(Archive) GOLD 9.2 August 2009

Print output is now available for your Call Reports entered in the new CU*BASE software!  The Call Report Listing Report accessed from the MN5300 menu (which can be accessed from the MNMGMT #28-NCUA 5300 Call Report Tools), provides a listing of the account codes and descriptions from the various sections of the Call Report software, along with the corresponding data.

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Refer to the “5300 Call Report ” booklet for complete details.

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Details for all related screens will also be available via CU*BASE GOLD Online Help with the release.

Phase 1: “Cleansing” of Screens and New Configurable Privacy Controls

We began the ambitious project of Privacy 2010 to protect our members’ personal information and to cleanse screens accessed via Teller, Phone Operator and Inquiry of non-essential personal information such as Social Security number, mother’s maiden name, etc. Over the past year this project has blossomed into quite a bit of work as we discovered various methods by which these screens could be accessed.

For many screens, we simply removed the private information. In places where this information is still needed by your staff, we created the new Privacy Controls Configuration (MNCNFC #28-Define Privacy Controls). This configuration allows you to determine what will be visible and/or masked (such as showing the SSN as ***-**-1234) for your employees versus non-credit union employees, so that you can provide an even higher level of privacy for your members.

What is a “non-credit union employee?” When someone enters your shared branching ID on the Teller posting screen, or has a workstation configuration setting of C=Call Center, that person sees only the private information you deem important for that person to see. For example, you might choose to mask all but the last 4 digits of a member’s SSN/TIN whenever the Teller, Phone or Inquiry screens are used by someone other than your own staff when they work with your members.

While we were adding these privacy controls, we removed the ability to search for a member’s SSN/TIN from Teller, Phone Operator and Inquiry, so that people can’t just start poking around for valid Social Security numbers. The Global Search still allows for searching by Social Security number, but only CU employees have this option, and the number of digits you can search by is subject to the restrictions you make in your Privacy Controls.

Additionally, a new function key when opening a membership and on Global Search will automatically generate the next available “imitation” SSN/TIN, for cases when you are setting up a member/non-member record for a person who does not have one (such as a foreign citizen). From the Global Search screen, you can now use F9-Create Imitation SSN, select the type of Social Security number (SSN) you need (member, co-borrowers/additional signers, or joint owners/IRA beneficiaries), and press Enter. CU*BASE will select the next sequential SSN (993-##-#### or 995-##-#### or 997-##-####). Simply accept the number and continue.

NOTE: We are also working on a separate project to add a 2-byte ID Type code that will allow you to completely separate “imitation” IDs from real, valid Social Security and U.S. Tax ID numbers. This project, which is targeted for spring 2010, will allow us to further refine this new tool so that the system can automatically choose the next available sequential number for foreign or “unknown” IDs. Stay tuned!

Part 2: Security Audit for Shared Branch Activity

The Security Audit file (SECAUD) currently contains a record of each time a menu command is accessed by an employee, as well as the member accounts that are accessed via tools such as Teller, Inquiry, or Phone Op.  One piece of data currently not in this file is when a teller at a shared branch credit union accesses another credit union’s member in the Teller system.  With this release we will begin recording that activity as well. Whenever a teller looks at any member of a shared branch credit union, data will be stored in the SECAUD file of the member’s (home) credit union, in addition to the teller’s credit union file as now.

This data can be viewed via MNMGMT #12 “Employee Activity Audit” (or MNQURY #24), which is a canned Query of file SECAUD using the CU*BASE Report Builder. On the member branch, the teller CUID is recorded, while on the teller credit union, the member’s credit union CUID is recorded.

Part 3: Block Search Capabilities for Shared Branch Tellers

A new configuration flag has been added in the Shared Branching Configuration (MNCNFC #16-Shared Branch Config) to allow you to disable search capabilities in Teller, Inquiry and Phone Operator and require a teller to enter the exact account number and name ID before any shared branching activity can be performed. This is consistent with how national shared branch models like CUSC Acquirer work.

If the new flag is activated for a credit union, when your member visits one of their branches, the tellers assisting them (and entering your Shared Branching ID) will be required to enter the exact account number of your member (and Name ID, if their own credit union configuration requires it). While they will still see the search fields (name, credit card #, etc.), they will receive a message asking for an account number if they try to use them to search for a member. This prevents a shared branching teller from surfing to find your member’s account number or other sensitive data.

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Details for all related screens will be available via CU*BASE GOLD Online Help with the release.

Based on your input after the major 360 mortgage changes in release 9.0, we’re excited to announce even more improvements, specifically to handle delinquency fine collection with a bit more sophistication.

·                        If delinquent fines are due, any extra dollar amount above the regular payment amount will automatically be taken first toward the fines, then the rest, if any, to principal (instead of all extra going directly to principal like it does now). Special new messaging will assist tellers in CU*BASE and members in It’s Me 247 on what funds are needed to satisfy the fine, and that any additional amount will go the loan’s principal, to clarify how funds will be paid.

·                        Separate principal-only payments on delinquent loans will not take the fines automatically. If the transaction amount is less than the regular payment amount, your tellers will still need to handle the payment as a normal principal-only payment. To make this easier, on the pop-up window that tellers see, there will now be an additional choice that will let them manually adjust how the payment will be applied. This will simply take them directly to the Payment Matrix Override window, where they can define exactly how to spread the payment, including satisfying fines.

·                        If you are really concerned about keeping tight control on your delinquent loans, we’ve also created a new option to allow you to block payment of a delinquent loan through It’s Me 247 online banking. If set, this would allow members to make payments via online banking only on loans that are current. Use F23-Audio PC Bank on the initial Loan Category configuration screen (MNCNFB #1) and select the new option 3=Only if loan is current (block if delinquent). If this selection is chosen, members with delinquent loans will be told to contact the credit union directly when attempting to transfer to the loan in online banking.

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Details for all related screens will be available via CU*BASE GOLD Online Help with the release. Also view the Kitchen page.

You can now select an unlimited number of loan products or dividend applications, on the following Tiered Services scoring items:

Special accounts (Goal 1)

Money market accounts (Goal 2)

Mortgage Loans (Goal 3)

Home Equity Loans (Goal 3)

Previously these allowed for the selection of only three products each. Now, a new Select button opens a window listing all of the available product codes, allowing you to select as many as you would like to include (hold the Ctrl key and click to select additional items). To make changes to your configuration, use MNCNFD #1, then Assign Tiered Service Level Point System.

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Refer to the “CU*BASE Tiered Service Levels ” booklet for complete details.

Want to create a unique group of members that you can identify for a marketing campaign though Member Connect? Or do you just want to pull only these specific members up in a Query? Define these codes through the newly named User Defined Code configuration (now called MNCNFC #3-User Defined Codes Configuration, instead of Mail Code Configuration). Although the functionality hasn’t really changed, the new name more accurately reflects the diverse way these codes are being used by credit unions.

Configuration is easier, now, too: Instead of configuring one code at a time, view all eighteen codes at one time on the redesigned screen. Then, as usual, add these codes to memberships via the Member and Organizational Update screens (MNUPDT #1-Update Membership Information). Once configured, you can include or exclude members according to these codes when creating files for use with Report Builder or when printing mailing labels through List Generator (MNPRTC #5) or Member Connect (MNPRTC #28).

Because of the new Opt Out flags, CU*BASE will not be incorporating the User-Defined fields into any automated marketing, communications, reporting, or other features from this point on. Therefore these are truly to be used for your credit union’s own, unique needs.

Overview

It is now easy to honor member requests about what kinds of marketing materials they will receive from your credit union. With this release, members can opt out of receiving email and phone solicitations for two kinds of communications:

·        Marketing/solicitations from third-parties (such as CUNA loan insurance offerings).

·        Education and marketing communications from the credit union (rates, current month’s CD specials, new products/services, announcements, alerts).

While we were at it, we added a way for members to also indicate via It’s Me 247 their “preferred” method of contact, whether by email, fax, home phone, cell phone, etc. (And of course we added options so that these preferences can also be recorded in CU*BASE by a teller, or other credit union employee.)

One key goal for this project was to give Xtension Call Center and Member Reach the information they need to know which members they should contact for the various campaigns they handle. But this will also allow credit unions to honor member requests to opt out of receiving things like marketing emails and third-party solicitations if they wish.

The idea with this project was to make it possible for a member to opt out, but not necessarily easy. That’s why the opt out screen in It’s Me 247 online banking will contain language to try and discourage members from opting out, especially for CU-initiated communications.

Flagging Members Who Want to Opt Out

A new “My Contact Options” page on It’s Me 247, accessed under Preferences, allows a member to indicate preferred contact and opt-out selections.

CU staff will use MNUPDT #1-Update Membership Information, or the Name/Address Update feature in Inquiry and Phone Operator, to make these selections for members in CU*BASE.

Your credit union could also use the newly expanded User-Defined Codes in tandem with these new exclusions to cover more detailed opt-out/in scenarios.

IMPORTANT: While the opt-out flags can be used to control whether members receive communications, the Preferred Contact Method is a courtesy, informational flag ONLY. No CU*BASE function will adjust according to this flag. It is intended as a way for the member to say, “if you have to contact me, I’d prefer you call my cell phone first.” The change happens in your procedures: when a CU employee goes to contact the member, the first thing they should check is the member’s preferred contact method.

Honoring Opt Out Flags In Marketing Efforts

Checkboxes to exclude members based on the two new opt-out options have been included in several places within CU*BASE, most notably the Member Connect messaging screen (MNPRTC #28) — the starting point for sending online banking and email messages, mailing labels, selective statement inserts and telemarketing Trackers. (Additional de-selectors have been also placed on the screen directly before sending the messages themselves, as a final reminder just before you send the communications.)

Additionally, these opt-out checkboxes have been added to the List Generator (MNPRTC #5) and Sales Tracker (MNTRAK #16-Generate Leads from File) so that you can exclude members when using these tools. Opt-out choices have also been included when charging off a savings account (MNCOLL #13-Charge Off Savings/Checking) or writing off a loan (MNCOLL #14-Write Off Loans) so that you do not send marketing communications to the holders of these accounts.

Were you previously using Mail Codes to mark members for opt-out preferences? Call Client Services and they will assist you in flooding these members with the appropriate new opt-out options.

Other Miscellaneous Guidelines

§   The new flags are independent of any use you might be making of the User-Defined Codes (formerly Mail Codes) described earlier. Therefore, both of these features could still be used to provide much more extensive opt-out combinations if desired. (CU*BASE will not be incorporating the User-Defined fields into any marketing, communications, reporting, or other features from this point on.)

§   These flags are independent from the Statement Mail Group codes that handle whether statements are printed or not.

§   These flags will be ignored by e-Statement and e-Notice processing (because the member specifically requested those communications).

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Refer to the “Marketing Campaigns with Member Connect ” booklet for complete details.

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Details for all related screens will also be available via CU*BASE GOLD Online Help with the release.

To give your credit union better control over how funds are released on teller check holds, with this release we will be adding new configurations and controls related to differentiating business dates from calendar dates. First, we have created a master configuration that we will maintain to store holidays observed by the Federal Reserve.

Next, your credit union will be able to use a new configuration (MNCNFD #23-Configure CU Non-Business Days) to specify your normal business days and define any additional holidays your credit union observes ( such as a special in-service day you use to do staff training, etc.). You can even, if you wish, opt out of the master list of Federal holidays and simply define all of your holidays manually in your own configuration.

We will begin using this file when calculating teller check hold release dates, as well as taking the configurations into account in the Date Calculator tool available from the teller Outside Checks screen. Basically, if a check needs to be held for 3 days, and there is a defined non-business day within that 3-day period, the release date will be calculated forward to the next business date automatically. The teller simply specifies a 3-day hold as usual.

To accomplish this, the Teller Check Holds Configuration screen (MNCNFD #22) will have a new option to calculate your check holds by business days in addition to the previously available calendar days. If this option is checked, CU*BASE will run your uncollected funds against the two new non-business days configurations to determine when your credit union is open, and then set the release date accordingly. Additionally, the Outside Checks screen now clearly states which method is configured (calendar days or business days) to assist tellers when they place holds on checks. While we were at it we even updated the Date Calculator (F2 from the Outside Checks screen) to assist the teller in calculating the hold days by business days, as well as the previously available calendar days.

Fixes were also made to the way holds are released, to prevent them from being released early as sometimes happens now. Instead of doing the releases during BOD processing, we will be running a special daily automated job that will release holds according to actual system date instead of processing date. For example, if a hold has a release date of Monday, it currently is released whenever BOD for Monday is run, even if that happens to be on Saturday night! Instead, the hold will now release on Monday morning. The exact time for the releases hasn’t been determined yet, but it will be at the same time every day, early in the morning.

Online CUs: CU*Answers will take care of maintaining the list of Federal Holidays for you. All you will need to do is configure your normal business days and any additional holidays observed by your credit union using MNCNFD #23.

Self Processing CUs: We’re planning on pushing out the master holidays list as part of your year-end release; watch for more details in the Year-end Processing Guide you receive later this year. When you get the release we’ll assist you with the special configuration you’ll need to control the new uncollected funds releases. You can, of course, also use the new configuration on MNCNFD #23 to update non-Federal holidays and your normal business schedule.

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Details for all related screens will also be available via CU*BASE GOLD Online Help with the release.

IRS regulations state that when an IRA distribution is paid out to a beneficiary the 1099-R form needs to be reported under the beneficiary’s SSN or TIN, not the IRA holder’s SSN or TIN. To facilitate this, we have created a new IRA Beneficiary Distributions file that will act as a supplement to the IRA Beneficiary file, allowing you to record a total distribution amount for each beneficiary, including the reporting year. While we were at it we cleaned up the Update IRA Beneficiaries screen (MNUPDT #19-Update IRA Info) to make it much easier to add and maintain information about IRA beneficiaries.

In a nutshell, after a member dies you’ll post withdrawal transactions as usual, coding them with the IRA posting code for death distribution. Then your IRA program coordinator will need to use a new command key on the IRA Beneficiaries maintenance screen (MNUPDT #19) to record individual beneficiary distribution records showing which beneficiary actually received the money.

IMPORTANT: It’s not an automated process, but rather a way to record the information so that it is available when needed for tax reporting. That means you’ll have to add it to your to-do list; otherwise all of the distributions would be reported under the member’s SSN/TIN like now.

When tax forms are created at year-end, if you’ve recorded information in the new beneficiary distributions file, we’ll automatically report those distributions as being received by the beneficiary, under the beneficiary’s SSN/TIN.

The Verify IRA Balance Report (MNRPTF #9-Verify IRA Balances Report) will now print an additional report which lists members that show withdrawals flagged as death distributions. You’ll be able to compare the total amount flagged against the individual records of distribution as part of your regular IRA monitoring and verification activities.

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Refer to the “IRA Processing with CU*BASE” booklet for complete details and configuration tips. Instructions on completing the separate beneficiary distributions file and verifying it against your IRA balance file and transaction records will also be included in the Year-End Processing Guide you receive this fall.

We’ve added some new features to Tracker configuration, and also developed some new tools to help you clean up member Tracker records and to manage them more effectively going forward. We’ve also made it easier for your front-line staff to assist your collections and sales teams in their efforts, by providing an optional new button that will appear in Teller, Inquiry and Phone only if the member has outstanding follow-ups that should be checked while working with that member.

Work Cross Sales from Tracker Review

A new F21-Cross Sales Tasks key has been added to the Tracker Review screen as a shortcut for tellers, MSRs and other staff working with a member’s Tracker records. This, combined with the recently-added F17-Work Followups feature, will make the Tracker Review screen another path to easily access both your follow-ups and your Cross Sales activity.

Clean Up Your Member Tracker Records

If you...

Try this new feature...

...accidentally created more than one Tracker record for a member and now want to put individual notes from both of them into the same, single Tracker

Member Account Inquiry > F21-Tracker Review > F15-Consolidate

...want to clean up all members so that each member has only one each of a particular Tracker Type (batch update)

MNTRAK #11 “Combine Tracker Conversations”

...want to clean up all conversations for a single member so that that member has only one of a particular Tracker Type (batch update for one member)

MNTRAK #11 “Combine Tracker Conversations” > enter an account base

...closed an account then later want to bring those historical Tracker records into another, new account

MNTRAK #12 “Copy Trackers to Other Members”

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, be sure to check out the demo videos we’ll be posting soon on our OnDemand site to see each of these features in action.

New Configuration Options for Trackers

Tracker Type configuration now has a number of new options you can use to control exactly how Trackers are used, including the ability to limit the number of Tracker records (not conversation notes) each member can have. Check out these new features on MNTRAK #7 Configure Tracker Types:

·                        Allow trackers to be copied from one membership to another – Controls whether MNTRAK #12 will be allowed (see above for more on this new “clean-up” feature)

·                        Allow conversations to be moved from one tracker to another – Controls whether the F15-Consolidate feature on the Tracker Review screen will be allowed (see above for more on this new “clean-up” feature)

·                        Allow trackers to be purged – Controls whether MNTRAK #9 Purge Tracker Records will be allowed

·                        Allow multiple trackers of this type per membership – Controls whether you can use the Tracker Entry feature to create a new Tracker record for a member, if one already exists (deactivate this flag if you want to make sure all conversations over time stay together under a single Tracker).

·                        Alert employees of outstanding follow-ups (Inquiry/Phone Op/Teller) – Controls whether a new “Outstanding Follow-ups” button will appear on Phone and Inquiry screens (appears as a command key on the Teller Verify Member ID pop-up window), if that member has any outstanding follow-ups to be worked.

·                        Allow collection card trackers to be duplicated on co-signer –This is actually a new standard option on the Collection Card Tracker type (XX) only. What it means is that whenever you create a new note on the XX Tracker type, a new option will appear to let the employee choose whether or not to copy that same conversation note to additional signers (members only). The system will present a list of loan accounts that have at least one co-signer so you can choose which co-signer(s) should get the copied note. In addition to the conversation text itself, the copied note will include a notation to show where the text came from:

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Refer to the “Sales Tracker ”, “Cross-Selling to Members ”, “How to Tracker from Cross Sales ” and “Working with Member Follow-ups ” booklets for details of these features.

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To see samples videos of these features visit the OnDemand site https://ondemand.cuanswers.com//.

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Details for all related screens will also be available via CU*BASE GOLD Online Help with the release.

This project adds two new configuration options to the Membership Designation Configuration so that you have more control over how the DBA name field is labeled on CU*BASE screen as well as on printed output such as forms and statements. Similar to how the primary and joint owner labels can be customized for display on CU*BASE, credit unions can now use a label other than “DBA name” on various CU*BASE screens. We’ve adjusted the printing programs as well, and wherever possible and appropriate, we will use the credit union defined label on printed material.

This new DBA name is configured through an enhanced Configure Membership Designations screen (MNCNFC #25). We have moved the existing Print DBA name on standard documents flag that was previously a global choice available through OPER to this screen’s detail so that you can determine by Membership Designation whether the new DBA name will appear on correspondence. This flag will determine what name is printed on statements, member envelopes (MNSERV #11), certificate laser forms (MNSERV #12), notices (MNPRTC #11), denial notice forms (MNLOAN #1), and member/starter replacement checks (MNSERV #8).

IMPORTANT: As before, in all cases the DBA name will print in place of the member name when this checkbox is selected. Most locations where this prints do not have enough space to add yet another line to the inside address for both the member n a me and the DBA name.

Details for all related screens will also be available via CU*BASE GOLD Online Help with the release.

When international ACH transactions (IAT) data starts coming with the ACH file beginning September 18th, CU*BASE will be ready to run the required OFAC scans on required financial institutions or individuals involved in the transfer. (There will be many addenda records with an international transfer, unlike just one with a domestic transaction.) While you won’t see many changes right away to existing screens, the ACH Exception listing (MNACHP #4) will have a new option to assist with the scan as well as two new columns to show whether the transaction is an IAT transaction and whether or not an OFAC scan has been successfully completed.

Þ        Watch for separate communications with more about this new functionality, and be sure to sign up for the special training web conference we’re holding on September 15, 2009!

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Details for all related screens will also be available via CU*BASE GOLD Online Help with the release.

·                        Additional Information in the Closed Account Report - We have added information to the Closed Account report (MNRPTB #7) that was previously only available on the New Account Report (MNRPTB #5). New columns including information on Branch, Closed by Employee ID, Dividend Application and SEG Code have now been included.

·                        Toggle of Data Center Employees Now Available - You can now use F9-Toggle ID/Name to sort by either the names of all Data Center Employees or their associated Alias Employee IDs. This should help you review which Data Center employees would be affected by changes to that Alias ID in your Employee Security configuration. Use MNMGMT #1, then F10-DC Employee (or from the CU*BASE Time-out window use F10-Data Center Empl).

·                        Clarification that eDOC Loan Forms are Selected - A handy label now clearly shows that eDOC loan forms have been selected when printing loan forms (MNLOAN #20), printing a loan application, when approving a loan, and on the Blank Loan Forms screen.

·                        Updates to Report Builder (Query) - Helpful changes to two canned queries have been added with this release. When using the canned Query MNQURY #5 (MASTER), you now can select Membership Designation instead of Letter Code. We’ve moved the Account Number column in the Employee Activity Audit Query (MNMGMt #12) next to the Access Granted column. Formatting changes in both have removed commas from the account number column as well.

You may notice some changes to the Favorites screen since we are working on some updates to this area of CU*BASE.

To start, with this release you can choose a color theme to customize how CU*BASE GOLD appears for you.

But as announced at the Leadership Conference in June, we have even bigger plans for this area! Check out slides 60-63 on the presentation posted on https://www.cuanswers.com/lc2k9/index.php to get up to speed.

Watch for a separate announcement coming soon explaining the new features that will be available, including the ability to brand CU*BASE with your credit union logo. There are even new features to brand special groups of screens with custom panel graphics specially designed for your departmental teams.

Stay tuned!