Banks, credit unions revisit in-person banking strategies
A former Village Bank branch in Chesterfield County is now a Dunkin’ doughnuts and coffee shop, complete with a drive-thru. Roanoke’s former First National Bank building has found new life as a 54-room boutique hotel. In Hampton, the former Bank of Hampton Roads building is a doggy day care. It’s true that bank customers do […]
2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Melissa Cade
Cade was promoted to her current role in January 2024, after 24 years with the credit union as director of its call center, director of retail, regional president of branches and senior vice president of product and innovation. She now oversees Chartway’s branch and member care teams, as well as the credit union’s multicultural initiatives. […]
VACUL to merge with regional credit union group Jan. 1
Members of the Virginia Credit Union League and the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates voted Thursday to approve the Virginia league’s consolidation with the regional organization. The merger will be in effect Jan. 1, 2025, the two organizations announced Friday. “Thanks to the support of the membership, we are embracing a powerful opportunity […]
Navy Federal ordered to refund customers $80M, pay $15M civil penalty
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is ordering Navy Federal Credit Union to refund more than $80 million to customers and pay a $15 million civil penalty for allegedly charging illegal overdraft fees. CFPB announced the actions against the nation’s largest credit union on Thursday. CFPB alleges that from 2017 to 2022, Vienna-based Navy Federal charged […]
VACUL announces intent to merge with regional group
The Virginia Credit Union League has signed a letter of intent to consolidate with the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates, the trade organization representing credit unions in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Virginia credit unions will decide this fall whether to merge VACUL’s associations, foundations and service corporations with those of the LSCU, with […]
Virginia Credit Union-Member One merger approved
Virginia Credit Union’s merger with Roanoke-based Member One Federal Credit Union was finalized Thursday, following a vote by Member One’s customers to approve the deal announced in January. Effective Thursday, Member One becomes a division of VACU “as the organization works toward full integration of its systems and service platforms,” according to a news release […[...]
Merger mania
Banking mergers and acquisitions are picking back up again after the slowest year in recent history, and Virginia is no exception. Last year marked a modern low in merger and acquisition activity, with only 98 deals completed nationwide. That’s not just the lowest level of activity since the pandemic — it’s the slowest year since […]
Chartway Credit Union names new CFO
Virginia Beach-based Chartway Credit Union has hired Sander Casino as its chief financial officer, the credit union announced Wednesday. Casino was most recently senior vice president of finance for Raleigh, North Carolina-based Local Government Federal Credit Union and its affiliate Civic Credit Union. Before joining LGFCU in 2012 and Civic in 2018, Casino was with […]
Navy Federal Credit Union CEO McDuffie to retire
Mary McDuffie, president and CEO of Vienna-based Navy Federal Credit Union, the nation’s largest credit union with $168.4 billion in assets and more than 13 million members, is retiring as of the end of February, and Chief Operating Officer Dietrich Kuhlmann will succeed her starting March 1, the credit union announced Wednesday. According to the […]
Chartway Credit Union names chief retail officer
Melissa Cade has been promoted to chief retail officer at Chartway Credit Union, Chartway announced Monday. Cade has been with the Virginia Beach-based credit union for 24 years, many spent working with branches. In her new role, she will oversee the strategy and leadership of branch and member care teams and continue to spearhead Chartway’s […]
U.Va. credit union names new COO
The University of Virginia Community Credit Union in Charlottesville has named Belinda Tucker as chief operating officer, the institution announced Monday. Tucker will report directly to Susan Gruber, the credit union’s president and CEO. In her new role, Tucker will support the credit union’s marketing, retail delivery strategy, loan servicing operations member service center and [&he[...]
Keeping watch
The question of the quarter: Are we entering a recession? One key indicator of a future recession can be inflation, which hit a 40-year high this year. Between June 2021 and June 2022, the consumer price index increased by 9.1%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One of the first tangible signs for […]