Connect Archive

A Few Reasons Why Treasury Bond Yields are Still Low: 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. The question is why do bond investors willingly accept lower bond yields when projections abound for higher inflation and strong economic growth?

Forum 2021 – Peterson Urges Credit Unions to Watch Cost of Funds: Credit unions will continue to face pressure on interest margins, primarily because of low interest rates, slower loan growth and downward pricing of existing loans, Casey Peterson told attendees at last month’s Economic & Payments Forum. Learn more. 

TrueChecks Combats Check Fraud with Real-Time Alerts: New check fraud tactics, bolstered by access to new technologies, have made fake checks cheaper and easier to produce. But now, Advanced Fraud Solutions’ TrueChecks® – offered by Catalyst Corporate – can help. 

Training Webinars: ACH Audit Requirements (October 20, Eligible for AAP credits), ECCHO - Unauthorized Checks and Timely Returns (October 26), Share Draft Processing (October 27), ECCHO - Presumption of Alteration (October 28), ACHOne Receipt (November 3) and ECCHO – Warranty Breaches and 'Dealing Direct' (November 16).

Understanding the Three Components of LP Seller Due Diligence: Comprehensive due diligence on the loan originator, seller and servicer is an essential ingredient for success in any loan participation purchase. Here's what you need to know. 

Becoming Part of ‘Faster Payments Chain’ Crucial Amidst Digital Shift: A “tsunami” of change, brought about by conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, has caused consumers to flock to digital engagement channels, Eric Dotson told attendees at Catalyst Corporate’s recent Economic & Payments Forum.

Pricing Notification Now Available: Catalyst Corporate's 2022 Service Pricing Guide was emailed to chief executive officers at member and client credit unions last Thursday, September 30. The Pricing Guide includes convenient links to product and service summaries on Catalyst Corporate's website. Contact Member Services if you did not receive this email.

How is Columbus’ Ship like Black Friday? ...They’re both driven by sails! A friendly reminder, Catalyst Corporate will be closed Monday, October 11 to observe Columbus Day.

Training Webinars: ACHOne Administration (October 6), ACH Audit Requirements (October 20, Eligible for AAP credits), ECCHO - Unauthorized Checks and Timely Returns (October 26), Share Draft Processing (October 27), ECCHO - Presumption of Alteration (October 28) and ACHOne Receipt (November 3).

Labor Market ‘Weirdness’ a Byproduct of Abundant Opportunity: Across the country, some 320,000 people work for credit unions now. But will we be able to find the workers we want in the coming months? That could be a challenge, according to Betsey Stevenson, a well-regarded labor economist who presented at Catalyst Corporate’s Economic & Payments Forum last week.

LIBOR Sunset & a SOFR Horizon – What Lies Ahead? Night fades to morning, morning turns to night. With each passing day comes change – a constant cycle that also holds true in the world of investments. As you may know, the London Interbank Offered Rate is being phased out in the U.S. and replaced with a new benchmark rate, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate. Here’s what you need to know.

Federal Reserve Suspends Holiday Currency Ordering Period: For the second year in a row, the Federal Reserve has announced it will suspend winter holiday currency ordering periods. The Fed indicated that increased demand for currency during the pandemic has contributed to this year's decision. Learn more.

Training Webinars: Savings Bond Redemption & Deposit (September 30), ACHOne Administration (October 6), ACH Audit Requirements (October 20, Eligible for AAP credits), ECCHO - Unauthorized Checks and Timely Returns (October 26), Share Draft Processing (October 27) and ECCHO - Presumption of Alteration (October 28).

Forum Economist Jason Schenker Balances COVID Risks with Economic ‘Upsides’: While disruptive technologies have become commonplace in the financial landscape, the pace of change has quickened – a by-product of the COVID era. So says Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics and chairman of the Futurist Institute, who was among presenters during the first day of Catalyst Corporate’s annual Economic & Payments Forum.

TranzCapture Remote Deposit Services Mark Five Years of Growth: On September 12, 2016, Dallas-based Texas Telcom Credit Union became the first credit union to go live on Catalyst Corporate’s new TranzCapture remote deposit services (RDS) platform. Five years later, TranzCapture is meeting the deposit capture needs of almost 1,800 credit unions with Branch, Teller, Mobile, ATM, ITM and Business Capture, as well as Image Clear, services.

Advocating for Safe Online Habits During Cybersecurity Awareness Month: October (and pumpkin spice latte season) is just around the corner, but it's also Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Catalyst Corporate has reaffirmed its annual commitment by signing up as a 2021 Champion to help promote the awareness of online safety and privacy. Learn more.

Training Webinars: TranZact Profile & Navigation (September 22), Savings Bond Redemption & Deposit (September 30), ACHOne Administration (October 6) and ACH Audit Requirements (October 20).

Still Time for Virtual Forum 2021: Yes, there is still time to register for Catalyst Corporate’s annual Economic & Payments Forum. It takes less than five minutes to register, but the effort provides access to 10 sessions that can give your credit union an important head start in the face of 2022 challenges.

Inflation, Deflation, Disinflation...Now Stagflation? The first three terms above are probably familiar, but stagflation may be new to some. The word, which merges stagnation and inflation, originated in the hyper-inflationary days of the 1970s. However, this term has been popping up more frequently in recent news. What does it mean and how should we prepare for the possibility of its arrival?

ECCHO Webinars Added to Fourth Quarter Training: This quarter, ECCHO – one of Catalyst Corporate's partner organizations – will present a new webinar series to help credit unions understand their check collection rights and responsibilities. Other training opportunities will cover share drafts and ACH, including the popular ACH Audit Requirements webinar. More details.

Training Webinars: Funds Transfer Services (September 15), Savings Bond Redemption & Deposit (September 16), TranZact Profile & Navigation (September 22), Savings Bond Redemption & Deposit (September 30) and ACHOne Administration (October 6).