Fred's Travel Tip

By Fred Johnson


If you're a member of Delta's or Northwest's frequent flyer clubs, check your mileage!


The two groups merged Oct. 1, and my account was shorted 45,000 miles in the process. The reason: I had an old Delta Skymiles account and a Northwest World Perks account. When the accounts were merged, the new Delta account I received with their American Express card didn't get pulled in.


The good news: I was able to correct the problem because I looked at the two balances and knew what my total should be.

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Business Lending a No-Go?

By Lisa Hochgraf


I've had two CU CEOs tell me in recent weeks that doing business lending doesn't make sense for credit unions. I have notes about this kind of lending being "too far outside of credit unions' exertise" and "requiring the hiring of lending officers with a philosophy more like banks" and "too risky for the potential payback" and "not applicable to serving the majority of members."

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The Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends

By Lisa Hochgraf


I recently had the pleasure of talking with Bill Vogeney and Janelle Grau about loan loss reserves. Bill's SVP/chief lending officer and Janelle is senior financial analyst for Ent, Colorado Springs. (Check out the resulting Loan Zone column.)

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The Importance of Sticking Together

Have you ever noticed how a parent scolds a child who is fighting with a sibling?

"Don't hit your sister!" or "Don't tease your brother."

Parents use family position instead of given names when barking these commands. Why? I think the stronger message is, "We are a family and that is not how you treat your family."

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A Place to Hang My Cup: Sometimes a Simple Gesture Is All it Takes

Posted by Christopher Stevenson


Last week, I was in Michigan driving from Parchment (down near Kalamazoo) to Detroit. I'd had an early morning meeting and skipped breakfast, so by mid-morning my energy was waning. I exited at Battle Creek to see what I could find for a quick meal. I'd planned on a breakfast sandwich from McDonald's or Burger King, but then I saw Sweetwater's Donut Mill in a small strip mall.


I love donuts.


I stopped.

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