Insights from Catalyst

Managing a credit union comes with its rewards and challenges. And in today’s market, one of the most prevalent challenges is managing the various types of risk credit unions face. There’s credit risk, interest rate risk, concentration risk and reputation risk – just to name a few. However, one particular risk factor that has loomed in the distance, but is now quickly moving up the ranks, is liquidity risk.

An effective cybersecurity risk measurement process identifies the “weakest link” in a business process and its vulnerabilities. Once that's done, it’s important to look at the types of threats the asset faces and the potential impacts of a successful attack.

It’s important that investors understand how premium bonds work and the benefits they provide. Bonds bought at a premium can actually help reduce volatility, generate greater cash flow and even provide higher yields.

In 2018, cybersecurity risk was ranked as the number one concern for NCUA – it even ranks ahead of credit risk and fraud risk at credit unions. However, regulators have provided little in the way of risk management tools for credit unions to measure cybersecurity risk in monetary terms, such as how to calculate how much capital or earnings is at risk from a cyberattack or if a new cybersecurity tool will be worth the time and money required to install it.

It’s no secret the American economy is still strong, but slowing down. Leading economic indicators for a downturn are piling up week by week. The Federal Reserve has added the goal of sustaining the longest economic expansion in history to its dual mandate of stable prices and low unemployment.