Insights from Catalyst
Welcome to Catalyst's blog, where thought leaders share their insights on news, trends and events. Have a blog idea? Contact the Communications Team.
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August 03, 2020 | Al Schiliro
“Rates are too low” is a statement that seems to be echoing among investors in the current economic environment. Another popular phrase we’ve heard across the industry is “The economy will turn around and rates will go back up.” Behavioral finance might define such phrases as “anchoring” – the common human tendency to rely on one piece of information or a cognitive bias toward a psychological benchmark.
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July 27, 2020 | Casey Peterson
Through the second quarter of 2020, credit unions experienced an increase in liquidity from slower lending and increased shares. Additionally, credit unions are now experiencing a lower net interest margin. One of the culprits is the mere 0.08 percent they’re earning on overnight cash balances, compared to almost 1.50 percent at the end of 2019.
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July 23, 2020 | Jon Allen, II
The role of cybersecurity in the credit union industry is primarily one of protecting member data against unauthorized and/or malicious access. Data includes identity of an individual, a credit union, a business, or an accounting function, or any combination thereof, that could be used in an exploitative manner.
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July 20, 2020 | Andrew Gelsomini
Although we are living in unprecedented times, our economic environment does feel remotely familiar. It was during the Great Recession that we last experienced such historically low rates, and even though 10 years have passed, many of us still remember it all too well.
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July 13, 2020 | Dan Abdill
For decades, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have helped keep the mortgage markets functioning. Their conservator, the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA), allowed the two mortgage giants to adapt their policies to cope with the unique circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. What do the changes mean for investors in the agencies’ debt and MBS?
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