By Don C. Brunell When my parents graduated from high school in 1936, a college education was too expensive for the son of a copper miner and the daughter of a plumber. Eighty years ago, our country was in the middle of the Great Depression and teens took odd jobs to help put food on…

A $1.5 trillion debt. Owed by 45 million people, or 15 percent of the U.S. population. Backed by the U.S. government, and by extension, taxpayers. Anyone who thinks this country’s growing student debt crisis doesn’t affect them is sorely mistaken. That’s the message from a certified student loan counselor, and he says it’s true for…

President, Tri-CU Credit Union (formerly Tri-Cities Community Federal Credit Union) Number of employees you oversee: 17 Brief background of your business: Tri-CU (formerly Tri-Cities Community Federal Credit Union) is the only small local credit union in the Tri-Cities, originally founded in 1969 by the IBEW #112 Electricians Union, right here in Kennewick. We have grown…

By Virginia Thomas / Spokane Journal of Business Washington financial institutions and regulators say they’re closely watching several pieces of federal legislation regarding cannabis that could impact how banks and credit unions handle banking for the cannabis industry. Some, however, aren’t optimistic that such legislation will make it through the legislative process. Washington state legalized…

By D. Patrick Jones Nearly every reader of this column has a relationship with a bank, credit union, mortgage lender or maybe a combination. The financial system of the U.S. is widely celebrated for contributing to our country’s economic success. What’s true nationally is true locally. According to data from Benton-Franklin Trends, the finance sector…

Spokane-based Numerica Credit Union is building a new branch off Road 100 in Pasco. The 3,152-square-foot new office at 4845 Broadmoor Blvd. will replace the credit union’s 626-square-foot branch at 4820 N. Road 68, which opened in 2007 inside Walmart. “This branch will be much more convenient for our members,” said Kelli Hawkins, public relations…

A planned merger of Gesa Credit Union and Seattle-based Inspirus Credit Union recently received approval from state and federal regulators. And Inspirus Credit Union members voted in favor of merging with Gesa on July 23. The official merger date is Aug. 1, and Inspirus Credit Union will begin operating as a “division of Gesa Credit…

By D. Patrick Jones Remember the phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid?” It certainly is true when assessing the state of regional lending. Let’s walk through what the economy does for the regional financial sector. But first, a word about the sector. The “credit intermediation” industry – largely banks and credit unions – works on a…

By Kris Johnson It isn’t just the decisions made in Olympia that impact the economy in Washington state. What happens in the “other” Washington can also affect employers, their employees and our families. Everything from health care to trade and immigration to taxes are increasingly impacted by what happens — or doesn’t — in Washington,…