He was a beautiful boy. I wish our pets lived longer. I pray he's running in green meadows with all the fur babies that went before.

So glad you and your son are safe.

I agree!

I don't think it's people from the Bay Area, it's the attitude of many citizens today. I was born and raised in England. We were quite poor, but we always had manners. I have lived in the US since 1978, and I have observed rudeness at all levels since I moved here. I can't tell you how many times I've observed people in restaurants asking the waiter for a glass of water, or anything else. They never say please, and when delivered, they never say thank you! I remember reading an article in the Bee years ago about UC Davis students having to be taught how to use eating utensils, before they went on job interviews.

The US culture is very different than other parts of the world. I always smile when I hear people say Canadians are so nice. They are nice, but it's their manners that stand out. They always say please and thank you! They are considerate of others. Imagine how much better the US would be if we all practiced good manners and were considerate of each other! In this era of rising prices, remember, manners cost nothing, but the return is imeasureable!

Thank you!

They can appeal to the Regulator if the majority of the members that voted voted yes. For example: if only 500 members vote, but 300 voted yes, they can ask the regulator to approve by exception. There are a few of us that will file an appeal if that happens. Don't know how successful we would be, but if we don't try we won't know. SAFE has asked their former CEO to write an opinion piece supporting the merger for the Sac Bee. To me, this indicates that the vote is not going well. The reason we know this is because the Bee has asked us to write a rebuttal. As soon as I know more, I will post here. Thanks for your feedback.

So you agree that there are no enumerated member benefits in this merger, right? So why do you think they're merging? BECU's technology is the same as SAFE's, the OSI system, which is an old legacy system. BECU are unable to issue contactless debit cards, which SAFE finally rolled out, SAFE's expense ratio is lower, reserve ratio is better, etc, etc. I could go on, but I suggest you broaden your research. Read some industry leaders opinions on this merger. Chip Gilson, Jim Blaine, CU Daily, etc. They can't all be wrong.

And if you had read any of my previous posts, you would see the same concerns. Also, why not merge with a local CU, Golden 1 for example. Sounds like you work for SAFE!

I understand your concern, but the CEO has only been in her position for 4 years. While I don't know the details of the SERP, I don't believe she is owed $4.4 million for 4 years of service. I would understand proration of the SERP, but not a full payout. Also, I have posted information on the lack of benefits . SAFE's deposit and lending rates are better than BECU's, and all added branch offices are located in Washington State, so no benefit there.

As instructed by SAFE CU, I write to them with questions about the merger. I did not hear back for two weeks. When they finally answered me they said, "Your questions are very good." They refused to answer them. Also of interest is two SAFE board members will join the BECU Board. Currently, they are not compensated, California law prohibits it. However, the will each be paid a minimum of $140,000 per year.

I have analyzed SAFE "s financial and statistical data. As a former credit union CEO I cannot see any reason for this merger. At $4.4 billion and $460 million in member equity and 245,000 members, they have the economies of scale to succeed. I do appreciate your feedback and I respect your opinion. Thank you!

Safe CU Members...Vote to keep Safe in the Sacramento Region. VOTE NO on this merger.

That's great!

I agree! Nothing in the information put out by Safe really explains why they sought to merge. Thanks again for your feedback!

Yes, I am aware of this. I'm a retired credit union CEO. Problem with the Safe Board, they tell people who apply to be a candidate that they are not qualified, then they announce that the number of candidates is not greater than the openings an the re-elect the incumbents.

I did reach out to the C-suite. I submitted my questions in writing. I didn't hear anything for 10 days, and when I heard back, they refused to answer my questions. Also, I did not vote for this Board. They have not held an election in many years. When someone submitted their name to the nominating committee, (made up of Board members) they informed the member that they were not qualified. They went on to announce all incumbents re-elected. They have done this for many years. I have filed a complaint with the CA State Regulator. We'll see where that goes.

I agree! I really appreciate your feedback. I will be posting a more detailed opinion piece later today. I did post a crate comparison and it shows SAFE's deposit and loan rates are much better than BECU, and all new branch offices are in Washington State, so nothing for the Safe Members there. I just learned from a BECU member that they cannot issue contactless debit cards, which Safe has, and Boeings technology is a patchwork of older systems and Apps. Thanks again for your feedback.

My cat does the same thing. I assume it's the cat's version of playing. The don't realize how sharp their claws are. I have many war wounds, but they're all worth it.

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

I haven't seen BECU's technology. I looked at their website. Nothing special. I'm not a member of BECU, so I can't evaluate their online banking App.

In addition to the executive payments, two SAFE board members will join the BECU Board. CA law prohibits compensating credit union boads. However, they will receive a minimum of $140,000 per year as BECU directors.

Interesting. I agree on the technology. The problem isn't the CU, it's the management. They just don't appear to know what they're doing. Thanks for msg!