Insights from Catalyst

I set out to write a simple blog about how Catalyst Corporate’s TranzCapture service can make life easier for credit unions as they face digital transformation. But said blog took a detour in the direction of complexity.

Many credit unions that had previously only purchased certificates of deposit (CDs) for their investment portfolio made the move to bonds the last 18 months for yield and supply advantages. You may already be familiar with the purchase process for a bond, but what about afterwards? What tips and tricks will maintain your portfolio’s performance over time?

Individuals and businesses want to send and receive money at the click of a button. In fact, two out of three consumers and three out of four businesses think it’s important that their financial institution offer faster payments, according to a 2020 Federal Reserve survey.

It’s a dark and stormy late afternoon…and you’ve just received the results of your interest rate risk model. You review them to discover you’re still low risk on all horizons. Whew! You sigh in relief as you wipe the sweat from your brow. And then, suddenly, the phone rings...

The most recent U.S. inflation figure reported for the last 12 months was 5.3 percent, the highest level in 13 years. Surprisingly, inflation has not been more than three percent since 2011. But, these numbers are coming off a low base from the pandemic slowdown. We should expect outliers in the data from the upside to the downside.