Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Shirley Senn
The day everything changed: Why credit unions must become caregiver-ready
On April 4, 2012, a switch flipped. There was the life I had before that day. And there has been the life I have lived ever since. That was the day my dad had his first stroke. It was the day I stepped into a role I would carry for the next 14 years—one that would reshape my family, my work, my finances, my health, my sense of time and, ultimately, my understanding of what it truly means to care for another human being. Caregiver. It is a simple word for a role that is anything but simple.
The connector
How stories reveal the true power of people helping people One of the reasons I love storytelling is that sometimes someone else's story helps you understand your own. This article almost wasn't about a song. Then my friend Andy shared a story. At his home hangs a sign bearing a line from the Rascal Flatts song Bless the Broken Road: “God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you.” For Andy and his wife, the song has been part of their marriage for more than two decades.
Credit union reforestation
Skip to main content This past summer, I stood beneath the immense canopy of Sequoia National Park while a park ranger told the story of how these trees, and this place, came to be protected. The giant sequoias rose like monuments, some more than 300 feet tall, their trunks wider than city streets. These were not just trees; they were survivors—older than nations, older than institutions we consider permanent. Yet the ranger disrupted the awe with a quiet truth.
The community mailbox: A small change that rebuilt a community
On June 11th, I had the chance to visit Columbia Parc in New Orleans with fellow credit union professionals during Impact Day with Luminate Louisiana Credit Unions. Columbia Parc was built where the old St. Bernard Housing Projects once stood. Before Hurricane Katrina, it was one of New Orleans’ most troubled areas—poverty, crime, and neglect were a daily reality for thousands of families. Through CDFI grant writing research, I have read plenty about what was there before.
2024: The year of the not-for-profit financial cooperative
As we begin 2024, credit unions are poised to embrace the opportunity to support their members. There’s no doubt that credit unions are pillars of strength and resilience, both to their members and the communities they serve, and this year will be no different. While much attention is given to things like the global economy, inflation and interest rates, and the 2024 election cycle, credit unions remain steadfast and reliable financial leaders.
Interchange is the cost of doing business
It’s not just credit unions and financial institutions that would be harmed by the Big Box Bailout bill. America’s small businesses – and the Main Streets and consumers who rely on them – stand to lose a lot of ground to the biggest retailers should this legislation move forward. The current credit card system works: retailers can quickly accept secure payments from their customers, and interchange is the cost of doing business this way.
Capital Corner: A guide to 2024, NCUA edition
At the beginning of each year, it’s tempting to do a “predictions” column, where you make a lot of educated (and uneducated) guesses about the next 12 months. And as a DC observer you do this hoping that the reader won’t hold you accountable for your hits and misses next January. So here is my look ahead at the coming year, pointing out things that seem likely based on what I’m seeing and hearing. This month, I’m focusing on what’s coming down the pike at NCUA and other regulatory agencies.
Striking the right balance between staffing needs and wants
In the not-too-distant past, we saw quiet quitting, and it appears in 2024 that we are seeing a return to layoffs. For example, Kinecta Credit Union, with 806 full-time equivalent employees, recently laid off 84 employees due to a fall in earnings. And, Kinecta is not alone in this trend. The workplace looks and feels schizophrenic.
Buy Now, Pay Later needs to pay off in 2024
Projections for growth for the buy now, pay later business in 2024 are generally optimistic. But things aren’t all upbeat. Some of the positive items: • A new study by Juniper Research projects that global buy now, pay later transaction value will more than double in the next four years, from $334 billion in 2024 to $687 billion in 2028. Activity will spread to new markets, and in the U.S. and the U.K. BNPL will expand significantly, the report predicts.
You’re invited: Children’s Hospitals Week!
Credit union and industry partner employees are invited to Children’s Hospitals Week (CHW), where we will get to celebrate the Founders Award! It is April 8-11 in Orlando, FL at the Swan and Dolphin. To register, click this link. Use the ‘CMN Hospitals Corporate Partner’ registration type. This link also provides more information about the conference like the agenda, location, and more. CMN Hospitals is waiving the registration fee for any credit union attendee.
3 benefits retailers can enjoy when they switch to smart safes
Brick-and-mortar retailers face a growing cash management crisis. With rising costs and theft, manually handling cash creates unnecessary expenses and losses. Fortunately, smart safes provide automated solutions that can save retailers time, money, and hassle. Here are 3 benefits retailers can enjoy when they switch to smart safe cash management. Counting cash manually takes effort and introduces inevitable human errors.
Nussle: NCUA 3rd-party vendor authority could increase agency’s budget
America’s Credit Unions President/CEO Jim Nussle Thursday wrote to the House Financial Services Committee, outlining concerns with the Strengthening Cybersecurity for the Financial Sector Act, which would grant the NCUA with additional authority to examine third-party vendors. “We believe in a strong NCUA, but we also believe that the NCUA should stay focused on where its expertise lies – regulating credit unions,” wrote Nussle.
Aren't using TCRs yet? You may be missing out...
Staffing, security, and cash handling are all issues that continue to pose significant challenges for credit unions today. And, while many members are taking care of business online, fewer branch employees can quickly lead to longer wait times and other vulnerabilities. But you might be surprised at the ease with which some of these issues can be addressed … with teller cash recyclers (TCRs).
Stepping up to serve the Latino and Hispanic communities
Publisher’s Note: Scroll down for a Spanish language version of this article. Access to financial services is important for everyone in America, especially for the nation’s Latino and Hispanic communities. Currently, Latinos represent about 20% of the United States population, and that number is expected to grow steadily in the coming years. Income is also expected to increase across Latino households and small- and medium-sized businesses, from $170 billion currently to $265 billion by 2030.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Shirley
Contact Shirley, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack