Financial institutions do a great job helping everyone—communities, families, schools, you name it. And with so many efforts geared toward serving and strengthening their communities, it’s no wonder banks and credit unions have begu...
Continue ReadingCreating and maintaining relationships in your community is one of the most important things you can do as a bank or credit union community specialist. Your financial institution probably has a wide variety of formal and informal co...
Continue ReadingTraditionally, preparing for a CRA exam has been a long, frustrating process. There’s so much to do, and CRA Officers often don’t have the support they need to do it all. Instead of spending week upon endless week preparing for your...
Continue ReadingAre you part of a small CRA team? Many CRA departments are made up of only one or two people, and this makes it difficult to get everything done. You’ve been charged with meeting the credit needs of your community, which means tr...
Continue ReadingAs a bank or credit union marketer, you know how important it is to attract potential customers to your website. One of the best ways to get people to your website is by ranking high on Google, but this is much easier said than done...
Continue ReadingImagine how hopeless and afraid you might feel if you had no home, no job, and weren’t able to provide for your family. Half a million Americans live this nightmare every single day, including whole families with nowhere to go. To...
Continue ReadingAs a bank or credit union employee, you may be required to volunteer in your community each year. You love your community and want to volunteer, but there are just so many things on your plate right now. You’re busy helping customer...
Continue Reading(Don't forget to download the free PDF, "26 Questions to Ask Yourself When Building Your CRA Plan for the New Year." This list of questions will help you think about your CRA program and build the perfect plan to promote your progra...
Continue ReadingAre you preparing for your next CRA exam? If you are, or you will be soon, you’d probably love to get the inside scoop on how an examiner thinks about an exam. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could sit down with a CRA examiner and pick...
Continue ReadingSocial media is a great way for your bank or credit union to connect with customers/members, build your brand, and raise awareness for a charitable cause. While you may be able to raise awareness for a cause, it can be challengin...
Continue ReadingCourtney Taylor (Senior VP and Community Development Officer at Veritex Community Bank) loves to be involved in her community. She serves on several bank and community boards, and is even a member of our own Kadince Advisory Board. ...
Continue ReadingAt some point in your journey as a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) officer, you’ll likely find yourself involved in a community-based public-private partnership economic development project. When this happens, your bank may have th...
Continue ReadingIf you’re a CRA officer or community impact specialist, you’ll likely find yourself presenting to a bank or credit union board at some point to build support—and it’s rarely a comfortable experience. Board presentations are a lops...
Continue ReadingIf you struggle to engage bank employees in your CRA program, you aren’t alone. Just like most financial institutions, Seacoast Bank used to find it hard to engage employees and spread the word about their community initiatives. ...
Continue ReadingThe information in this article came from our webinar with Linda Ezuka of CRA Today, Sue Kocsis from Pinnacle Bank, and Nick Hammerstad from Banzai. Why is financial literacy so important?Take a look at these statistics: • Worldw...
Continue ReadingThe ideas in this article came from a webinar with Sarah Baharin, VP, Fair Lending/CRA Officer at North American Savings Bank, and Zina Stankewsky at PCs for People. You can access the webinar recording here. Banks and credit unio...
Continue ReadingAs a CRA officer, you know how important it is to get consideration under the CRA for as many loans, services, and investments as possible. This means that some banks like to include their consumer loans under their lending performa...
Continue ReadingMost banks and credit unions have some type of email newsletter. But just having a newsletter isn’t the same as having an effective newsletter strategy. Newsletters are a great way to connect with your audience and build interes...
Continue ReadingMost financial institutions, like Machias Savings Bank, are very involved in their communities. Not only do your coworkers spend hours volunteering, but your institution gives grants, donations, loans, and more to support your commu...
Continue ReadingHow did your last CRA exam go? Did it run perfectly smoothly? Did you hand your CRA examiners your self-assessment, shake hands, and tell them you’ll see them next exam? Probably not. Chances are it was a hectic week of pulling r...
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