Dan Clark Associates

NCUA Issues Rule on Director Financial Literacy

Dan Clark — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:27:14 +0000

It’s always been a good idea for each director to know how to read the financial statements and be able to ask management questions about them. That’s why we created a special training method. Now, NCUA, and many states will follow, specifically mentions it in Rules and Regulations.

Whereas the fiduciary duty of care implied being knowledgeble, the regulations now leave no doubt.

Comply this year. Let us help you with our unique offerings.

DCA Takes Boards to New Heights of Productivity

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:08:46 +0000

Dan Clark has long been involved in assisting boards in their quests for greater productivity. Hundreds have engaged Dan for various projects, including the Board Packet Weight Loss. That project has removed hundreds of unnecessary reports and information freeing directors up to focus on top priority information.

Now, in a partnership with BoardEffect, your board’s routine reports and other information can be delivered electronically. We call it E-Governance. The information your directors need to have to be informed about your organization’s performance and status is delivered without paper, envelopes and postage.

At www.danclark.com, click on services and learn more about it.

DCA Announces New Delivery Method for Private Training

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:55:04 +0000

Bring us into your credit union on the World Wide Web! Seems logical enough. Credit unions are selecting more and more Webinars from their Leagues and other associations. In the comfort of office or home, the material is delivered with sight and sound, and no travel. And one registration can train one or more. Those public Webinars offer great advantages but often prevent attendees from asking questions pertinent to their situation.

A private Webinar is the answer. You can bring into your credit union just about any topic on our long list of topics with great cost-effectiveness. A DCA professional will deliver a topic in 45 – 75 minutes, and use the remaining portion of the two-hour block to answer questions and cover issues specific to your credit union. At just $990, a private webinar fits nicely between the impersonal public Webinars and the cost of sending one person out, or bringing one speaker in.

Develop Core Values, a new consulting project from Dan Clark Associates LLC

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:48:26 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, FL – October 21, 2009 – Having stated Core Values can solve and better, prevent issues from arising out of the confusion that can and does emerge from a “culture in question.”.

Many leaders get started on a project to define the values and then an examination happens, delinquencies rise, capital is lost because another credit union segment gets hit by hard times and values, no matter how important they are, get delayed. In the process managment loses face because “that’s one more management project they didn’t follow through on; what’s new?”

Clark is prepared to take over the “back office” on such a project and ensure that it finishes with good results.

Dan Clark has been in the credit union movement since 1971 holding positions in regulation (examiner and State Administrator for Florida), credit union director, and a credit union CEO. Since 1981, Dan has been consulting, coaching, and training credit union directors and helping boards achieve more through education, superior governance and effective planning.

The Original Financial Statements in Plain English now on DVD

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:49:12 +0000

If there is just one area that volunteer credit union directors lack the education and training the most, it is in the ability to read the financial statements. That was and still is the goal of the program. The program takes the student through the typical balance sheet and explains assets, liabilities, and net worth. Dan then explains a short list of essential ratios, where they come from on the statements, and why they are important. What makes this program truly unique is that is does not involve numbers; that is the key to the program’s success with volunteers from all sizes of credit unions. And, no math is required.

The DVD runs 2 hours, 48 minutes, giving the student plenty of time to absorb ‘foreign’ material and come away with a conversational-level knowledge and an improved ability to participate in discussions and debates about ALM decisions. For reinforcement, the package includes the sound track on three audio CDs students can listen to in the car for reinforcement of the concepts. A fifth disk in the box contains the study guide and bonus materials, documents and articles of interest to CU directors. Read more about the benefits and contents HERE.

New Directors’ Boot Camp Training introduced by Dan Clark Associates

admin — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:51:25 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, FL – March 24, 2008 – Designed to shorten the learning curve of a novice Credit Union Director this interactive training sends participants home with renewed enthusiasm and a focused perspective of their position within the union they serve.

“New Directors historically have spent between two and four years getting fully up to speed on their duties,” notes Clark. “The driving force behind this Boot Camp was the fact that few credit unions have substantial orientation programs. More knowledge gained early on can have an incredibly positive impact on an organization.”

Clark has written an 11-page report “Developing a New Director Orientation Program” that highlights what our laws, regulations and people expect from board members today. This report is downloadable, at no charge, at www.newdirectorsbootcamp.com

For more information, go to www.newdirectorsbootcamp.com.

Feedback from Dan’s May 2007 presentation, “Coaching Skills for Managers”

admin — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:53:08 +0000

Very engaging speaker.
The workshop met my expectations because “I was able to get information that will allow me to become an effective coach.”
Mr. Clark was very knowledgeable and presented well.
Dan Clark is very effective.
It was inspiring.
Brought to light fresh perspectives, approaches …
I feel empowered to take on a role of “coach” as opposed to always “advising.”
Very interactive — funny and great info.

“What Do Boards Do, Anyway?” Feedback on Dan’s session for non-profit staff

admin — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:52:15 +0000

Wish more of my board was here.
It met my expectations because I got a “better understanding of the roles of Boards.”
I have started the forward focused meetings and have felt much better about them. I am more committeed now to continue along that path.
Before the session “I knew very little about what boards do and now I know what should be expected.”
Very good and effective speaker.

A Solution to Preserve the Credit Union Tax Exemption and Meet the Charter’s Social Goals

admin — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 13:55:10 +0000

The current national movement for financial literacy is a non-event in credit union-land. Credit unions have consistently made member education part of their service efforts to their members since the beginning, about three-quarters of a century ago. Many other non-profit organizations, such as Consumer Credit Counseling Services, also provide education because their tax exemptions (and contributions) provide room in the budgets to do it. For-profit organizations cannot afford to do it because consumers have been loath to pay for it, no matter how much they need it.

Experience shows that literacy is one thing. Changed behaviors is another thing. One way credit unions are enhancing their educational efforts is through financial coaching. Financial coaching differs from credit counseling in one important way — the intent. The intent of credit counseling is to help the member get out of financial trouble. Financial coaching’s intent is for the member to prevent financial trouble and to begin building wealth. Financial coaching is the bridge between remedial credit counseling and investment planning.

The use of professional coaches is becoming mainstream — common people are finding the value for all sorts of life’s concerns and financial issues will be a growing consumer demand. Credit unions can position themselves to take advantage of that growing demand and the trust that members have in them by getting a jump on the financial coaching business.

Dan Clark, seeing the need for credit unions to get more involved in financial coaching, to own that service, has spoken to national and regional groups about it. More than that, he has invested in providing the training to credit unions who want their employees involved. A series of workshops were held in 2007. Dan has partnered with a business coach in Chicago, and others, to create a network of Financial Coaches consumers can use to get themselves on a better path. Learn more by visiting ProfiTuit LLC’s Website.