Missouri Story Archive

United Community Credit Union buys land at 36th and Columbus Road for future headquarters

Oct. 22, 2023 — United Community Credit Union announced Thursday the purchase of property at 621 N. 36th, at the intersection of 36th Street and Columbus Road, which will serve as the location for its future headquarters. A groundbreaking ceremony for the headquarters is scheduled for 2024.

A press release from UCCU says this move represents a “significant milestone” in its ongoing commitment to serve their members and enhance their services. The choice of location was carefully selected due to its central position and high-traffic area, making it easily accessible for members. UCCU said in its release it believes this location will offer unparalleled convenience, ensuring that its members can access services effortlessly.

The property was acquired from Quincy-Cullinan, LLC. UCCU believes the new headquarters will meet the needs of its members and provide an optimal work environment for its staff.


Expanding Banking Opportunities Come at A Crucial Time for Missouri Marijuana Businesses

Recently signed legislation will bring banks and cannabis operators in Missouri closer than ever before.

Signed on July 6, the changes to current marijuana regulations will make it easier for cannabis businesses to access the same benefits that others have always had. State-chartered banks now have expanded service abilities, and will be allowed to receive information directly from the Department of Health and Senior Services regarding inspections and other information form marijuana businesses that banks require to service cannabis businesses. Read more


Missouri Lawmakers Send Bill Easing Marijuana Businesses’ Banking Access To Governor’s Desk

“This bill also permits agencies involved to share information so that the banks or credit unions may ensure the business is a legal cannabis business, paying taxes to the state of Missouri.”

By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent

May 26, 2023 — Missouri’s marijuana businesses would have fewer obstacles when it comes to accessing banking, under legislation approved Thursday. Few banks nationwide serve cannabis businesses and their owners—or even their auxiliary partners —because most want nothing to do with a business that sells a product the federal government still considers illegal. That’s true even in states that have legalized marijuana. Read more


CommunityAmerica Announces St. Louis Expansion and Milestone Partnership with The Cardinals

March 29, 2023 — CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Missouri’s largest credit union with legacy roots in St. Louis for more than 30 years, has announced growth plans in the market, alongside a new and unique partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals.

CommunityAmerica will serve as the exclusive naming rights partner for the Cardinals Club, a premium all-inclusive seating area in the stadium that is otherwise known to Cardinals fans as “the green seats.” The CommunityAmerica Cardinals Club will feature a variety of new and modern design elements beginning at the onset of the 2023 season, including a mural that features iconic Cardinals players throughout the long and rich history of the club.

The partnership was formed as part of CommunityAmerica’s commitment to major growth and expansion in St. Louis.

“When we made the decision to expand our current presence in St. Louis in a significant way, we knew the St. Louis Cardinals were the perfect partner to underscore our planned investment in the community. We are excited for this unique opportunity to serve as the first-ever, exclusive naming rights partner for the coveted Cardinals Club,” said Lisa Ginter, CEO of CommunityAmerica Credit Union. Read more


Missouri Division of Credit Unions Receives NASCUS Reaccreditation

Jan. 27, 2022  —  NASCUS is proud to announce that the Missouri Division of Credit Unions has earned Reaccreditation following a series of in-depth reviews and assessments by a panel of veteran state supervisors.

“The mission of the Division of Credit Unions is to ensure the safety and soundness of Missouri’s state-chartered credit unions,” stated division director Ken Bonnot. “The Division’s reaccreditation by NASCUS confirms our commitment to safeguarding member assets and preserving the integrity of Missouri’s credit union industry.” Read more


Cornerstone League and Heartland Credit Union Association Announce Merger Voting Results

Nov. 4, 2022  —  Cornerstone League and Heartland Credit Union Association (HCUA) members have voted in favor of a merger between the organizations. Of the 283 members who voted, 263 Cornerstone and HCUA members have voted in favor of the merger, clearing the path for the consolidation of the two entities.

HCUA members voted Oct. 24-28 while Cornerstone’s members voted in a special membership meeting on Monday morning. The final tallied results: HCUA members voted 121-17; Cornerstone members voted 142-3. The organizations are preparing to be fully integrated by Dec. 31, 2022 under the Cornerstone League brand, led by President/CEO Caroline Willard.

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7 States File Suit Over Biden Plan to Forgive Federal Student Loan Debt; Administration Changes Guidance

Oct. 2, 2022 — Attorneys general in seven Republican-led states have filed lawsuits over the Biden Administration plan to forgive some federal student loan debt. The lawsuits resulted in the administration changing its guidance on who qualifies for federal student loan forgiveness.

As CUToday.info reported, earlier President Biden said the U.S. government will forgive $10,000 in student loans for millions of former college students holding federal student loan debt.

Now, the Department of Education has made an announcement that affects Federal Family Education loan (FFEL) borrowers – whose loans were issued and managed by private banks but guaranteed by the federal government – and does not allow them to consolidate their loans and qualify for debt relief.

Earlier, the department’s website advised these borrowers that they could consolidate these loans into federal direct loans and qualify for relief. But now the department has changed the language to read, “As of Sept. 29, 2022, borrowers with federal student loans not held by ED cannot obtain one-time debt relief by consolidating those loans into Direct Loans.”

The Plaintiffs

Attorneys general in Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Carolina have asked the court for an immediate temporary restraining order pausing the student debt relief program. The state of Arizona has filed a separate lawsuit.

The lawsuit argues that when FFEL borrowers consolidate their old loans into federal direct loans, private banks essentially lose business.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said Biden’s plan to cancel some student loan debt will cost $400 billion.

Read more here


Better together: Survival, collaboration, and consolidation
Collaboration consolidation Cornerstone/Heartland Merger

By Caroline Willard, President/CEO, Cornerstone League

Sept. 7, 2022 — Here’s a thought experiment for you. If Louise Herring were to somehow time travel to 2022, would she be proud of the legacy she built? What would she think of bankers’ attacks on credit unions, the interchange debate, or the hold financial technology has on consumers?

What would she do to ensure credit unions’ sustainability in today’s environment?

I believe the Mother of Credit Unions would draw from her famous quote, which encapsulates her resolve: “… the purpose of the credit union is to reform the financial system so that everyone can have his place in the sun.”

She would tackle the issue of ensuring credit unions’ sustainability by leveraging the gumption she displayed at 24 years old when she rode the bus to Estes Park, Colo., for the 1934 meeting that would establish the Credit Union National Association. She would tighten her focus, keeping her eye on the prize like she did when she ignored unfriendly comments and stares from her colleagues in those fateful days nearly 100 years ago.

Her resolve prevailed as she signed the original constitution for the national association that became CUNA, later co-founded the Ohio Credit Union League, and organized more than 500 credit unions.

And while in 2022 we find ourselves in a vastly different world, obstacles not unlike those Herring experienced still threaten our efforts to keep the credit union movement alive.

Which brings me back to her quote, “… the purpose of the credit union is to reform the financial system…”

Like Herring, I believe it’s time to reform the infrastructure that surrounds, supports, and advances our credit unions.

As certain forces seek to take us down, dismantle, and discredit the movement, we can mobilize our credit unions to do what we’re meant to do: provide unbridled access to affordable financial products and create financial well-being for all, but in a transformative way. As I’ve challenged my colleagues in the last year to ponder the question “Will credit unions be around in 100 years?” I can’t help but draw a direct line between survival, collaboration, and consolidation.


Legal Missouri Campaign Delivers Enough Signatures to Put Cannabis Legalization on the Ballot

Courtesy of Dave Kovaleski, Financial Regulation News

An initiative to legalize cannabis in Missouri got one step closer to reality as the Legal Missouri 2022 campaign delivered a petition to state lawmakers that would put it on the ballot this November.

The campaign gathered more than 385,000 signatures on its petition to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults – which is roughly twice the required amount to get an issue on the ballot. On May 8, the group delivered the truckloads of petitions to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, which will now review and certify the voter signatures.

“As we submit more than 385,000 petition signatures to the state today, the message from voters is clear: it’s past time to end the senseless and costly prohibition of marijuana,” John Payne, LegalMo22 campaign manager, said. “This widespread and enthusiastic show of support from the people of Missouri exceeds our expectations.”

The signature total exceeded the amount collected during the 2018 campaign that led to voter approval of medical marijuana.

The proposed constitutional amendment would allow Missourians ages 21 and older to possess, consume, purchase, and cultivate marijuana. Also, hundreds of thousands of Missourians charged with nonviolent marijuana offenses would have their records automatically expunged. If this passes, Missouri would be the first step to expunge past charges.

“It’s time to stop treating adults who use marijuana responsibly like criminals,” Dan Viets, a Columbia attorney, LegalMo22 advisory board chairman and Missouri coordinator for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said. “It’s also time to repair the damage marijuana prohibition has done to hundreds of thousands of Missourians’ lives by automatically expunging their criminal records.”

A 6 percent retail sales tax on marijuana would generate an estimated annual revenue of at least $40.8 million and additional local government revenues of at least $13.8 million, the advocates said. Already, Missouri’s medical marijuana market is on track to exceed $300 million in sales this year. The public dollars would cover implementation costs, including expungement, with remaining funds allocated to veterans’ services, drug addiction treatment, and the state’s severely underfunded public defender system.

Read the entire article here. 


Community Celebrates 20,000th college savings account with the successful College Kids Program for students thanks to Alltru Credit Union and the City of St. Louis Office of the Treasurer

February 14, 2022 – For seven years, the College Kids Program has been automatically opening savings accounts for every incoming kindergartner in the St. Louis City Public and charter school district. Each year, new incoming students are told they have been given access to a college savings account, which when they graduate will help them toward their next step of higher education, setting an expectation from the first day of school that college is within reach. Alltru Credit Union, a founding partner with the College Kids program and the City of St. Louis Office of the Treasurer, has just successfully opened the 20,000th account for the program, which studies have shown, can help build expectations for higher education and positive, lifelong financial habits.

“Alltru works every day to strategically break down barriers to banking so that more families can build sustainable, generational wealth” said Tracy Verner, Community Development Manager at Alltru Credit Union. “From the day we learned about this program in 2014, it was clear to see that College Kids was in alignment with our core values and our mission to create wealth and credit building opportunities in the communities we serve. This program was strategically and thoughtfully designed to elevate the trajectory of all who attend St. Louis Public Schools, and we are dedicated to making sure it will create a path towards financial security for every family in the district. As a St. Louis Public School alum, I am extremely proud of this work and I don’t love any part of my job more than when I am teaching our College Kids about how to save money or helping a parent access a credit building loan.”

Empirical research from the Assets and Education Initiative has shown that children with $500 or less saved for college, are three times more likely to enroll and four times more likely to graduate. Students in the College Kids program are given an immediate $50 initial deposit from the Office of the St. Louis City Treasurer, and then have opportunities for matching funds, incentives for completing financial education and attendance provided through private fundraising efforts. Students can also make ongoing and automatic deposits into their accounts, and in fact, have saved nearly $300,000 of their own funds in these accounts.

Read more here


Credit Union News from Together and West Community

December 21, 2021 — Two St. Louis-area credit unions recently shared how they’ve empowered and given back to their communities through educational resources and volunteerism. Together Credit Union (St. Louis, MO) provided community-based financial wellness opportunities and encouraged employee volunteerism; West Community Credit Union (Brentwood, MO) collected and donated more than 1,000 children’s books to area youth.

Together Credit Union grows community outreach through education & service initiatives
To grow connections and strengthen relationships in the neighborhoods of Metropolitan St. Louis, Together Credit Union provided community-based financial wellness opportunities and encouraged employee volunteerism.

“Individuals and families continue to struggle with financial uncertainty, and we felt it was important to be present and accessible in our community to provide guidance and support,” said Larry Sewell, vice president of community outreach.

Together Credit Union’s comprehensive financial wellness efforts included online resources, in-person and virtual workshops and seminars, as well as community and school-based programs. The credit union provided 250 hours in programming in 2021, impacting 245 youth and 1,325 adults. In addition, Together Credit Union partnered with community organizations such as the St. Louis Regional Financial Empowerment Coalition, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis and Boys Hope Girls Hope of St. Louis to support financial education events and panels and promote financial education initiatives throughout the year.

READ MORE


Six Missouri and Kansas credit unions recognized as 2021 state CUNA award winners

August 16, 2021 — Credit unions in Kansas and Missouri do great things for their members and communities every single day. CUNA’s national award program honors credit unions’ impact on their member and their communities. The awards highlight distinguished credit unions that demonstrate social responsibility, the credit union philosophy, and financial education. The following credit unions are recognized as this year’s CUNA winners.

Read the full list of winners here


PPP extended to May 31 with Kansas and Missouri support

April 2, 2021  Kansas and Missouri credit unions have more time to help members gain access to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congress approved and President Joe Biden signed legislation that extends the PPP through May 31. It was originally set to expire on March 31. The bill also addresses concerns with processing timeframes, as it gives the Small Business Administration until June 30 to address and process backlogged PPP loan applications.

H.R. 1799, the PPP Extension Act of 2021, was cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO District 3). In the House, the entire Kansas delegation and all Missouri representatives except U.S. Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO District 1) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO District 5) voted in support of the extension. In the U.S. Senate, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) voted in favor of the bill and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) voted no.

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The Digitalization of Commercial Lending

By Kevin Polinsky, Managing Director of Financial Institution Sales, Compliance Systems

March 23, 2021 — Commercial lending is a balance of risk and reward.

When properly managed, this business line can significantly expand a credit union’s community impact. Part of that management edge is achieved by employing a digital strategy specifically tailored to match your credit union’s commercial lending vision. No doubt your institution shifted resources to more fully support digital services in 2020 — not only to benefit your members, but to address the challenges of staff operating remotely. Automation that was thought to be nice-to-have became critical infrastructure both to expedite loan origination and to efficiently manage the volume of loan servicing. The commercial loan life cycle is evolving, creating opportunities for digital improvement at all stages.

Simplifying applications. While the financial services industry lacks a standard commercial lending application, it is possible to dramatically reduce the burdensome data collection exercise that credit unions have traditionally required of their business borrowers. Technology can create significant lift during this phase. Integrating credit policy data into the digital application and automating the retrieval of public data to reduce the number of fields an applicant must complete can reduce the time required to complete an application to minutes.

The democracy of automated underwriting. Automated underwriting used to be premier software intelligence harnessed by only the most enterprising of institutions. However, as the technology has become more commonplace and pricing models have moderated, credit unions of all sizes can take advantage of efficiencies that can shave weeks off the process.

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