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Laura Lee Vann will be retiring after nearly 25 years of service to the credit union system. As Senior Director of Shared Branching at Shared Cooperative Services (SCS), Laura played a key role in expanding the network and promoting its value as a strategy for growth, retention, and resiliency. We thank Laura for her leadership and the lasting impact she has made. Moving forward, Laura Heard will continue to support your shared branching needs. You can reach her directly at laura.heard@myscservices.com. As we move through hurricane season, this is a good time to revisit your credit union’s business continuity and disaster recovery plans. CO-OP Shared Branching remains a critical tool to ensure members can access their accounts if your branches are impacted by severe weather or service disruptions. If your credit union is not currently part of the shared branching network, consider how it can support your continuity planning. For those already participating, confirm that shared branching is fully integrated into your internal plan and member communications. Make sure your members know how to access shared branching in an emergency:
Free marketing materials are available through the Shared Cooperative Services Marketing Portal at www.sharedcooperativeservices.com. For additional support, contact your League Consultant at consult@myleverage.com. |
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By: Stephanie Hainje, Assistant Vice President, LEVERAGE Payment Solutions LEVERAGE Payment Solutions (LPS) offers a comprehensive suite of consulting services designed to provide credit unions nationwide with strategic consultative advice using industry best practices and benchmarking. One of the foundation services provided by LPS is Portfolio Consulting, which helps credit unions assess and manage their debit and credit portfolios effectively. This service includes reviewing debit and credit card portfolio performance metrics, benchmarking and providing strategic recommendations to improve cardholder experience and increased portfolio growth to remain competitive in the overall payments industry. For example, since the launch of LPS Portfolio Consulting Services in 2021, our credit union’s credit card portfolio has grown by over 15%. In addition to Portfolio Consulting, LPS excels in payment Network Consulting. This service focuses on optimizing a credit union’s payment network participation and involves evaluating existing network setups, to minimize expense and maximize interchange revenue. It is common to see credit unions who are “over networked” and enrolled in too many networks other than the Card Act requirement of one “affiliated” and one “non-affiliated” network. Another critical aspect of LPS’ consulting services is Invoice Consulting. This involves a detailed examination of a credit union’s payment processing invoice to identify inaccuracies, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement. Issuers need to understand their processor’s invoice line items and most issuers do not. During a recent invoice review with a prospective client, LPS was able to identify over $4,000 in monthly savings for an $20M credit union by moving their processing relationship to LPS rather than a direct processor environment – without a processing conversion. Regardless of asset size, all credit unions with an LPS product or service have a complimentary, dedicated Portfolio Consultant to provide strategic recommendations for portfolio growth and profitability. Credit unions who do not have a LPS product or service can schedule a complimentary payments consultation with one of our payments experts by contacting consulting@myleverage.com or by visiting www.leveragepaymentsolutions.com. |
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Members ATM Alliance (MAA) joins LEVERAGE Payment Solutions (LPS) as a co-Product of the Month for August! Managing an ATM network can be both complex and costly, but Members ATM Alliance (MAA) offers tailored solutions designed to streamline operations and reduce expenses for credit unions. What MAA Offers:
Partnering with MAA allows your credit union to expand its reach, providing options to give your members access to a wide network of surcharge-free ATMs. Through shared resources and collective buying power, MAA helps reduce operational costs, making ATM management more efficient. As tax season approaches and ATM traffic increases by up to 25%, MAA is ready to support credit unions with optimized cash forecasting and replenishment. Their solutions help maintain the right cash levels, ensuring that ATMs are well-stocked and operating efficiently. Additionally, MAA’s 24/7 monitoring and support ensure that your ATMs remain secure and functional throughout the busiest times. For more information about MAA and LEVERAGE, visit membersatm.com or contact a League Consultant at consult@myleverage.com. |
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The League is pleased to welcome Scott Carter as your new Sales Consultant. With more than 20 years of experience in sales and relationship management, particularly in the credit union and fintech space, Scott brings a strong understanding of the tools and strategies that help credit unions thrive. He spent 16 years at Commercial Business Systems (CBS), where he worked with credit unions across the country on core processing and digital banking solutions. Scott also brings a unique perspective from his time as a small business owner in North Carolina. Scott is your go-to contact for solutions from three of our trusted partners: CUVM, Growth by Design, and LEVERAGE HR Solutions. Each offers valuable services to support your operations, communications, and compliance efforts.
If you're interested in learning more about any of these services, Scott is ready to help. Reach out to him directly at Scott.Carter@myleverage.com. With partners like Growth by Design, CUVM, and LEVERAGE HR Solutions, The League is committed to helping credit unions grow stronger, operate more efficiently, and serve their members with confidence. |
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We’re excited to welcome Zack Kass, former Head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI, as a keynote speaker at The League’s VISION Conference on August 19. Kass will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the financial services landscape and share how credit unions can embrace innovation to meet evolving member needs.
If you’re unable to attend VISION in person, there’s another opportunity to hear from Kass during Discovery 2025, a free virtual conference hosted by TruStage on Wednesday, August 7. He’ll present The Next Great Company, offering a forward-looking perspective on technology and growth in the credit union space. While VISION offers full in-person experience with Kass, Discovery 2025 provides a convenient way to explore his insights virtually, along with additional sessions led by TruStage experts and fintech leaders. |
