CU*Answers has a rolling schedule of network security audits and assessments including internal and external penetration testing. We do not limit the scope of these tests to just the online banking environment. We also do not publish the results or reports from these tests for security reasons. The test results are reviewed by our Executive Team, our Board of Directors (made up of peer credit union CEOs), as well as examiners from the NCUA and state regulatory agencies. They are also reviewed b  More...

Access to personal information and other settings are now available by clicking the new profile button in the upper-right corner of the screen. These are the features included here: Message Center eAlert Subscriptions Personal Information (address, phone, email) Contact Preferences Change Username Change Password Change Security Questions Login History Password Change History

There are several steps in removing a member's Social Security number: 1) Run a global search to see what types of relationship codes the SSN has with your credit union. 2) The first relationship codes you will want to review are the 'CB' or 'JI' which mean the non-member is a co-borrower and/or joint owner on the account. They need to be removed first. To remove them, launch Tool #3 Open/Maintian Memberships/Accounts, choose Update member information then Joint owners an  More...

Prior to the 16.10 release, the SSA began using multiple Company IDs, and it was recommended that credit unions consider using Automated Funds Transfers (AFTs) to handle distributions. Beginning the 16.10 release a new cross-reference system will be implemented that will automatically funnel all incoming company IDs from the Social Security Administration and treat them as if they came from one, consistent company ID we’re referring to as the “Primary ID.” With the changes ma  More...

Special care should be taken when adding distribution records for a member who has more than one deposit coming for the family from the same institution. Take the time to research the member ACH records using the ACH inquiry screen, and if there isn't enough information on this screen, go to CU*SPY and find the PACXTB report to review the ACH detail. For example, the Smith family receives three ACH payments for Social Security benefits: one for the husband, John, one for the wife, Mary, and   More...

With the 16.10 release a new cross-reference system was implemented that automatically funnels all incoming company IDs from the Social Security Administration and treat them as if they came from one, consistent company ID we’re referring to as the “Primary ID.” In cases where the Depositor ID is the same, for example a husband and wife, these ACH transactions will be handled by the same master ACH distribution record under the Depositor ID since duplicate Depositor IDs are no  More...

Yes, if an online note is programmed in CU*BASE, it will be presented to and signed digitally prior to the loan funding. If the member cancels out and does not sign the form, the loan will not be created. Instead, the system will submit a loan application to be worked in the LOS Loan Queue (Tool #2). Deposit Secured loans do require special loan forms specifically coded for this type of offer. Your standard loan forms cannot be used with this feature without the special coding. f you are anx  More...

Prior to the 16.10 release, the SSA began using multiple Company IDs, and it was recommended that credit unions consider using Automated Funds Transfers (AFTs) to handle distributions. Beginning with the 16.10 release a new cross-reference system will be implemented that will automatically funnel all incoming company IDs from the Social Security Administration and treat them as if they came from one, consistent company ID we’re referring to as the “Primary ID.” With the chang  More...

The process can vary a bit according to the vendor, but here's a discussion about how it works for credit unions on the CO-OP network, as an example. In most cases, debit card authorizations create a Misc. Secured Shares record on the member's account to hold the funds. When the actual transaction comes in, this record is automatically deleted. (There are exceptions to this rule, such as gas purchases.) A little history: In the past, debit card authorizations would add a hold to an ind  More...

Yes. Use Tool #357 “Employee Security Audit Report.

Yes. You won't be able to read the answers to the member, but you can reset (clear) them. This will force the member to set up new answers and/or questions the next time they log in. This can be done two ways: Use Tool #72 Update ARU/Home Banking Access and click the Reset Security Questions button. OR In Inquiry/Phone/Teller, click the Home Banking Mbr button then use F11-Reset Quest.

Not every feature that potentially shows account details on an employee's account is governed by the Employee Account Security controls. Apart from technical impracticalities, our basic philosophy has been that employees who are given access to “sensitive” features (like Collections, or posting payrolls, etc.) should be trusted employees, and they should be allowed to use the tools to do their job. If they have to be hobbled or monitored, then perhaps they shouldn’t be tr  More...

Tool #569 Online/Mobile/Text Banking VMS Config > Online Banking Password and Security Settings includes a setting labeled Expire stale passwords after xxx days of non-use . This means if a member does not log in within that period of time, they must answer all of their security questions in order to reactivate or change their password, before they can log in. The maximum allowed is 90 days, so a value 6 or 12 months is not currently allowed. Remember that this process expires the passwo  More...

While in the initial Security Code configuration screen, click the printer icon at the top of the screen and a report is produced of the codes configured. (Use the Related Link below to see a picture of this icon.)

The correct way to fill out the CTR form is for it to show the primary member and then the teller chooses on whose behalf the transaction was being made. Then add the joint owner as the person conducting business on behalf of another.

Some methods your credit union may use to mitigate the risks include: Your credit union may restrict a member from opening these loans online by restricting the member from having online banking access. Your credit union may opt to make a special certificate product or savings product for Deposit Secured Loans and limit those members who may open these types of accounts. Your credit union may wish to consider the range of balances for your savings accounts/certificates querying table MEMBER1/ME  More...

Tool # 868 Transaction Override Report allows you to create a report that shows when a transaction override was performed on an account that was frozen, had secured or uncollected funds, as well as transaction overrides to par value (below minimum). This report was added to the Report Scheduler feature with the 15.3 CU*BASE release in December 2015. It is easy to use the Report Scheduler tool to archive monthly reports. Just enter the filter screen and make your selection of which type of ove  More...

There are many, many components in the infrastructure that protects your member data, from passwords and daily backups to production redundancy and full-blown DR/BR plans. One important piece of that puzzle involves the protections we put in place to control data moving between the System i and a local workstation. Years ago no one ever imagined an employee popping a thousand member records onto a thumb drive and heading out the door. Today we have entire teams and sophisticated tools to prev  More...

Certain controls that may be used by a lender, or even by It’s Me 247 when a member submits a loan application, are not evaluated by the system-generated Deposit Secured loans. As long as a member has access to online banking, a PIB profile that allows loan applications, and has a certificate of a Certificate Type/Dividend Application that allows Deposit Secured loans, that member has the ability to open a Deposit loan online, up to the available funds on that CD/checking/savings account.  More...

The information sent to the bureau was not an exact match, but based on the information provided (including name, address, DOB, etc.), the bureau returned a match to the correct SSN. CU*BASE is set up to pull a credit report for applications that are sent from online banking based on the applicant's consent to have their credit pulled within the application. There is not a way for the SSN to be verified as correct or not at the time of the application, but the credit bureau is able to do fur  More...

To update a signature line in CU*BASE, you’ll use the Tool #497 Member Connect Marketing Tools . (You will need a file name to move forward, so it can be helpful to have a test file created in your QUERYxx library for situations like this.) NOTE: For Member Reach clients, Xtend has previously created a file ‘MBRRTEST’ that will allow you to access the Message Maintenance screen. Select Online Banking and/or email message from the first window and then use Enter. On the Mem  More...

This report uses the field called Disbursed Amount in the MEMBER5 or MEMBER6 data file. This is an accurate representative total of the amount that was added to your loan portfolio. Other reports, such as the Contingent Liability Analysis Report (Tool #280), use the Disbursement Limit to derive the amount of contingency balance by subtracting the current balance from the disbursement limit.

Of course we are always happy to assist you in explaining system features to your auditors and examiners. We will be glad to talk directly to your examiner to explain not only how the tools and security features work, but also the strategic ideas behind why things work they way they do and the direction in which we are heading. Please contact a CSR or our CEO directly if you need help working with your examiners.

If the member closed their account in November, they would receive a final statement for their November transactions but will not receive a December Statement as they did not have any transactions in December and the account was not active. This would also be true for members who closed their accounts earlier in the year. For example, for a membership closed in April, the member will receive their final statement at the end of April then will not receive another statement again (not even the q  More...

This data comes from the TAX file. This file is created automatically at year-end and populated with things like dividends and interest paid, and other details to be reported to the IRS and printed on tax forms. When it comes to Property Tax and PMI, things get a little complicated. Over the years the IRS has shifted back and forth as to (a) whether we are obligated to report this data to the IRS, and (b) whether it can simply be reported to members via the 1098 form, regardless of whether it  More...