Previously, credit unions used Code 38 for “Return to Maker”, but this code is no longer available in the system. This change was initiated by a Reg CC change in 2018. Now, if you are presented with a situation where you need to return a check to another institution, it is recommended that you use one of these codes to clarify the reason for the check return. Some codes allow you to make the change in CU*BASE. Others require that you contact your Check Item Processor. Read below for   More...

Here are some ideas of things to remind members: If an online banking username was set up, the account number can no longer be used to log into the account. You may need to clear the username to allow the member to create a new one. Refer to the directions below. Your member number is the main account number that identifies your relationship with the credit union. Your account number can be up to nine digits long. Be sure that the number you are entering does not include the share or loan accou  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...

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...

Using CU*BASE to Comply with New Rules for Tracking Beneficial Ownership FinCEN has issued new rules under the Bank Secrecy Act that require financial institutions to identify and verify the identity of the beneficial owners of all legal entity members (corporations, etc.). Under the final rule, credit unions are required to have written procedures to identify and verify beneficial owners of legal entity members who open new accounts on or after May 11, 2018. In addition to identifying and coll  More...

There are several configurations that control the member’s ability to set up and maintain Automated Funds Transfer (AFTs) online. Does your credit union's Personal Internet Branch configuration allow the maintenance of AFTs? Are AFTs configured to show in online banking? Does the member's PIB configuration allow maintenance of AFTs in online banking? For existing AFTs: Is the record locked to prevent changes in online banking? 1. Does your credit union's Personal Internet Bran  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...

When you use the filter buttons on the File Maintenance Inquiry dashboard (Tool #159: Audit File Maintenance Inquiry (CUFMNT)), indicators note which programs, fields/columns, and files/tables AuditLink has flagged as “critical” for auditing teams to monitor on a daily basis. You can quickly sort by that indicator and select only those items for a quick scan of maintenance that directly affects member accounts. Below is a listing of these critical items. Columns/Fields Field Why   More...

In this particular member's situation there was no activity in either October or November that triggered a statement. The credit union's quarterly (and year-end) statements are configured to produce a statement for every member, regardless of activity level, but monthly statements are more restrictive in an attempt to save postage costs, and not every member gets a statement every month. NOTE: CU*BASE statements have a considerable number of configuration options that allow credit unio  More...

Yes, by making use of both a Misc. Receipts and a Misc. Expense posting code, so that you can put the funds temporarily into a G/L then issue a check from that same G/L. Here are the key steps: First, configure two posting codes, using Tool # 534 Misc. Posting Codes Configuration. For the first one, choose the Receipts type and set up a code that will allow you to place funds into a G/L account. For the second one, choose the Expenses/Advances type and set up a code that will allow you to  More...

In one of three ways: Note: The term 'subscriber' refers to your 'member'. Electronic Payments (ACH) - Fiserv's preference is to send all payments electronically. However in the Risk Model format it is not always feasible. Fiserv submits the merchant payment (via the fed) from a Fiserv settlement account the same day we submit the debit (via the fed) to the subscriber account. Fiserv is taking the risk on the payment. Electronic payments are typically sent when the subscr  More...

Simply put, it is a way for your members to continue using interactive services such as audio response and online banking, ATM/debit cards, and online credit cards for their financial needs, even while CU*BASE is off line for normal daily or monthly processing. CU*BASE uses a special style of stand-in processing that allows for continued use of CU*TALK audio response and It's Me 247 online banking services even during the night when we perform end-of-day and end-of-month processing. Refe  More...

The Secondary Names (SECNAMES) file stores instructions that link a membership account to another member or non-member record. The file stores links to joint owner names and beneficiary names for all non-IRA account types. (IRA beneficiaries are stored in a completely different file because they are linked to an IRA Plan Type, not specific individual sub-accounts.) The file also stores a third type referred to as miscellaneous owner which can be used for any purpose you wish. The most co  More...

The previous tools used for uploading and downloading to and from CU*BASE will be retired when your credit union recieves the 20.07 CU*BASE software release. For online and Site-Four credit unions, that date is Sunday, July 12. Self-processing credit unions will receive the release the following Sunday, July 19. To replace the two tools, a new tool was introduced in November 2018, Tool #1375 Data Transfers (Upload or Download) . Following the release, this tool will be the default data transfer  More...

There are two ways to accomplish this: The first way is to use the Marketing Opt-Out flags on the member's MASTER record. Introduced in the CU*BASE 9.2 release (August 2009), these are two flags that can be checked to exclude the member from third-party marketing communications and/or CU-related marketing commnunications. See the Opt Out link below to read more about the use of these flags. When creating a database file using Member Connect tools, or the CU*BASE List Generator, or even t  More...

The Social Security Administration uses several company IDs for its ACH transactions. Previously two recommendations were made to handle the changing Company IDs, namely to create records for all possible Company IDs with duplicate distribution records or to transfer the distributions with the Automated Funds Transfers (AFT) system. With the 16.10 release a process was implemented that will no longer require either of these complicated solutions. Going forward only one Company ID will need to   More...

If a member cannot view their check, the research team needs the following information: Credit Union Questions What is your credit union name? Have multiple members reported that they cannot view checks? Are these members having the same experience when viewing their check? (See Member Questions. ) Has the check appeared on the Check Exceptions Report? (TNDET) Was this check cleared at the teller line? (Sometimes this is referred to as a counter-killed check.) Are you able to retrieve a chec  More...

The Process Code or PROC CODE on this screen refers to which accounts CU*BASE is going to look at to see if we can authorize the transaction or which account we are going to process against when the vendor is sending a completion. It is a 6 digit field and is broken down into 3 sections to determine how CU*BASE should process the transaction. First is an explanation of how this 6 digit code is broken down and what each segment refers to: OO FF TT in this example the first two digits would  More...

With the 16.10 release we have developed a new cross-reference system 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.” Refer to the linked to Answer Book items for more information about this feature. At implementation of the release two reports were placed in your credit union’s HOLDxx OUTQ. The first, CNV40003, lists all  More...

To take advantage of the CU*Answers online imaging solution, there are a few required pieces of hardware. Each branch will each need an Gweep upload appliance to transfer the electronic images to the secure database. Additionally, scanners are needed to capture photo IDs (and supporting documents for loans), and signature pads are needed at each workstation where receipts are signed. Thermal printers are required for the system. These hardware devices are described in more detail below: Gweep U  More...

The CTR did not populate because the system calculation can combine only those transactions that were posted at the same time. In this particular situation the member had seven deposits within a few minutes of each other where the total amount calculated under his Social Security number exceeded the credit union configured CTR flag amount over $10,000. None of the individual amounts he deposited, however, exceed the $10,000. The total excess of $10,000 calculated placed him on your BSA monitor  More...

Yes, the Statement Mail Groups feature lets you configure up to 9 codes that can be attached to a member's account. The codes specify whether statements should be printed and archived (the standard method) or just archived only. This is used in situations such as for members with written-off loans or bankruptcy situations where the member shouldn't receive a statement, or even if you want to avoid printing statements for your own staff. Archived statements are available through CU*SPY  More...

No, those statistics are only updated when the original posting program charges a fee to the member. The idea behind this stats file is to record the member was NSF when the item originally came in, regardless of why. There may be several reasons why you reverse the fee, not all of which would mean the history should be changed. (For example, say the item came in NSF but the member had called and said his paycheck was coming tomorrow, so you gave him a break and reversed the fee. In this cas  More...

CU*Answers strives to accommodate our clients by offering training in many different formats, from full classroom offerings (see the current CU*Answers University Catalog) to online learning and web conference sessions. We also offer individual training sessions, and workshops which can be held either at a credit union site, or here at CU*Answers. For credit union staff to train internally, we offer our web-based online courses as well as hands-on learning using a pretend CU*BASE credit union  More...

You'll need to set a policy for your loan officers to make sure that the first due date is no more than 45 days out, and the month you select will depend on the timing of when the new loan is opened. For example, if a member takes out a loan on September 3rd, then the first due date could be set to September 30. But if the loan isn't booked until September 18th, then you would set a first payment due date of October 31 instead. NOTE: This, of course, assumes that the closing document  More...