Educational Resources

• How much will I get? (Whitepaper)
  Social Security benefits and how to claim them is becoming a prominent topic in the national discussion about baby boomers’ financial readiness for retirement. Securian Financial Group wanted to find out if boomers now see Social Security as a strategic element of retirement income planning. The attached report shows the steps pre-retirees are taking to maximize their Social Security benefits.
• Credit Union Industry Experts: What's in Store for 2013 (Blog Post)
  For our year-end blog post I asked our Preferred Partners to tell us what they see coming over the horizon, from their perspective, that credit union executives need to be focused on and/or prepared for as we head into 2013. Looking back a year, I see some common themes—revenue issues, economic uncertainty, regulatory uncertainty, and political uncertainty. Read more of this NAFCU Services Blog post.
• Paddling Through NCUA’s Guidance on Multi-Featured Lending (Blog Post)
  Need help navigating the recent guidance by the NCUA on MFOELs, MFLs, and all things lending? Not since I took a recent trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness along the Minnesota-Canadian border have I needed so much gear to navigate my course.  Summer gear for daytime, winter gear for nighttime, freeze-dried stew and, of course, a canoe. Read more of this NAFCU Services Blog post.
• Consummation and Timing of Closed-End Disclosures (Whitepaper)
  

  One of the legal implications to consider when developing a blended, single-signature multi-featured lending plan is whether the closed-end Fed Box disclosures can be given timely under Reg Z and applicable state contract law. The answer is yes, they can. By providing the disclosures at the time of advance, prior to or with the disbursement of funds, credit unions satisfy the timing requirements under Reg Z and state law. This paper will explain in greater detail the legal definition of “consummation”, the state law interpreting it, and how it applies to blended multi-featured plans.

• How Credit Unions Should Evaluate their Insurance Providers (Blog Post)
  In order to offer members all the great solutions that your credit union does, it’s likely that you’ve found it beneficial to rely on third-party providers. Oftentimes, agreements with these vendors automatically roll over when they are up for renewal as a matter of course. Read more of this NAFCU Services Blog post.
  
• Why are ratings important in selecting a partner for credit insurance and debt protection? (Podcast)
  The ratings of credit insurance and debt protection providers give valuable insight to credit unions that are in the market for a new insurance provider or are evaluating their current insurance provider. In this podcast, we provide details on how credit insurance and debt protection providers are rated and what these evaluations mean for credit unions.
• Debt Protection and Credit Insurance for Credit Unions Benchmarking Survey Results
  Whether debt protection or credit insurance, choosing the right program for your credit union can be challenging. A recent Securian Financial Group and NAFCU Services Corporation survey was conducted to identify the reasons why credit unions made the switch to debt protection or added it to their product portfolio. Download the key findings to serve as a blueprint to consider as you compare debt protection and credit insurance options for your credit union.
• Time to Take Another Look at Debt Protection? (Article)
  A recent Securian Financial Group and NAFCU Services Corporation survey was conducted to identify the reasons why credit unions made the switch to debt protection or added it to their product portfolio. John Gibbons summarizes the survey findings in the May/June issue of NAFCU's The Federal Credit Union magazine.
• Findings of the 2010 Securian Debt Protection & Credit Insurance Benchmarking Survey (Podcast)
  Whether debt protection or credit insurance, choosing the right program for your credit union can be challenging. In this podcast, we uncover the key findings of a best practices survey that may serve as a blueprint for credit unions to consider as they compare debt protection and credit insurance options.
• Credit Protection Proposed Rules Under Reg Z (Podcast)
  The Federal Reserve Board has proposed changes to Reg Z relating to credit insurance and debt protection disclosures that could negatively impact credit unions’ sales of these products. In this podcast, we visit with Cathy Klimek, Counsel for Securian Financial Group. Cathy is an expert on Reg Z and will discuss the proposed rule and how it may affect credit unions if finalized.
• Single-Signature Lending Plans After Revised Reg Z (Podcast)
  The Federal Reserve has changed the rules under which credit is extended to our Members. In this podcast we visit with Cathy Klimek from Securian to get a sneak peek of a presentation at the 2010 NAFCU Strategic Growth Conference on the topic of Reg Z and the implications for credit unions.
• Debt and its Impact on Retirement Security: a Generational Study (Podcast & Whitepaper)
  While financial experts have long been concerned about the level of debt in America, this new research, Debt and its Impact on Retirement Security - a Generational Study, sponsored by Securian Financial Group, Inc. examines attitudes about debt and how debt is directly linked to retirement security.
• Payment Assurance: The Win-Win Solution for Credit Unions (Podcast)
  Credit union members are facing more economic uncertainty now than they have in many years, which has an effect on everything from their willingness to buy new homes and cars to their payment habits. In this podcast you will hear about a proverbial win-win solution, in which we can reduce members' anxiety with payment assurance protection, while also generating fee income for the credit union.
• Meeting Member Needs With Income-Generating Solutions (Podcast)
  With the financial difficulties being faced by many of our members, income-generating activity is down across the board at many credit unions. In this podcast we discuss specific solutions from Securian Financial Group that are particularly beneficial in these trying times for both credit unions and their members, in particular solutions that protect members from the consequences of adverse economic situations, like unemployment.
• Debt Protection (Article)
  this September/October 2007 issue of The Federal Credit Union Magazine, John Gibbons of Securian Financial Group guest writes about debt protection, including a case study that illustrates the key success factors in moving from a credit-based program to a debt protection-based program.

News

• Less Than 20% of Boomers Know How and When They’ll Claim Social Security
  ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Do more baby boomers now see Social Security as an important source of retirement income, prompting them to make plans for maximizing their benefits? “Our survey found that only 18 percent of baby boomers are making decisions now about how they’ll claim Social Security,” said Michelle Hall, manager, Market Research. 
• Debt Protection Demand Increases: Uncertain Economy Drives Market for Credit, Debt Insurance (November 21, 2011)
  While credit insurance and debt protection have been long-time staples for credit unions as part of their loan add-on product suites, some experts noticed that they are becoming more of a priority as the industry continues to seek new noninterest income streams.
• Securian Survey Reveals CU Success with Debt Protection (January 3, 2011)
  WASHINGTON — NAFCU Services Corporation and its Preferred Partner, Securian Financial Group, are offering credit unions a blueprint for success in debt protection and credit insurance programs in a new survey.
• NAFCU Services and Securian Offer Podcast on Single-Signature Lending Plans after Revised Reg Z (February 23, 2010)
  WASHINGTON — NAFCU Services Corporation (www.nafcu.org/nafcuservices) today announced a new podcast titled “Single-Signature Lending Plans After Revised Reg Z.” The podcast features Catherine Klimek, counsel at Securian Financial Group, the NAFCU Services Preferred Partner for credit insurance and debt protection.

Contact Securian Financial Group, Inc.

Karen Thompson | 651-665-3695
www.securian.com
karen.thompson@securian.com