step Approach
August 24: When a Borrower Dies: Next Steps & Best Practices
August 29: Keys to Transitioning from Member Business Lending to Member Business Services
August 30: Regulation E Series: Comparing Regulation E with Visa & MasterCard Rules
September 6: Understanding & Processing IRA Rollovers & Transfers
September 7: Responding to Official Demands for Member Funds
September 11: Preparing for Reg CC Rule Changes Part 1: Impact, Detailed Changes & Action Plan
September 12: Regulator Issues for the Credit Analyst
September 14: Director Series: What Directors Should Know About Risk Management
September 19: Managing & Mitigating Data Breaches: Fraud, Forensics & Incident Response
September 20: Supporting Documentation for the ALLL: Current Rules & Future Expectations Under CECL
September 21: ACH Specialist Series: RDFI Returns: 2 Day vs. 60 Calendar Days
September 26: Financial Literacy for Directors Part 1: Introduction to Key Risk Components
September 27: Step-by-Step SAR Completion: Dos & Don'ts
September 28: Record Retention & Destruction Rules: Compliance & Best Practices 
     
For a complete listing of educational opportunities available from LCUL, visit the League website and click on "Education".