Recently published articles:
Auto Manufacturer Credit Cards: A Deal on Wheels? (published July 2008 on CreditCards.com)
by LaRita Heet
With gas prices causing consumers to hit the brake pedal on their larger-than-life SUVs and their gas-guzzling cousins, hybrid
and high gas mileage vehicles are moving up on consumers' "must buy" lists. To help ease sticker price pain and to boost
dealership business, many automobile manufacturers are stepping up with auto rewards credit cards that could score
customers some sweet deals on future wheels.
"Gas prices are already affecting vehicle sales in every segment, and traditional sport utility vehicles have been especially hard
hit," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com in a press
release announcing the results of an April 2008 Kelley Blue Book marketing study. According to the study, 47 percent of new-car
shoppers "would seriously consider a more fuel-efficient vehicle if gas prices increase another $0.25 or less, compared to 26
percent in October 2007"...
Click here to read more of "Auto Manufacturer Credit Cards: A Deal on Wheels?" at Credit Cards.com.
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Gary Oakland Pilots BECU to New Heights:
Meet the teller-turned-CEO who managed to lead his credit union from approximately $750 million in assets to its current
$8.4 billion in just over two decades. BECU CEO and president, Gary Oakland, gives an insider’s glimpse into how he
accomplished this impressive feat.
By LaRita M. Heet
Let’s face it: We all love a great success story, especially one that begins with a credit union teller (with less-than-stellar tseller
skills) who rises to the top faster than the crème de la crème. But when this teller-turned-CEO manages to lead his credit union
from approximately $750 million in assets to its current $8.4 billion in assets in just over two decades, it’s time to sit up and take
notice – and notes.
Who is this CU guru? It’s Gary Oakland, CEO and president of BECU (formerly known as Boeing Employees’ Credit Union, but
today “BECU”), which currently has more than half a million members. The second largest state-chartered credit union,
according to the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS), a professional regulators association, BECU
is also the fourth largest credit union (by asset size) in the United States.
Click here to read more of "Gary Oakland Pilots BECU to New Heights" in Credit Union BUSINESS Magazine, pp. 31-36.
To read more CUB Close-UP columns or other articles I've written for Credit Union BUSINESS Magazine, click here.
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More Links to Published Articles:
Work.com
Work.com- 90 small-business guides written by LaRita Heet
Event Solutions Magazine:
Dances with Bees: Team Building Innovation: Planners Help Participants Help Others
Whiz-Bang Entertainment: Entertainment Technology is Heating Up — Here’s What’s Cooking
The Final Hurrah: Are Funeral Becoming the Next Special Event?