Beyond the obvious: How to really choose an executive search consultant

Your choice needs to champion your credit union and humanize the candidate experience. Serving my clients and humanizing the candidate experience is at the core of what I do. This […]
Balancing Mission and Market: Navigating Executive Compensation in Credit Unions

Go From Assumptions to Alignment on Executive Pay Executive compensation represents one of the most critically important—and sensitive—discussions credit union boards and CEOs regularly face. They both want the same […]
The Best First Step Toward a Successful SERP May Surprise You

Go online to read about Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans and you’ll find articles about the key reasons credit unions and other organizations implement SERPs: To go beyond the limitations of […]
Why Indexed Universal Life Is Attractive (and Detrimental) for Executive Retirement Plans

Indexed Universal Life (IUL) insurance sounds like an executive’s retirement funding dream: a financial product with flexible premiums, the potential for market-linked growth, and a safety net for retirement. But […]
Expansion of Excise Tax on Excess Compensation

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), signed into law on July 4, 2025, expands the application of the 21% excise tax on excess compensation paid by tax-exempt organizations on: Remuneration […]
‘We’re Sorry’: The Retirement Bad News Letter No Executive Should Have to Get

Why some SERPs fail to deliver and how executives can protect themselves from avoidable retirement surprises. Have you ever gotten a letter telling you that your split-dollar Supplemental Executive Retirement […]
The Hidden Cost of Loyalty: How Internal Promotions Impact Credit Union Executive Compensation

How internal promotion practices can unintentionally suppress executive pay and what credit unions can do to correct course. Credit unions so widely embrace internal promotion that it has moved beyond […]
Performance and 8 Other Factors That Should Inform Executive Compensation Decisions

Why effective CEO compensation requires more than benchmarks and how credit unions can anchor pay decisions in performance and mission. Pay is not just a management tool—it’s a message to […]
The Rising Tide of Executive Pay in the Credit Union Industry: Finding a Sustainable Path Forward

Why executive pay is rising across the industry and how credit unions can balance competitiveness with long-term sustainability. The credit union industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. As financial services […]
Durability: Will Your Executive Benefits Plan Retain Its Value Over Time?

Why durability matters in SERP design and how whole life structures reduce volatility and long-term risk. Good household budgeters often estimate expenses on the high side and revenue on the […]