It has never been more crucial for credit unions to obtain independent professional investment advice than it is today.
As loan books fall and the costs involved in running a credit union rise, they have become increasingly reliant on investment income to make a surplus and pay a dividend. But the arrival of historically low interest rates has made it very difficult to achieve those goals.
The boards of credit unions have the very challenging task of balancing the need to earn sufficient income against the risk of incurring investment losses, which so many of them suffered from in recent years.
Why choose us?
With our knowledge of investment markets generally, and our many years’ experience of dealing with credit unions, we can provide credit union boards and management with the advice and expertise they need to manage their investments in a prudent low-risk manner while earning the best possible rate of return.
We know how you operate
Credit unions now operate in a very onerous regulatory environment, and there is an obligation on directors to have a detailed understanding of all aspects of the business, including investments. In our regular presentations to investment committees and boards we aim to give managers and directors a better awareness of the investment environment, an understanding of investment risk and an appreciation of their regulatory responsibilities in relation to the management of investments.
The members of credit union boards come from many different backgrounds, with diverse skills and areas of expertise. Some do not have extensive investment experience, and for that reason can find the whole investment area complex and confusing. In reality it is no more complex and confusing than any other field or discipline – it just needs to be explained in a manner that people can relate to. From our experience of dealing with credit unions we are very conscious of the need in all of our communications to discuss and explain investment markets in a clear and concise manner that everyone understands.