Talking Credit Unions with Chris Smith
40 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago -These podcasts aim to communicate topics of interest from the world of credit unions targeted at managers, directors and other activists within the world of credit unions. I'm a long term supporter of credit unions and have served on the board of directors of several credit unions. This is a not for profit venture and my time is donated pro-bono. I am constantly on the look-out for stories and topics of interest to credit unions especially, but not exclusively, in the UK and Ireland. Contact me: [email protected] A contribution to my costs has been made by Swoboda Research Centre and I rely on them for additional distribution and inspiration.
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Episodes
Human touch versus Digital Banking for Credit Unions?
October 03, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 9.66 MBListen to a conversation with George Hofheimer, the advisor and author of "Banking on the Human Scale." As we navigate the challenges that credit unions face in the digital era, George illuminates the path ahead, offering strategic insight into blending technological investments with the human service that defines credit unions. The traditional face-to-face service is not lost, but rather enhanced as George makes a compelling case for a harmonious merge of the old and the new. This conversat...
EDITION 31 - Are credit union members rate tarts!
July 24, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBSeveral responses to this question by credit union leaders: *Rate tart is a term used in banking to describe someone who transfers balances repeatedly, chasing the best possible interest rates on savings. David McAuley, CEO, Donore CU, Ireland " Are our members 'rate tarts'* and leave the credit union, if we pay insufficient dividend? Our members in the main are not big savers. So, while there will be one or two members disgruntled with no dividend and they do tend to be in the “older” c...
EDITION 31 - Are credit union members rate tarts?
July 24, 2023 09:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBSeveral responses to this question by credit union leaders: *Rate tart is a term used in banking to describe someone who transfers balances repeatedly, chasing the best possible interest rates on savings. David McAuley, CEO, Donore CU, Ireland " Are our members 'rate tarts'* and leave the credit union, if we pay insufficient dividend? Our members in the main are not big savers. So, while there will be one or two members disgruntled with no dividend and they do tend to be in the “older” c...
EDITION 30 - SWOBODA RESEARCH CENTRE - SPRING 2023 UPDATE
February 28, 2023 12:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBPaul Jones and Nick Money update us on the wide list of projects, papers and conferences coming up in the next 12 months at the Swoboda Research Centre. Hear about: New credit union lending projects Sustainable credit unions Updates on the Governance Manual New faces at Swoboda Jonathon Moore's views on credit unions Talking Credit Unions with Chris Smith is a regular podcast dedicated to informing credit union practitioners, leaders and opinion formers on variety of industry topics. ...
EDITION 29 Employee Salary Advance Schemes are here to stay?
October 17, 2022 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBThis podcast captures the views of some financial services industry commentators on the merits and drawbacks of ESAS (Employee Salary Advance Schemes). Guests on this podcast are: Matt Bland, CEO Co-op Credit Union, UK Emily Trant, head of Impact & Inclusion, Wagestream Lindsay Melvin, CEO Flexiwage Erik Porter, Wellbeing expert How a Employee Salary Advance Scheme works: Specialist scheme operators, which are usually unregulated businesses, often provide the product as part of a 'well...
EDITION 28 Credit Unions - did they survive the pandemic?
March 31, 2022 15:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBThe past two years has been the ultimate stress test for the financial, operational, competitive, and cultural resiliency of credit unions. Leaders have greater depth of insight into the risks facing their credit union and can now better plan for and address those risks, allowing the organisation to focus primarily on longer-term opportunities. Some credit unions are only now emerging from the lockdown to seek new members in a tremendously competitive and digital world. The economic challen...
EDITION 26 - MEMBER GAMBLING AND VULNERABILITY
October 11, 2021 12:00 - 51 minutes - 35.1 MBThis summer saw the publication 'Gambling, Vulnerability and FCA Compliance' (How financial services firms can achieve the best outcomes for vulnerable customers who gamble), by Sharon Collard and Katie Cross at the Bristol University Personal Finance Research Centre. Credit unions are seeing increased levels of gambling activity on members accounts, especially since the pandemic. Many credit unions can conduct more forensic assessment of members accounts following the uptake in use of 'o...
EDITION 26 - MEMBER GAMBLING AND VULNERABILITY
October 11, 2021 12:00 - 52 minutes - 35.9 MBThis summer saw the publication 'Gambling, Vulnerability and FCA Compliance' (How financial services firms can achieve the best outcomes for vulnerable customers who gamble), by Sharon Collard and Katie Cross at the Bristol University Personal Finance Research Centre. Credit unions are seeing increased levels of gambling activity on members accounts, especially since the pandemic. Many credit unions can conduct more forensic assessment of members accounts following the uptake in use of 'o...
EDITION 27 - Save & Sound Project - Update
September 09, 2021 10:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBThe Save and Sound project is now looking further afield for more credit union memories. The project wants to make sure that the efforts of people who worked to set up and run credit unions in the early days of the movement are not forgotten. The history of British credit unions is a diverse and inspiring one and the project wants to hear from anyone who was involved with a credit union in whatever way. Anyone with any information about early credit unions is encouraged to get in touch. ...
EDITION 25 - Do credit unions alleviate poverty?
July 06, 2021 11:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBThe purpose of credit unions is obvious, isn’t it? Well, isn’t it? One of the perceptions about credit unions is that they ‘alleviate poverty’ and I guess many within the Irish & UK credit union movement will accept that perception. I suspect that banks are not perceived as alleviating poverty, by the general public or even bank workers. So, do credit unions alleviate poverty? I spoke to three well known experienced credit union people; Paul Jones, Eileen Halligan & Des Morrisey and put ...
EDITION 23 - More Fintech Solutions? CUApps
May 31, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBThis is podcast is where I look at another mobile 'app' being currently used by some credit unions. In this edition I talk with the enthusiastic Karen Bennett, CEO of the Merseyside based Enterprise Credit Union, about its fairly recent take up member mobile ‘app’ CUApps. Firstly, I spoke with the two young Scots tech entrepreneurs, Declan McGallagy and Jack Alison who founded CU Apps over eight years ago. They tell me how they specialise in premium mobile app and chatbot development, wo...
EDITION 22 - Fintech Solutions? - NIVO
May 19, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBI’ve decided to have a closer look at the world of credit union ‘apps’ or Fintech, as some call it. Many of you are aware that a tsunami of helpful apps has arrived at the door of credit unions in the last few years and in many cases transformed how members interact or communicate with their credit union. Some credit unions have willingly adopted the apps available, and some are still considering. Perhaps there is still a little suspicion of earlier tech failures in the Irish & British credi...
Credit Union Development Educator Events; are they magic? EDITION 21
March 19, 2021 16:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBI've always been amazed at the passion and support for this unique form of credit union education that has seen over 4,500 credit union employees, volunteers, directors and supporters attending over the years. The EU version has been running several years, with events usually based in the UK. The US version, of the DE event, has been around for almost 40 years. The main purpose of the DE programmes is to "..... is to help established and emerging leaders within the credit union movement u...
Sir Douglas Flint on Just Finance Foundation and credit union board rooms - EDITION 20
March 12, 2021 19:00 - 14 minutes - 9.65 MBThis is an interviewed with Sir Douglas Flint who is chair of Standard Life Aberdeen, IP Group, the Corporate board of Cancer Research UK and is a trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. He was previously Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings and he has held other roles, notably as a non-executive director of BP. Clearly, Sir Douglas has many years of experience of board rooms of successful businesses and his Chairmanship of the Just Finance Foundation has placed him in close proximity to cr...
Notice: CFCFE CONFERENCE MARCH 29th 2021
March 05, 2021 21:00 - 11 minutes - 7.89 MBBooking is now open for our first CFCFE conference of the year, on Monday 29th March. Towards New Business Models: great speakers and plenty of group discussion, looking at the 2021 and future external operating context, the importance of building a business model on a clear and agreed purpose, and credit union leader experience of making mergers work. Join other credit union leaders, directors, suppliers, regulators and policymakers for stimulating ideas and to share your own views, with ...
My first year as a credit union CEO - Matt Bland - EDITION 18
February 23, 2021 09:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBEarly last year I interviewed Matt Bland, of the Manchester based Co-op Credit Union, as he began his debut year in charge (2020). This is interview asks Matt how was his first year? After making the interesting swop from being a policy and regulation specialist, at the trade body ABCUL back in 2020, Matt embarked on turning the sleeping giant of the Co-op Credit Union (CCU) into a more nimble and ambitious outfit. Matt was selected for the job from an impressive batch of applicants but no...
Credit Union Mergers - A strategic opportunity? EDITION 17
February 02, 2021 14:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBAn interview with Robert Kelly CEO at ABCUL (Assoc. of British Credit Unions Ltd). I was really interested in the news that ABCUL are to launch a Strategic Merger Taskforce. Robert Kelly, CEO at ABCUL, once again appears to tackle subjects that appear sometimes to be difficult to deal with but nevertheless are really of the moment. Credit Union mergers, or transfer of engagements, in the past have typically been a way of saving a struggling credit union from failure, by being absorbed into...
Time for a New Credit Union Core Computer System? EDITION 16
January 08, 2021 19:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBOver the last few years, the importance of flexible, efficient and modern technology has risen up the agenda for many credit unions. 2020 has made this even more pronounced, as the ability of organisation to serve members effectively while staff are remote from members (and each other) has been given a severe test. Sometimes credit unions come to the conclusion that their strategy cannot be delivered with the constraints of their current core processing and accounting system. But replacing t...
Diversity in the Credit Union Boardroom - EDITION 15
December 03, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBWhat a year for this agenda. First came shock; and then came shows of support. But they’re only worth a penny if we do not move to meaningful action and concrete change. Change you can see. Change you can measure. And change that makes a material difference to people’s lives. To achieve that, we can’t just speak about one aspect of diversity and inclusion without also understanding the importance of all others, and how they intersect to make up someone’s experiences. But following the killin...
Audio of CFCFE's measuring Social Impact of Credit Unions Seminar 25th Nov 2020 - EDITION 14
November 26, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBCFCFE have released a report from Dr Olive McCarthy of the Centre for Co-operative Studies at Cork University Business School (and CFCFE’s Advisory Board) on credit union perceptions of the opportunities and challenges for measuring and reporting on social impact – what CFCFE calls ‘the credit union difference’. Olive spoke to staff from 23 credit unions and 11 stakeholder to gather insights into what organisations see as the opportunities and barriers in relation to evaluating systematical...
Audio of CFCFE's measuring Social Impact of Credit Unions Seminar 25th Nov 2020
November 26, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBCFCFE have released a report from Dr Olive McCarthy of the Centre for Co-operative Studies at Cork University Business School (and CFCFE’s Advisory Board) on credit union perceptions of the opportunities and challenges for measuring and reporting on social impact – what CFCFE calls ‘the credit union difference’. Olive spoke to staff from 23 credit unions and 11 stakeholder to gather insights into what organisations see as the opportunities and barriers in relation to evaluating systematical...
EPISODE 13 - Interest rate caps with Dr Olive McCarthy
November 13, 2020 10:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBOlive McCarthy is an active member of St. Michael's Credit Union, Cork, Ireland. She receives research funding from a wide array of external sources, including government bodies, NGOs and sectoral organisations. She is a member of the Credit Union Advisory Committee, appointed by the Irish Minister for Finance. The cost of accessing small personal loans can be eye-wateringly high for those who need it most. Take the UK, where a £200 loan from Provident Personal Credit over 13 weeks costs £8...
Interest rate caps with Dr Olive McCarthy - EDITION 13
November 13, 2020 10:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBOlive McCarthy is an active member of St. Michael's Credit Union, Cork, Ireland. She receives research funding from a wide array of external sources, including government bodies, NGOs and sectoral organisations. She is a member of the Credit Union Advisory Committee, appointed by the Irish Minister for Finance. The cost of accessing small personal loans can be eye-wateringly high for those who need it most. Take the UK, where a £200 loan from Provident Personal Credit over 13 weeks costs £8...
Why bother with International credit union projects? EDITION 12
October 09, 2020 19:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBI have heard, in the past, the critics state that involvement of employees, or directors, in credit union international projects can be expensive and/or the benefits are not too tangible. So, I decided capture the views of some well respected voices and seek out an answer to my question. Why bother with international credit union projects? International credit union projects are not always what I expected and perhaps they are occasionally fruitful in ways I did not foresee. The benefits are...
Conference Round Up - EDITION 11
October 06, 2020 11:00 - 10 minutes - 7.53 MBA brief round-up on CFCFE, ABCUL and World Council of Credit Unions conferences. Talking Credit Unions with Chris Smith is a regular podcast dedicated to informing credit union practitioners, leaders and opinion formers on variety of industry topics. To contact Chris Smith, [email protected]
CFCFE CREDIT UNION CONFERENCE TRAILER - 22nd September 2020 - Dublin & On Line!
August 27, 2020 18:00 - 10 minutes - 7.34 MBCredit Union Conference: Planning for the New Normal 10.00am-3.30pm, Tuesday 22 September 2020, Clayton Liffey Valley Hotel and live online Presented by the Centre for Community Finance Europe, in collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University. What is the issue? Enough has been written about the COVID-19 crisis for us all to know the outlines of the impact – the economy significantly depressed, unemployment forecast to climb fast and our members and communities’ financial and genera...
EDITION 9 - Human Resources Specialists - Luxury or Necessity?
August 19, 2020 08:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBThis edition asks how prepared are our credit unions for the possible employment issues that the pandemic has forced onto their businesses? Some of the changes may be positive and some may be relatively painless. However, changing a workforce to suit the new circumstances, or restructuring as it is called, is always a challenge and there are clearly good ways to do it and pitfalls to avoid. In this podcast we will hear from credit union leaders, professionals and practitioners that have ex...
EDITION 8 - Payroll Deduction Member Recruitment
July 28, 2020 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBThis edition is about member recruitment via payroll deduction. How British and Irish credit unions, and others, have managed their journey into member recruitment via the route of employer participation. I have some excellent guests on the podcast and my gratitude goes out to them for giving up their valuable time freely in the middle of this pandemic. We will hear from: Billy Doyle CEO Dundalk CU in Ireland Luke Mellard, Business Development Manager at the company Salary Finance Caro...
EDITION 7 - COVID 19 The Irish Credit Union Response
June 11, 2020 14:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBThis edition provides a snap shot of two Irish credit unions and their immediate actions taken to help credit union members, staff and communities in response to the COVID-19 crisis in March and April 2020. These actions demonstrate and exemplify the ‘credit union difference’. The COVID-19 health crisis has meant extraordinary operational and commercial challenges to credit unions. This podcast refers to the CFCFE report that in turn refers solely to credit unions in the Republic of Ireland;...
EDITION 6 - Credit Unions and COVID 19
May 30, 2020 13:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBA fundamental principle of the credit union sector is ‘people helping people’. The COVID-19 health crisis, with its associated social lockdown and economic shocks, has presented operational and commercial challenges to credit unions that go way beyond previous experience. Credit union members are having to cope with social distancing and sometimes isolation, as well as potentially reduced income or unemployment. In this podcast we hear some of the testimony of those credit unions and the c...
EDITION 5 - MATT BLAND INTERVIEW
April 30, 2020 13:00 - 13 minutes - 9.51 MBThis interview gives a good insight into the practical world of 'new' credit unions, Fin Tech, regulation and access to new members featured here. An interview with Matt Bland the new CEO of The Co-op Credit Union based in Manchester UK, “Credit unions are all about solidarity with our colleagues and neighbours in financial matters. Helping one another save and borrow affordably to build our financial resilience. It is a hugely valuable contribution to society and I’m proud of my work in th...
EDITION 5 - Matt Bland interview
April 30, 2020 13:00 - 13 minutes - 9.51 MBThis interview gives a good insight into the practical world of 'new' credit unions, Fin Tech, regulation and access to new members featured here. An interview with Matt Bland the new CEO of The Co-op Credit Union based in Manchester UK, “Credit unions are all about solidarity with our colleagues and neighbours in financial matters. Helping one another save and borrow affordably to build our financial resilience. It is a hugely valuable contribution to society and I’m proud of my work in th...
EDITION 4 - Todd Proulx interview on CU core IT systems
March 01, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.09 MBThis interview took place immediately after Manchester CFCFE Conference in Manchester. At that conference Todd had outlined his extensive experience of IT solutions in the credit union sector in the USA, and his recent engagement with Irish credit unions. Todd noted that core IT system replacement, the focus of his presentation, is a very significant project for credit unions, but because there have been so many of these in the US (over 600 in the last five years) there is now increasing com...
EDITION 3 Robert Kelly, ABCUL, tells of the journey to date
February 17, 2020 11:00 - 10 minutes - 7.22 MBRobert Kelly CEO, of the trade association ABCUL (Association of British Credit Unions Ltd), talks about is first months in the role and the forthcoming national conference in Manchester (March 2020). Talking Credit Unions with Chris Smith is a regular podcast dedicated to informing credit union practitioners, leaders and opinion formers on variety of industry topics. To contact Chris Smith, [email protected]
Chris Smith is Talking Credit Unions EDITION 3 February 2020
February 17, 2020 11:00 - 10 minutes - 7.21 MBRobert Kelly CEO, of the trade association ABCUL (Association of British Credit Unions Ltd), talks about is first months in the role and the forthcoming national conference in Manchester (March 2020).
EDITION 2 CFCFE Conference Manchester February 2020
February 04, 2020 11:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBI was at CFCFE’s conference in Manchester (17th January) and Drew Povey spoke about leadership in a time of change, and how to show courage; Rob McIntosh explained his vision of digital community, how it can be realised and how it is relevant – critical – to credit unions; Marloes Nicholls summarised the risks and significant opportunities for credit unions from the effective use of open banking; Todd Proulx considered why, when and how to change core IT systems. Delegates said these “really...
Chris Smith is Talking Credit Unions EDITION 2 February 2020
February 04, 2020 11:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBI was at CFCFE’s conference in Manchester (17th January) and Drew Povey spoke about leadership in a time of change, and how to show courage; Rob McIntosh explained his vision of digital community, how it can be realised and how it is relevant – critical – to credit unions; Marloes Nicholls summarised the risks and significant opportunities for credit unions from the effective use of open banking; Todd Proulx considered why, when and how to change core IT systems. Delegates said these “really...
Chris Smith is Talking Credit Unions - December 2019 Edition1
December 22, 2019 19:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBInterview with Abbie Shelton about a Oral History project about the Uk Credit Union movement. Starting with a possible pilot in the north of the country leading to a national roll-out if the project receives the funding. [email protected] A preview of the forthcoming CFCFE Manchester Conference, in January 17th 2020 from an interview by Nick Money. [email protected] A run through of some of the topics these podcasts will cover in 2020 by Chris Smith Any feedback on smithowls@gmail....
EDITION 1 - Abbie Shelton on CU oral history and Nick Money about CFCFE plans December 2019
December 22, 2019 19:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBInterview with Abbie Shelton about a Oral History project about the Uk Credit Union movement. Starting with a possible pilot in the north of the country leading to a national roll-out if the project receives the funding. [email protected] A preview of the forthcoming CFCFE Manchester Conference, in January 17th 2020 from an interview by Nick Money. [email protected] A run through of some of the topics these podcasts will cover in 2020 by Chris Smith Any feedback on smithowls@gmail....
Chris Smith is Talking Credit Unions - Preview
December 19, 2019 15:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBDecember 2019 - Preview 2020 Podcasts Chris Smith - Talking Credit Unions Interview with Abbie Shelton about a Oral History project about the Uk Credit Union movement. Starting with a possible pilot in the north of the country leading to a national roll-out if the project receives the funding. A preview of the forthcoming CFCFE Manchester Conference, in January 17th 2020 from an interview by Nick Money A run through of some of the topics these podcasts will cover in 2020 by Chris Smith A...