Compliance Blog

Written by JiJi Bahhur, Regulatory Compliance Counsel

Financial Literacy Month.  April is Financial Literacy Month and NAFCU is conducting a survey of members seeking general information about the different types of financial literacy programs they offer and how the credit union determines the effectiveness of its program. 

For background information on Financial Literacy Month and where to obtain the results of NAFCU’s survey, check out this NAFCU Today story. 

NCUA also announced a twitter campaign for Financial Literacy Month.  The CFPB will also be active this month with information for consumers.

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NCUA Letter to Credit Unions 12-CU-04.  NCUA announced, in its Letter to Credit Unions 12-CU-04, that it’s making $1.3 million in grants available to low-income credit unions.  Any credit union with a low-income designation may apply for up to $25,000 in grants for initiatives covering financial literacy and education in school branches; new product/service development; staff, official and board member training; student and job creation internship; and/or volunteer income tax assistance. 

The LCU has an attached enclosure – 2012 Grant Guidelines for Low-Income Credit Unions – which provides examples of projects that these grants could fund, the grant process, and the application.  The deadline to apply for a grant under this program is June 29, 2012. 

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Remittance Transfers.  The CFPB recently blogged on the consumer benefits of the new remittance transfer rule, which goes in effect in February 2013:

“Better Disclosures: Under this rule, remittance transfer providers must generally disclose the exchange rate, any fees related to the remittance, the amount of money that will be delivered abroad, and the date the money will be available. Certain disclosures must be provided both before and after the consumer pays for a remittance transfer. Consumers will generally receive these disclosures in English and sometimes in other languages. The CFPB thinks the clarity provided by these disclosures will help inform consumer decisions and instill confidence.

Option to Cancel: Typically, consumers will have at least 30 minutes after payment to cancel a remittance. If they cancel within the 30 minute window, they will get their money back, whether they make a mistake, change their minds, or feel something isn’t right.

Correction of Errors: With this rule, remittance transfer providers will generally be held accountable for errors. If a remittance sender reports a problem with a transfer within 180 days, the provider must generally investigate and correct errors. Companies that provide remittance transfers may also be responsible for mistakes made by their agents. The CFPB believes this will encourage remittance transfer providers to use reliable agents and partners in the U.S. and abroad, helping to weed out the bad actors.” 

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NCUA IRR Video.  NCUA released its third economic update series, which features an in-depth discussion on NCUA’s Interest Rate Risk (IRR) rule.  The rule essentially requires a written policy to address IRR management and an effective IRR program for successful asset liability management.  To see the free video, go here (Youtube.com). 

Also, NAFCU Members, the April Compliance Monitor features an article on Interest Rate Risk with additional information and resources on the new requirement (Effective September 30, 2012).