All of your custom displays give you a bigger picture view by automatically showing five years of historical data but what if you want to take a closer look at one time period?

Simply use your curser to click and drag, highlighting quadrants of the time you are focusing on. Peer-to-Peer will then zoom in on this area, allowing you to take a closer look.

Then use Peer's export capabilities to view, manipulate, and present this data as you need it!

A new Peer feature allows you to create dual axis graphs, enabling you to show two related metrics that have different ranges on the same graph. While these graphs only work with a single credit union or peer group, they provide a clearer picture of the actual relationship between two metrics. For example, if you were to show the delinquency rate to the coverage ratio on a single axis graph, it would not show anything meaningful because they are measured in different ranges. However, on a dual axis graph, each axis will show the appropriate range for the metric it is measuring. Because each metric is measured by the correct range, the dual axis graph is a more real depiction of the relationship between the two metrics.

Both credit union data and bank data from the third quarter are live, so use both to get the best, most in depth picture of your whole market. While you can't mix credit unions and banks in one comparison set, you can use more than one comparison set at a time, enabling you compare to your credit union and your whole market side by side. First, create a peer group that includes banks in your asset size or geographical area. Then, when pulling graphs or data from Peer, simply select your newly created bank peer group as your comparison.

Access our brand new Peer-to-Peer tool, Mortgage Analzyer, to dig deeper into your mortgage data. With data from all institutions with a mortgage portfolio you can see your competitive environment and benchmark your performance.

Start looking at trends in your Mortgage Statistical Area (MSA) to understand market trends and create a stronger real estate lending strategy.

New NCUA rulemaking could modify the ban on derivatives investment and determine whether exceptions under 'pilot programs' will continue. Acceptance into these pilot programs, created to ensure that a credit union can skillfully deal with potentially complex derivatives, requires a significant amount of documents submitted to the NCUA for approval.

Peer graphs and data can help a credit union through this process, providing proof of requirements by helping to identify the credit union's interest rate risk, validating the credit union's net worth ratio, and easing the ability for external auditors to review the credit union's financial data.

To identify interest rate risk, compare your credit union's level of long term assets to total assets - In consideration for the pilot program, according to NCUA guidelines, too high of a concentration of assets will expose the credit union to increased interest rate risk and that credit union would not gain acceptance.

The net worth ratio can be created by measuring the total dollar amount of net worth versus total assets. In order to be accepted, a credit union must have a minimum net worth ratio of 7% of more.

Read more about the NCUA rulemaking for derivatives investment.

Visit CUSP online to download peer graphs from this edition, then customize each graph with your own data to gain a better understanding of your position within your peer group.

1) Visit CUSP online to view the peer graphs.

2) Click on the graph that you are interested in viewing - it will open in a separate page.

3) In order to customize the graph, click "Change Primary" in the upper right hand corner. Choose your primary and click "Submit".

A customized version of the peer graph in CUSP will appear.

We've made it so now you can set the scale base of your graphs to zero to more accurately show the change between your comparisons. Just click on the "set axis to zero" box in the right corner of your graph.

Download graphs featured in CUSP eBook and overlay your credit union's performance with the data and analysis presented in the print edition and exercise the decision making power of Peer-to-Peer.

Please note: Only .CRC files will load into Peer to Peer correctly.

To import custom displays, follow these steps:

1.) Download graphs from CUSP eBook by clicking Download PEER Graphs featured on the cover of the CUSP eBook

2.) Right click the .CRC file and paste the file into the folder of your choice. Remember where you saved the file, as you will need to access the file again in later steps.

3.) Open Peer to Peer. Click on File in the top menu bar. Scroll to Import and then select Custom Displays.

4.) In the Import window, select Browse...

5.) In the Open window, access your saved .CRC file. Select it, and click Open.

6.) Click Import once the appropriate .CRC file is open in the Import window.

7.) When the file has finished loading correctly, you will see a pop-up saying, "Custom display(s) imported successfully." Click OK.

8.) Close the Import window or repeat these steps to import another file.

Peer to Peer saves your custom displays under My Displays. My Displays is located in the drop-down menu on the upper-left-hand side of your screen under Select Your Report or Graph. The custom displays are located in the My Displays folder. Double-click on the My Displays folder to expand it. You should see all of your imported custom displays saved in this folder.

To update your peer groups to FirstLook data, follow these steps:

1.) Clear your comparison set so your peer groups are inactive.

2.) Then go to the Peer Groups menu and select Manage.

3.) Select the peer groups you wish to update, and then click Save.

This simple process of resaving your peer groups when you are in a FirstLook cycle (even if you don't actually make any changes to them) will ensure graphs display data out to 3Q 2010.

It's important to note that not all account codes are available through FirstLook. The majority of missing account codes are specialized investment information and the number of loan and share accounts. If you frequently use custom displays, please consult this pdf to see what account codes are included in FirstLook.

Once you have imported the mortgage modifications custom packet, take advantage of the data it offers. Did you know that you can edit the custom displays you import? If you find that you'd like to expand on the analysis that the five custom charts begin, simply follow these steps:

1.) Select the one you'd like to edit by clicking on it.

2.) Once it has loaded, right-click on it, and then select Edit Custom Display.

3.) The Account Selection window will appear. From this window you can see which account codes and formulas the graph is currently calculating. You can edit the existing formulas or add to them in the spaces below. Type in the account code or formula you wish to use or search for one using the Binocular button.

4.) Once you are satisfied with how your newly edited custom display is set up, click Preview. This automatically saves your new display over the imported custom display.

5.) If you are not satisfied with how your previewed display turned out, simply repeat this process by right-clicking on your new custom display and selecting Edit Custom Display.

If you have more questions about how to edit custom displays or create new custom displays, review the "Create Custom Displays" section of the user manual.

You can also explore the Call Report in Peer to Peer to see what other data your credit union would be interested in or how else you can expand your analysis of mortgage modifications. To access the current Call Report, click on the Help menu in the main navigation of Peer to Peer and then select 5300 Call Report.

Understand

Providing the highest member value possible is what differentiates credit unions from the rest of the financial services industry.  But how do credit unions quantify their member value? Callahan & Associates' Return of the Member (ROM) Index attempts to capture all aspects of a member's relationship with the credit union. 

The ROM calculation considers the three core credit union functions of lending, savings, and product usage with three main components: Return to the Savers, Return to the Borrowers and Member Service Usage. The ranking system is an index calculation that accounts for a credit union's performance in comparison to its asset-based peer group. Learn more about ROM scoring.

Access

To access your ROM score in Peer to Peer, follow these steps:

1.) In Peer to Peer, select Scoring System from the Select Your Report or Graph drop-down menu.

2.) Double-click on the Return of the Member Index (ROM) folder to display two reports: "Return of the Member Scoring" and "ROM Scores for Each Credit Union."

The "Return of the Member Scoring" report displays the detailed ROM scores for all of the credit unions in your primary and comparison sets' peer groups, one at a time. You can toggle between different credit unions using the Credit Union Name drop-down menu. This report breaks down each of the 18 contributing factors so that you can see you ROM score in more detail. It shows the total numerical scores, percentiles, and averages.

"ROM Scores for Each Credit Union" lists the ROM scores for each credit union in your primary and comparison sets' peer groups all in one table. It displays the total scores as a percentile within the peer group for Return of the Saver, Return of the Borrower, Member Service Usage, and Total ROM score.

Utilize

Leaders in ROM have key advantages over their peer credit unions. Learn why. Credit unions also use ROM as a way to explain to their members how well they are performing for them. ROM scores frequently appear in press releases, marketing materials, newsletters, and more.

Evaluating your credit union without considering its member value may not tell the whole story. ROM came about when a credit union board of directors asked their CEO to explain a $1 million drop in net income over a year. The CEO explained that the drop was due to an increase in dividend payments to the members. Therefore, the year was still satisfactory, but the net operating results had been distributed differently. The members, not the credit union, received the earnings. ROM can provide you with an alternative, member-centric way of evaluating your credit union's performance.

Show your Board or executive team what influences your ROM score today! You can also use the Cycle drop-down menu to go back to previous years' ROM (back to 2006 Q2). Note: Accessing previous years' ROM only shows performance within your current peer group, so it may not be 100% representative of your performance from your selected quarter.

Did you know that Peer to Peer includes contact and operational information? You can look up credit union contact information such as names, addresses, or telephone numbers, and operational information like the number of ATMs or branches.

This information is included in Peer in order to promote communication within the credit union industry. Are you inspired by a specific credit union's performance in member business lending? Look up the CEO's name and give him a call! Talk about strategy and about how you can both improve the health and prosperity of your credit unions.

Peer to Peer lets you create custom peer groups based on ranking, so you can always look up the top 10 credit unions in any given account code and then reach out to them with the contact information found in Peer.

Note: The "Contact and Operational Information" report is located under the Performance Reports category of the Select Your Report or Graph drop-down menu in Peer to Peer.

Your Peer subscription now includes a subscription to the quarterly Credit Union Strategy & Performance (CUSP) journal.

All Peer users can download CUSP's .CRC files. Just like all other Peer displays, you can easily export these charts into presentations to share with your Board, managers, and staff.

Interested in sharing CUSP's articles and information? CUSP Online includes an Issue Archive where you can print the PDF of all or part of any issue you like.

The combination of Peer to Peer's data capabilities and CUSP's industry insights makes the ability to research trends, share knowledge, and identify opportunities easier than ever before.

Download Custom CUSP Graphs

The Peer symbol in CUSP marks the downloadable graphs. Visit the CUSP Archives to download the custom .CRC files so you can overlay your credit union's performance to see how you compare on many of the displays!

Research Topics of Interest and Access Exclusive Tools and Resources

CUSP includes over 200 reference articles, 100 case studies, 45 leadership interviews, and more in the Issue Archives!

CUSP Online contains exclusive tools and resources that expand on the content in the print edition. For example, CUSP Online includes articles, video interviews, and sample marketing collateral that you will find nowhere else.

Watch and share Callahan & Associates' archived Power of Data Webinar: Meaningful Comparisons in the Age of the NCUSIF Stabilization Expense.

This archived webinar can help you review the most effective benchmarking reports from the previous stabilization expense and also prepare for the coming one. Callahan & Associates' discussion helps you develop accurate comparisons, and we provide you with the tools necessary to analyze your credit union's performance effectively, including information on crucial ratios you should be tracking in this unique environment.

The ability to import custom displays into Peer to Peer gives you an incredible amount of flexibility in the program and acts as a way to enhance its functionality at no cost. You can load custom reports that you, Callahan & Associates, or other peer users at your organization create quickly and easily.

Being able to analyze the same custom graphs and charts as your managers and Board will ultimately help drive effective communication and save you time. This kind of collaboration also ensures that everyone is working toward the same goal - the success of your credit union.

Read these instructions on how to Import Custom Displays to get started. You can also find a custom .CRC file related to asset quality ratios under User Tips. The Custom Reports page also houses the custom displays that Callahan & Associates' has created.

You can export your custom displays so that you can share them with other Peer users! The process is simple (just follow these easy steps).

Being able to analyze the same custom graphs and charts as your managers and Board will ultimately help drive effective communication and save you time. Sharing your custom displays also means that you are presenting your analyses to a large audience with Peer's professionally-designed reports.

Callahan & Associates designed Peer to Peer in such a way that sharing your analyses is as easy as possible. There are several click-to-export options in the Display Options toolbar of Peer to Peer. You can click to export to Excel and PowerPoint. You can also simply copy and paste your reports in any program you like. Finally, you can easily share your analyses with other Peer to Peer users by exporting a .CRC or .p2p file that they can import into the program.

Never has communicating with your Board, management, and staff been easier!