So how many credit unions are using Facebook and Twitter right now*?

There are 217 credit unions on Facebook with over 142,374 likes combined.

There are 89 credit union on Twitter with over 22,882 followers combined.

See here to discover what credit unions are using twitter.

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post Are Irish Credit Unions using Social Media? appeared first on le chéile group.

The current economic climate is unfamiliar territory as interest rates have continued to drop to unprecedented low levels. Credit Unions exploring the investment opportunities in the current market face many challenges, here are five cornerstone principles for credit unions when investing.

1) Determine the credit unions investment approach
What is the strategic investment approach and what is your risk appetite? A conservative approach, using high quality, investment grade institutions is the most common approach but what does that mean in practical terms?

2) Portfolio Diversity
The credit union should aim to build a diversified portfolio across varied banks, securities, maturities & investment asset classes. Diversifying the credit union’s portfolio means that ‘all the eggs are not in the same basket’ and risk is mitigated as best as possible.

3) Manage risk
Ensure that the investment risk is managed appropriately, with the proper controls and functions. This gives confidence in the decision making process leading up to executing each investment.

4) Risk vs Potential Reward
Evaluate the potential for improved returns verse the risk exposure. It might be time to get up to speed on different, slightly more complex options in order to make informed decisions when considering solutions. Keep in mind if it seems too good to be true, perhaps it is.

5) Transparency
Insist on full transparency from any investment agencies the credit union deals with. Completing of a Fact-Find and Statement of Suitability documents, and requesting a breakdown of fees for each investment should ensure peace of mind for both the immediate and longer term.

Are you a credit union official who would like to attend one of our free upcoming seminars? Click here for more details.

The post Five cornerstone principles for Credit Unions investments appeared first on le chéile group.

Once again this year we are holding a series of seminars across the country over the coming weeks. Each seminar is FREE to attend and is ideal for CEO’s/Managers, senior credit union staff, investment committee members and Directors.

During our 2014 nationwide investment seminars and while meeting with you throughout the year we have been asked questions relating to investments for credit unions and their impact on risk and compliance. Our upcoming free seminars aim to discuss the specific challenges faced by credit unions when it comes investing, with a focus on investment policies and procedures, PRISM, Prudential Returns and Audit including a review of the past and current investment solutions.

Joining us we will have speakers from our investment partners in RaboDirect and/or Merrion Solutions. As with previous events we expect a lively debate and discussion around this ever growing issue of credit union investments, particularly in this low yield market.

Confirmed 1.5 CPD hours from the LIA and IOB, and ILCU CPD hours pending approval will apply where relevant for attendees. There is NO attendance charge and refreshments will be served at each event.

Past Events 
Morning Seminar – Tuesday, 14th April – South Dublin Bewleys Hotel, Leopardstown
8.30am Registration & Refreshments – 9.00am Seminar
Morning Seminar – Thursday, 16th April –North Dublin, Bewleys Hotel, Airport
8.30am Registration & Refreshments – 9.00am Seminar
Evening Seminar – Monday, 11th May – Limerick, Castletroy Hotel
6.30pm Registration & Refreshments – 7.00pm Seminar

Upcoming Dates & Locations:
Evening Seminar – Thursday, 21st May – Midlands, Mullingar Park Hotel
6.30pm Registration & Refreshments – 7.00pm Seminar

To book your free seats call Amelia at 01 293 9821 or email amelia.walshe@lecheilegroup.ie stating which seminar you have selected and the amount of seats required. Please RSVP by Wednesday 6th May 2015.

We do hope you and your colleagues will join us at one of our seminars around the country.

To see past seminars slides click here.

The post Credit Union Investments – Risk and Compliance Impact Seminars 2015 appeared first on le chéile group.

• Mr. John Keogh from Blessington & District Credit Union
• Ms. Aisling Giltrap from Blessington & District Credit Union
• Ms. Emer Guihan from Kenmare Credit Union
• Mr. Liam Keogh from Plassey Credit Union

Amelia Walshe, le chéile Group’s Marketing Manager said ‘Our LIA Scholarship Competition is in it’s third year running and is fast becoming an annual occurrence. This year it has proved even more popular due to its appeal to those who are just starting, and those who are in the midst of getting their LIA qualifications and designations. It’s continued success is not surprising and reflects the demand for the LIA’s range of courses, particularly the credit union specific designations.’

See what our previous winners thought here.

We would like to thank all those who took the time to enter and keep an eye out for future competitions.

For more information on the modules available go to www.lia.ie/courses-overview

The post 2015 Scholarship Fund Competition Winners appeared first on le chéile group.

le chéile have FOUR scholarship funds to give away to FOUR lucky winners.

At le chéile Group we are committed to supporting credit unions and this spring you may be thinking of enrolling in a course for further education. We want to provide four credit union officials with scholarship funds for one LIA module to enable them to start or continue on the path toward their LIA qualifications and designations, be it one of the designations on the Credit Union Channels programme (CUA, CUG, CUC), the APA (Loans), QFA or any other APA.

To enter simply answer this question: Name one of the two LIA modules required to qualify for the APA (Loans) designation.

Send your answer along with your Full Name, Job Title and Credit Union to: marketing@lecheilegroup.ie

This competition is open to all staff members of the credit union – board level, management and staff. The closing date for this competition is Thursday 24th March. See what our previous winners thought here.

Some LIA Modules:
Credit Union Governance & Compliance
Credit Union Practices
QFA Regulation
QFA Life Assurance
QFA Pensions
QFA Investments
QFA Loans
QFA Financial Planning
For more information on the modules available go to www.lia.ie/courses-overview
Please note LIA membership is required when applying for an LIA designation.

Terms and Conditions

• Individuals entering any competition will be deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions.
• Upon entering the competition entrants are agreeing to receive marketing, product and promotional information about le chéile Group products and services. They also will be required to make themselves available for promotional activity e.g. photo opportunities regarding the competition.
• The competition closes at 5pm on Tuesday 24th March after which the winner will be contacted by a representative of le chéile Group via email. In circumstances where the competition winner cannot be contacted after reasonable efforts have been made le chéile Group reserves the right to select another winner.
• Entries must be strictly in accordance with these terms and conditions and any other conditions in the messaging or promotions about the competition or the entry will be invalid. One entry is permitted per person. Entries from agents/third parties are invalid.
• le chéile Group accepts no responsibility or liability for entries or information relating to entries that are lost.
• An independent judge will pick the winning entry from valid entries received. The judge’s decision is final. There will be one prize for one winner consisting of one LIA module worth €295. Any additional costs outside those just detailed will not be covered by le chéile Group. No cash or other alternative will be offered and the prize is non-transferable.
• le chéile Group reserves the right at its sole discretion to alter any prize for any reason and without notification. In the event that the winner declines the prize awarded to him/her or le chéile Group is unable to contact the winner after reasonable efforts have been made, le chéile Group may award the prize to another entrant, selected at random.
• By accepting the prize, the winner grants le chéile Group the right to use and publish his/her name and picture in such media as le chéile Group may choose (including but not limited to the internet) for advertising and promotional purposes without additional consideration.
• This competition is open to residents of the Republic of Ireland and entrants must be an employee or volunteer in a credit union based in ROI, must answer the competition question correctly, and must submit their entry by the closing date to be in with a chance to win.
• le chéile Group does not take any responsibility for the winners enrolment, completion and/or maintenance of the qualification.
• By entering the competition and supplying your information, you consent to receive relevant marketing, product and promotional information about the le chéile Group, products and services. You can unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe links on email communication or by writing to: Amelia Walshe, Marketing Manager, le chéile Group, Suite 30, The Mall, Beacon Court, Sandyford, Dublin 18.
• Your data will not be shared with third parties.
• le chéile Group will comply with Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 (as amended).

The post 2015 Scholarship Fund Competition appeared first on le chéile group.

At le chéile Group we are committed to supporting credit unions and this spring you may be thinking of enrolling in a course for further education. We want to provide four credit union officials with scholarship funds for one LIA module to enable them to start or continue on the path toward their LIA qualifications and designations, be it one of the designations on the Credit Union Channels programme (CUG, CUC, CUA), the APA (Loans), QFA, or any other APA.

We want to congratulate the winners who have since completed and passed their chosen modules over the last two years. A few weeks back we caught up with previous winners Mary Fagan, William Duthie and Michael Coakley to see what they had to say about the competition and ask how they got on completing their module.

‘Winning an LIA Scholarship whilst studying towards the Credit Union Governance (CUG) designation not only took me by surprise, but also afforded me the opportunity to further my credit union studies and gain confidence in fulfilling my present and any future roles asked of me.

The modules and resources available are excellent and are student friendly. I would highly recommend this course of study as a way of gaining knowledge and professional designations in your chosen career path.’
Mary Fagan, Firhouse Credit Union

‘Last year I was delighted to win an LIA module courtesy of the le chéile scholarship competition. I was interested in learning more about compliance and signed up for the Credit Union Governance and Compliance module. I found the course to be very comprehensive and could set my own pace for the study. The multiple choice format keeps you on your toes as you often have two of the answers which you feel are correct but which on reflection boils down to one correct. I commend le chéile for their sponsorship as CPD is very important whatever one’s age.’
William Duthie, Ballinsloe Credit Union

‘Thank you for the sponsorship and the learning will be put to good use in Ballyfermot Credit Union.’
Michael Coakley, Ballyfermot Credit Union

To enter this year’s competition. Simply answer the following question and send your name, credit union and position to marketing@lecheilegroup.ie.

Name one of the two LIA modules required to qualify for the APA (Loans) designation. 

In order to increase your chance of winning like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or on LinkedIn and your entry will be submitted again.

For competition T&S’s see here.

The post Previous Scholarship Fund Winners and 2015 Competition! appeared first on le chéile group.

We joined Edenderry Credit Union’s Staff and Management as they opened their doors on Monday 11th August 2014 for the first day of a week long launch. Each day staff handed out brochures and answered members questions about this convenient new service and its benefits. Members were welcomed with tea, coffee and plenty of sweet treats while they got informed and applied for their new Edenderry Credit Union Debit Card. The ‘Edenderry Credit Union Debit Card’ chocolate bars were particularly a hit with young and old members alike.

The post Edenderry Credit Union’s le chéile Trucash Visa Debit Card Launch appeared first on le chéile group.

To ensure honest feedback we made the survey anonymous and to show our appreciation for every survey filled out we donated €5 to charity. We want to thank all those who participated and helped raise over €250 for good causes.

We received very positive feedback and some interesting suggestions which we will take into consideration when making future plans.

1) Experienced is the word chosen most to describe le chéile Group, followed by reputable.
2) Investments are the products/services people most associate with le chéile Group and the least known is Debit Card Service.
3) le chéile Group rated highest for professionalism and rated lowest for Value.
4) le chéile Group rated mostly good, followed by excellent for level of product/service satisfaction while no one rated below satisfactory.
5) Nearly 40% of respondents have not used www.lecheilegroup.ie, while 21% of users rated it as excellent and 31% of users rated it as good.
6) 76% of respondents were unaware of le chéile Group’s social media presence, while users rated it as mostly good and no one rated below satisfactory.
7) Respondents are most interested in le chéile organised training events, Newsletters/Ezines and entering competitions.
8) Some of the comments/feedback we received:

• Unfortunately we have not used le chéile in the past but hopefully that will change in the future.
• Keep up the good work.
• I’m sorry but I don’t know an awful lot about le chéile.
• We find the many emails we receive from le chéile very helpful. It keeps us up to date on the services you offer. They contain sufficient information for us so that we do not need to waste time ringing and asking for further information.
• Great job.
• A pleasure to deal with, staff are so friendly, helpful and efficient.
• More seminars needed. There are too many le chéile people present at seminars.

The post What do you think of le chéile Group? Survey Results & Charity Donation appeared first on le chéile group.

• Mr. Bernard O’Grady from Portlaoise Credit Union Ltd.
• Ms. Mary Fagan from Firhouse Credit Union Ltd.
• Mr. William Duthie from Ballinsloe Credit Union Ltd
• Mr. Micheal Gavin from Kenmare Credit Union Ltd. 

On Friday 26^th May we welcomed all the winners, with the exception of Micheal Gavin to a prize giving and a celebratory lunch near the le chéile Group offices in Sandyford. They were joined by Pat O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of the LIA, Joanne Keane, LIA Director of Education and some of the le chéile team.

Amelia Walshe, le chéile Group’s Marketing Manager said ‘This is the second time that le chéile Group and the LIA have held this competition and it has proved very popular again due to its appeal to those who are just starting and those who are in the midst of getting their LIA qualifications and designations. It’s continued success is not surprising and reflects the demand for the LIA’s range of courses, particularly the credit union specific designations.’

We would like to thank all those who took the time to enter and keep an eye out for future competitions.

For more information on the modules available go to www.lia.ie/courses-overview

Pictured above from left to right: Mr. Bernard O’Grady - Assistant Manager at Portlaoise Credit Union Ltd., Mr. William Duthie – Director at Ballinsloe Credit Union Ltd, Ms. Mary Fagan – Secretary at Firhouse Credit Union Ltd., Pat O’Sullivan – LIA Chief Executive, Joanne Keane – Director of Education at LIA and Amelia Walshe – Marketing Manager at le chéile Group.

Pictured below right from left to right: Amelia Walshe – Marketing Manager at le chéile Group, Mr. Bernard O’Grady - Assistant Manager at Portlaoise Credit Union Ltd., Pat O’Sullivan – LIA Chief Executive and Joanne Keane – Director of Education at LIA . Amelia Walshe – Marketing Manager at le chéile Group, Ms. Mary Fagan from Firhouse Credit Union Ltd., Pat O’Sullivan – LIA Chief Executive and Joanne Keane – Director of Education at LIA . Amelia Walshe – Marketing Manager at le chéile Group, Mr. William Duthie from Ballinsloe Credit Union Ltd, Pat O’Sullivan – LIA Chief Executive and Joanne Keane – Director of Education at LIA . 

The post Scholarship Fund Competition Winners appeared first on le chéile group.

Overall we got excellent feedback about the event, which we hope to share with you soon.

Check our website for future le chéile Group events.

Our vision sees credit unions thriving as they meet all of their members’ financial needs, from day-to-day banking to insurances. Credit Unions have the potential to replace banks as community-based financial institutions, built on a long history transparency and trust.

Click here to see video of our vision of the future – Kicking the Banking Habit

Click here to see video of our vision of the future for credit union Board’s of Management

Click here to see video of our vision of the future

The post Investment Seminar ‘Where next for Credit Union Investments?’ Slides 02.05.14 appeared first on le chéile group.