Credit Union Exam Solutions Presents With Flying Colors

TREICHEL: Hey everyone.

This is Mark Trekel with another
episode of With Flying Colors.

I am excited to be here with
Jason Sterk, the Chief Advocacy

Officer of the Defense Counsel.

The, the Defense Credit Union Council,
the, there, I almost got it right.

But, uh, Jason, how you doing today?

JASON: I'm doing fantastic.

Yourself, mark.

TREICHEL: I, I could, I cannot
complain in any way, shape, or form.

So, you know, you've been on the
podcast, uh, a couple of times before.

It's been a while, but I thought it
would be good to touch base with you.

To just take your temperature on
what's happening in the world of credit

unions today, what's happening at
DCUC, what's happening with your, your,

your old clients, your new clients,
what's happening on Capitol Hill.

So with that as a backdrop, uh, what
do you wanna talk about first, Jason?

JASON: Well, absolutely.

I mean, I'm, I'm happy to talk about
what's going up on Capitol Hill.

I mean, uh, uh, you would notice it by,
uh, kind of looking around, but we're

still in a, a partial government shutdown.

We still have the Department of
Homeland Security, uh, which still

hasn't received, uh, its appropriation.

And where that's concerning to
credit unions is that is where

the Coast Guard is funded.

You know, and, uh, DCUC has three,
um, coast Guard credit unions, um,

as well as there's many coasties.

They're a part of many other credit unions
and defense, credit unions specifically.

Uh, so that's a significant, uh.

Military, uh, I like to call
them a population that is

going without pay right now.

They're on the, uh, front,
uh, front lines, defending the

borders, protecting the seas.

I think you saw Senator Federman
yesterday shared a video of a, uh,

coast Guard, uh, saving a man's life.

They're just off the coast of
Pennsylvania, uh, and they're showing up

every single day, uh, without a paycheck.

And that's, uh, incredibly
concerning because wow.

Once again, credit unions are
leading the way in stepping in

and doing loan forbearances and
skip payments and temporary loans.

You know, the generosity and support
from credit unions does not make

up for the guarantee of a paycheck.

And if I'm a, if I'm a, if
I'm a Coast Guard pilot.

Out of Kodiak, Alaska that's been
dispatched in a storm to save

fishermen out in the bearing sea.

I don't want them to ever have to worry
about like, Hey, do we have the money to

pay for the, you know, the, the home loan?

You know, does my wife have enough
or my spouse have enough money, uh,

you know, for food or for groceries
or you know, to, for car repairs?

And that's the situation we're putting.

Uh, the men and women of the Coast
Guard in, and while there are, and there

are tens of thousands of other federal
employees in the agency from TSA and

obviously ICE and Border Patrol, et
cetera, uh, but this policy fight we're

having over ICE and border Patrol.

Is not just impacting those individuals,
it's impacting tens of thousands of

other families that credit unions
are stepping in to take care of

'em like we've done in the past.

And that is something that we continually
push both the administration and both par

uh, you know, both sides of leadership,
Republicans and Democrats to say,

we understand that you don't
agree on this one issue, but to

come in to protect our nation.

Are guaranteed of a paycheck every two
weeks and we can't seem to get 'em there.

But, uh, thankfully credit unions
across the country, particularly

those that are near coast Guard bases
are, are serving those individuals.

Uh, and then we once again
salute them and, uh, we'll

continually tell their story.

TREICHEL: Yeah, it's, uh, you know,
credit unions always do step up.

It's great that, that, uh, that the credit
unions you represent have, have you there

to remind the people on Capitol Hill
that, that politics and gridlock really.

Don't need to be played
every day of the year.

Right.

JASON: You're a hundred percent right,
mark and, and, and credit unions are doing

this while our friends, I don't know.

You, you said you pulled up my LinkedIn,
you know, uh, my post from a couple days

ago of an op-ed kind of, uh, calling out
once again the ICBA for their tax last

week on, you know, banks that are selling
to credit unions, whether they be a

branch or the entire, uh, the entire bank.

You know, that that is a.

Call to revisit credit union's tax
status, you know, and, oh, we're

only gonna go for the oing taxes.

Those at a billion and above.

It's disingenuous.

And we finally kind of, you know, we're
not gonna allow them to continually get

away with this because the argument.

As much as they try to sit on their
high horse about this, it's not

about a policy, it's about protecting
their dues and the fact that they

are, they argue and fight against
a, a bank selling to a credit union.

Yet they really don't have an issue if a
bank sells to another bank because they

stay within the system, that they can then
assess a higher due based upon asset size.

TREICHEL: Sure.

JASON: And what they're, what they're
doing is choosing, we are choosing dues

over the fiduciary responsibility that
the owners of the local bank have to find

the highest price for their shareholders.

That's capitalism.

We have no issue with that.

It's capitalism.

Right.

And the fact is, is that those banks
are gonna get sold anyway, but.

By the mere fact that you say
you're attacking credit unions from

getting into that market to ensure
that there is a local financial

institution around for them.

Not one that's owned by, you
know, the upper East side of

Manhattan, but one that is owned by.

An institution in Manhattan, Kansas,
you know, uh, it, it, it's, it's

continually, it, it, it's tough that we
are continually, as we go back to what

we did in the last government shutdown,
what we're doing for the Coast Guard in

this, what credit unions are stepping
up for all for federal employees to then

ha to then have to deal with the ICBA
and their, and the rest of the banking

lobby attacking credit unions for the
very structure that Congress set up.

To, you know, uh, for credit
unions, um, we, we don't, we are.

Member owned.

We, you know, we, we
don't serve shareholders.

We serve people, we serve communities.

And, uh, we're gonna make sure that
members of Congress and, uh, that

op-ed, that, that, that, that, that
I drafted and we, uh, DCU sent out,

that's been sent to every member
of Congress to have the discussion.

We, we have no problem going
anywhere at any time defending.

Credit union's tax status, but let's
have an honest discussion about it.

You know, all the benefits that ba.

When banks come in and try
to buy another bank, they can

do it through stock options.

They can do it all cash.

They can do it through cash.

They complain about the fact that credit
unions have to come in and use all cash.

We can't issue stock.

What else we, what else
are we supposed to buy in?

I mean, you know, is it a barter?

Do we have here it's three, you know,
three chickens and a cow, and we'll get

the bank in return or something like that.

We only can do all cash.

We can't give stock.

So credit unions are already
at a competitive disadvantage.

When these bank owners, they
don't have a gun to their head.

They're not running around town
saying, I gotta sell to a credit union.

They're saying, w.

We want out of the
business who wants to buy?

And if a credit union comes
in with the best offer, then

that's the best for the bank.

Its shareholders, its owners, but also
most importantly for the community because

the money stays local, the ownership
stays local and the benefits stay local

TREICHEL: and.

Oftentimes when one bank buys another
bank, I think the stats show that

credit unions, uh, a credit union
that buys a bank is more likely to

keep the branches open, more likely
to keep the employees employed than

a bank that's bought by a bank.

JASON: That's exactly right.

Banks are looking to consolidate.

I mean, it makes no sense to have, you
know, you know, two wells Fargos across

from each other or something like that.

But you know, if it.

Bank sells to the local credit union.

Those people are that, that that branch
is gonna stay open, the teller stays

employed, a job stays in the community,
taxes stay in the local community.

Um, so it's kind of this, you know, red
herring that the, you know, the banking

lobby keeps bringing up, uh, that, you
know, we, we continually wanna, uh,

point out the fact that when a bank
sells to a credit union, it stays local.

That is ultimately over time in
the benefit of the community.

TREICHEL: Sure.

JASON: I come from rural America.

I've seen the hollowing out of small
towns, but it's not just small towns.

You see the hollowing out of
financial institutions in inner

cities, in suburban areas where.

Because of consolidation and bank, uh,
bank closures, there are more and more

larger banking deserts where there's
nothing or you know, there's, there

is something, but you gotta take, you
know, three bus stops and two transfers

to get to i I if you don't have
transportation and, and that's wrong.

So whatever we can do to ensure that
financial institutions stay local,

employ local, invest locally, I is
in long run fulfills, you know, the

principles of the credit union movement.

TREICHEL: No, I agree with that.

You know, and, and I, I like to say life's
all about maintaining options, right?

And, and in the credit union system.

The dual chartering system.

Right.

It's good to have an option
if you're in a state where the

rules change and you wanna pivot.

I mean, there were a couple of
big conversions in California

recently from state to fed.

JASON: Mm-hmm.

TREICHEL: 10, 15 years ago.

A lot of feds went to
state that's an option.

Buying a bank's, selling a bank,
if you own it, is an option.

Who you sell it to should be an option.

And it, it's, you know,
it's the American way.

So,

JASON: and as much as the bank and
specifically the IBA stand up and

say they're defending capitalism.

They're not, they are using government
to control who can and cannot participate

in the free, in, in, in the free
inter, in, in, in, in, in the free

selling, uh, of, of an institution.

You know, if you're, if you're a butcher,
you know, should, should the government

come in and tell you no, you cannot
sell to these people or to these people.

No, that's wrong.

Yeah.

It's whoever, Hey, I'm gonna
sell a T-bone for 5 99.

Great.

I'm gonna buy it.

I give you it for 6 99.

So I, I, I, I, I think it's, as we
point out in that op-ed, it's really

about the future of ICBA and the banking
lobby and the dues that they get paid.

Sure.

Um, you know, instead of what's in
the long-term best interest of that

individual community bank that has
this made the decision to want to, exit

the market and they have every Right.

And should get the highest profit that,
that they can, like when you sell a home.

TREICHEL: Yeah.

Right, right.

Well, and that's great advocacy, right?

You're putting it, you're,
you're, you're taking.

There's this, this is what the facts
are from the banks, and this is what

the facts are from the credit unions,
but you're kind of highlighting it

in a, Hey, Congress, when you look at
this, here's really what's going on.

Right?

Yeah.

And, and, um, people, people who
don't have a lot of time to read a

lot of things, when they can see a
soundbite that makes sense, that's

factual, like that they can make
a decision, they can make a vote.

Instead of listening to
the, he said she saids

JASON: the, the.

The greater threat to community banks
being gobbled up or, or is through

consolidation by larger banks?

It's not a credit union walking in.

I mean, when Chase Bank has more
in assets than in, than in the

entire credit union industry.

L let's be honest here,
this, this, this is not.

Big Goliath, credit unions coming
in and dictating to the poor, you

know, to the poor banking industry.

It, it's not, it's a small
bank that says, you know what,

we don't wanna exist anymore.

It's, you know, our family wants to leave
or we don't have a good succession plan.

Or the, the board of directors
has voted to dissolve.

'cause you know, it's not.

As profitable anymore, then you know what?

They should have every right to
find the highest price possible.

And if that is a credit union, then
there should be no issues with it.

TREICHEL: You got it.

You got it.

Well, so what other, what other, uh.

Things have been, been
hitting your headlines.

What other letters are you about to,
to send to Congress or what ones that

you wanna talk about that were come
out in the last, uh, three months?

JASON: Well, obviously, I mean,
uh, the president has weighed in on

the, you know, issue of interchange.

Whether it be Marshall Durbin, which has
been around for a long time, or his call

for a flat 10% rate cap obviously, you
know, we have been vo very vocal in our

opposition, not only to Marshall Durbin.

Uh, but also the rate, uh, 10%
rate cap sponsored by Senators

Hawley and Bernie Sanders.

And then also another bill introduced
by Senators Marshall, uh, that would

only do it for a one year term.

You know, credit unions, we.

We we're, we're gonna be
intellectually honest in discussion.

Credit unions already
live under a rate cap.

We have the 15%, the NCA, just, you know,
with the, the temporary that can go up 3%.

It's been extended, uh, by the NCUA,
just within the last couple weeks.

It's at 18%.

We already live under that and we've made.

Decisions.

We've, we've been able to build out credit
profiles and the ability to use that 15

to 18, you know, as a way to ensure that
there is access to capital for an eight

50 credit score to a 500 credit score.

And, and that, that, that's who we
are particularly worried about is the.

Lower credit scores of the people
who don't have a credit profile, uh,

because then you charge them a little
bit of interest because it's, it's

a greater risk for the credit union.

And there's many credit
unions that are below 10%.

That's fantastic, but.

Not everyone is gonna get that because
they don't have a great credit score

or they're 18 years old and, and in
our situation they're, you know, a new

airman or marine or you know, sailor, uh,
and they go to the local credit union.

They say, no, you, you know,
because you don't have a good credit

history or solid credit history.

We, we don't have the resources
to take the risk on you.

Just go out the front gate
to the payday lenders.

That's what we're doing.

We are.

By if, if we allow a 10% rate cap
to come into place, we are marching.

Our members of our military, young people
all across this country, straight into

the hands of the payday loan lenders,
because it's about access to capital.

You know, the people that use the card
for rewards or, you know, they're like,

we're flying to Hawaii, and, you know,
or staying at the Ritz and all those

types of fun things, they're not gonna
have a problem getting a credit card,

whether you set it at 10% or 5% or
a hundred percent because, you know,

they, they can, we're worried about.

Those that are like, I need a credit
card for my way to be able to say,

my car breaks down 8,300 bucks.

That's what it is for us, for
that airman that's like, Hey,

I don't get paid till Friday.

I need groceries for the kids.

This, you know, now I'm gonna use
my credit card, my access to capital

to take it until I can pay the
card off at the end of the week.

And, you know, those, those are,
that is a existential threat, uh,

not only to credit unions, but.

You know, pretty much the
entire financial industry.

You know, if, if that goes into effect
you know, the president said that it had

to been done to be done by January 2nd.

We expected an executive order.

Haven't seen it yet with tonight's
State of the Union address.

We're expecting.

That there's gonna be issues of
affordability, housing, affordability

and all that, and maybe Marshall
Durban and interchange rates and

the 10% get referenced, which will
kind of stoke that fire again.

But, you know, we're ready.

You know, it's, uh, it's rare when
banks and credit unions agree, but at

the beginning of this, uh, in January.

AMBA, which is our counterpart
for military banks.

You know, we signed a joint letter with
them talking about on Marshall Durban.

Uh, but you can extrapolate it to
the, to the 10% rate cap proposal

that, you know, for banks and credit
unions, this needs to be opposed.

While it sounds good, like a
lot of things, they sound great.

Until you gotta take the medicine.

Yeah.

And the fact that, hey, I don't
have a credit card anymore because

I got a six 50 credit score.

Well, sorry.

It's more we don't have that revenue
to continually take a risk on you

or people with your credit profile.

TREICHEL: Sure, sure.

Yeah.

The unintended consequence
of a a 10% sounds great.

The unintended consequences of
10% vastly more harm than good.

Done by that, probably
on a scale of 10 to one.

So

JASON: Right.

And we're kind of left up to deal with it.

Um, you know, and, and, and, you know,
while we're, we're pushing back and

on interchange here in Washington,
it's, it's in state levels as well.

You have the issue of what's
going on in Illinois now that

the kind of the judges ruled.

You know, you're gonna have, uh.

Banks and credit unions, if you use a
card, you know, for in the state that the,

the tips, and I think the tips and the
sales tax is not gonna be for interchange.

So we're gonna have to solve that problem.

You know, of I'm flying through O'Hare
and whoops, I don't pay the interchange

fee here and I pay it over there.

And, you know, you're gonna
see that legislation contin

introduced in more states.

It's, it was last sessions.

You're gonna see more of it going
around, uh, this country you might see.

An attempt to target state.

Chartered credit unions with those
types of more restricted, what they

can't pass at the federal level, because
we can touch you at the state level.

You know, you might then, if those
laws start passing in the states,

then you might see a transition, as
you talked about, we're gonna shift

from state to federal charters.

Yeah.

And then, so we don't have to deal
with this stuff anymore because.

The state legislature didn't listen to us.

So, uh, it's, it's, it's advocacy and
what we're dealing with is not just

restricted to the beltway anymore.

It's in your state capitals.

And god forbid, you know, it goes
down into your county commissions

or anywhere where they set a sales
tax and then they then say, Nope,

not gonna be subject to interchange.

Okay.

Now we're gonna have different pricing
profiles, different technology.

I mean, I'd pull my hair out if I got,
okay, I've got, I've gotta set up a.

A payment network that can handle
maybe 50, a hundred, 200 different

permutations of where I'm at, what
time, what geography, what gets an

interchange fee, what doesn't, and it's
might, you know, it's maybe 10th of a

penny or something, but that adds up.

TREICHEL: Sure.

JASON: And, but, and if it doesn't
work, then the, the, the customer's

not gonna get angry at the retailer.

The retailers are gonna say, well,
the banks and the credit unions

can't set up a system to do this.

We're

TREICHEL: right.

JASON: We're, we're blameless here.

So,

TREICHEL: yeah.

Yeah, boy.

And I think of all the third, you know,
how, how many third party agreements that

a credit union has that ties to that, that
has to make sure that that state works

and, and that vendor's based somewhere
else on halfway across the country.

And, and then did, and then the
examiners come in and, and, and did

you do your third party due diligence?

Yeah.

Lot, lot of te, a lot of tentacles to that

JASON: I know.

TREICHEL: To that one as well.

Wow.

Yeah.

So, uh, I also see a lot on LinkedIn,
uh, where, where you're announcing

new members quite frequently.

So

JASON: no, we're, we're
very happy about that.

You know, since last, you know,
we'll call it in the kind of the

year since the last, uh, GAC defense
matters uh, in Washington, DC uh, you

know, we've had about a 30% growth.

We're incredibly excited.

We've got.

A lot more that we'll be announcing,
uh, of credit unions, of all sizes.

The, the great thing is, is and, and is
that, you know, we use, we, we, we live by

a motto that you can pay more, but you're
not gonna get better in terms of advocacy.

And, and we try to live that every day and
we have a capped, a due system that even

the largest of the largest credit union,
the most you can pay is like $22,000.

Wow.

You know, and most credit unions,
most of our members pay like 600 to a

thousand, maybe a couple thousand dollars.

So, you know, we base it on asset
size, but we do cap it so that,

that we aren't chasing dues, we are
chasing policy and we're, we are

blessed that, you know, we have other
ways that we fund the organization

and fund our activities so that.

You know, at that year, you know,
A-A-C-E-O or a board chair is like, you

know who, you know, who should we member,
who should be a part of, you know, you

know who, who, what's the return on
investment that, you know, the return

on investment that they get by becoming
either a full-time or an associate

member of DCUC is absolutely incredible.

I mean, the most, uh, if you're
not a full-time member, the

most you can pay is $3,000.

So.

And the only thing you don't
get is you don't get to vote on

things at our annual meeting.

So we're happy to, you know,
we, we get credit unions kind of

every day reaching out to us that
are not defense credit unions.

'cause we, you know, we, we have a
saying we're built for defense, but

we're open to all, uh, because the
issues that impact defense credit union.

Impact every credit union, tax status,
interchange, rate caps, that that's

a fight every credit union is in.

Where we come with a special sauce is the
fact we bring a, a uniqueness with dealing

with DOD, the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and dealing with the military

community, uh, that more and more credit
unions are bumping into as you know, uh,

what happens, uh, you know, uh, when, uh.

Troops are deployed, they go into
a different pay status, which is

kind of a different al allocation
than people don't have it.

Uh, we've had, we, we had a credit
union sign up because they had

never had anyone come in and ask
about a VA loan home loan before.

And so they didn't know the forms to give.

You know, and those types of things.

So it's like, can you teach us, we,
we teach you how to do those things.

You know, what, what services are
veteran are available to veterans and

service members as they're transitioning
out, uh, in, in what they need.

So that's kind of the kind of,
the kind of the secret sauce

we bring is not only that we.

Work on behalf of all the credit union
issues, whether you're PenFed down to

the smallest credit union in the country.

Sure.

So we're happy about that.

And, uh, you know, we're, we're
willing to work with any credit union

you know, w with whatever they, with,
with whatever issue that they need.

TREICHEL: That's fantastic.

'cause every credit union has a veteran.

And, and, and that percentage is probably

JASON: not Well, yeah, we used to
say, we used to say that, but, um,

you know, and do, the Department of
Veteran Affairs came to that, and

in every zip code there's a veteran.

So we've extrapolated every credit
union in their field of membership.

Has a veteran.

TREICHEL: Yep.

JASON: And so there's a unique
opportunity that we can help bring

to them to reach out and interact
with that community so that they see

you as you are part of my family.

And that's incredibly important
to the, to the military is that,

you know, have you been in, have
you been in the foxhole with you?

One, one person described it to me.

Have you?

Learn.

Do you understand what a pc s means?

You know, and the stress that
happens and the fact that you

moving from Minot Air Force base
down to Barksdale Air Force Base.

'cause you're, you're B 52 pilot
and you know that PCS and you

know the, the need for the.

Home loan so you can purchase the new
place where you're gonna be and move

your family into the, kind of make
sure that it goes seamless and kind

of the questions that are gonna get
asked and the importance of some of

those questions that are being asked,
they normally don't get asked in the

normal home loan application process.

TREICHEL: Great, great, great point.

On all fronts there.

So, uh, you mentioned GAC, uh, your GAC.

What, what, what events

JASON: Oh,

TREICHEL: are, what events are coming up?

For your organization that credit
unions might wanna be aware of,

that you might wanna highlight here

JASON: if you're at GAC, we have
what we call defense matters.

It's Tuesday next week from noon
to two, uh, where we give a quick

update with what's going on.

We just started, we sent out to all of our
CEOs and our military advocacy committee.

We'll be sending out to
the leagues and anyone who.

Uh, in our, in our system partners, uh,
one pagers on topics that they can use

for when they're doing the hike, the
hills from now and, and moving forward.

Uh, and that includes
our advocacy priorities.

You know, we're happy, uh, that
we've got Congress in Opolis.

Uh, from Florida who's gonna be giving
us kind of a view from the hill.

Uh, he is on House Financial services.

Um, he's got Space Ghost Federal
Credit Union in his district.

So that's a defense credit
union and a member of DCUC.

So there's gonna be c
unique discussion there.

We're gonna have a
regulatory and, and Abacus.

C update.

You know, one nice thing is
that, uh, if you go to dc uc.org

and go to events and on defense matters,
um, you kind of see the full lineup.

We're having the discussion on interchange
and on on rate cap, and, uh, you can see

the full kind of lineup of our speakers.

It's, it's an incredible opportunity
for that brief moment of time

that many people are in town.

Uh, for GAC.

To reconnect with their DCUC
compatriots and, and discuss issues

that are important to defense, uh,
related credit unions moving forward.

Then something that's kinda really ex.

Exciting.

And again, if you go to
our website, uh, dc uc.org,

you can go to the events site.

It's called the CU Unplugged.

Uh, it's gonna be out in the San
Francisco area at the end of March.

Uh, it's kind of a unique, uh,
situation to kind of talk about.

Tech topics issues they're gonna be facing
credit unions, not from a talk, from the

stage down, but the entire agenda and
discussions that come from the people that

are there breakouts talk about issues.

Uh, it's something that's never been
done in the credit union movement before.

So we're, we're throwing it out
there, starting small and hopefully

over a few years grow it up.

And then go back, be able to point to,
Hey, that was a discussion at this table

as we were having ice cream or something.

Uh, and now it's, now it's a law or
a new policy or something like that.

I think that that kind of free flowing
exchange of ideas is important.

Um, I kind of consider, it's
like the splitting of the atom.

You know, you got one you cut and
they just bounce off each other and,

and you're, you're getting more, more
activity then, uh, again, if you look

at our events website, we've got.

We call 'em our sub councils.

You know, we're gonna, uh, it's
where, uh, credit unions and DC uc,

members in areas of the country can
come together, talk about issues.

It's a one day, normally a lunch.

Uh, some speakers, our next one's
gonna be up in the northeast

no, excuse me, northwest.

Uh uh, so.

Uh, you're happy.

Just please if, if you're interested,
go to the website, uh, click on

it, you'll get all the information.

And then we have, uh, we'll
have one in the Midwest.

Uh, we'll have one in the northeast
again, and then, uh, we're popping those

up all across the country because we
know when it comes to travel, you know,

they're, it's usually the first thing
that's cut when you're doing your budgets.

So if we can come to you and make
it as easy upon you to maybe.

Drive an hour, you know,
meet with your compatriots.

You don't have to get on a plane, you
don't have to spend, uh, hotel money.

Um, we're gonna, we're trying to bring
DC UC to U uh, across the country

that we we're helpful, thankful for.

Then end of July, first part of
August, we have our annual meeting.

It's gonna be down in Miami.

You know, as a.

As a kid from North and South
Dakota, nothing is more exciting than

Florida in the middle of the summer.

So I will be melting there, uh,
like for us to eat the snowman.

Uh, but it's a great opportunity.

It's, it's, uh, if you've never gone
before I know you people will say this.

It's a conference unlike any others.

This one really is, it's family
the defense community of which

we are born from and is part of
our DNA and who we represent.

Uh, it's so incredibly.

Unique and, uh, powerful in terms of our
ability to come together, share issues,

uh, bump into each other, recharge
each other's batteries, uh, talk about

issues that are happening, um, and,
and have a little bit of camaraderie.

And then what's unique to DCUC is, you
know, because we serve the military, our

military is not just within the 48 states
in Alaska and Hawaii and, and Puerto

Rico, we're, we're across the globe.

And so we have an annual
meeting that's overseas.

Uh, normally it's in Europe with our
European bases, and, uh, their credit

union is served there, but as kind of
the threat access switches a little bit.

And there's gonna be more
growth into the Pacific area.

You've seen the Air Force
talking about setting up five

more bases and stuff like that?

Uh, we're gonna be having our overseas
meeting, it's on our website, uh,

over in Bangkok, Thailand this year.

TREICHEL: Oh

JASON: wow.

That's cool.

Uh, state Department Federal Credit
Union is, is the sponsor of it.

Um, they are a member of DCUC because,
uh, of the marines that are stationed

at the, the embassies, they serve them.

You can be, you know, they're a member
and it's to kinda, uh, change a, you

know, looking across the country,
across the globe and the issues that.

Our military members and their families
experience as they are deployed

overseas, uh, and how we can serve them,
uh, as their financial institution.

And, uh, it's, it's something new for us.

We, we haven't been over there in that
area of the, uh, of the, of the globe,

uh, in a significant amount of time.

Uh, but we look forward to it.

So there's a lot going on.

Uh, but, uh, that.

All of that will not distract us from
what we're doing up on Capitol Hill.

And that's fighting for every
credit union across this country.

TREICHEL: That's fantastic.

And that whole unplugged concept.

I like that.

You know, I think back to the MTV
unplugged days, and that's where I was

introduced to Nirvana and 10,000 maniacs.

And, uh, some, some of those unplugged
versions are better than the real ones.

And that might be the kind of ideas that
you're going for at that particular event.

But you guys got a lot going on.

That's fantastic.

JASON: Nope.

Yeah, we're, we're hitting
the ground running.

I mean, you know, we're, we're a
group of, you know, we, our staff

is, uh, seven people, but, uh,
we, we punch above our weight, so.

TREICHEL: Well, that let,
lets you be nimble too, right?

It does.

There's not a lot of people to convince
when you're gonna, when something

happens quick and you gotta move
quick, you're able to be nimble, which

is probably a tremendous advantage.

JASON: It is.

And it's, I think that's very important,
uh, for our credit unions, that we're

able to seize upon opportunities and
interjects ourselves where others

take longer time, um, to make the
decision that, uh, that's that.

Things move.

It used to be a new cycle a day.

I come from the comms area
as well up on Capitol Hill.

Um, but now it's, it is like
five new cycles in a day.

And so if you're not moving
at the that speed, you're,

you're, you're falling behind.

And that's where we try to position, or
I've tried to position D C's advocacy,

is that we're over the event horizon.

We are looking for the next threat, uh,
or trying to cause the ne, you know, help.

Start the next fight.

You know, that's gonna come in three
or six months rather than responding to

what's happening at 6:00 AM in that day.

TREICHEL: Sure.

Fantastic.

So Jason, if someone wants to reach
out to become a member, or you've

given the website is there, is there
someone they should reach out to

particularly, or if they wanted to get
in touch with you, what's the best way?

Through the website,

JASON: you can email me directly.

You can also go to the website.

It has all of our contact info.

J-S-T-V-E-R-A k@cuc.org

Happy to, uh, handle anything
and get you to the right person.

So

TREICHEL: fantastic.

As always, I enjoy, uh, learning
what you're doing to help

credit unions and their members.

Thanks so much, Jason.

JASON: Thanks, mark.

TREICHEL: You got it.

And listeners, watchers, I, as always,
I want to thank you for watching.

Thank you for listening.

This is Mark TriCal signing
off with Flying Colors.