As this is International Credit Union Day it may be the right time to speak up about the roots of our credit unions, and the ‘revolutionary’ role they play in the larger political economy. This is most evident in developing countries, such as Ghana, where one of our staff at CCEC recently visited. But it […]
The recently announced B-20 Guideline from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) places new income qualifications on borrowers when obtaining a conventional mortgage at federally-regulated financial institutions (FRFI), mostly banks. Borrowers will have to prove they can afford a loan at @200bp above the quoted rate. The tougher debt servicing test is […]
The recent proposals from the federal government to reduce certain tax advantages available to small business has met strident resistance from those who may have to pay more tax, and from others who just want to slag the Minister. The Minister has argued that the special provisions give too many benefits to the very wealthy. […]
For several months Central 1 has sought a concession from the BC government on the capital required for a commercial loan portfolio if the portfolio exceeds 30% of a credit union’s total assets. Currently, under the Capital Requirements Regulation, if the level of commercial lending breaches that threshold the excess amount requires twice the capital […]
More commentary has come out on the exceptional levels of household debt in Canada. These sometimes speak directly to the issue, such as described in the Borrowing Binge in the Vancouver Sun, or as a negative outlook provided by Moody’s when assessing the exposure of Canada’s banks. The latter makes explicit references the level of […]
Today’s announcement from seven credit unions in the BC interior is a shocker and clear evidence that smaller, up country credit unions are in a strategic bind. The announcement says that formal talks are underway to explore the potential for a merger of the seven credit unions; Columbia Valley, Creston, East Kootenay, Grand Forks, Heritage, Kootenay […]
Central 1 is now canvasing credit unions on what the ‘mandatory’ director training program should look like. The survey is well thought out and to be welcomed, but the implications and the potential conflicts of interests need to be considered. The current one year Credit Union Director Achievement (CUDA) program will be expanded into a […]
While the cost of housing has prompted much debate, too little attention is on the heavy subsidies granted to residential real estate investment and the way in which these subsidies have caused price inflation. Fortunately, the Government of Canada mortgage insurance program is being scaled back. The restrictions introduced late in 2016 are ‘cooling the […]
Real credit unions may have to reconsider their strategic options. History was made with the FICOM approval of the Coast Capital Saving application to be ‘continued’ as a Federal Credit Union (FCU). This action has the potential to totally restructure the BC credit union system. While the commission did say that would consider the impact […]
I recently stumbled upon two branches of the Apple Bank in New York. I wondered if this was the extension of ‘Apple Pay’. I was challenged to think about a potential ‘Google bank’ and what that might mean. (Just to be clear, I later learned that the Apple Bank in NYC has nothing to do […]